2014 World Cup Picks

With the 2014 world cup around the corner I thought I'd put together a little prediction bracket.
I think this year we are going to get a treat in the sense that there are a couple of groups that have the potential for all 4 teams to move forward meanwhile we a have couple groups in which a team that may not be considered a threat will get through to the round of 16.
I'm very interested in group C for example. Greece has been a good team for years but the likelihood is that Ivory Coast will challenge them and Columbia for that spot in the round of 16. Group G could be equally as interesting. Germany will most likely win the group but will the USA be able to beat Portugal to get in or vice-versa?

I've made my picks in the picture below. I feel strongly that Germany will finally break through this year. I also expect Brazil will make an excellent showing as most are predicting. Spain is still a very strong team and can't be counted out.
Speaking from a fan's point of view only I will be watching the Netherlands and USA closely. My background is Dutch so I'll be hoping for a Dutch world cup win...after loosing in the final in 2010. I also will be following the USA because I feel like they are in an interesting group, they have a lot of MLS talent and, with Ronaldo's injury being a hot topic I'm not sure how well Portugal will play (sorry Phil if you are reading this!). With that said, I kind of hope the USA doesn't make it to the round of 16 so Michael Bradley gets back to TFC.
Below is my bracket (you can do one too if you visit mlssoccer.com) what do you think? Feel free to let me know your opinions in the comment section!

The Argos at BMO Field: The Story Continues

Yesterday the news broke that the plan to renovate/expand BMO Field is going to have to go forward without the inclusion of the Toronto Argonauts.

The reason for this is that the federal government has not signed off on providing a portion of the funds that Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (the owners of TFC and the company that will fund most of the BMO Field renovations) has requested to help complete this project. The reason for this? The Conservative Party of Canada has made it a policy not to help fund stadium projects that are not associated to University programs.

For a guy who loves sports, this policy is actually something I really like. I think there is way too much public money dished out to the private sector when it comes to sports. Plus, MLSE isn't exactly cash poor.

That said, the renovations of BMO Field must go on to be able to host the rugby 7s tournament portion of the Pan-Am games and MLSE has gotten the construction plans re-drawn. The new set of plans do not account for moving the north our south end of the stadium which means that pitch at BMO will not be long enough to fit a CFL size field.

This also puts the Argos in a tough spot. Not only are they back to having to find a new home before 2017 (when Rogers has told them they will not be renewing the least at the Rogers Centre so they can install a permanent grass baseball only field) but now they do not have a perspective buyer. Their current owner, David Braley also owns the B.C. Lions and purchased the Argos in an attempt to keep the team from folding back in 2010 when the previous owners just gave up and walked away from the team.

A third factor comes into play here as well. With the passing of Ralph Wilson recently, the Buffalo Bills are up for sale. The idea that someone in MLSE (most likely Larry Tanenbaum) wants to purchase the team and move them to Toronto has been floating around for quite some time. The NFL has made it very clear that they do not want an NFL team in Toronto to be the death of the Argonauts and they would prefer that the owner of an NFL team in Toronto also own the Argos.

With what has transpired over the past 24 hours the question is: did something about a potential purchase of the Bills fall through? Is that why MLSE is no longer willing to try and incorporate the Argos as part of BMO Field?

My opinions have been made on this blog before. Frankly, as a TFC fan first and foremost, I'm happy. I don't want to see the grass removed from BMO. If we didn't have grass here I'm confidant that Bradley and Defoe would not have even considered a transfer to Toronto. I also love the CFL and the Argos so I don't want to see them go, I just don't see BMO as a proper home for gridiron football.

I think for the Argos to come up with an ideal solution it's time to look to York University. The subway line is going to be going that far north, the team is already holding pre-season at the campus, the university could raise their program's profile in CIA and although I have heard a few opinions say it's not possible, there may even be a way to convert the track and field stadium currently being built on site (for the 2015 Pan-Am Games) in facility that could house the Argos. Another option might be to look just north of BMO in Liberty Village. Lamport Stadium and the south side parking lot may be just big enough to put up a 25,000 seat stadium. Granted it probably couldn't be expanded for larger events like the Grey Cup but it still might work.

Either way, the Argos need to look elsewhere and if they want government funding they should probably consider teaming up with a school.

Apathy

Yesterday a video made the rounds on social media of radio personality Sid Seixeiro from Toronto radio station the Fan 590 and his passion about the Raptors and their upcoming playoff run.
Back in 2011 he had a similar "rant" about the Canadian Men's National Soccer team.
I loved both of these passionate pleas for change. I've posted the videos below for your enjoyment.

Between the video and a conversation I had with someone yesterday about this very blog, I decided to go back through the past few years and see what I thought of the sports landscape a year a go, 2 years ago. ect.

