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TORONTO, April 1, 2014 (CP) ? In a move that is sure to send shock waves through the world of professional sports, Tim Leiweke, the chief executive officer of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the parent corporation of the venerable Toronto Maple Leafs hockey franchise, announced this morning that the team would be disbanded immediately.
Leiweke told a stunned group of reporters at a hastily called news conference that MLSE had made the decision, which is believed to be unprecedented in the history of major league sports, "out of a deep sense of shame" brought on by the Leafs' recent eight-game losing streak.
The club's collapse has taken it from being in a solid position to make the National Hockey League playoffs to the point where it now needs to win all of its six remaining games to have any chance of making the post-season.
"It breaks my heart to admit it, but we are a complete laughingstock right now," an emotional Leiweke said. "The fans of this hockey club ? and they are greatest fans in the world ? have endured decades of frustration as we try to aim for a championship."
"Just a couple of weeks ago, we were perfectly set to make the playoffs and, hopefully, make a run for the [Stanley] Cup," Leiweke continued. "I can't fully explain what happened, but we've been a full-on clown convention these past few games. It's unacceptable. It's unacceptable to me personally, it's unacceptable to MLSE, it's unacceptable to the city of Toronto, and I know it's unacceptable to our fans. So we have decided to pull the plug. It's simply time to end the pain."
Leiweke, who took no questions during the event, did not elaborate on exactly how Maple Leafs operations would cease, what would happen to the players on the team, or any other details on the disbanding. He did say that the team would not finish out this season. "It's over, finito, kaput, kablooey," he declared. "Calgary can just go back to Calgary with a forfeit win in its pocket, and Gary Bettman [the league's commissioner] can go back to hell, or wherever he came from." He said MLSE would be releasing details later today on how fans can get refunds on the tickets they are holding.
Leiweke concluded by apologizing to the team's fans for "taking this rancid joke and fobbing it off on you as a legitimate hockey team" and for "taking your hopes and dreams and, once again, turning them into an undifferentiated pile of bat [feces]. Today's decision is a very difficult one, but we at MLSE have to make sure that this will never, ever happen again."
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Leiweke told a stunned group of reporters at a hastily called news conference that MLSE had made the decision, which is believed to be unprecedented in the history of major league sports, "out of a deep sense of shame" brought on by the Leafs' recent eight-game losing streak.
The club's collapse has taken it from being in a solid position to make the National Hockey League playoffs to the point where it now needs to win all of its six remaining games to have any chance of making the post-season.
"It breaks my heart to admit it, but we are a complete laughingstock right now," an emotional Leiweke said. "The fans of this hockey club ? and they are greatest fans in the world ? have endured decades of frustration as we try to aim for a championship."
"Just a couple of weeks ago, we were perfectly set to make the playoffs and, hopefully, make a run for the [Stanley] Cup," Leiweke continued. "I can't fully explain what happened, but we've been a full-on clown convention these past few games. It's unacceptable. It's unacceptable to me personally, it's unacceptable to MLSE, it's unacceptable to the city of Toronto, and I know it's unacceptable to our fans. So we have decided to pull the plug. It's simply time to end the pain."
Leiweke, who took no questions during the event, did not elaborate on exactly how Maple Leafs operations would cease, what would happen to the players on the team, or any other details on the disbanding. He did say that the team would not finish out this season. "It's over, finito, kaput, kablooey," he declared. "Calgary can just go back to Calgary with a forfeit win in its pocket, and Gary Bettman [the league's commissioner] can go back to hell, or wherever he came from." He said MLSE would be releasing details later today on how fans can get refunds on the tickets they are holding.
Leiweke concluded by apologizing to the team's fans for "taking this rancid joke and fobbing it off on you as a legitimate hockey team" and for "taking your hopes and dreams and, once again, turning them into an undifferentiated pile of bat [feces]. Today's decision is a very difficult one, but we at MLSE have to make sure that this will never, ever happen again."
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