MLS Supporters Summit – Garber Says “Maybe” to First Kick Montreal in 2012
Usually I am up early on a Sunday morning anyways watching whatever EPL game is on Setanta. Today I had to get text updates on the games from my girlfriend as I was not in my usual place in front of the television. Instead I was in a theatre behind BMO Field this morning attending the 2010 MLS Supporters Summit. And I was glad I did. Below are some video highlights of the session between Commissioner Garber and supporters representing every MLS club, including newcomers Vancouver and Portland.
For me some of the highlights were:
- Garber admitting that his biggest worry more than anything else in his job with MLS is the potential spectre of fan on fan violence between home and away fans
- Watching Garber squirm a little when asked by Jason DeVos to try and justify TFC price increases based on how relatively poor the product has been on the field
- Garber being coy about changes to the MLS playoff structure… Subsequently he announced that changes will be announced at half time of the MLS Cup Final this evening
- Garber apparently still believes in the Conference Structure over a single table for MLS in the future
- And the Commish feels that twenty teams is pretty well going to be it for the next few years. That means one more after Montreal in 2012, likely I guess to be the New York Cosmos
And for vanity’s sake I want you to take a look at the video below at the one hour and four minute mark. I personally got to ask the Commissioner myself if he would commit to having the MLS 2012 First Kick be in Montreal between TFC and the Impact. The best I could get out of him was a maybe.
And finally on the way out of the venue today I suddenly found myself left alone with the MLS Cup Trophy for about two whole minutes…. I could have stolen it easy peasy…
I could have…. but I didn’t.
Your comments are always appreciated.
View from a simple Montreal fan:
http://dragonsandgulls.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/mls-stuff/
D&G
Thanks for the comments also thank you for opening my eyes somewhat to the issues your fan base in Montreal apparently has with Impact matches taking place in Olympic Stadium. I for one must plead ignorance there and I think I can speak for many TFC fans when I say we were unaware of any significant issues that you guys have with the Big O as a venue.
The intent of the question more than anything else was to try and get Garber to try and understand that I think the games between Montreal and Toronto in MLS have the chance to be something special for the sport in this country and for MLS as a whole. They will become an event in and of themselves that may transcend just another soccer match.
And as far as selfishness remark goes maybe I am guilty as charged there as well. If you call me selfish for wanting to have a few thousand TFC fans (and you would easily get a few thousand fans making the drive from Toronto) to join you in marking the occasion then I guess I am selfish. Saputo and BMO are relatively small stadia that will likely have small away fan seat allocations. Would there not perhaps be some benefit to everyone for a match that allows a large contingent of away support to take part?
Again, thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.