The plague of Toronto sports

If you're a Canadian sports fan, or just a sports fan in general, you've likely seen a trend over the last few years. It has to do with professional sports teams from Toronto.

How are fans still putting up with the mis-management, frequent collapse, exodus of top players, and losing seasons? There is something to be said as a fan for dedication to your team, but there is a point where the fans move from dedicated to dumb. Just take a look at the six Toronto teams:

+ Toronto Raptors have never won an NBA championshop, haven't made the playoffs in two years, and haven't won a playoff series in the last decade.
+ Toronto Maple Leafs haven't won an NHL championship since 1967 and haven't made the playoffs since 2003-2004.
+ Toronto Blue Jays have not made the playoffs since they won the World Series title in 1993.
+ Toronto Rock lacrosse team have failed to make the playoffs the last two season and haven't won a series since they were league champions in 2005.
+ Toronto FC has yet to qualify for the playoffs since entering the MLS in 2007.
+ Toronto Argonauts, this may sound like a broken record, but no playoff appearances in the last two seasons.

The losing history of Toronto sports teams in the last two seasons is incredible. Due to this lack of success, top professional free agents have avoided Toronto like the plague. The ultimate goal for most professional athletes is to win a championship, and if recent history serves, that is not an option in Toronto.

If it were only one team struggling, the source would be easy to trace, but the widespread failure of Toronto teams is incredible. Why are they losing, collectively? I would tend to blame poor management.

The Leafs selling off draft picks for overrated players, the Raptors inability to keep star players happy or to surround them with legitimate support, and I won't even begin with the Blue Jays.

Kudos to the dedicated fans, even if you are disillusioned. With six professional teams in the city of Toronto, you would have to predict one will make the playoffs in the next year...or two. Maybe.

The best time of year in sports

In case you haven't noticed, the weather is getting warmer, the birds are starting to chirp, and this is the greatest time of year for sports.

Why? Let's start with the NHL and NBA playoffs. Teams are jockying for position, the first round is soon to begin and every game is important (unless you play for the Edmonton Oilers or the New Jersey Nets).

Not only that, but opening day of Major League Baseball is here. For Toronto Blue Jays fans, that means one legitimate month of playoff hopes remaining.

Not enough? How about the Final Four in NCAA basketball and the Frozen Four in NCAA hockey.

Sitll not enough. How about the Masters in PGA golf. I'm not going to mention the slime ball golfer everyone has been talking about. The Masters would and will be great (perhaps better) without him.

This spree of outstanding sports action comes at just the right time. Most people are still feeling a slight Olympic hangover, and this exciting time of the year is just the thing to revitalize sports fans. So get your seat ready, put on your favorite jersey, and let the games begin.

NASCAR needs to better police drivers

We've seen it all before. A player throws a cheap shot on the ice, which is followed by the team enforcer fighting the guilty party. In baseball, it's the brush back pitch. Hot and high inside will teach you a lesson.

Often, players and athletes are able to police themselves. And then it goes too far.

Recently at a NASCAR race in Atlanta, Carl Edwards intentionally wrecked Brad Keselowski in response to previous nudges and bumps. Is this taking it too far? Edwards was closer to killing Keselowski then to teaching him a lesson.

For all of the heat the NHL takes for fighting, the league also has one of the best systems in place to deal with severe situations. NASCAR has no such policy and has promoted drivers policing each other on the track. In a sport where one mistake could take a life, NASCARs "policing" policy is a little ridiculous.

What about Major League Baseball? Well the brush back pitch and over dramatic bench clearing dust ups are all fine and dandy, but when it comes time for a suspension, even the MLB falls short. Players can challenge a ruling and be back in the line up the next night. If you're a pitcher, you might not even miss a start. Something doesn't seem right there.

The NHL has an interesting mix of self policing and league monitoring. In my opinion, it works. Sure you'll always have goons who go too far, but that is the case in any sport. There will always be dirty hits like Matt Cooke's headshot on Marc Savard regardless of the penalty attached to the action.

Look at Carl Edwards, he intentionally took a life in his own hands and luckily everyone walked away. He could have killed Keselowski and he could have killed fans in the stands. If NASCAR had dealt with Keselowski's antics earlier, this outrageous incident would never have happened.

League's like the NHL and the NBA have been properly dealing with player behaviour for years. It's time other sports including the MLB and NASCAR follow suit. If they don't, the results will damage their leagues, damage their image, and hurt or kill thier athletes.

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Another reason why the NHL will remain the smallest of the big four

Forget the ratings and forget the attendance numbers. The NHL will remain the smallest of the big 4 (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) for one main reason: poor leadership and decision making.

In a recent move, the NBA, NFL, and MLB all donated $1 million to the Haiti relief funds. On the flip side, the NHL only donated $100,000. I can name more than a dozen individuals who donated more than that.

As pointed out by London Free Press writer Steve Simmons, most of the NHL's extra money this season is going to their own personal disaster, the Phoenix Coyotes.

In reality, however, this comes back to another bonehead move by Gary Bettman. Bettman who has tried for years to sell the NHL to Southern markets, who quite frankly, could care less about the league, is the bumbling leader who is ruining this league.

The product is fast, exciting, easy to understand, and filled with charismatic players. The leader, Mr. Gary Bettman, is one of the darkest clouds hanging over this league. He is the mastermind behind the Phoenix fiasco and two, count them, two, lockouts.

Until the NHLPA and others in power step up and oust Gary Bettman, the NHL will remain the smallest of the big 4.

Let the games begin.