Warning: This post contains some rambling. I just want to get all
of my current thoughts about Toronto FC in this one post.
Note: I wrote this before I went to the final game of the season against the Montreal Impact. My experience at that match doesn't change my feelings listed here, but I may write a separate blog post about a few things I noticed about that day.
Before setting out to write this, I took a
look at a
previous
blog post I wrote almost two and a half years ago about the club I once loved. Reading
that post took me to a time where not only a significant amount of people in
the GTA gave a damn about the club, but there was actually a resemblance of
atmosphere at BMO Field. At the time, there were problems surrounding the club,
but I had the hope that maybe, just maybe, the club could eventually be
successful in Major League Soccer.
Fast forward to today. I don't think it will be possible.
I’ll admit, I had a small feeling that Toronto FC could have been
in a worse state than it was in previous years, but I was completely shocked
that it is now, a reality. To say that Toronto FC is a circus would be a
complete understatement. Toronto FC sucks, plain and simple. I look at every
aspect of this organization, and I shake my head. How can this club continue to
screw it up after 7 seasons of existence? It boggles my mind. There is always
constant change in the club, with more people leaving and coming in than I can
keep track of. A coach and/or manager come in, talk a bunch of bullshit like
how they are going to bring in “top-class talent” on ultimately overinflated
contracts, and then fail miserably on the pitch. Lather, rinse, and repeat.
In terms of the players and management, I don’t need to
remind you what has happened this year, but I lost interest as the season
dragged on. Now TFC have their supposed shining savior, Tim Leiweke, who, like
the others that preceded him, talked a big game about the future of the club.
Leiweke hired Tim Bezbatchenko as the new General Manager, who is supposed to
improve TFC’s management of the salary cap (which is pretty awful) through
statistical analysis. It would be pretty interesting to see this fresh approach
on managing the contracts of players, but he is inexperienced in a GM role and
managing an actual roster. I don’t see much hope for him though, and I think he’ll
probably be gone by the end of next year.
Unfortunately, Tim Leiweke still has faith in Coach Ryan Nelsen, a
man who was hired by former GM Kevin Payne while he was still under contract at
Queens Park Rangers and was arguably their best player for the first half of
their relegation-bound season. The hiring reeked of an “old boys club” smell,
as Nelsen had no coaching experience, and hasn’t taken any coaching courses. It
became pretty evident soon after that he was out of his depth in Major League
Soccer and the losing tradition of Toronto FC continued. I find it infuriating
that Ryan Nelsen refuses to take the blame for some defeats, or criticize the team for poor performances when talking to the media (I can’t say if he
actually does that in the locker room). What he constantly does, and continues
to do, is find excuses for poor performances, usually by blaming referees for
their performance in a match. I also noticed that Ryan Nelsen like to coddle
his players, as he would regularly say that the players played well after
defeats. I simply don’t understand why Tim Leiweke will keep faith in Ryan
Nelsen when he clearly isn't good enough to coach in Major League Soccer right
now. Ryan Nelsen needs to go, and in his place, bring in a coach with actual MLS experience. He makes Toronto FC feel like a “project” than an actual club.
With all the problems on the team level, I did go to a
few matches this season. Honestly, going to TFC matches this season almost felt
like going to a funeral. The stadium is nowhere near packed and the
only people regularly making noise are the 20-30 supporters in section 111/112.
This season, the match-day experience at BMO Field has been devoid of any
atmosphere. People finally realize that the team is awful, and are simply not
going to the matches anymore.
One major thing I noticed when going to TFC matches this season as
opposed to 2007/2008, is that there is a lot more marketing. Now, marketing isn’t
a bad thing at all. In fact, it is essential for a product to have some of
marketing in order to attract customers. Whenever I went to a TFC match this
season, I felt overwhelmed by all the promotions and branding going on at BMO
Field. There’s the Budweiser King Club, the Purolator delivery of the match
ball, Esquire added time, and the Scotts Turf Builder lounge, just to name a
few. Another thing I noticed on match-day is that even though there has been a
sharp decrease in attendance at BMO Field, I have noticed a rise in families
and young children at the matches. I think one of the reasons for this is because
of the increased marketing that Toronto FC has done in order to try and attract
more fans and replace the ones that have left. I wonder if Toronto FC knows
that the ultimate marketing tool in order to attract fans is to build a
successful team. Oops, I let the secret out.
I haven’t got to the biggest reason why Toronto FC is what it is.
The reason why Toronto FC has been so awful for so long is because their parent
organization, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, has run the club into the
ground. I’ve expressed my feelings about MLSE on multiple occasions on Twitter and
on the blog, so I don’t feel the need to repeat myself (If you want to learn
about Tom Anselmi and MLSE’s attitude about TFC, this article sums it up well). When I heard that Tom Anselmi was resigning from his position at
MLSE and that Earl Cochrane would no longer be with the club (among others), I
thought I would feel overjoyed. I initially had the hope that maybe things
would slowly turn around for the club, but I don’t feel that way now. I believe
that the higher-ups at TFC and MLSE have permanently damaged the club’s culture
and reputation. What is the first thing a person might think of when they hear
“Toronto FC”? It will most likely be something negative.
I feel so drained and defeated whenever I think about Toronto FC. This
time of year, it seems like the only good thing TFC is good for is spoiling the
playoff chances for other teams, rather than be in the playoffs themselves. I
hear the same old thing from these new coaches and managers, and I sigh. The
club is a mess, the attendance is sparse at best, and a significant number of
supporters, including myself, are sick and tired of it all. I can deal with
losing seasons, but it is such a constant and the club seems inept and
incapable of getting it right and bouncing back. The club is perpetually stuck
in quicksand, and I don’t think they will be able to get out of it at all. The
new management is too worried about glitz and glamour (DPs) rather than actual
substance (building a team) while talking about the Toronto Argos potentially
moving to BMO Field and other things to anger supporters. I can’t take it
anymore.
I don’t think I can support this team anymore unless I see a team
and a club I can be proud of. In fact, a part of me wants this team to fold and
go away.
What about the supporters? A number of people stopped going to the
matches for various reasons, but there are still many who remain loyal to
Toronto FC. I'll give them credit for sticking with the team through thick and thin, but when does it get to the point that the club is so completely inept that the TFC supporters who remain aren't just supporters, but a herd of sheep following the club into a deep, dark abyss of awfulness. I would just like to know why supporters would still support the
team considering all the disrespect the club has given them over the years.
Even with all this garbage going on, there are people still willing to support
this team. I don't quite understand it. Maybe they are still holding hope? I don't know, but it is worth asking.
I’m not forcing you to support or not support the team, but I’ll
make a suggestion. If you are a Toronto FC supporter, think long and hard about
where this club is right now. If you feel that the club is still worth
supporting, whether it is because you are optimistic about Tim Leiweke and
company or because you literally have no one else to support, then do so. If,
like me, you think this club is hopeless, and will probably fold before the club shows any sort of resemblance of a winner in the City of Toronto, then there are other things to occupy your time.
I’m just about done with this team. It’s a shame because I thought
that this could be a team I could be proud of many years ago. Now, I think it’s
about a 0.001% chance that TFC can be a winning club. The only reason why I would want to go to a TFC match in the future is if I received a free ticket. I can't be emotionally attached to this club anymore until I see a club I can be proud of. Unfortunately, I don't see Toronto FC shaking off the stigma that has plagued the club over the years.
It’s a shame of what could have been if the club got it right.