Toronto Maple Leafs: Should They Win or Should They Lose?

First of all, I would like to apoligize to all my fans. Sorry I have not written in over a week, but between work and school it's hard to find time to write.

With the NHL season closing in faster and faster every day, all the hockey fans out there are counting down the days until their favorite teams drop the puck on opening day.

For me that team is the Toronto Maple Leafs and the day will be October 9. But it wasn’t until a few days ago I started to wonder—how do I cheer for a team I want, in simple terms, to fail?

Okay, Leaf fans—let me explain what I mean. This year is not the Leafs' year—obviously—so I want them to have such a horrible season that they get a chance a John Tavares, whom I have seen play in Oshawa, or Victor Hedman, whom I have not seen play since I don’t live in Sweden.

I don’t know if I should cheer when they win or when they lose, when they score or are scored on, when they're on the power play or on the PK.  It's very conflicting being a fan of a team rebuliding—you love when they win and when they lose.

Wait—that doesn’t even make sense!  See, it's getting me to already.

For the past 15 years—my entire life—I have watched the Leafs play, and I have always wanted them to win.  But now I'm torn between two sides with completely different goals in mind.

It's very unlikely they will make the playoffs—especially without Mats Sundin, who has finally washed into the background. 

People are not talking about Sundin any more, with the exception of a few people, including Pete Toth, Greg Caggiano and Derek Harmworth, along with others who have wiped me from the No. 1 Mats Sundin writer to not even being on the board.

I can’t go on like this.  It's tearing me apart.  If they win they screw themselves out of a good draft pick—but on the other hand, if they lose there’s nothing to cheer about. How can you watch your favorite team get killed 20 times over—I’m looking at you Toronto Argonauts—and say, “Oh, this is great.  If they always do this they’ll be in great shape come draft time”

It just doesn’t happen.  I can’t do it! 

I’m rambling on and on and I’m fully aware of it—but I just can’t stop.  This whole thing has me confused, so please help me figure out when I should cheer for my team, for everyone who’s had to read this article's sake.