In A World of Sports

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to experience my first Toronto FC game.  I’m a very casual soccer fan, jumping on the World Cup bandwagon every 4 years while paying attention to a few other tournaments and games in between.  Having said that I’ve always had an appreciation for the skill of the players.  The accuracy with which they can make plays at speed and control that ball  in the air and all over the pitch is truly a marvel and soccer highlights are among the best in sports.

However where Toronto FC really impressed me was not by the pay on the field (MLS is of course nowhere near top quality football) but the noise in the stands.  What a refreshing experience that is for a guy from Toronto.  18,000+ fans waving flags, chanting and celebrating all game.  Most fans sported TFC jerseys (I was one of the few boobs that didn’t), flags, scarves, towels, hats, raincoats, you name it they make it with a TFC logo tattoed on the side of it.  And the noise. 

The noise was so glorious.

It was a stark contrast to the din of Leaf “fans”, much louder than anything the Blue Jays have offered up since the early 1990s, louder still than a Raptor game (don’t mistake blaring hip hop music for fan noise).  I would say it was on par with an Argo playoff game, and this was regular season.  I loved it.  The entire section behind the net didn’t appear to sit all game and even on a cloudy, rainy (pissed rain during halftime) day it was a sight to behold.  But I don’t want to sell the rest of the crowd short, these were the loudest fans in Toronto. 

And the thing I like the most about it, is it is a bunch of soccer fans who would normally want to kick each other in the face all on the same side.  Greeks, Brits, Scots, Italians, etc., they were all on the same side, cheering for the same side with chants that ranged from the simple but clutch *clap clap clap* “TFC!!” *clap clap clap* “TFC!!” to the more elaborate but far more catchy “You’re so shit it’s unbelievable”. 

The only blemish of the whole afternoon (forget the rain) was after the game while West-enders waited for their GO train and East-enders theirs, a group of idiot West-enders started a chant “You’re from Scarborough” trying to mock us headed in the opposite direction.  I didn’t get it.  They were wearing the same jerseys as us, the team we all cheered for all afternoon won 2-0, they are from the same city, and yet they decided to start these poor heckles after the match.  Didn’t understand it, still don’t understand.  I would like to sit down with those guys and ask them a few questions.  Questions such as “Why?”, and “Are you dumb?”, or even “Do you need a hug?”.  It was the equivalent of mocking your neighbour from across the street for living on the North side because the South side is better.  It was one of those situations where I would I could just say “go go gadget arms” and punch them in the face.

But TFC, for my money, was a great sporting experience.  A smallish venue without a bad seat in the house, loud fans, and a product that can hopefully develop and grow, but is so far in the least pretty entertaining.  I recommend it to any sports fan in the city, whether you’re a soccer fan or not.