Justification for streamer-tossing paper thin
Cathal Kelly

Having spent more than a year on the fence about the rightness or wrongness of allowing fans to throw streamers at Toronto FC games, my mind was made up a week ago.
As a D.C. United player moved into one corner of BMO Field to take a free kick, a half-dozen fans came pouring out of the box seats and craned over the railing, five metres or less from the corner pole.
Once there, they began to whip – and "whip" is the only word for it – streamers in the United player's direction. From that distance, there was no chance for the paper wheels to unspool. They were whizzing past his head like pellets. Unlikely to hurt much, but certainly unpleasant to catch in the eye. The whole thing turned suddenly from the sublime to the ridiculous.
The streamers have been present since Toronto FC's inception. At first, they were tossed from several rows back, arching down on the field in a graceful tumble. Fans reared back in amazement when the first few were thrown at the 2007 home opener.
Once the crowd realized nobody was going to stop them, the practice spread into every section of the stadium. When the L.A. Galaxy visited last August, fans brought pink streamers for use specifically against Landon Donovan. I recall that as the first example of what we now recognize as the "streamer cyclone," when an opposing player momentarily disappears inside a cloud of oncoming paper tape. It was comical. It was also clear interference and thus patently unfair.
For weeks now, the club, its players, coaches and the fans have twisted themselves in knots trying to explain this away as an atmospheric add-on, like the smoke machine in the south end or a sing-along. The difference is that smoke clears and off-key warbling doesn't interfere with the flight of the ball.
"As long as it's safe, it's not a problem," MLSE executive Bob Hunter, who is in charge of all venues, said yesterday of the streamers. "It potentially can cause distraction, but I don't think it's (a) physical (danger)."
Well, by that definition you ought to be able to toss empty drink cups and popcorn at players taking free throws down at the ACC. The safety argument doesn't wash. But in fairness to MLSE, how else can they defend the practice?
Hunter was clear that Toronto FC would enforce a ban on streamers if instructed to do so by the league.
Whatever side you fall on in the streamer debates, the answer may soon be imposed from above.
The spark was a crude video shot at last Saturday's Columbus-New England game in Ohio. Fans can be seen throwing bottles and other detritus, along with streamers, at players. One jackass is caught on tape screaming racial abuse at the Revolution's Kheli Dube.
Major League Soccer is investigating the Columbus incident. In the U.S., where the tabloid media is just aching to paint all soccer fans as out-of-control racists, expect the league to hammer down hard.
Rolled into that investigation is what one MLS source called a "re-examination" of the streamer policy league-wide. Streamers are a big issue only at BMO Field and Columbus' Crew Stadium. Also, the occasional lit flare included in Toronto's streamer barrage has not escaped notice. FC fans have now wandered into the league's sights.
During halftime at every MLS game, fans are reminded to "refrain from throwing objects on the field." However, the league has in the past allowed clubs to set their own standards and police their own crowds. Now, the Dube video and its accompanying negative publicity have made that laissez-faire policy difficult to maintain.
One suspects that TFC officials would like the streamer issue to disappear. They might prefer that MLS play the bad cop, while they could make commiserating noises just before the crackdown.
My guess is the league will oblige in the coming days.




Toronto's National Soccer Stadium is just a Pipe dream


PAT HICKEY, The Gazette

As I watched the Impact play Toronto FC Tuesday night, I recalled a conversation I had two years ago with Kevan Pipe, who was then the executive director of the Canadian Soccer Association.
I expressed the opinion that the so-called National Soccer Stadium in Toronto was a monumental waste of taxpayers' money for the benefit of a private enterprise.
I also suggested the private enterprise, Toronto FC, might have a negative effect on Canadian soccer. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment had secured the exclusive Canadian rights for Major League Soccer (MLS) in Canada and my fear was the team would siphon talent from the Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps, two successful United Soccer Leagues First Division clubs that were planning to build privately funded stadia.

Pipe dismissed my argument. He said Canada was in need of a base for its national team and the Toronto stadium would provide a venue for international fixtures. As for Toronto FC, he saw it as an opportunity for Canadians to play at a higher level and even went so far as to suggest he could see the day when the Toronto FC roster would feature the bulk of the Canadian national team.

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McBride returns, may land on TFC

 Brian McBride is leaving Fulham of England's Premier League to return to North America.
The 35-year-old forward, whose contract expired after Fulham avoided relegation on the final day of the season, played for Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew from 1996-2004 and was a seven-time all-star.
If McBride signs with MLS, Toronto FC would have the first chance to sign him. However, Toronto could sign him and trade him.
McBride, from Arlington Heights, Ill., dislocated his kneecap in August. Although he scored just three more goals after returning to action in February, his ability to hold up the ball, distract defences and win headers helped galvanize the team.


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