Around the Stands: Toronto FC 1-2 Houston Dynamo

It was finally that time when I could put my season ticket to use for the first time this year. Toronto FC were back home for their 2015 home opener against the Houston Dynamo. I'm not really going to talk about the result and the match itself, because there are hundreds of people who have already done that and who can do a better job at it than I can. What I am going to talk about is my personal experience on that day, from the pre-game festivities to the new additions at BMO Field. I can definitely tell you that it was an interesting experience.

I was at the pre-game fan event at the Brazen Head, which was a little bit lame, if I'm being honest. Before their "pep rally", I was up in the patio having a large pint, when Cabbie came up to the patio and told everyone of the rally that was going down at 3:00 PM. He was clowning our group on the fact that no one (besides me) was wearing any TFC gear, so I thought that was a pretty cool moment. We go downstairs to the rally, and Cabbie and the new TFC girl (whose name escapes me) were hosting the event. I noticed that the crowd was a little bit relaxed, in the sense that I felt that most of the fans were more casual supporters, rather than hardcore supporters. This observation I had was reinforced when the new TFC girl had to go over how to sing "O When The Reds" with the crowd, and on top of that, the actual chanting at the event was sporadic at best.

Tim Bezbatchenko was there, said some things to the crowd, and then proceeded to chug a beer, to the delight of the crowd. Tim Leiweke also said some things to the crowd, and he boldly claimed that TFC will make "the p-word" (his words, not mine). I'm not sure why he wouldn't actually say the word "playoffs" in the first place. It was all nothing but hot air from the club's top brass, which is what they do best. The marching band starts up, a homeless guy dances in front of us, and we all start marching to the stadium. The lack of chanting continues, and anyone who tries to start one is drowned out by the drumming of the marching band.

We come out of the tunnels at Exhibition Station and in front of us was this gargantuan, imposing structure which was the new BMO Field east stand, It looked much bigger in person, and once the roof gets put on the stands, BMO Field can finally look something like a proper stadium. We get in the stadium, and as usual, we get bombarded with the imagery of all of TFC's sponsors, because corporatism is the message. The stadium looked great, although there was still some construction happening around the stadium. My seat was at the top of the upper deck of the new stand, and even though it offered a great birds-eye view of the pitch, the amount of stairs I had to take to get up there was brutal. Now, I'm not the most athletic guy out there, but I felt like I had run a marathon just to get up to my seat.

I decide to stand behind section 112 for the duration of the match. Toronto FC overloaded on the fireworks before the players came out of the tunnel, which I thought was a bit unnecessary, but they have to sell the experience, of course. The pre-game tifos looked nice, though. The match started, and sections 111/112 and 114 were bringing the chanting and singing, while section 113 looked like a wasteland, as only a few people from that section were actually taking part in the chants. The atmosphere from the supporters section was okay, but it really could have been a lot better. Obviously, the support was harmed by the fact that TFC were losing, but I felt that there could have been better communication between 112 and 114. This wasn't helped with the fact that 113 doesn't really join in the chanting. If TFC's vision was to have a united south end all singing the same song, so far, they are failing. The support is too fractured right now, with all these different supporters groups.

I had a good time, as I always do, but TFC's loss hurt a bit. Houston played very well, Michael Bradley was awful, and TFC couldn't push the tempo. It felt like the same old tune we have been hearing for the past 9 years. It was just disappointing to watch, and TFC have really seemed to go all in on how the club is branded, especially since Defoe came to TFC. The entire organization needs to know when to just shut up and try to string some wins together. Until that happens, TFC's marketing strategy feels like it is just being shoved down our throats.

So, that was my experience at the new BMO Field. I hope to put up some video soon.

UPDATE: I took some video of my experience. Watch it down below.

4 Years and 10,000 Views Later

So, I've recently hit two milestones in regards to this blog. The first milestone is that I have recently passed my 4-year anniversary since this blog's creation, and the second milestone is that this blog has recently passed 10,000 page views. This may not seem like a lot to many people, but for me, these are two significant milestones. I know that I haven't really posted to this blog on a regular basis, but the fact that I am able to post whenever I feel like it keeps this blog fresh, and I don't have to feel burnt out because of it.

Back in April 2011, I took the plunge into writing, and created this blog. I created this blog because I wanted a space to express my thoughts on the things that were going on in the world and were affecting my life in some way. To this day, that hasn't changed. This blog is a hobby for me, and it will continue to be a hobby. I still post whenever I feel like it, and I don't have to feel pressured by deadlines. I feel that I am able to post my best work on the blog if I didn't have someone who wanted me to have a blog post completed by a certain time and date. I love the fact that I have total control over this blog, and that I can take it in any direction that I want. I wouldn't post something on this blog if I wasn't completely satisfied with it, because I want the reader to get the best of me every time I post something. That is my promise to you.

