Officials at TFC seem confident that the MLS Cup is or will soon be sold out. The claim has confused many as Ticketmaster searches are still bringing up plenty of seats. Just moments ago I was able to get eight in a row in section 225. It's hard to understand what benefit TFC would get by claiming that the game was sold out when it wasn't since it would drive fence sitters away from even looking, but there is a disconnect between what I was told yesterday and what Ticketmaster is telling me right now.
Perhaps there is an agreement in place to move all unsold seats to a single, corporate buyer if they have not been moved by a certain date. So, they have "sold" all the seats, but you can still buy them.
I've written many times that I have little doubt that MLSE will find a way to get all the tickets into someone's hands. The question, of course, is how many of the "sold" tickets will show up.
If Craigslist is an indication of anything it there could be a lot of red seats showing through on TV.
This is where I think Toronto fans have lost the plot. If you have a legitimate reason why you can't go to the game that's understandable. Stuff happens. However if you're not going out of misplaced spite, to stick it to the man, because you think you'll be too cold or just because you can't be bothered then it's pretty hard to defend the plastic label that some have placed on TFC fans.
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It's a championship game. I don't care if we're talking about netball, a championship game is compelling and any sports fan should be excited to attend.
To say that the gleeful joy some are taking about the possibility of a half full BMO field for the final is misplaced is understated by half. It's downright dumb, actually. All a half empty stadium will do is convince those in the mainstream Toronto sports media that this isn't really a soccer town and that the 20,000 at BMO each week are just there for the beer.
MLSE was never going to make money off of the MLS Cup. No, really, they weren't. The MLS Cup is not a money maker for the league or the host. What it is intended to be is some icing on the cake for the fans in the host city. The petulant reaction to the "audacity" of MLSE to bring it here is, frankly, self-indulgent.
There might actually be a time in the future when it would be advantageous on the field for TFC to host the final. Based on the reaction to the game, another final in Toronto seems unlikely. I fail to see how that's a good thing.
I appreciate I'm not going to change anyone's mind. At this point if you don't want to go, you don't want to go. However, let's be honest with ourselves. Not going isn't a noble sacrifice for the betterment of TFC. It's just a personal choice to stay home.
And there is nothing interesting or special about that.