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If you've read this space long enough, you'll know that there is a long-standing (and mostly dormant) feud between some CSN writers (mostly me) and a not-to-be-named blogger from Ohio.
He's mostly not worth engaging with, a lesson that took me too long to realize. He's a bully, has a gift for rhetoric that the biggest talk radio blowhards would envy, and is very good at presenting himself as a victim, even when a close look at the evidence shows otherwise.
One of his favourite things to do is to take something you've written, or that has been reported, and present it out of context – usually with a snide comment or two added on for good measure. His fans – and God help me, he has fans – eat it up. There really is no room for any sort of nuanced debate with him, which is why I've ignored his trolling for the better part of a year now.
I'd continue to do so now, except his most recent piece (I'm not linking. If you know who I'm talking about you can find it) makes reference to something that is starting to get too much play, some of which from far more legitimate sources than he-who-shall-not-be-named.
The relevant part:
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
And far be it from me to bring up the ugly and embarrassing recent Twitter reports claiming that the entire Red Patch Boys leadership has been secretly bribed by TFC management with free tickets and travel in return for them working to prevent any kind of ugly fan demonstrations protesting the current state of affairs up there.
The Twitter “report” he is referencing was posted by an account that is clearly fake. Someone with an issue with RPB leadership created an account that claimed to be of a journalist (and, oddly, aspiring model) with the purpose of defaming those individuals. To someone outside of Toronto, the account looked legitimate on quick glance. And, if the blogger-that-shall-not-be-named had reported this 10 days ago when it first came out then he might get a pass.
However, it's been long established that the account is fake and the accusations are without merit. Said blogger could have learned that with 10 seconds of research. However, he chose to put it out there, thus continuing the lie.
Unfortunately, said blogger has an audience that is also unlikely to do 10-seconds of research. But, in case they do, let's state it clearly.
There is absolutely no evidence that anyone in the Red Patch Boys took anything from Toronto FC's front office in exchange for preventing in-stadium protests. And, suggesting otherwise is tinfoil hat territory.