Sometimes taking a break from someone you love is a very good idea. Sometimes it’s the beginning of the end.
We all need to take a break from our love, the Reds. Then we need to decide whether we still love them enough to come back.
Many have already started the break. One needed only to witness last week’s two crowds, the lowest two MLS crowds in the history of the club. They were Columbus bad; they were Colorado bad. They were the type of crowds that TFC fans used to make fun of and they proved right those fans of Columbus and Colorado that said “you just wait and see” to the arrogance of Reds' fans back in 2007.
Make no mistake it was arrogance. Back then TFC fans used to say that they had a superior level of loyalty. Fans that stayed away in other cities were bad -- didn't matter why. Back then TFC fans argued that we would never leave our beloved club.
Toronto till I die!
Unless they lose.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Turns out that Toronto’s fan base is no different than the fan bases in Columbus, Colorado or any other MLS city. There are diehard fans that believe in the importance of staying true even in hard times, and there are fair-weather consumers that only come when the team is winning and/or it’s a nice day outside. Most fall in between.
Many fans that are currently staying away will blame management. Certainly MLSE must accept a lot of the responsibility. There was a banner at the last game that read “results matter.” They do. They especially do to fans that believe that you support a team to see it win and there is no other value to be had by going to games -- fans that often continue to blame fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the fact that team loses. Those fans also blame TFC fans for the Reds’ struggles.
They have every right to feel that way. They also have every right to spend their entertainment dollars anyway they see fit. However, it would be nice if they also understood that not every fan feels the same way and that the attendance at BMO Field has little to do with the success or failure of the club itself.
I am not telling you how to be a fan. Don’t tell me how to be either.
Regardless, as stated off the top, even the most loyal fan needs a bit of a break. TFC’s road trip it’s about to embark on could not have come at a better time. Whether it’s because of the losing or because of the toxic environment the in-stadium experience has become (and make no mistake – for every fan that tells me they are staying away because of the lack of results there is one that tells me that other fans are making watching games at BMO a miserable experience) we all just need a little space.
For some “a little space” might mean a break-up. That’s too bad. Not everyone feels the same, but it’s an understandable decision.
There are two more home games in 2012. It’s going to be hard to enjoy them. But, at least the nightmare is almost over.
Now it's time to decide whether you want to dream again in 2013.