When I created my blog, it was known as "Beefing with the World", and it was a reflection of the angst I felt at the time. My first posts were basically attacks and criticisms of certain groups of people I didn't like (soccer haters, high-school wannabe gangster types, overreacting sports parents). As time went on, the focus of the blog shifted more to writing about Toronto FC and to also talk about the experiences in my life, as well as reactions to certain things and events. The current title of this blog, "Cultured Individual", is a reflection of that. The other reason why I changed the title of my blog is just to make my blog more accessible and welcoming to the reader.

I never expected my blog to have any sort of popularity. I felt like writing simply because I wanted to. I would never think that my blog would be read by hundreds of people all over the world. Yes, it can be viewed as a drop in the ocean to people with a popular following, but to me, this was like a tidal wave. People were actually interested in what I have to say! The last blog I wrote about Toronto FC was shared by so many people, probably the most shared post on the blog to date. To see personalities with thousands of followers and with real influence in the Toronto sporting landscape read and share something I have personally written is very encouraging for me. It makes me want to keep doing this as a real hobby. I feel like this blog is my personal contribution to society. With every blog post that I write, I always want to present something that no one else has covered or explored. I think that is what makes my blog posts unique. If I can't present something entirely new or present a new angle to something that has already existed, then it loses the uniqueness that I crave.

The most interesting experiences I have had with the blog are the face-to-face interactions I have with people who have read some of my posts. Admittedly, it is a bit weird to talk openly with someone in public about something I wrote on the internet and where I would be used to interacting with people online, but I also find these face-to-face interactions the most rewarding. I'll give you an example. The next night after I wrote about my experiences of going to university, I met up with a lady friend of mine for a drink in the back room of a seedy Irish pub in St. Catharines. Inevitably, the conversation turned to the blog post I wrote, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed for myself a little bit. But she told me about how she enjoyed reading it and how impressed she was that I would pour my heart out like that. That felt like the greatest compliment of them all. To have someone personally describe to you how your blog has personally impacted someone's life is one of the greatest feelings one could ask for.

To everyone who has read my posts, shared my posts on social media, left comments on the blog, and interacted with me through every medium possible, I want to express my sincerest gratitude. This blog wouldn't be where it is without you. Although I may not post all that often, I want to continue to create quality posts that I hope you will enjoy. I feel more motivated than ever to post content on my personal space that I share with you.

This has been quite the roller coaster ride, but I'm not looking to hop off just yet.

Appreciating Supporters: The Toronto FC Way

This season, Toronto FC have declared that this April should be known as "Supporter Appreciation Month" as a way to give thanks to the TFC fans that have stuck with the team through the small hills of positives, and the deep crevasses of negatives. On the surface, it looks like a goodwill gesture from the organization to the long-suffering supporters of the club, but if you peel back the onion, this "Supporter Appreciation Month" only reinforces the fact that there is a damaging disconnect between Toronto FC, the supporters, and the interaction between them. Despite the claim that Toronto FC appreciates their supporters, the actions they have taken this April are negatively affecting the already toxic relationship between them and their supporters. I have 3 specific examples that I hope can back up my argument.

Before I present these examples, I have a couple of remarks about TFC implementing this "Supporter Appreciation Month". First of all, why is this only for a month? For all the garbage TFC supporters have endured since their first season in 2007, TFC should be making a note to appreciate what's left of their support every single day of the year. Toronto FC should consider themselves lucky that they still have individuals who still have an interest in this team, so they should be thankful for what they still have. The second remark I have is that Toronto FC are stupid to have this "Supporter Appreciation Month" on a month where there are no TFC home games. They are trying to remedy this by hosting viewing parties at the home pubs of supporters groups across the city, but TFC should have attempted to make a meaningful contribution at the place where TFC supporters congregate together, and that is BMO Field. So now, here are my examples.

This April, as construction was nearing completion on the BMO Field expansion (which happened to be over-budget and behind schedule), talks were heating up between MLSE and the Toronto Argonauts to have the Argos play at BMO Field for their CFL season in the near future. Obviously, TFC supporters are irate that a football team should be allowed to play in a soccer-specific stadium (as evidenced by the #NoArgosToBMO hashtag on Twitter), and what better way to appreciate TFC supporters than to basically guarantee that the Argos will play at BMO Field at some point. It's clear that the Argos playing at BMO Field will devalue Toronto FC as a property and as a destination for players, whether it is damage to the pitch, or the chance that there will be remaining football lines by the time Toronto FC plays. Many supporters have stated that they will stop supporting Toronto FC if the Argos move in, and it will be interesting if these supporters will hold true to their words.