Not much has changed. I still think the Toronto Rock deserve WAY more recognition that they get, I still think that TFC is the best team to support in Toronto, I still think that the Raptors play second fiddle to the Leafs in MLSE's mind and, I still think that the Jays just need to drop the "small market" b.s., really open up the cheque book and, start being a big game player like the Yankees or Tigers because the money is there with the ownership group.

There is one thing that has changed.
My opinion on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 2012, when I decided to start blogging again, I was following the Leafs pretty closely. I thought that the times were changing for the better.

Fast forward to today and I just don't care anymore. Sure, the NHL having 2 lock-outs in 10 year span didn't help either but, the team has simply been given the patchwork treatment for years and years and never properly has been rebuilt. You can't do that in today's NHL. Look at a team like Colorado today, they were a bad team for years. But drafting Landeskog, Duchene and, Mackinnon took them from a bottom dweller to a competitor. Yes it takes years and patience but that is how you properly rebuild a team in today's salary cap world.

The Leafs will always have no issue selling tickets and people will blindly be fans. This is a fact. In Canada's biggest city with a history as rich as the Leafs and talking about Canada's most popular sport this is an inevitability. The thing the Leafs organization needs to worry about is people like me, the fans who have just turned from being a follower to simply not caring.
I don't hate the club. I obviously don't love the club, I just don't care.

A wise man once said "The opposite of love is not hate, it's apathy".

How I Met Your Mother

Last night How I Met Your Mother came to an end.

This is a show that has, more than any other show for me, been "the show". Everyone seems to have that one show that they watched religiously and never gave up on it. For a lot people that was Friends, Fraiser, Seinfeld, Cheers, The Office or, The Cosby show.

I think it's pretty clear that the final episode has been met with less than stellar reviews. You can go anywhere on the internet for that opinion. I'm not going to harp on that in this post but I would like to list a few of my "pros and cons" really quick.

Pros:
- The show didn't just give us a storybook ending. It was real and somewhat gritty.
- Ted did get his life in the suburbs and his 2 kids (1 boy, 1 girl).
- The show felt no need to have a huge twist in Lily and Marshall's story. They were the 1 consistent in the show and, outside of Marshall's slow but realistic career path they just were the average couple.
- The pineapple was never explained.
- We actually knew the mother's name all along. The tie-in being that the stripper who introduced herself to Ted in season 1 was named Tracy while Ted was "still Ted". I guess there was a hint of truth when he said "and that kids, is how I met your mother".
- The new plays.
- Jim Nance and the Cockamouse made a cameo.

Cons:
- Seeing as the show harped so hard on Robin and Ted being over and how Ted had moved on they shouldn't have ended up together.
- We didn't really get to see Ted and Tracy fall in love. We just figured out how they met and saw a few of their big moments in life. Part of what I was excited for (and it became increasingly obvious that it was not going to happen as season 9 continued on) was Ted continuing his path of calling a girl too fast and telling them he loved them too early but this girl actually enjoying that as opposed to being freaked out.
- I felt that Barney and Robin gave up too easily.
- How obvious the cut was for the interaction between Ted and his kids. I know the part for the kids was taped a long time ago as a backup plan in-case the show got cancelled but that was hard to suspend belief.
- I also don't really understand how Ted could have extremely strong feelings for Robin all along but he was going to marry Stella, considered marrying Victoria and, married Tracy. I mean for a guy who believes there is one woman out there for him that's quite a number of people to be willing to spend your life with.

All in all, I think the episode was an average episode of HIMYM but had a very disappointing end. I would have been fine with adding a scene of Ted and Tracy dating early on, even if she still died. I think that would have been better then the Robin hook up.

I wanted to write a little bit about what this show meant to me though, through all the negative being thrown at it today I will always look back fondly on this show.

I'm 28. That's only a few years younger than the characters on the show during it's run. So the story-lines about money issues and finding your way in the world hit home. The show was really funny at times, it was really emotional at times. The show was a source of a bunch of inside jokes between me and my friends and, it was a comfort when I was going through one of the hardest experiences I've been through, one that I still feel residual effects of today.
I relate to Ted because I do want to meet that special someone (though I don't want kids and I already live in the suburbs) and I am surrounded by friends who are engaged, married or, married with children. Most of whom met those significant others and built their lives together during this show's run.

To me, How I Met Your Mother reminds me that although sometimes life is tough or sometimes life is insane and fun, you will always have your best friends to be there for you. That's what I see when I watch this show back.

Thomas Stajan is a Beast

Even though I had intentions to have my blog have a strong focus on the team, I haven't posted much on the Brampton Beast since the season started.
To tell you the honest truth: I was in attendance for the home opener and it was not great. I didn't want to "be that guy" so I decided against posting anything about that experience.
Since then my interest in the team has slowly disappeared as they are a middle of the pack team.

Today, I saw a tweet that pulled me back in a bit.

Thomas Stajan is returning to Brampton. A former member of the Battalion who very recently finished off a stint with Guelph in the CIS. Stajan spent 4 years with the Battalion where he recorded 112 points in 256 games. He was also a member of the Battalion team that made a run to the OHL Championship in 2008/2009.

