Today's News, Monday, Dec.29.

[denime]

A list of wishes for soccer in '09
By GARETH WHEELER (gareth.wheeler@suntv.canoe.ca)

Christmas has come and gone and I'm still not content -- my wish list was disregarded, overlooked and ignored.
So to make up for it, I have a lot of expectations for 2009 and I'm setting my sights on the soccer world.
Here's my wish list for 2009:
- For the USA to win the Confederations Cup -- that would really put North American soccer on the map. And even more important than an American win, for South Africa to be able to stage the tournament problem free.
- For a playoff game at BMO Field. The Bank would be rocking like no other stadium or sporting event Toronto has seen. :D

Read More (http://www.torontosun.com/sports/soccer/2008/12/29/7869871-sun.html)


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

[DOMIN8R]

Good Monin' and thank you, D. Is it January 6th yet?

[H Bomb]

Good Monin' and thank you, D. Is it January 6th yet?

this board is gonna be apoplectic that morning man...and i can't wait

[djking2]

I think Wheeler just coined an excellent nickname for BMO field

[H Bomb]

I think Wheeler just coined an excellent nickname for BMO field

it's been bandied about since the start, and it aint bad. I prefer the nickname Montreal

[Oldtimer]

Good season seat sales by the Sounders already, looks like attendance will beat their former NBA franchise (the SuperSoincs):


Leiweke: "We (have sold) 18,100 season tickets. … We have to sell suites. We've sold 67 of those so far with our best days in front of us." Analysis: Win. Most franchises find it easier to collect pledges for season tickets than it is to actually sell season tickets. The Sounders have gone the other way, taking an impressive pledge number and exceeding it. They are likely to finish their first season among MLS attendance leaders. (In 2008, only three teams averaged more fans per game than the Sounders' current season ticket total: Los Angeles, 26,009; Toronto, 20,108 and D.C., 19,835). The Sounders seem likely to immediately beat the highest average attendance ever by the Seattle SuperSonics (21,725 in the Kingdome in 1979-80).


http://www.theolympian.com/sports/soundersfc/story/708462.html


MLS needs more franchises like Seattle (Vancouver, anyone?) and less like KC or NYRB.

[Beach_Red]

MLS needs more franchises like Seattle (Vancouver, anyone?) and less like KC or NYRB.

Is there any news on ticket sales for NY's new stadium?

[Oldtimer]

Is there any news on ticket sales for NY's new stadium?

Not yet, that I've seen.

[TicTacTabarnack]

- For the expansion Seattle Sounders FC's Freddie Ljungberg to play at least half of the season after being ruled out the next 12 weeks because of injury. The signing already looks like a bust.
- For Toronto FC's future designated player not to be a player such as Freddie Ljungberg.


LOL!

[Toronto Ruffrider]

Good season seat sales by the Sounders already, looks like attendance will beat their former NBA franchise (the SuperSoincs):



http://www.theolympian.com/sports/soundersfc/story/708462.html


MLS needs more franchises like Seattle (Vancouver, anyone?) and less like KC or NYRB.

Agreed. If every team sold season tickets and private boxes as readily as Seattle does, MLS wouldn't need such a tight salary cap. Seattle seems poised to make a decent profit when it enters the league.

[deltox]

i dont know about profit in their 1st yr.

we did but our expansion fee was only $10 million and we didnt have a multi million dollar DP to pay for.

[alexintoronto]

"The Bank" is as lame as "The Hanger" for the ACC.

[Roogsy]

I like the Hangar!

If Air Canada hadn't made such a big fuss and insisted broadcasters use the proper name I am sure it would have caught on...

[rocker]

sunshine girl needs to hit the gym

[rocker]

I totally disagree with Wheeler's comment on this:

"For Major League Soccer to refuse to give Vancouver a team until it builds a soccer specific stadium."


That's just dumb. You get the team by any means possible, helping canadian soccer, and worry about the SSS after. Seattle got away with not having an SSS, why do the canadian teams have to wait???

[Toronto Ruffrider]

i dont know about profit in their 1st yr.

we did but our expansion fee was only $10 million and we didnt have a multi million dollar DP to pay for.

I was thinking more along the lines of operating costs. Given the small-market nature of MLS, it may be a few years before Seattle makes up the cost of its expansion fee.

[Parkdale]

the bank?


boooo!


a nickname shouldn't be a direct link to a corporate sponsor.
At least 'The Vault' was a bit more intelligent than simply 'The Bank'.
Besides, I've never heard it called that once.

[Roogsy]

Yeah we did mess around with "the vault" for a while but people were not liking the association with the bank so it didn't stick. The "bank" is even worse.