As part of "Supporter Appreciation Month", Toronto FC have "rewarded" their supporters with a completely meaningless friendly on May 27 against Manchester City. Now, it is widely known that Toronto FC's mid-season friendlies are nothing more than a blatant cash grab for MLSE, but what makes this specific friendly particularly useless is the fact that this friendly will come after Manchester City's season. Does MLSE really think that Man City players will relish coming to play in Toronto after an exhausting regular season? No, they won't. What makes this friendly even worse is that tickets for the match are (in true MLSE fashion) ridiculously expensive. The cheapest tickets for this match are around $50-$60, and they aren't even included in the season ticket package. The timing for this friendly is not good, either. This match comes in between two crucial regular season matches for TFC, which will limit their rest time and preparation for those matches. This friendly further reinforces the belief that MLSE cares more about blatantly lining their pockets, as well as exploiting the team and their supporters, than building a team that can compete in the MLS playoffs, with minimal distractions.

Also this April, Toronto FC have launched a "Banner Contest" in which people can draw up an idea of a banner to be displayed at a TFC home match. People can submit their digitally-created banner to the Toronto FC website where others can vote on it. The person whose banner gets the most votes gets to actually create their banner idea with a supporters group and have it displayed at the TFC home match against Portland.

Toronto FC hosting this "Banner Contest" is a bad idea and there is something disingenuous about the entire thing. The club should not have any involvement with the operations of the supporters groups, and frankly, this banner contest reaffirms the fact that the entire TFC experience is becoming more sanitized. Of course TFC are going to reject the banner ideas that are more realistic of the club as a whole, and instead, choose a banner that will be family-friendly and unrealistically positive. The fact that a supporters group is involved with this "official" contest is incredibly disappointing. Support for this club needs to be organic and natural, and contests like these create the impression that the club is manufactured and fake.

Another thing with contests like these is that they open themselves up to trolls who can submit their banners with hidden messages about the club. That exactly happened when Columbus Crew submitted this entry to the contest. Read the first letters of each line of text.

In case you didn't notice, it reads "WE SUCK" vertically on the first letters of each line. Toronto FC initially didn't catch the hidden message, and they even promoted that specific banner on all of their social media accounts! It was incredibly embarrassing for TFC and its supporters, and the fact that they didn't see the hidden message at the beginning made them look very bad. Apparently, Crew fans have another banner submission in the contest with another hidden message in it.

So, lets recap. How are Toronto FC "appreciating" supporters this month? By prolonging the Argos to BMO Field discussion (making it closer to a confirmation), announcing a pointless friendly, and hosting a bogus, manufactured contest. These actions taken by the club are only alienating and embarrassing the fans who follow and live vicariously through them. If Toronto FC are not careful, their support will dwindle further.

"Supporters Appreciation Month" can be chalked up as a TFC failure. As much as the club wants to spin this as a success, this initiative has backfired on them, big time.

One Day, in June 2014

It was supposed to be like every other Toronto FC matchday. I would get excited when I wake up. I would hop on the train to BMO Field while downing a few beverages, and enjoy myself at the stadium with singing, chanting, and generally just acting a fool.

On one beautiful June day at BMO Field, things were different.

BMO Field is the one place where I can truly feel like myself. BMO Field is the place where I can get away from the pressures and stresses of life. In the real world, it may seem to someone that I am normal, but when I go to watch Toronto FC, there is a primal instinct that takes over me. Toronto FC, despite being a terrible team and organization, got me through some very bad times in my life. For that, I have nothing but the greatest gratitude. For 90 minutes, I completely block out everything else going on in the world. This was the place where I can be me, and where I won't be judged. Never would I think that the troubles in my daily life and my enjoyment of matches at BMO Field would mix in any way. It just couldn't, right?

However, on that June day at BMO Field, I knew she would be there.

She was a girl I knew from university. We would chat regularly on social media and occasionally we would meet up in person to hang out over a drink or two. She was a wonderful girl, and she was the person who I enjoyed the company of the most during my time at university. Admittedly, I did have some feelings for her, but I never confessed it to her, due to the fear that it may negatively affect our friendship. Also, around the beginning of 2014, the last time we saw each other before the June TFC match, she was going through relationship difficulties, and I was dating a girl myself. The feelings still lingered inside me, and I occasionally thought about breaking up with my (then) girlfriend for a shot at her.

