To Be A Leaf Fan.

What does it take to be a die hard Leaf fan, a true blue Leaf fan. Not the Leaf fan that loves the leafs when they win and hates them when they lose. The Leaf fan that no matter how much it hurts, you'll never miss a game by choice, in the car the radio is on playing the game.
For 36 years now okay for the sake of it I'll say 30 years, because I'm not sure if the first 6 years count. As long as I can remember I was a leaf fan. On the pond or playing road hockey as often as possible (with a hand injury the only thing to stop me), there could be a blizzard outside and we would still be there playing the game we loved. I recall while everyone was picking the top scorer that year, or the top draft pick, I was always a Leaf. Even playing the good ole game of mini sticks I was a Leaf. And no I didn't lose all the time. I had my moments in the sun. I would say to my friends sometimes " Why don't you pick a leaf", with them hollering back, "Pick a Leaf". Maybe it's me, maybe I enjoy getting my heart broken game after game year after year. Wondering why did you make that pass to their player, or what were you thinking coming out of the net. Then I would make it a point to watch other games, with other teams and guess what? They made the same mistakes. Their top player passed the puck right to the other teams top scorer. Or the goalie came out to play the puck only to put it right on the opposing teams stick. So now I think is the Leafs that are really that bad or is it that the lights are so bight on them that every little blunder looks that much worse. I guess it doesn't help to have the people that are going to write about you the next day, enjoy so much in bashing the team. They can win but yet you can make sure that the bad will only be reported or take the highlight.
Not only am I a huge hockey fan, not only is it a part of my heritage but I like to believe that the Leafs play for us. They are our team, they are and always be my team. They don't want to lose anymore than we want them to. After all no on wants to let anyone down. The main goal for all players is to win the Stanley Cup. To play with the emence presure that a team like the Leafs have to play with would be like the average person having to write an exam (that also has to be 100%) which will determine getting a million or not with everyone watching. I think to be a Leaf fan you need to have a Heart of steel, be ready to take the bad with the good. Be ready to let that goal go that crushed the whole game lead with a second to go. Or maybe you just need to be Canadian.