Sometimes, a story is straightforward, and it's easy to reach a consensus about its meaning; for instance, "Alien cyborg invasion of Earth set to begin next Tuesday" or "Little kids feed cotton candy to puppies, have video to prove it". But those stories are the exceptions. Most times, it's tough to reach agreement not just amongst a group of people, but within one individual's mind.
In that spirit, here are my initial reactions to some of the week's big news items, along with the ways in which I almost-instantly contradicted or second-guessed myself.
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Rogers/Bell to share majority ownership of Toronto FC's parent company, MLSE.
First thought: Whoa. Hmm. But how about... and what if... or... wow, this is bloody weird.
Yeah, but... This probably doesn't change much, if anything, about the team's day-to-day existence. And it means they'll likely play the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals at the Rogers Centre, which will be cool. And it could also mean non-TSN regular-season games will end up on freely-available Sportsnet, rather than specialty channel GOL TV -- which would help build the team's profile.
Yeah, but... What does having the city's four biggest pro teams (sorry, Argos) all owned, at least in part, by a giant media conglomerate mean for the fates of those teams, and the fate of independent coverage of them? That's not a rhetorical question, it really could go either way. We'll have to see how this one turns out.
South Korean legend Young-Pyo Lee signs with the Whitecaps.
First thought: The fact that he was
Yeah, but... An ass in a seat is an ass in a seat, and the more people willing to come out and watch a Canadian soccer club play live, the better. Will there be a huge number of people suddenly rushing to buy tickets specifically because of Lee? Probably not. But there will be some.
Yeah, but... Will they stick around once Lee is done? Impossible to say. Some will, some won't. But if the squad can produce victories and entertainment, the former will surely outnumber the latter.
Stuart Neely steps down as head of the Toronto FC Academy.
First thought: Oh God no, it's all falling apart, mass exodus, rat on a sinking ship, WTF, everyone panic!
Yeah, but... Actually, this one's not even a "yeah, but", since the first thought was sheer nonsense. So the legitimate first thought is, "Hmm. Well, he's clearly had a good run, with four kids graduating to the first team in 2011 and two of them -- Ashtone Morgan and Matt Stinson -- not only showing well for TFC, but also earning their first Canadian national team call-ups."
Yeah, but... What will they do without him? Well, I'm gonna guess Aron Winter and Bob de Klerk probably have someone in their Rolodex capable of handling a youth academy.
Paul Barber steps down as CEO of the Whitecaps.
First thought: Cripes, that can't possibly be a good sign. Not after one year in MLS.
Yeah, but... There are surely behind-the-scenes machinations that necessitated this. If things in the front office had become unworkable for whatever reason, better for everyone to cut their losses as soon as possible.
Vancouver to host Montreal for MLS First Kick on March 10.
First thought: Well, we know for sure neither of them will end the season with zero points.
Yeah, but... Toronto FC still could.
Yeah, but... That won't happen. Besides, this ain't about Toronto, it's about the renewal of hostilities between a pair of long-time rivals, the Whitecaps and Impact.
Yeah, but... Is it? The "Canadian rivalry" angle is a nice, easy storyline, but I'd imagine that based on the realities of geography, most 'Caps fans see the Sounders and Timbers as their natural adversaries, while the UM02 faithful would love nothing more than to stick it to those bastards from Toronto.
Yeah, but... It's two Canadian franchises playing a high-profile match in MLS, a few days after another Canadian team plays a CCL quarter-final match. Take a moment and put that in perspective.