Brunt - Columbus kerfuffle hardly a sign of hooliganism

[egoodwin]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090331.wsptbrunt31/BNStory/Sports/columnists

[ensco]

I swear, you learn more about how a democracy and a free society actually works on these boards than you will in any election campaign.

[billyfly]

Is Brunt on Prime Time this week?

[dantdot]

I hope someone responds to that nitwit that made the first comment, I don't want to be bothered to register.

[ilikemusic]

What happened in Columbus, Ohio, last weekend, when Toronto FC visited the Crew for an MLS match, wasn't hooliganism. Not even close. It was frat-boy stuff, barroom stuff.


Stephen Brunt is the man.Hes so reasonable its amazing he has been employed in Toronto journalism for as long as he has.

[egoodwin]

no need.

that guy's comment is so stupid it doesn't deserve acknowledgement

he just looks stupid in contrast to Brunt's article

also it's about time a Toronto based paper takes the side of Toronto over Columbus...

[Whoop]

There is a reason Stephen Brunt is one of the more respected journalists out there, period.

He is more than a sports journalist.

[The Pope]

Brunt is pretty much the only Toronto writer I actually read

[stugautz]

Always good to see one of the more respected journalists in the country taking an educated point to this debate.

[LondonToffee]

Brunt is the best sportswriter currently working in Canada and this article is a good example of why. Good stuff.

[SilentSam]

Ohhh a stephen brunt lovefest! Count me in. Along with his column, his appearances on primetime are always insightful. Might just be that I tend to agree with him majority of the time.

[Jack]

It's nice to see a reasonable take on what happened instead of fear-mongering sensationalism.

[flatpicker]

now that was a refreshing article!

[K1nG]

I hope someone responds to that nitwit that made the first comment, I don't want to be bothered to register.

he clearly knows nothing about TFC or the MLS for that matter. To him relevance is probably a Blue Jays organization that is giving seats away from $2.00 or a Maple Leaf organization of which isnt held accountable by its fans since the majority of its fans show up half way through the second period to talk business. I dont think he has any idea what passion, loyalty and culture are.

[K1nG]

oh yea, great article.

[graeme117]

best thing i've read today

a relief

[jloome]

Brunt's a class act. About 15 years ago, a paper I was working at caught someone plagiarizing a particularly good Brunt column (and he's a credit to his profession, so he's had many).

Brunt could've totally destroyed this guy's career, but instead he had his agent have a quiet word with the guy. A note went into his paper pointing out that he'd "accidentally" not attributed it. And as far as I know -- and there's a good chance I'd know -- the guy has never plagiarized again.

[Cashcleaner]

There is a reason Stephen Brunt is one of the more respected journalists out there, period.

He is more than a sports journalist.

Quoted for truth. It's a shame the guy has to breathe the same air as McCown, though. I really feel sad for the guy having to put up with that blowhard and his bullshit.

As for the article itself, there's no need for further commentary because he totally hit the nail on the head. What happened in Columbus and what's been happening at BMO Field over the years is generally nothing more than a few randoms trying to start something that just isn't there. It was one or two drunken idiots who throw a railing over the ledge and that's just how it is, yet some people want to make a connection to some sort of orchestrated activity.

You know what was really an orchestrated activity? Our now-famous newspaper tifo.

[Shakes McQueen]

Quoted for truth. It's a shame the guy has to breathe the same air as McCown, though. I really feel sad for the guy having to put up with that blowhard and his bullshit.

As for the article itself, there's no need for further commentary because he totally hit the nail on the head. What happened in Columbus and what's been happening at BMO Field over the years is generally nothing more than a few randoms trying to start something that just isn't there. It was one or two drunken idiots who throw a railing over the ledge and that's just how it is, yet some people want to make a connection to some sort of orchestrated activity.

You know what was really an orchestrated activity? Our now-famous newspaper tifo.

Brunt and McCown are friends. :D

- Scott

[Cashcleaner]

Yeah, but are we talking about friend-friends or just friends?

Seriously though, I'm just waiting for the day when he snaps and starts raining blows down on McCown during Prime Time Sports.

[Shakes McQueen]

Yeah, but are we talking about friend-friends or just friends?

Seriously though, I'm just waiting for the day when he snaps and starts raining blows down on McCown during Prime Time Sports.

I've heard him talk about having dinner at McCown's house, and watching TV there, on the show previously. He also usually has a shit eating grin on his face, when Bob starts ragging on soccer, haha.

Despite the fact that they obviously disagree on some stuff, I really think McCown's group of "regulars" are actually good friends. And by "regulars", I mean Jim Kelley, Stephen Brunt, Gord Kirke, James Deacon, etc. It becomes more apparent on "Round-Table Fridays", when they just shoot the breeze for a couple of hours, and make fun of eachother. :D

I know McCown isn't popular around here, but if you watch him regularly, you start to get the feeling that he isn't as much of a blowhard as he comes across as. He just does a lot of it to get a rise out of people.

At least, that's the read I get from him.

- Scott

[bhoybobby]

he clearly knows nothing about TFC or the MLS for that matter. To him relevance is probably a Blue Jays organization that is giving seats away from $2.00 or a Maple Leaf organization of which isnt held accountable by its fans since the majority of its fans show up half way through the second period to talk business. I dont think he has any idea what passion, loyalty and culture are.


