Today’s News, Wednesday , Nov.05

[denime]

Consistency the key for Sutton
Toronto 'keeper expects playoffs next year

Toronto FC goalkeeper Greg Sutton admits the team has to perform more consistently throughout next season. The Reds finished four points outside the playoff places and were made to pay for a summer slump. "I think overall we had some improvement," said Sutton. "We had a rollercoaster of the season, and one thing we need to improve on for next year is our consistency of play and our play on the road. If we can improve on those things next season will hopefully be a different story and we will hopefully still be playing at this point in the year." ...

Read more (http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081104&content_id=201642&vkey=news_t280&fext=.jsp&team=t280)


Pub Crawls with Toronto FC return
Reds players will join fans at pubs during the month of November

Toronto FC announced Tuesday that they will be once again reaching out to supporters across the GTA with their annual Pub Crawl event. This will be the third time the club will be getting both coaches and players out into the public to meet and greet fans at various locations throughout the city. ...
read more (http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081104&content_id=201632&vkey=news_t280&fext=.jsp&team=t280).


Montreal doesn't need to join MLS

PAT HICKEY,The Gazette

Nine cities, including Montreal, are in line to bid for two expansion franchises in Major League Soccer, which, in theory at least, is the height of professional soccer in North America.
The principals in these cities - we're talking Joey Saputo and George Gillett here in Montreal - will be asked to fork over an expansion fee that could be as high as $40 million.
The question everyone should be asking is: What do you get for your money? ...

Read more (http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=53d7c45c-2642-43d2-a527-136447d23d52)



SUNSHINE (http://www.torontosun.com/sunshinegirl/) :thumbsup: :yum:

[The Kingpin]

Page3: http://www.page3.com/index2.shtml#main-image

DO NOT OPEN IN OFFICE.

[CretanBull]

Warning, mature content:

http://www.page3.com/index2.shtml#main-image

:yum:

[CretanBull]

Excellent post Kingpin!

[The Kingpin]

"Pub Crawls with Toronto FC return"

Though this is PR vs. News, it's good to see that they are doing this again. I imagine a general e-mail goes to all of the season ticket holders. maybe it can also serve as a scalper convention... :)

Other sports clubs in TO could learn from this.

[The Kingpin]

Excellent post Kingpin!

I do what I can to contribute to the greater good. :drool5:

[Redcoe15]

Can't go wrong with either girl today. :yum: :D

I've always hated that fat albino pig Pat Hickey. His column today just reafirms that. :mad5:

[JonO]

Wow - that article about Montreal is one of the most poorly researched articles I have ever read. It doesn't sound like the guy has ever watched MLS and decided to grab a bunch of stats...

[Oldtimer]

Wow - that article about Montreal is one of the most poorly researched articles I have ever read. It doesn't sound like the guy has ever watched MLS and decided to grab a bunch of stats...

...especially the fact that he missed that KC plays in a 10K stadium, so of course their attendance is less than Montreal.

[Oldtimer]

The MLS Is Growing Fast: Is This Too Fast?



The MLS is the youngest major league in America. It has been a success and is getting good advertisements. The money has been coming in.
Still, are they getting that much fan support from the weaker-link teams? I, personally, am rooting for the New England Revolution; I know that the crowds there do quiet well and have good management under Robert Kraft.

The MLS is growing RAPIDLY. In 1996, there were 10 teams. Today, there are 14 teams with two coming in the next two years. The sponsorships by big names, like Pepsi, have helped, along with the TV appearances. But are they getting THAT much crowd support?


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/77477-the-mls-is-growing-fast-is-this-too-fast?referrer=gn

[CoachGT]

And that San Jose are playing in a university stadium waiting for a 20k seat SSS to be approved and built. That is a really poorly researched piece!

[TicTacTabarnack]

DO NOT OPEN IN OFFICE.

Thanks for the advanced warning :p I'll check it out at home. :hump:

[jloome]

Yeah, it's shit. Most of my industry is shit these days. Makes my head hurt. I've had it out a couple of times with one of my paper's writers for writing "soccer just won't work in Canada because it's always failed before", articles, which, by extent of logic, would suggest every president since Kennedy should've been assassinated.

The very fact that MLS has added six franchises since starting in 1996 and yet maintained average attendances well above most other pro soccer leagues around the world speaks more to its stability as a "niche" pro sport than any failure by the league.

Incidentally, Hickey failed to mention that the USL has been around for about 30 years in one form or another, and yet has never had league average attendances, sponsor buy-in, urban franchise interest or revenue streams that MLS has developed in 12 years.

It's a shame sports writing has so badly crossed the line between columnizing and reporting that you can't tell them apart anymore. Thank god for the Steve Brunts, Ives Galarceps and Steve Goffs of the sports world.