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If you have ever come across a hockey rivalry that seemed fierce, wait until you meet the personal enemy of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The internet went berserk late into the night last Friday when Bleacher Report’s Open Ice account announced the comeback of the infamous Leafs hater during Game 7 of their playoff series. This unidentified man has gone on legend for attending Leafs games to root against the team FOR YEARS. Like some sort of hockey supervillain, fresher by the agony he brings to the Maple Leafs.
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The viral tweet pictured the man sitting in his usual spot wearing the colors of the opposing team with the caption “The biggest Leafs HATER on Earth returned for Game 7 last night…Guy has attended Leafs games to root for the opposing team for YEARS.” And oh, what responses they were-a course in pettiness through sports discussion.
“Generational hater,” one user exclaimed. “His commitment is incredible.” Another commented: “If you’re in the Leafs hating business, business has been good for decades.” And that hurts. But it is a fact: the Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967. So they’ve been the toughest targets for professional hating since then.
You have to question some of the life choices this guy must have made. “Spend your money however you want, but this guy is a loser,” contended one commenter. To which another responded: “Being a Leafs fan is a million times worse.” Suffice it to say: the chirps practically write themselves. One brutally witty reply followed: “This how I’m coming to all my opps,” stating how inspiring this man’s dedication is for every other sports grudge.
There was an entire debate about the hater’s practices and etiquette. “I sometimes wear the jersey of the opposing team, but that’s just to jinx them with my inherent bad luck,” one self-aware fan explained. Others compared him with other noted anti-fans, such as the Patriots fans who flaunted the “#47 Wide Right” jersey at Bills games-a stabbing reminder of Buffalo’s Super Bowl heartbreaks dating way back.
The Leafs fans requested that the attention cease out of kindness toward the troll. “Stop giving this clown attention,” cried one, while another jokingly suggested, “Put him in as goalie,” implying that his hatred couldn’t possibly make Toronto’s goaltending any worse. The most brutal take? “This guy always picks the winning team, what a stud.” And that really is what hurts the most for Leafs nation in the end-he’s usually right.
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What makes the tale so unique in hockey is that deeply held grudges are allied with financial commitment. One user had the perfect summarization: “This man got season tickets just to fuel generational beef.” In a league that harbors grudges for decades and turns playoff defeats into generational trauma, perhaps this hate guy is simply keeping up with the traditions. After yet another Game 7 loss, maybe Leafs fans will finally understand this is not about you; it is hockey. And when it is hockey, jokes are free-flowing when your team has not won since before the moon landing.
This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider
