Time to Walk Away from Toronto FC?

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.

Why I Miss Going To School...

This September will be the first time that I will not be starting a new school year since I was a young child. I remember when I was younger how much I hated going to school, but as I grew older and went through high school and university, I began to appreciate (and eventually enjoy) going to school and actually learning about something every day. As you may or may not know, this past June, I graduated from university with my Bachelor's degree, and now work full time at a job in my general field of study. Today, I see people posting Facebook statuses, tweets, and just generally talking about going back to school, and it aggravated me. It aggravated me because I know I won't be going back, where I had much more freedom than what I'm doing now.

I hate growing up. I miss school.

Right now, with my job, I'm constantly busy, which means I don't have much time for anything. Some people think that me being busy is a blessing, but it's turning out to be a curse. I get up at 7 in the morning, sit in a cubicle and stare at a computer for 8 hours, and then come back home in the late afternoon. When I come back, I'm usually too tired to do anything. How the hell can I be tired when I sit down at work most of the time? Anyways, at school, I had a lot more free time at my disposal. I was able to have the time to go to class, do homework, work on projects, and study for exams, but I also had the time to socialize. Right now, I don't have much time to socialize with friends, or go out and meet new people.

To build on that last sentence, the only way I get to interact with friends is either by social media or calling/texting. I don't see friends anymore, because I don't have the time for it. It is something I truly miss, and it is something I desperately want back. The only people I see every day are my co-workers, and I don't really see them as friends. They are people I work with, nothing more.

Socializing is just one aspect of what made me happy while I was at school. Another aspect was how liberally I spent my money while I was at school. I would always spend on food, drink, and anything else that I either needed, or enabled me to have a good time or feel happy. Now, even though I am getting regular paychecks, I find myself being much more conservative with my money, and spending only to help my future (though this is a very good thing). You know what I did this week? I opened up an RRSP. Fun, huh? I cared less about money when I was in school, and it was another aspect of my school life that made me happy.

Nowadays, not very many things make me happy. Sure, I get to work in Downtown Toronto and walk around the city on my lunch break, which is mostly enjoyable, but it's not very fulfilling. The train ride to Union Station is reminiscent of my high school days when I would have to take a packed bus to and from school every day. The walk from Union Station to my building is like a death march with hundreds of other suits walking with you with the same drab expression, with the homeless sticking out their hand for change and other people trying to give you flyers you don't need. The elevator to my floor is usually cramped with people and full of the kind of conversation that middle-aged people talk about, such as why their spouses weren't in the mood yet again last night.

I guess what I am trying to say is that my day-to-day life right now is monotonous and predictable, when I compare it to when I went to university. I feel absolutely soulless. The only two ways where I can truly express what is in my soul is through Twitter, and this very blog you are reading. When I was in university, I was able to socialize, and work towards an attainable goal, which was to get my degree. When I was in university, I felt like I still had my soul.

I knew at some point, I would have to take the leap, and finally grow up from school, and enter the working world. I'll admit, I was a bit unprepared, and it surprised me in some ways. For everyone that is about to finish college or university soon (and to those who have just started), enjoy the time you have right now, and cherish it. When you finish school and enter the working world, your entire life will change. I hope it changes for the better for you, and not like how my life ended up. I miss school so much, but these words can't even begin to quantify how much I truly do.

Well, time for me to grow up some more...

10,000 Tweet Milestone!

Yeah, so I finally hit my 10,000th tweet.

I may as well milk this as much as I can, because you only hit 10,000 tweets once.

I never thought I could be truly active on a social network for a long time, but Twitter gave me the opportunity to truly speak my mind on any sort of issue that I wanted to talk about. For the past two and a half years, Twitter has always been my "go-to" social network, and it has been the social network that I have enjoyed the most. I remember the reason why I started to use Twitter in the first place, and the main reason was because of my complete annoyance with Facebook, which I am not very active on anymore. I found that the things I saw on Twitter were much more positive than the negativity and phoniness I regularly saw on Facebook, so naturally, I gravitated towards Twitter, and I haven't looked back since.

I would say that about half of my total tweets were about footy/soccer. Whether it was about Toronto FC, Manchester United, or anything else that was in the world of footy, it's pretty obvious that by reading my tweets, a reader can tell that I am footy mad. The other half of my total tweets are about, well, everything else. Usually, it was about the things that go on in my life, whether it was about school or something else. I always tried to strike a balance between the readers that follow me for my footy tweets and the readers that follow me for the other things going on in my life.

I remember when I first started up on Twitter in the beginning of 2011, and looking back on it now, my early tweets were pretty shit, in the grammatical sense, and also that my tweets were very boring. Some of my tweets, when looking back, were also a bit cringe-worthy. I only talked to about two people since the start of my account, one of them I still talk to regularly to this day, and the other I don't really talk to now (let's just say, she got replaced). In the beginning months of my Twitter account, I would talk about anything and everything that came up in my mind, from dirty song lyrics to the attractive woman that passed me on the street that I really wanted to have sex with. Nothing was off limits. Hell, I even talked about what I truly wanted when it came to my love life.

The follower count started to rise, and I started to have more valued conversations with a number of Twitter users. Occasionally I would get the angry disagreement or hater trying to make me feel bad, but overall, the conversations I had on Twitter were overwhelmingly positive. From the Twitter account, it was also the basis for the creation of my blog, which serves as my extended thoughts that I couldn't fit into my Twitter account. Also, this may be a bold statement coming from me, but I would like to think that I pioneered the use of Twitter among my university friends. As soon as I started to use Twitter, one by one, my university friends followed suit, so go ahead and call me a trendsetter.

The months and years passed, I interacted with more people, my follower count kept rising, and I continued to tell my stories and talk about my experiences. And it all led me to today where after two and a half years, I finally reached that milestone of 10,000 tweets. I know a lot of people that use Twitter reach that milestone in almost no time at all, but I would like to have the vast majority of my tweets have some sort of quality and substance, and I also don't really like to bombard the timelines of my followers with constant tweets (except when a footy match is on).

As much as I truly love Twitter, I feel like these days, my tweets haven't been up to the standard that I want it to be. I remember back in 2011 and a good chunk of 2012 when I truly had free reign over what I wanted to tweet, but ever since, let's say, September 2012, I felt like my tweets were getting to be a bit boring, and I felt like I lost that free reign. I couldn't really tweet anything explicit anymore, except for a few swears, and my early Twitter followers know how much I love tweeting explicitly. Maybe I'm a bit more mature now, or maybe I'm not trying to offend and/or disgust all my followers. Actually, I'm afraid that one day I may write a careless tweet that exposes certain feelings about certain people. Nonetheless, I'm going to try to bring my Twitter account to its former glory. I'm going to try to be as witty, funny, and explicit (within reason) as I possibly can.

I just want to say that I value each and every one of my Twitter followers, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the conversations I've had with you all over the months and years. Some of these conversations actually helped me through some tough times, and for that I am grateful.

Well, here's to 10,000 more...cheers!

The State of Toronto FC: TFC Win At DC, Terry Dunfield, And a Potential Friendly?

(Side Note: I know some of these events happened a little while ago, but I would rather cover all the pressing issues in one major blog post than write a separate small post for each event in the Toronto FC season)

Time I do another one of these things, but first, I just want to say some quick thoughts on TFC's win over DC United last Saturday. I am very happy that they finally broke their long win-less streak and came out as 2-1 winners. TFC's overall performance that night was decent, but when you are facing Major League Soccer's worst team this season, a decent performance is all you need. Let's hope that TFC builds on this win when they go to Houston to face the Houston Dynamo this Saturday.

About a week ago, Toronto FC midfielder Terry Dunfield was waived by TFC, and the opinions on his TFC playing career were divided. He wasn't as polarizing as Paul Mariner or Dwayne De Rosario, but his play has certainly led to much discussion among TFC supporters. Many TFC supporters had favorable opinions on him while many others were not so kind on his time at TFC. After much deliberation in my head and with others on whether Dunfield was a good or bad player for TFC, I have come to the conclusion that his negative qualities slightly outweighed his positive qualities. I'll talk about the positives first...

From what I understand, the quality that most TFC supporters will remember about Terry Dunfield is that he gives his all in every match that he plays. What he lacks in talent and skill, he makes up for it by working harder than any other man on the pitch. Relating to this, he is always applying pressure on the opposing player who has the ball or is about to get the ball, and more often than not, it has worked in Toronto FC's favor by the opponent giving away the ball. Finally, he has definitely showed some leadership qualities, whether through giving instructions to his fellow teammates on the pitch, or inspiring the younger Toronto FC 1st team and academy players.

Now, the negatives. His positive qualities almost always lead to his negative qualities. While his pressure on opposing players was good, he was constantly out of position in the midfield, which was directly responsible for some of the goals scored by TFC's various opponents. When Dunfield charges in, the opponent can pass into the space behind him to another player, which means that the defenders will come out of their position to challenge the ball, and it just becomes a domino effect of mistakes that leads to a goal. Dunfield is also not a very good tackler at all, and regularly receives warnings from the referee, or receives a yellow card. Finally, he is a player that generally lacks skill and technical ability in the middle of the pitch, especially when compared to Matias Laba or Jonathan Osorio. With the emergence of these two players to be mainstays in the Toronto FC midfield, as well as Dunfield being on the wrong side of 30 when it comes to his age, it doesn't make much sense to keep him on the roster. It was ultimately a good move to waive Terry Dunfield, even if Toronto FC doesn't find anyone to replace him.

Finally, there are reports coming out that Toronto FC is in negotiations to bring a "big name" opponent to Toronto for a summer friendly. The opponent is widely expected to be the popular Uruguayan club Penarol. Now, if it were up to me, I would never schedule friendlies during the season for TFC, as it produces unnecessary strain on the players by preparing for a match that is basically meaningless when they should be preparing for regular season matches. On the other hand, friendlies with big-name teams can be an extra source of revenue for Toronto FC, and can give them a bit of international exposure. Mid-season friendlies can also give reserve and young players some valuable experience. While I was reading this article, I noticed a certain quote by Paul Beirne - Toronto FC VP of Business Operations, which said:

“I had to look up who Peñarol were,”

I am going to try to give him the benefit of the doubt here. Maybe he genuinely didn't know who Penarol were, and that's fine. I don't believe it was the wisest thing to say that in front of the interviewer and then to let him quote you on saying that on the article. That idiotic comment was very arrogant and disrespectful to Penarol. A part of me hopes that Penarol pulls out of that potential friendly because of that dumb comment, but I doubt that will happen. Sadly, this wasn't the first time that Paul Beirne has made a questionable comment to damage the reputation (or lack there of) of Toronto FC on the business side. I honestly believe he should be fired, or at the very least, given a talking to by Kevin Payne on how to frame your words.

That's all I got for now...

What I REALLY Thought About My Graduation Ceremony

So, yesterday, I finally graduated from Brock University and attained my undergraduate degree. Look, I am very happy that I finally attained a Bachelor's Degree, and the 4 years of hard work finally paid off, but I really have to say something about the actual graduation ceremony that took place yesterday morning. It had to be one of the most boring ceremonies I ever took part in. Time for me to break it down.

The stuff before the graduation ceremony was pretty standard. I walk into the university, I go collect my gown, I stand in a line, and we all walk into the gym where the ceremony is taking place. The seats are all really close together so it was a little bit of a tight squeeze to sit in between two lovely ladies (not that I'm complaining). Once we were all sat down, then came the procession of the faculty and the chancellors of the university where they were wearing these odd-looking robes and hats, like something that was from the medieval times. I know it is tradition, but it just looked a bit ridiculous and it reminded me of how court cases  were carried out in England in the 1400s. I was humming the theme of "The People's Court" at the time.

Once all that ended, the ceremony started with the addresses of the chancellor, vice-chancellor, and various members of the faculty. You know how it is, they start telling their life stories, and offer some pseudo-inspirational bullshit such as "you are the continued life-blood of Brock University" and "you are a shining beacon to the world" (Note: I can't remember what was actually said, as I was probably half-asleep). The addresses, though were meant well, were very mind-numbing and would have put the most energetic child to sleep.

Then finally came the presenting of the degrees to the various graduates, in which they were presented two at a time. Any awards that the new graduates had were also announced. I did feel a bit sorry for the graduates who were partnered up with other graduates who basically had fan sections cheer their hearts out when their name was called, and the other graduate who barely got any applause when their name was called. I thought that the presenting of the degrees was finally a good way to move around after sitting through the insanely boring graduation addresses. When my name was finally announced, all I kept thinking to myself was "don't trip, don't trip", and thankfully, I didn't! Everything went very well.

After that, the chancellor said some parting words, the faculty and graduates proceeded out of the gym, and the ceremony was over. If I were to sum up this graduation ceremony in short, this is what I will say. The graduation ceremony was a wonderful occasion, but going to it felt like a chore. If my parents didn't have a say, I never would have went. I essentially went only because of them.

Side note: I would like to thank everyone who congratulated me on this accomplishment, whether in-person, on my mobile, or through the various social networks. It was a bit rough at times, but it was all worth it for a piece of paper that said I completed something.