The sweet smell of failure

Choke: [chōk] v 1. To be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe. 2. To prevent someone from breathing by strangling them. 3. The Ottawa Senators during the playoffs.

Well. Welly, welly, well well well. Here we are. Another spring, another early checkout from the playoffs by the Ottawa Senators. And another spring in which I get to cross my arms and gloat with satisfaction.

Now, I fully realize that while Ottawa was bounced from the playoffs at the end of the second round, Toronto failed to even make the playoffs. Some may therefore question my moral right to judge.

Oh, but I will judge.

The difference, you see, lies in the attitude of the fans and the media. Toronto fans know their team is never good enough, and while disappointed every year we never actually expect to win the cup. 40 years without winning the Stanley Cup will do that to you. But Ottawa fans equally expect that their team will win. And therein lies their flaw.

Athletes are a funny bunch. For young men who make millions of dollars playing a game, their psyches are remarkably determined yet surprisingly fragile. They are able to sum up all their strength and courage to win, while at the same time can be frequently sabotaged by silly superstitions and nagging self-doubt.

The winners, therefore, do whatever it takes to win. The losers don't.

The Ottawa Senators are an extremely talented hockey team. They have offensive and defensive capabilities that I as a Leafs fan can only dream about. They consistently win the Eastern Conference title during the regular season, and roll over their opponents in the process. Nobody in the conference can touch them. Lord Stanley's cup is theirs for the taking -- all they have to do is step up and drink from it.

So why don't they?

A: Because they're afraid. Because they're fragile. Because they're weak.

Wayne Gretzky once told the story of how his Edmonton Oilers were defeated in a Stanley Cup final. Walking past the opposing team's dressing room he expected to see a massive celebration. Instead he found a group of men quietly nursing wounds and tending to injuries, wiped out after giving everything they had to possibly give. He noted later that that's the reason his team didn't win: they didn't want it badly enough. The other guys did. But they learned their lesson and went on to win the following year.

Case in point: Dominik Hasek, Ottawa's all-star goalie, pulled a groin muscle three months ago and hasn't played since. He is a multi-millionaire, and instead of stepping up to the plate and playing through his owie, he gave up.

Toronto, on the other hand, went on a remarkable winning streak at the end of the season in a frantic attempt to make the playoffs. While they were ultimately unsuccessful, their determination shone through.

Toronto had the determination but lacked the talent. Ottawa had plenty of talent but lacked the determination.

Ottawa has a well-deserved reputation for choking in the playoffs. Unable to deal with the pressure put on them by their fans and the media, the team simply falls apart when they should be slugging it out. Instead of giving their all and fighting through their mental blocks, their players are traumatized by the stigma of the "curse". Deep down they feel they will never win. They become more afraid of losing than of not winning. And that's what costs them.

That's why they are losers.

Ottawa fans: you need a reality check. Welcome to the world of the NHL. Next time you taunt Leafs fans because of your "superior talent", remember that you in fact root for a team full of sissies.