I would sometimes tell her about my trials and tribulations as a Toronto FC supporter, and despite never going to a match, she seemed interested in going at some point. I was a bit taken back when she texted me that she would be going to her first TFC match on that June day. I didn't ask her who she was going with, but I did ask where she was sitting, so that I may find her during the match.

I was in a state of anxiety. As I've explained, Toronto FC is where I get away from everything in life, including speaking to her. It's not meant to be taken as an offence, but watching Toronto FC is the best place to clear my head, and it is my personal "inner sanctum" to engage in chanting, drinking, and other fun things. To have her there at the match where I get away from everything worried me greatly. When if she sees me at the match, and I'm leading or taking part in some of the chants, or drinking heavily and swearing excessively at opposing players.

Even worse than that, I was extremely worried about who she might be going with. When if it was her boyfriend, whether her old one, or someone else she met. Did I mention that I had strong feelings for her, stronger than any crush or girlfriend I ever had? For a time, I genuinely thought she was "the one". To see her cozying up with some guy at the place where I am the happiest in life would destroy me emotionally and psychologically. Guess what? I was in for a serious dose of reality.

The day started seemingly normal. I met a buddy of mine at the train station and we took the train to the match. I packed a potent concoction of Wray and Nephew and orange juice to sip on, so I was already liquored up by the time we got to BMO Field. On that train ride, I felt the anxiety build in me, which the alcohol may have made a sizeable contribution to. Of course, I had the usual pre-match jitters, but my anxiety was amplified by the fact that she was going to be at the match, possibly with someone such as a boyfriend. I had to get to the bottom of this, because it was killing me inside. I made the decision to go see her at half-time, since I knew what section she was sitting in.

I met another buddy of mine, and we all went to the north patio to watch the first-half. I remember the match quite well, actually. Toronto FC were up against the San Jose Earthquakes, and Jermain Defoe scored a penalty to make it 1-0 to TFC. That score remained until half-time. I told my buddies that I was going to see someone at half-time, and that I may or may not come back for the second half. The halftime whistle blew, and at this point, I was a dangerous mix of anxiousness and drunkenness. I left the north patio and began to walk what seemed like a never-ending staircase up to the west grandstand with my overpriced beer. I wished that staircase actually was never-ending, because what I saw shocked me.

As soon as I walked to the top of the stairs and looked over to the entrance of Section 127, she walked out, holding the hand of another man. My heart dropped, and I felt my chest get tighter. It was almost like I couldn't move, like a black hole formed inside my body and proceeded to internally tear me apart. At this point, I felt like I was on autopilot. I had to go investigate.

They were walking away from where I was, so I approached them from behind and tapped her on the shoulder. She seemed happy to see me, and on the surface I was also happy to see her, but on the inside, my pain was unbearable. She introduced me to her boyfriend, who seemed like a nice guy. He was a big Toronto FC supporter, like myself, so at least we had something in common. We made small talk, I asked them about the match and about her first experience at BMO Field watching TFC. I couldn't really remember what they said, because I was still dealing with the metaphorical kick in the groin when I first saw them.

We parted ways after some conversation and I went back to the north patio where my buddies were. I told them all about my situation, and their understanding made me feel a bit better, and to get my mind back on the match. At that point, I did everything I could to make myself forget about what happened at halftime. I drank more, I led chants, and I abused opposing players (without going overboard). It was a great short-term remedy, but when I got back home after the match, the thoughts about that moment began to creep back into my mind. I even went into a depression for a few days.

This happened about 9 months ago at the time of writing this post, and it is okay for me to finally tell this story. This is behind me now, but I still have some worries that are still lingering. I am a 2015 Toronto FC season ticket holder, and I will most likely be at all the Toronto FC matches at BMO Field. I'll be honest, I don't really want to run into them again. It's something that I am still not comfortable with, but knowing that around 30,000 people will be at the stadium for a TFC home game, the chances of me encountering them should be minimal. The girl and I also haven't really spoke since that June day, and honestly, I don't really have a desire to talk to her again. However, I am open to rekindling our friendship. I'm not sure, only time will tell. I do wish her all the best, though. I will treasure the good times we had together.

