Most TFC fans will remember the giant photo of section 113 that hung in the Eaton Centre promoting the start of the 2008 season. Full of passion and drama (with, controversially, a hint of pyro) it epitomised the TFC experience.
If you forgot what that feels like, here you go:
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
I propose that the first photo be hung prior to the start of 2012. They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words. What's above is worth 10,000,000. Those faces, many of whom were in the famous shot from 2007, perfectly show just what this club has done to us.
Supporting TFC hurts. Bad. All the time. Yet, we keep coming back. It's staggering, really.
One of the few things that might be keeping TFC fans sane is the understanding that you might be able to take that photo in Vancouver now. At least the Reds had a hell of a party for a couple of years. The hangover came late, the regrets tempered by the knowledge that you had more fun than those that weren't there.
So, instead of Analysing a late game equalizing goal in a game that didn't matter (really), let's look at a more pressing issue.
Which of Toronto FC or Vancouver had the worst launch?
On one hand, TFC went almost two months without scoring a single goal, but on the other the Whitecaps came very close to breaking the all-time winless streak record.
TFC had a lot of CSL quality players on that roster, but the Whitecaps have a worst pro-rated record, even with a year to bring players in at the D2 level.
Toronto had Mo, Vancouver has Tommy.
Vancouver appeared to go to war with tier supporter's groups, Toronto let their supporter's groups pretty much do what they wanted.
Although Vancouver has drawn well, they haven't sold out every game -- Toronto did for the better part of three years.
Then again, the Leafs were/are terrible and the Canucks went to the Stanley Cup final -- if T.O. was distracted by a Stanley Cup run (stop laughing!) during TFC's launch who knows how it would have played out.
Putting all bias aside, to me the 'Caps have been worse than TFC in 2007. The deciding factor is that the Caps had a great deal more advantages than TFC did -- Barely any Canadian quota, a year to build in D2 -- and still managed to have a worst record than TFC did in 2007.
But, I'm prepared to be convinced otherwise. Tell me in the comments, which club was worse -- '07 Reds, or '11 Caps?
[h=1]Photo: Christine Gittings[/h]