Completely random ramblings

Well a week has just about gone by with a few stories and rumours but as I've said before, this isn't a news blog, it's an opinion blog that is 99.9% right MOST OF THE TIME. Don't belive me? Look here. Notice the time? How did I know that? How did I know to say Sam Cronin and Frei? Who the hell was saying Sam Cronin and TFC in the same breath? I DID. I didn't even go to the combine or the draft! Didn't speak to one person! I'm just a guy who knows.

Here's what else I know. Preseason is kicking off next week and that is something to look forward to. If you look at our off-season really the only name to drop is DeRo - BUT fear not. I am confident that we will have a slew of players trialing over the next month and a half that to ignite a storm of gossip. Remember Fat Johnnier Montaro? Money grubbing Kiki Musampa? Speedy Martin Brittain who is lighting up the Conference National? Or the one and only MARCO VELEZ! Hmmm actually none of these guys are good examples at all. However, Keon Daniel and Gregory Richardson are, and these are two guys to watch for in this year's camp.



I think it was Carver who said just recently that nobody is safe with their starting role this year and there will be serious competition for ALL POSITIONS. I think these are two of possibly a few more guys he was referring to. I for one am glad to see Mo and Carver expanding their scope of talent beyond the UK and finding a few guys who aren't in their 30s.

One last quick point. For the last while I have been religiously listening to the World Soccer Daily podcast and if you have too you'll know that Kenny and Stephen have been on the Beckham watch since he first went over to AC Milan. Today they were arguing the merit of him being in MLS any longer, whether he was successful (they say no) etc ... and I was trying to relate this to TFC somehow and I actually think it could. They were discussing the spike in attendances and ticket sales that he created upon the announcement he was coming to MLS. I don't think it can be argued that once people in Toronto knew he was in the league we hit our season ticket cap much quicker than if he wasn't (or would we have at all?). I think TFC fans like to think we are 20,000 pure football supporters (with 9,000 on a waiting list) but if you've ever sat in the middle sections of the stadium you know that is not the case. The one thing TFC has over every other game in town is atmosphere - which is 100% attributed to our unreal supporters groups. I can't name off the people I know who know nothing about football, never supported a team before, never had been to a game - but will come back to BMO game after game just to see the south end or be allowed to ACTUALLY CHEER. Like it or not though, in that first season it was the arrival of David Beckham who would have initially convinced that borderline fan to grab a game, a few tickets or a season's package (I can't believe I couldn't justify something like the $200 it was then!!)

It's the truth - Beckham brought them in, however it was the supporters groups and atmosphere that made them stay (it sure wasn't our winning product!). So as much as I think he's been a bust on the field here and is 150% pussy-whipped by Victoria I will credit him for one thing and that was being the catalyst for ticket sales in '07 that has rolled over into honest support for our home team TFC.