[SLBuu]

im pretty sure calling it the bank is a one off.....

[Toronto Ruffrider]

What ever happened to 'Quake by the Lake'? That's a way better nickname than any corporate reference.

[Roogsy]

What ever happened to 'Quake by the Lake'? That's a way better nickname than any corporate reference.

Never heard of it.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

Never heard of it.

I think Ben Knight came up with that nickname in one of his earliest TFC blog entries in 2007.

[Parkdale]

What ever happened to 'Quake by the Lake'? That's a way better nickname than any corporate reference.


doesn't really work now that there's an 'earthquake' team in the league.
Besides, it's just a play on the Mistake by the Lake which was what they called Exhibition stadium.

[Alarius]

- For Newcastle to give Canadian defender David Edgar first-team opportunities.

Considering he scored their only goal vs the Reds...

[Southsider]

doesn't really work now that there's an 'earthquake' team in the league.
Besides, it's just a play on the Mistake by the Lake which was what they called Exhibition stadium.


I thought Mistake by the Lake was a reference to the baseball stadium in Cleveland. :noidea:

Or a reference to Cleveland as a (w)hole. :canada:

[ben_vw]

http://www.tfcconnected.com/2008/12/training-notes-monday-december-29-2008.html

Here's some more news - both TFC and league-wide.

[icecoldbeer]

http://www.tfcconnected.com/2008/12/training-notes-monday-december-29-2008.html

Here's some more news - both TFC and league-wide.

+ 1 in ad revenue

[Chewy Unikronik]

sunshine girl needs to hit the gym
Easy there, Adonis... Please tell me you're joking.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

I thought Mistake by the Lake was a reference to the baseball stadium in Cleveland. :noidea:

Or a reference to Cleveland as a (w)hole. :canada:

That reference may have been used to refer to Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, but it has also been used to refer to the old Exhibition Stadium here in T.O. Personally, I like Quake by the Lake BECAUSE of the old reference to Exhibition Stadium. The new nickname is ironic, as it illustrates the complete change between the old, crappy multi-purpose ballpark and our new and highly-popular purpose-built football stadium.

[rocker]

Easy there, Adonis... Please tell me you're joking.

I have better abs than she does ;)
she doesn't exactly have the "toned" look that you expect of a girl willing to get half naked for the camera.
See pic 5 ... I rest my case!

[Blizzard]

I like the Hangar!

If Air Canada hadn't made such a big fuss and insisted broadcasters use the proper name I am sure it would have caught on...

The Hangar is an indoor soccer facility at Downsview Park! http://www.hangarsports.com/

[Roogsy]

The Hangar is an indoor soccer facility at Downsview Park! http://www.hangarsports.com/

LOL!

I believe that "hangar" came after the ACC was built and referred to as the Hangar for a very very short time.

[James17930]

- For Newcastle to give Canadian defender David Edgar first-team opportunities.

Considering he scored their only goal vs the Reds...

And gave up a penalty ;)

[Terry]

Good Monin' and thank you, D. Is it January 6th yet?

Can anyone give me the link to the January 6th story, please?

[Oldtimer]

Can anyone give me the link to the January 6th story, please?

You should be reading Ben Knight's soccer blog:


Reasonably reliable word has filtered through to the Onward! offices that Toronto FC will announce the identity of its 2009 Designated Player on or about January 6.http://onwardsoccer.com/

Look at the December 19th posting.

On the December 18th soccer show on the Fan 590, Nigel Reed also made reference to a "little birdie" telling him about an announcement coming in early January:

http://www.fan590.com/onair/soccer/media.jsp?content=20081218_223507_12928

It's near the end of the show.

[James Oliphant]

A list of wishes for soccer in '09
By GARETH WHEELER (gareth.wheeler@suntv.canoe.ca)

Christmas has come and gone and I'm still not content -- my wish list was disregarded, overlooked and ignored.
So to make up for it, I have a lot of expectations for 2009 and I'm setting my sights on the soccer world.
Here's my wish list for 2009

I feel like this feature has already been done...elsewhere...

[Cambridge_Red]

Shes got cellulite lol

[AL-MO]

The Hangar is an indoor soccer facility at Downsview Park! http://www.hangarsports.com/

I used to work here. It is the only 'Hangar' in my mind :)


LOL!

I believe that "hangar" came after the ACC was built and referred to as the Hangar for a very very short time.

If you say 'Hangar' around anyone who is the least bit involved in soccer, they know that you are talking about the converted 'Hangar' that is now one of the biggest indoor Soccer facilities in the GTA.