Rielly Admits He's 'Jealous' of the Blue Jays' World Series Run and Sends Message to Leafs Fans
Photo credit: Toronto Maple Leafs (left) Toronto Blue Jays (right) - X
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was ecstatic about the Blue Jays' World Series berth, but admitted he's a tad envious of their Game 7 heroics.
The City of Toronto is absolutely buzzing after the Blue Jays secured their first World Series berth since 1993, as fans poured into the streets and celebrated a Toronto team winning a Game 7; a refreshing change of pace.
George Springer was the hero, and if he keeps things up he'll be getting a statue in front of Rogers Centre sooner than later.
But when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs' Game 7 issues, they are the polar opposite of their baseball counterparts. 0-6 in recent Game 7's, no one managed to pull a Springer and be the hero; instead being viewed as villains and failures who can't get it done.
Morgan Rielly Shares Honest Thoughts on the Blue Jays' Playoff Run
It's irked fans and certainly irked Morgan Rielly. The longest tenured Maple Leaf has seen the highs and lows since being drafted, and he's also been around when the city had much more success elsewhere.
But he's proud of the team and had nothing but great things to say about how the Blue Jays brought the entire country together but admitted that he wishes the Leafs would do the same:
You're almost jealous at what they're doing because they're in Toronto & you watch it firsthand, you're happy for them. It's a great moment for the city. We want to be able to do that and have a run like that. We felt that when the Raptors did it, too.
Rielly was close to getting through to the Conference Finals last season, but after the team fell apart in Game 5 then eventually Game 7, it felt like they were cursed.
The rest of the Maple Leafs were a little more excited about the result with guys like Max Domi, William Nylander, and Easton Cowan all showing a lot of love:
For Robertson, this series holds a little more weight given his Los Angeles Dodgers will be facing the Blue Jays in the World Series, and decided to not to risk some potential punishment:
Things started shaky for the Blue Jays even before the game started, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ended up sporting an Auston Matthews jersey which fans thought brought immediate bad luck.
Toronto's Championship Energy Is Fueling the Maple Leafs' Motivation
While it's a great moment for the city, it needs to be a wake-up call for the Maple Leafs. They need a hero like Springer and time and time again we've waited for someone to show up and it's been a disappointment every time.
This should motivate them to not only get on their own hot streak, but ride the momentum of an entire city behind them, and seeing this scrappy group of baseball players make it so far should give them the strength with their stars to dominate.
The fans will turn around if they get going, and it'll hopefully make them realize they too can come together in the toughest moments and win.
Morgan Rielly's comments are a sign that while the Maple Leafs are more than happy to see the Blue Jays succeed, it also shows that the team hasn't forgotten their failures.
It's something they hope to turn around this year, all they need is their hero.
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