If you are a sports fan such as myself, you have probably seen on TV or online the love-in that is surrounding this year’s Toronto Blue Jays. The team recently ended its 22 year playoff drought by winning the American League East, and frankly I am getting sick of all the coverage. It doesn’t help that Rogers owns the Blue Jays and Sportsnet, the latter of which has devoted night and day coverage to the team. If you only watched their coverage, you would think they were the greatest team in the history of baseball.
The main source of my anger stems from the fact that this team is being labelled “Canada’s team.” They aren’t Canada’s team, they’re Toronto’s team. It is just that simple. No self-respecting person outside of Toronto should cheer for the Blue Jays. I highly doubt anyone from Toronto cheered on the Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011, so why should people out west support the Blue Jays? It just doesn’t make sense.
An even more egregious claim that I saw online from some people is that Blue Jays this year could be as big as team Canada winning olympic gold in 2010. Where do these people get off? Olympic gold in 2010 was a once in a lifetime event; the Blue Jays finally winning something is just like your underachieving kid finally getting a few good test results in a row.
That feeds into another equally annoying point about the Blue Jays. Supporting the Blue Jays also supports the belief that Toronto is the centre of the country. Every time a team from Toronto miraculously doesn’t suck, everyone from Canada is suppose to band together, hand in hand, and support their team. Now, I don’t claim to be a particular supporter of any baseball team, but if I had to choose one, I would much rather support the Seattle Mariners. Not only are they a three hour drive away, they’re not Toronto. And that’s probably the most important part.
The Toronto Blue Jays are not Canada’s team. They’re the city of Toronto’s team. If you bought some Blue Jays merchandise over the past couple of months, shame on you. Toronto is not the centre of the universe, and you are a part of this toxic attitude. I can’t imagine how much worse it will get if they make it to the World Series, or God forbid, win it. We may never hear the end of how great the Blue Jays are.
Go cheer on the Mariners…. Go Jay’s go…
If there was only one Canadian hockey team in the NHL they’d be “Canada’s team”, no matter the city. And many Canadians DO root for the last Canadian hockey team standing in the playoffs regardless of the city. There are tons of Canadians who are fans of American teams, you’re welcome to be one of them. But until the Expos return, THE Canadian baseball team is the Blue Jays. Live with it.
“Supporting the Blue Jays also supports the belief that Toronto is the centre of the country.”
Next time just skip to that and call it a day.
It’s hilarious how these rants continue to manifest in this country even though it ought to be abundantly clear by now that no one is offering medals for beating this dead horse.
You’re trying to champion a cause here that only exists in the collective minds of insecure communities, ideological not geographical.
That’s the best bit for me, the idea you’re fighting against is 99% created by well, you.
Anyway my point was go Jays!
Sounds like somebody’s butthurt.
First of all, that’s a pic of Mark Derosa. He hasn’t been with the team since 2013. Second, game 3 of the ALDS drew an audience that averaged over 4 million fans across Canada (with total views in the 9 million range). Sounds like Canada’s team to me but who really cares? The Jays and their fans could care less if you jump on the bandwagon, though some of us might enjoy watching you get stuck under the wheel.
Actually, I did cheer for the Canucks when they made it to the Stanley cup – I cheer for all the Canadian teams when they play American ones. I live in Ontario. So sorry if that offends you.
I’m also from Ontario and do the same thing when it’s a Cdn team against an American one.
I’m from Calgary and I support the Jays along with most everyone I know. I support the Flames, but will cheer on any Canadian team making it into the NHL playoffs, including the Canucks (unless they are playing the Flames). Of course this hasn’t been an issue of late. I Hope you’re not representative of today’s SFU student body.
Hey, Nick Bondi, do you support your Vancouver Canadians? You know, a Toronto Blue Jays minor league affiliate!
You need to grow up and start complaining about some real issues kid!
Some people need to have their keyboards taken away. This person is one of them. Quit trolling and watch preseason basketball toolbag.
Is this guy even Canadian? He can’t even spell “centre” properly!!
Thanks for noticing that typo — it’s changed now 🙂
Thanks for pointing out this typo! It’s been changed 🙂
Guy is a dingus, our country REVOLVES around Toronto.. fuckin hoser
BLUE JAYS SUCK…..HAHA SEE YOU IN ANOTHER 22 YEARS. ….HOSERS
There are rants that are entertaining, then there are rants that are just annoying and stupid. Nick Bondi, it looks like you are an expert at the later. The Blue Jays are the only MLB playing in Canada. For the vast majority of us, that makes them Canada’s team. Your parallel to the NHL and the lack of love shown to Vancouver is grasping. You might have heard, there are a few other NHL team in Canada. So, you go ahead and cheer for the Mariners… but the rest of us will continue to get behind our team, Canada’s team.. the Blue Jays.