Great article

[Blazer]

Brunt and McCown are friends. :D

- Scott


The only reason they are “friends” is because they have a mutual respect for one another’s ability to argue their often opposing business/sport opinions to the death. Otherwise, they’d be without conversation. It’s a game of entertainment that they play like any other, and a game that most enjoy.

[Redcoe15]

I was hoping Stephen Brunt would comment on this. And I, and we, were not dissapointed. We can always count on Brunt to stand up for the sport and the people who follow it against those who'll find any excuse to knock it down.

[scooter]

he clearly knows nothing about TFC or the MLS for that matter. To him relevance is probably a Blue Jays organization that is giving seats away from $2.00 or a Maple Leaf organization of which isnt held accountable by its fans since the majority of its fans show up half way through the second period to talk business. I dont think he has any idea what passion, loyalty and culture are.

did your mentor give you permission to post?

[mr k]

Comments to the article are good also -


In a sporting world where stadiums have to beg fans to get out of their and into their seats with music, giveaways, gimics, and 7th inning stretches, its nice to see someone getting excited, albeit, a little too enthusiastic, about the best sport in the world. Finally someone is letting the insulated nihilistic triune of the North American sports fortress of Baseball, American Football, and Basketball, that when it comes to fans and loyalty (and wealth), nothing beats the international sport of FOOTBALL.


3) Most people don't realize what "hooliganism" is when they are referring to somebody as a "soccer hooligan". In a european sense it comes from *organized* group of fans who cause trouble. This is a bunch of individual idiots who acted on their own accord (and a very small number in comparison to the whole group). Which makes them stupid and deserving of pushishment but is not a sign of the TFC fan base as a whole.


And this one is funny (and has a ring of reality as probably many of our non-footy buddies probably have this view of anyone who went on a footy roadtrip)

Something must have been amiss. Around 2,000 people travelled to Columbus -- of all places -- to watch soccer!

I mean, seriously. Of course the cops would assume they were lunatics. If you had a taser on you, and someone told you that they just went to Columbus to watch soccer, could you truthfully say you wouldn't taser him?? For the good of the species?

[Technorgasm]

all is fine. . you can just FEEL the love!!

http://content.imagesocket.com/images/Crew_TFCff9.jpg

[Blazer]

^ Bahahahhahahahaha.....

[Parkdale]

hahaha.... they still can't get over the fence pissing

[Blazer]

I was hoping Stephen Brunt would comment on this. And I, and we, were not dissapointed. We can always count on Brunt to stand up for the sport and the people who follow it against those who'll find any excuse to knock it down.

I don’t think he was necessarily standing up for anything as he clearly agrees that some TFC fans in Columbus were boobs rather than the soccer “hooligans” that they were portrayed to be in some media outlets. He merely states that it was not hooliganism in Columbus - which is defined as organized and purposeful – rather a drunken frat boy party gone way overboard.

“TFC — and just as importantly, its supporters — would be well advised to nip this in the bud.”

This might have been the best line in the entire argument. Whether we like it or not, we are falsely perceived now as a bunch of hooligans by many uninformed people. Our image of passion and loyalty has quickly been stained to drunks and brawlers.

It is an embarrassing eye-opener so let the image mending begin I suppose?!

[nobodybeatsthewiz]

lol....eat it you chav.

jack, any way you could get an interview with brunt? i mean, you're no george gillett, but still.

[joel]

Good article! I think that its good some in the media can call it for what it is. Hopefully with better away venue organization and of course restraint by drunken yahoos (fingers crossed :p ) this will become less of an issue over time.

[Roogsy]

Brunt gets it. So does Knight. The rest bought into the hype and are a bunch of tools.

Thank you Stephen!

[Frank Costanza]

Is Brunt on Prime Time this week?
i think he is and he will make bob talk mls with this story even though we all know how bob feels about soccer and even more the mls, im watching all week hoping for this discussion

[drewski]

my g/f say the news report on global and said "THATS hooliganism!?" and then laughed her ass off. Worse then that happens in Sofia if you wear the wrong kit in the wrong part of town on a regular day, and on game day, oi.

[Arnie Knows]

The one thing brunt is right on is nipping in the bud... We just don't want shitlike this to keep happening.. Move on and learn..

I think it dumb for supporters to hate other teams .. Why bother ofcourse we want to win but maybe we should enjoy the other squads and there fans?? beat them and embrace them ..
its all good

[Cuchulain]

Toronto is the best of it, because of the game experience that's provided by the supporters, who sing and chant, throw the odd streamer and smoke bomb (which not everyone appreciates), and generally have a heckuva good time no matter how the home side fares.
No doubt there are some who turn their noses up at that as a kind of cargo-cult approximation of what happens in "real" soccer cultures. But if MLS and its franchises could bottle it and transfer it, they would in a heartbeat

Lets face it, MLS loved what went down in Columbus--passion for soccer!

[greatwhitenorf]

Let's pound the crap out of any hooligans we see at the home opener!

[boban]

Let's pound the crap out of any hooligans we see at the home opener!
Oh yeah for sure. Because that would not be hooligan behavior. :rolleyes:

[Hooligan69]

Let's pound the crap out of any hooligans we see at the home opener!

Awesome. I shall pound the crap out of myself first. LMAO :rofl:

[Roogsy]

Oh yeah for sure. Because that would not be hooligan behavior. :rolleyes:

Let me introduce you to a little concept called "sarcasm"... sheesh.

[CoachGT]

Sarcasm, just one of the many services we offer :)

[Ossington Mental Youth]

how much for 'release'?