That's interest enough to get me out to the Powerade Centre one more time and give this another shot.

Female Cut Jerseys

I've been a "jersey nerd" for as long as I can remember. In fact, one of my co-workers (affectionately?) calls me that on a regular basis.
Places like the Chris Creamer Sports Logo Community are places where I find people I identify with.
I can spot a fake jersey petty easily and one of my biggest pet peeves is when people make excuses to buy those cheep knock off jerseys because the actual product is "too expensive".

I say that because lately there has been an ongoing theme for me thanks to a certain friend of mine.
Female jersey etiquette.

The ladies cut jersey is a popular style these days, I've specifically noticed it more in NFL and NHL jerseys. The Toronto Maple Leafs also launched a "jersey dress" this year that I understand has sold pretty well.
I've been told "it's cute" or "it fits me better" or even "I'm not a boy why would I wear a baggy jersey?".

So, just to put it out there for the few people that do read this blog, here is why I hate the female cut jerseys:

That is not what they wear on the field of play.

It's as simple as that.

I mean, do you really think I wear a football jersey because I think that it's fashionable? No, a football jersey (much like a hockey jersey) is designed with the idea in mind that you have to fit it over shoulder pads. Why would I normally wear something designed so that a large piece of protective equipment could fit under it?
Do I buy dress shirts or t-shirts so that I can wear something large under them? Hell no. Come on.

So why should there be a female (or a dress) cut but not a "male cut" for guys who want to wear them? Guys wear these jerseys like they are designed: for the field of play. Why does there need to be a female version? If said female is a fan of the sport/team then they should be just as happy to sport the same thing that their team is wearing not some version of the jersey that is unfit for the field of play.

You wear a jersey because you want to support your team. In doing so you wear the team's "uniform" and it feels like you connect with the team and the other fans. That's why you wear a jersey that is the same style as what the team wears on the field on play.

Ok, rant over.

P.S. don't me started on the female cut jerseys that are pink just because they are "for girls".

TFC: The next step

What an exciting week it has been to be a TFC fan.
Dero is back, English international striker Jermain Defoe is coming and seeming out of left field, US international centre-mid Michael Bradley has signed with the club.

So that leaves a couple questions:

First off: What to to with Matias Laba?
He's currently under a DP contract but obviously the arrival of Dafoe, Bradley and, Gilberto this off season means that Laba is the "odd DP out". Ryan Nelson mentioned this week that he really wants to keep Laba so maybe TFC will need to use up some allocation money and an international slot on him? The rules of MLS are very hard to follow but I believe that, if Laba agrees, this should be possible.

Second: What formation do we play?
4-4-2 is very popular in MLS. There's no point in TFC trying to stray too far from that.
The problem TFC current has is their strength at mid comes from the middle and the attacking mids. Maybe TFC considers going 4-3-1-2 and having Dero and Osario split time as the attacking mids who can be the bridge between Michael Bradley at centre mid and the strikers? Maybe a 4-4-2 diamond that looks more like 4-1-2-1-2? That would mean that Bradley would sit back and Dero/Osario would sit up further. Is that the best use of Bradley though as we know he can score too. The formation situation is my biggest question going into 2014. TFC clearly has firing power now but they can't play everyone forward.

Third: Filling the holes:

Just so you get an idea this is what the current roster looks like position by position:

Goalkeepers (3): Joe Bendik, Chris Konopka, Quillan Roberts
Right Backs (3): Mark Bloom, Ryan Richter,
Left Backs (3): Justin Morrow, Ashtone Morgan, Jonas Elmer
Center Backs (3): Steven Caldwell, Doneil Henry, Gale Agbossoumonde
Center Mids (5): Michael Bradley, Jackson, Kyle Bekker, Jeremy Hall, Matias Laba
Left Mids (0):
Right Mids (2): Alvaro Rey, Reggie Lambe
Attacking Mids (3): Dwayne De Rosario, Jonathan Osorio, Manny Aparicio
Forwards (6): Jermain Defoe, Gilberto, Bright Dike, Andrew Wiedeman, Emery Welshman, Jordan Hamilton


So there are clearly to very big holes for Toronto at this point. Left mid and right back.
The easiest solution would be to continue to splash the cash (obviously to a lesser extent) and try to find a proven MLS player to fill the holes.
The other, is the draft (which just started at noon today) but that may not yield a player who is ready for starting 11 minutes.
Finally, TFC might have to consider trading some of that surplus at forward. I'd hate to see Dike go, he just came to the team late last season and he was a nice addition who went forward and added a little punch to an otherwise weak attacking game. That said, he's a good MLS player who might get you a good piece back in return. Clearly he won't be playing nearly as much with Dafoe and Gilberto in the team now so maybe he is a piece that they need to use.

So...that's where we are at.
On paper, this team is MUCH better than last year and I can not wait, but that being said this club is not yet complete.