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Originally Posted by Acajack
I basically went through the exact same phases as you. A wise guy once noted to me that it's kind of weird to be obsessed by any pro sports team that doesn't have a) one of your kids or relatives or b) a close friend, playing on it. The same goes for national teams which most of us only have a relationship to because of happenstance - we just happen to be born in a given country or be of a particular nationality or ethnic origin.
The last time I really got excited for a pro sports team was when the Ottawa Redblacks won the Grey Cup in 2016. For some reason I was a fan of Ottawa's CFL club (the Rough Riders back then) even as a kid in the Maritimes. Before 2016, Ottawa hadn't won the Grey Cup since 1976. I was born then but was too young to remember.
Other than that the only sports performances I've gotten excited for in recent years have been at the Olympics. Mostly for Canadians but also for foreign athletes on occasion.
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One of the nice things about sports is the shared excitement and joy that it can deliver. We went through that last year in Winnipeg with the Jets run to the conference finals... it was a pretty exciting time in this city. I don't know what else could have brought that kind of buzz to the city.
In this era of niche interests, there aren't too many things that can bring us all together. But a great team and prolonged playoff run can bring a city together in a way that few other things can. It's a nice feeling and I don't think there's anything odd about it... it's a pretty common human experience given that just about everywhere has "that team" that everyone roots for.
Now nearly everyone in Toronto will have that shot as a common cultural frame of reference for decades to come.