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Toronto is known for a wide variety of things. The city is among the most diverse in the entire world, and it offers up some beautiful sights and views. However, one thing that unites Torontonians is their love for sports. You might not expect a city in Canada to have such passion for sports, but Toronto fans are among some of the wildest and most passionate fans in all of North American sports. One thing is for sure, if you happen to purchase one of the houses for sale in Toronto, you’ll be moving into a deep-rooted sports culture. So why do Toronto residents love sports so much, and how have the local teams shaped that love? Let’s explore the sports culture in Toronto.
Raptors
If you’ve heard of any of the professional sports teams in Toronto, it’s probably the Raptors. The Raptors have experienced the most recent success in the city, as Kawhi Lenoard led the team to the 2019 NBA Championship. That game is considered to be one of the most exciting in recent years, as the upstart Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors in six games, stopping one of the greatest basketball dynasties of all time. However, the Raptors are much more than a one-hit-wonder, as the team has frequently made deep runs in the Eastern Conference playoffs in the past decade. Finally, the team’s superfan, local Toronto rapper Drake, has drummed up a tremendous amount of support for his hometown team. Almost everyone in the Six loves the Raps, so if you move into the area, you definitely need to check out a game.
Blue Jays
Canadians aren’t really known for their love of baseball, but that doesn’t really apply to the Blue Jays. Ever since the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington D.C, the Blue Jays have been the only MLB team in Canada. As a result, the team is considered “Canada’s team,” with almost the entire country standing behind them. The Blue Jays play in an extremely tough division, the AL East. The division holds two perennial championship contenders, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, as well as the upstart Tampa Bay Rays. Regardless of their tough division, the Jays have had some success in the past decade, making the playoffs several times and even reaching the ALCS in 2015. However, the team’s most important accomplishment is bringing baseball to Canada and fostering the love of America’s pastime in a new location.
Maple Leafs
Perhaps the most historic of the Toronto sports teams are the Maple Leafs of the NHL, a team that dates back to 1917. The Maple Leafs are historic for a good reason, as the team boasts 13 Stanley Cup Championships, good for second-most in the league. The 13 championships sits only behind the Leaf’s archrival Montreal Canadians’ count of twenty-four championships. You may be wondering why the Leafs aren’t the city’s definitive team with all those championships. The reason for that is that the team has not won a title in over fifty years, with the team’s last title coming in 1967. Although the team hasn’t had recent success, they still have passionate fans that support the team. Canadians love their hockey, so it should come as no surprise that Torontonians support their local team with vigor and pride.
Toronto FC
One of the newer professional franchises in Toronto is Toronto FC, the city’s MLS representative. Toronto FC was the first Canadian based franchise in the MLS, bringing the league to a new country. The MLS has seen some major growth in recent years, and Toronto FC has played a key role in that. However, Toronto FC also competes in the Canadain Championship League, a league where the top teams of the Canadian Premier league duke it out with the Canadian franchises in the MLS. Toronto residents love their hometown soccer team, showing up in droves to support them. As a result, Toronto FC has one of the highest payrolls league, which is mostly financed by the massive support of the team.
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