Felt good to finally get that off my chest. It felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

The State of Toronto FC: The "Mascot" Controversy and What TFC/MLSE Thinks of Supporters

It's been a while since I blogged about Toronto FC. For my first blog this year about TFC, I was meaning to talk about the squad and the expectations going into the new season, but there was a bit of a controversy yesterday on Twitter. There is a TFC survey that season ticket holders can fill out, and included in that survey was a question on whether they would be open to TFC having a mascot for the club. This led to very strong reactions on Twitter, especially from supporters who were opposed to TFC having a mascot. You could even say that there was an overreaction from particular TFC supporters on Twitter, who say that the introduction of a mascot contributes to the "sanitizing" of the atmosphere at BMO Field.

As a supporter of Toronto FC, I absolutely agree that the BMO Field atmosphere and experience now, compared to 2007, has been sanitized. There is more of a focus on marketing, sponsors, and sideshow entertainment than the actual football, and creating an "authentic" European atmosphere with no bells and whistles. However, it is also important to look at the business side of introducing a mascot to Toronto FC. The hardcore TFC supporters are not the target market for this. Mascots mostly appeal to children, and my guess is that the mascot will be around at TFC community events, and not so much the stadium itself. A lot of European clubs have mascots, and still keep their image relatively intact, so why can't TFC do the same? Purely as a supporter, I wouldn't want a mascot, but also taking the business side into account, it could actually work (though I was always under the impression that Bitchy the Hawk was Toronto FC's mascot). If it is done right, it should have little to no influence on how supporters support the team.

With this controversy, some TFC supporters have been reminiscing of the 2007 days when the experience at BMO Field was at its purest form, without all the overstimulating sponsor advertisements, price hikes, and sideshows that have little to do with football.  The thing is, those days are long gone and I don't think it is coming back. If Toronto FC was a success on the pitch from the start, then you could have seen an experience nowadays at BMO Field that looked something like a European or South American atmosphere. But, as we all know and experienced, Toronto FC has been awful since they entered Major League Soccer. A sizable amount of supporters have walked away from the club and MLSE need to fill the seats. So obviously, they will rely on a lot of cheap promotions and entertainment, as well as star players and sponsor involvement to get new customers to go see Toronto FC matches and maybe buy season tickets and merchandise. This is why you are seeing more casual fans and families than ever before, and their hesitance to join in the chants and songs is one of the reasons why the atmosphere at BMO Field isn't what it once was.

Now, the people I would imagine reading this are those who would be considered hardcore supporters of Toronto FC. I have something I want to share with you.

Throughout the existence of Toronto FC, I have grown from a young high school kid to a functioning adult. From my experiences following the team and everything that came with it, I want to share the most important thing I have learned from following Toronto FC to you, the reader (and most likely hardcore TFC supporter). Are you ready? Here it is:

Toronto FC and MLSE don't care about you. You are nothing more than a dollar sign to them. They use your fandom as a means to make more money for them.

The reason TFC has the survey for season ticket holders to fill out is not because they want to hear and listen to your opinion. The reason is that they can use that information to make the most money off of you and everyone else that goes to BMO Field, Let's face it, the influence of hardcore supporters on the club who are striving for a better atmosphere has been waning, and MLSE have realized that the real money comes from the new fans that enter the gates of BMO Field because they are more likely to buy into what MLSE is offering them. MLSE doesn't have to cater to the hardcore supporters as much anymore because most of you will always be coming back every year to BMO Field no matter how disgruntled you may feel about the team. If TFC increases season ticket prices, yeah you'll be upset, but you'll still come back. If TFC introduces a mascot, yeah you'll be upset, but you'll still come back. Hell, if the Argos move to BMO Field, which is a real possibility, I wouldn't be surprised if most TFC supporters come back to support the team at BMO Field. If you don't come back, MLSE will just lure someone else to the stadium.

As much as I hate MLSE, this is the ugly truth. If you are sick and tired of the corporatism at BMO Field (believe me, I am as well), voicing your opinion on a survey and voicing your displeasure on Twitter is unlikely to get MLSE to listen to you. You are going to have to do more that, and whatever that might be is up to you, whether it be from voicing your displeasure in the stadium, or simply not giving your money to MLSE anymore, though those are not the only two options.

On its own two feet, having a mascot for TFC isn't an issue, but if you look at the bigger picture, it is yet another piece of the growing corporatism at BMO Field. This issue also shows that MLSE is continuing to bite the hand that feeds them, and they are the supporters who have been bravely trying to keep the atmosphere alive at the stadium. Unfortunately, there are the MLSE cheerleaders who turn a blind eye to all the corporatism, but if there are enough supporters who hate it, and realize that their opinions aren't being heard, and do something about it, then maybe, just maybe, MLSE will be forced to listen.