Deep Thoughts: Monday Again

Originally published January 2010, updated January 2026.

It's Monday again.

The Leafs lost this weekend. Or maybe they won—it doesn't really matter when you're 15 points out of a playoff spot in January. The Jays are in hibernation mode, waiting for spring training to give us something to hope about. The Raptors are the Raptors.

And here we are. Another week. Another round of games that won't matter in April. Another Monday.

The State of Things

I've been thinking about why we do this. Why we invest time and emotion in teams that consistently disappoint. Why I know more about the Leafs' depth chart than my own retirement savings. Why I schedule my weekends around games that, in the grand scheme, mean absolutely nothing.

The easy answer is habit. My father watched the Leafs. His father watched the Leafs. Somewhere along the way, it became genetic. You don't choose your sports teams any more than you choose your family—they're assigned to you at birth.

The harder answer involves admitting that I need this. Not the winning, because there hasn't been much of that. Not the championships, because those exist only in grainy YouTube videos. I need the ritual. The structure. The shared experience with strangers who understand why a random Tuesday game in February can ruin my mood.

This Week's Observations

Some thoughts from the weekend:

• The Leafs' power play is still broken. I've been writing that sentence for years now. At some point, it stops being observation and becomes eulogy.
• Jonas Gustavsson looked decent. Of course, "decent" is now cause for celebration. The bar is underground.
• Every highlight package features other teams. It would be nice, just once, to see blue and white in the SportsCenter Top 10 for something good.
• Spring training is six weeks away. That's not a sports thought, that's a survival strategy.

The Existential Bit

Here's what gets me: none of this should matter. The Leafs winning or losing doesn't affect my job, my relationships, or my health. It's entertainment, except it doesn't feel entertaining when they blow a lead in the third period.

Philosophers would say I'm suffering from misplaced attachment. I'm investing emotional energy in outcomes I can't control. I'm letting millionaires in another city determine my mood. It's irrational.

But sports fandom isn't rational. That's the point. It's one of the few socially acceptable ways to feel things intensely without consequences. When the Leafs lose, I'm sad, but I'm not really sad. When they win, I'm happy, but I'm not really happy. It's a safe space for emotion, a sandbox where feelings have stakes but not real consequences.

That sounds healthy until you realize I've been sad about a hockey team for most of my adult life.

Looking Ahead

The week ahead brings more games. The Leafs play someone who will probably beat them. The Blue Jays will announce a minor signing that we'll convince ourselves matters. I'll watch, because I always watch, because this is what I do.

Maybe this week will be different. Maybe Gustavsson will stand on his head. Maybe a trade will shake things up. Maybe the sports gods will finally decide Toronto has suffered enough.

Probably not, though. It's Monday. It's Toronto. And nothing has changed.

See you next week.