tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577094464393024958.post-82932433212738737022008-05-08T11:08:00.000-04:002008-05-08T11:08:00.000-04:002008-05-08T11:08:00.000-04:00I'm Toronto season ticket holder. First, I've seen games MLS games in New York and Chicago and games and various pro levels in England and Italy. I think it's good to worry about hooliganism in order to recognize the early signs of crowd violence. I have to say the TFC fans currently don't act anything like hooligans I've seen. Potential hooligans? Who knows? But can we please encourage the enthusiasm for as long as we can? I agree with comments on here that fan support throughout the MLS is somewhat tenuous and we need to build the core support throughout the league.<BR/><BR/>Second, some comments turned towards the question of having a Canadian team in an American league. I have to admit that as a Canadian this bugged me from the day TFC won the expansion franchise. I would love for Canada to have a fully professional league (we did have a semi-pro league in different forms for years) to produce teams to go head-to-head with MLS and other teams. More kids play soccer than hockey in Canada. We have 33 million people and much smaller countries (Denmark, Sweden, Scotland etc) support pro leagues. The reality though is that truly pro soccer is just starting out in Canada. FIFA recognized this when they approved expansion in Toronto. Perhaps one day soon teams in Montreal and Vancouver will be joined by teams in 8-10 other Canadian cities and we form a thriving Canadian league. In the mean time, the MLS is the best option.<BR/><BR/>Why should MLS support a team in Toronto? Because greater Toronto is the fifth largest city in North America. Because the USSF and the CSA have similar challenges: a limited number of markets that will support and develop players. Right now the North American league model of the MLS and USL helps both countries. Because all those beer-swilling TFC supporters are giving the money that will develop Edu and Wynne and future US stars just as the Dynamo builds DeRo's career, etc.Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08020235398827480703noreply@blogger.com