Originally Posted by
OgtheDim
There are a HECK of lot of soccer isn't a real sport types who are under 40 and in sports journalism in this town. Guys like Bruce Arthur, who doesn't actively fear the sport like Damien Cox but still can't take it seriously ever because he sees something that is beyond his moral code.
Something to remember is that Canadian professional sports is obsessed with the idea of "doing the right thing", with "following the code" - and these journos, all though the younger ones will say it doesn't mean anything, they are steeped in the idea of sports has to be done the "right way". (Don't get me started on the Olympics being sold as nice Canadians with great moms and dads versus the machines of Russia and China and all the morally ambiguous others)
What I hear from this young group is the faking of a bad injury is the issue for them - they grew up with the ambiguities of the moral codes found within hockey and basketball and football and baseball but judge the faking of an injury they see in soccer as something that makes the game not worth their time. Given the diving and whining and cheating and...yes....fake injuries we see in hockey, basketball, baseball and football, I don't get it.
I like what Alexi Lalas has said about this
a) Soccer is only going to get bigger in North America - its not going away
b) the old Dinosaurs, just let em go...they are nonredeemable and not worth the time
c) but he has all the time in the world for any journalist who doesn't understand the game but wants to come and talk to him
d) because if you want to be a young dinosaur and say you despise soccer, you are cutting yourself off of future prospects as a journalist
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Look, we don't know if TFC and the fan base can keep these current good feelings going. But we do know that there is a HUGE story going on sports wise in this town right now, and its not the Jays chasing Baltimore, its not the Leafs new phenom, its the best player on the continent is right here and he's making his team play better as a unit and 27K of people, from diverse backgrounds, are showing up for an organic good time.
That won't be given the big sell on Rogers Sports Radio when their main business is to pump up the 2 things you have made hundreds of millions of investments in. But it should at least get you a discussion point about "So why are so many people showing up to see this again?" And it should make the younger "I can't stand soccer" journos think twice cause something is happening in local Toronto professional soccer again and if its done right, they will ignore this at the peril of their future livelihoods.
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