There is no doubt that I am a fan of football. I grew up surrounded by the sport, passed down from one generation to the next. I have already stated that I believe that my blood is yellow due to my allegiances to a Greek football club that is as part of my family as, if we had a dog, the family dog.
Regardless, over the course of the past six years, four in Toronto and two in Arizona, I have grown close to another football team, not one which was passed on from generation to generation but one that I was part of from Day 1, well more like Day -400 when I deposited $50 to get access to the first set of season tickets. Of course, I am talking about Toronto FC. Over the course of the next six years, I attended as many matches as I could whether when I lived in Toronto or was flying in from Phoenix. The atmosphere at BMO Field was truly a unique experience, unmatched to anything else in Toronto or North America.
During this past year, this unique atmosphere was losing some of its luster. Fans and supporter sections were not as involved as in the past and the chants coming from the supporter's section were not as spontaneous as in the past but rather generic and rather scheduled. I can just imagine the conversations before hand were something along the lines of this, "Alright so we will start with "The Reds Come Marching In" and then maybe into a "TFC" followed by that French cheer, ok break." To be fair the team was faltering on the field and the resulting poor play was being represented in the supporters' section as well. I am not trying to come down hard on the U-Sector, Red Patch Boys, North End Elite or whoever else has formed their own supporters group, but it was more than apparent that frustration was settling in on the field and in the stands.
In my section, Section 110, fans were beginning to act apathetically towards to the team, usually arriving 20 minutes into the match, more interested in making sure their date had the appropriate low cut t-shirt and four inch pumps as they both sipped their Smirnoff Ices. This happens, I get it. As teams and events get more popular it turns into a spectacle where it is more important to be seen at rather than be involved in. Listen, I am red-blooded male and yes the low-cut tees definitely do not hurt, but after a while the reason I am here is to watch a soccer match, so please keep moving up the stairs, don't trip on your latest Jimmy Choo knock-offs while tweeting on your Blackberry on how 'awesome' soccer is.
This has been a rather long winded introduction to where I wanted to take this post to, a discussion on the latest press release from Toronto FC regarding the ticket prices increases, subsequent apologies and town meetings and finally the resolution.
First of all, it is my opinion that as a sign of good faith Toronto FC management should not of raised prices for this years ticket prices. The team has not made the playoffs in four years and there is plenty of turmoil regarding the future coach and GM of the team after the in-season firings of GM Mo Johnston and Coach Preki. The expectations for this season was a playoff berth and it appeared as if that would be the case during the early portion of the season. However, dropped points became the norm and with nearly two months to go in the season the team was all but mathematically eliminated from the postseason. That happens, I can live with that, expectations sometimes fall short and in sports there is a winner and a loser.
Regardless, ticket prices were increased for the upcoming 2011 season, because in the eyes of the owners of the franchise there was enough demand to warrant and the market could subsequently handle a rise in prices. Fair enough, we live in a society based on the principles of Adam Smith and the invisible hand and if the market can bear it, then so be it. Many fans were angry that an increase in prices is unjustified because the team did not meet its expectations and was a merely a kick in the face to the supporters who has purchased tickets from Year 1 and were now part of the fourth successive ticket increase.
Articles were published that it was more expensive to attend a Toronto FC match than a game in the EPL. Management and ownership claimed that they were working off a model and pricing system that was comparing TFC ticket prices to other events in Toronto, mainly the Maple Leafs and Raptors. That argument would make more sense if the expenses and players' salaries were equal or close to in all three sports, however that is not the case as Toronto FC has significantly less player expenses that their NHL and NBA counterparts.
Ownership realized their mistake and have subsequently apologized for the ticket increase and have thus removed some Champions League games from the ticket package, making the initial investment for season tickets cheaper but not the price per ticket cheaper. It is rather clever PR tactic, because if Toronto FC does qualify for the Champions League than supporters will buy the tickets that were originally removed from the initial season ticket package. Eventually we are going to pay the same price one way or another.
What followed from TFC were a series of town hall discussions where fans and supporters would be able to voice their concerns to Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, the owners of TFC. However, these events were quickly filled to capacity by the various supporters sections, thus leaving the 'casual' supporter of TFC one who has no ties to any supporter group in the dark. However, because I am an involved fan of the club, I was able to read what transpired at these town halls through forums, internet blogs and other articles that basically echoed the same message, "we complained, they listened, they gave us the run around, something will be coming back to us, blah blah, they don't understand the frustration."
At the end of the day, the 'casual' supporter or as I have labeled him the 'unofficial' Toronto FC supporter needs to have his or her voice heard by the upper management. It is completely understandable that not everyone will be able to provide their own feedback on what should transpire at TFC but at least there should be an outlet made available, whether through a singular voice appointed to work with the fans and ownership or through a collective voice that has their own forum to relay their concerns at the club.
In summary, I did renew my season tickets to Toronto FC, not because I was impressed with the level of football at the club, but because I believe that until proven otherwise the ownership group will pour the proper resources into developing a first rate organization that will a specific style of play from the youth teams to the senior team. MLSE has the money to do this and have shown the capacity to do so, it is just their hires on the management and player development side have been rather poor. Hopefully they can get this one right.
but soccer IS awesome....
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