Where's the Intensity?

It's not easy being a Leaf fan.  Back in October when the NHL season was dewy and fresh, I blogged about the Leaf winning streak of four games http://madwomanofhockey.blogspot.com/2010/10/jumping-on-bandwagon.html, and how so many people were jumping on the Leaf's bandwagon.  Now it's a month later and the bandwagon is getting rather lonely due to the Leaf's record of 5-7-3.  The Toronto media continually lambastes the team and its management, the fans bemoan the dearth of ambition and grit on the team and many people have simply shrugged and chalked it up to another typical Leaf's season.  Just today, the Toronto Star questioned where the leaf's intensity was.  The team may lack intensity, but its true fans do not.

There are very, very few true Leafs fans, but my friend Anooj has to be at the forefront of them.  Like a true love affair, it hasn't all been smooth sailing, in fact love affair with the Leafs is like trying to have a love affair with a skunk; sure they can be cute at times, but often they stink!

Anooj carries out his affair with the Leafs in the very public forum of Facebook.  Sometimes one has to wonder how his long suffering wife Jalpa feels about this other spectre in their marriage.  As you can see by the above status update he has also promised to love the Leafs "Till death do us Part!!!".  Actually that statement was made in uppercase letters, a technique that Anooj often employs.

According to "netiquette", writing in capital letters is akin to shouting.  Anooj shouts a lot. 

Anooj will vehemently defend his team, usually employing quite descriptive and visually evocative language, though frequently a comparison to some type of excrement is usually made as may be seen by the above reference to llama excretions or rhino turd.  In the interest of family viewing, I've chosen not to include any reference to human excrement, but yes, that finds its ways into his updates too.

The language may be puerile and adolescent, but you have to admit that it's really funny and amusing.  Frequently I find myself on Facebook during a Leaf's game, simply because Anooj's running commentary is more entertaining than the play-by-play commentary of the so called experts.  If I miss watching the game, there's no need to tune into TSN's updates, I simply have to log into Facebook and I have access to all the information that's pertinent to the game, plus emotional input such as the Billy Madison and a orifice reference with regards to the parking cone, as seen above.

A passionate love affair is never a smooth and simple process.  Anooj readily admits the faults of his team, but steadfastly remains loyal in his support.  One can only hope that the Leafs win a Stanley Cup in his lifetime as a reward for such staunch loyalty.

In Anooj's succinct reply to his own status update (a rather unique process that I've really only ever seen employed by Anooj, along with 'liking' his own updates), he tells the world that "HATERZ SUUUUK IT!!!!!!"  No matter what, he'll stand by his team, though it may require vast quantities of alcohol  to do so, though I do worry that if the Leafs ever do win the Stanley Cup, he won't now how to deal with such a popular girlfriend; right now it's easier to vehemently defend the honour of the girl who doesn't look like she'll ever win a beauty contest.  Somehow, you've got to like a guy like that, I know I do.