The Daily Mail was there. Steve Simmons too. TFC was a Bloody Big Deal to a lot of people that couldn't have spelled Andrew Wiedeman a week ago.
Actually they probably still can't. They were there to watch Jemain Defoe bring soccer to the Colonies/erase a decade of MLSE incompetence.
So far so good.
In the build up to Toronto's home opener it would have been easy to forget that there was actually a game to be played. As it's often been with TFC, the attention was on the things that surrounded it, rather than the thing itself. For once, the team stepped up to the occasion. For the first time in eight years, the fans -- whether they be ecstatic, rowdy or angry -- weren't the story.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
It was refreshing. Hopefully, it's the new normal that will last long beyond the time when the a Daily Mail is back to making up transfer rumours and Simmons is fighting hockey bloggers about the importance of Corsi.
Eventually the 2014 version of TFC will become only about the 2014 version of TFC -- the past, the losing, Tim Leiweke, stadium expansion, everything will take a back seat to the actual performance on the field. It will only be then that we can truly evaluate whether this team is simply competent (which would be a massive improvement over what Toronto fans are used to) or something to be truly excited about. The early returns are promising -- past TFC teams would have caved under the pressure of last two weeks -- but it's still way to early to know which way this will go.
It's possible that grind of normality will start next weekend with an awkwardly timed away game to a team that lacks mainstream stars or any type of identifiable rivalry with the city of Toronto.
For the soccer purists that's probably a good thing. There is only so much of the circus and so many frat boy tourists stuffing themselves into the supporters sections to cheer on "the FC" that they can handle.
But, those same purists would be lying to you if they didn't admit to enjoying the show yesterday. For too long TFC had become a depressing, lifeless experience. It was nice to see the life back in the stadium.
Hopefully the remainder of the season will be such that we never again need the type of life saving surgery that the Reds needed last year. The circus is fun, after all, but it loses it's appeal when it happens every week.