Since its a done deal. 2006Possible, 2007 for Sure. Suggest a team name for the Torotno Team. My choice Toronto Shooting Stars.
I don't think it's a done deal. 2007 is just the target year they are looking at to have an MLS team in Canada. I just saw it on Soccercentral.
I think you could get special permission. Cardiff is in Wales, but has a team in the league championship (and Wales already has a league!). There are two types of names you could give though: 1) A standard north american name (ie, Toronto towers, etc.) or 2) A Euro type name (FC Toronto, International Toronto/Toronto Internationals). The advantage of the second type is that you might convince some of the euro-snobs that they're legit.
I've always wondered about that. How is that the Charity Shield is played in Cardiff? Same goes with some England matches. ????????????????
England matches are only played in England. Cardiff is host to the FA finals (Cup, League Cup, Playoffs, etc.) because it is a big, neutral stadium. These are the attributes that Wembley had before its demolition. I think it's ridiculous that Twickenham can't be used, though, because of local opposition. I mean, there is a 70,000-seat stadium in London that many here have never heard of!!!
That name has been used twice in Toronto Sports history, back in the 70's Toronto's pro lacrosse team used that name and the short lived indoor soccer team used that as well. Bring back the Blizzard name.
But Clevland and Oklahoma City are not big soccer cities, Toronto is. Toronto will be good for the MLS and vice versa. and if the MLS gets teams in Detroit & Rochester it will make for good rivalries.
Since when has Toronto been a big soccer city? I'd really like to know. Please don't bring up the Champions World crowds because most cities could have attracted the same crowds to a two off event.
I doubt if Vancouver could. You couldn't support the Grizzlies, the Canucks only get support when they are winning, The BC Lions can't fill that great white elephant known as BC Place, The Vancouver Ravens, the best team in BC is on the verge of going under yet again so BC is not the best place to put sporing events/teams.
You are full of crap and innacurate statements today. Grizzlies were supported better than any other NBA team ever was that was run so poorly and had so many players that didn't want to play here. They moved simply because their new owner wanted to leave. The BC Lions averaged over 27,000 per game this past season, top 4 in the league. The Vancouver Ravens are hardly the best team in BC (they went 5-11 last season what in the hell are you talking about?). Even if they were nobody cares about NLL lacrosse out here (or the rest of the league except Toronto (like to see ehat corwds they'd get after a couple of losing seasons), so making stupid comparisons is ridiculous. Now for the Canucks only getting support when they are winning, well that seems to echo nearly every team doesn't it? Well not in Toronto where 95% of Maple Leaf season ticket holders are corporate tickets. All the suits and ties that can't even get into their seats until 7 minutes into the periods. That kind of corporate support won't be there for soccer. Getting back to Canucks fans it's been quite a few seasons of every Canucks game selling out so we'll have to wait to start losing again until we can find out if the support dwindles. There's only been a NHL team in the city for 34 years now and the last 10 years of having a good team has created big interest, so we'll just have to see if that support will decline if they start losing. I'm betting it won't. The simple fact is bringing up all of the non-soccer related information such as you have proves nothing. The fact is when it comes to soccer Toronto is always last in soccer support when it comes to the 3 major cities. Toronto had the smallest crowds in the NASL, the CSL and the A-League. Facts don't lie. Oh and getting back to Champions World, a great number of fans from the past 2 years of Championsworld games in Seattle travelled down from Vancouver. Also unlike Toronto, Vancouver has been able to draw bigger crowds with the local teams. Hell, even drew 51,000 for the Blizzard vs Tulsa soccer bowl in 1983. Had they put real grass in BC place for a Championsworld game it would have sold 60,000 for both games. The only reason they don't hold games here is because they already have games int he same region in Seattle. I'd also guess that Montreal would have had the same sized crowds (even they were able to draw over 50,000 for NASL games on occasion) and even Edmonton would have filled Commonwealth for the same game. It's no big deal filling your stadium for one off or two off big name events.
PS. Speaking of not being able to fill up it's white elephants, nice seeing all of those empty seats at Argos and Blue Jays games. Talk about empty seats.
They care more for the sport then the people of Alberta do? I'm just waiting for the day you lot lose the Oilers and Flames to go along with the soccer teams you have failed to support.
Boy the Canucks would love suits in their stadiums. While not a Leaf fan by any stretch they will be around in 10 years ,the Caucks,Flames,Oilers & maybe even Ottawa will all have gone bye-bye. Vancouver was a terrible venue for Canada's WCQ games, playing in that stink hole of a park made our program look third world. The MLS will hit Toronto first, and might be Canada's only team, so you enjoys the Whitecaps playing in that mickey mouse league. Vancouver /BC is supposed to be a lacrosse hot bed, and they can't support the Ravens. Just like the rest of Vancouver's teams they will get support oly when they win.
I'd go for Blizzard, it's got some history and it's distinctly Canadian. If not the Blizzard, than something that has the same distinctive Canadian feeling. Want to avoid any European names like Real Salt Lake (ugh), but at least "Toronto City" has a nice ring to it. It's also tough, in being distinctive, to avoid sounding artificial (like "Toronto Towers" ) or campy ("Toronto Beavers"). The "Raptors" (shudder) sounded both. Blizzard is still owned by the original owner in Toronto, but I'm sure he would be willing to part with it for a small amount according to comments from people who know him. In terms of colours, any would be fine as long as they are not also dominant in the other teams, and as long as the jerseys are "clean" looking (like the Maple Leafs or the Detroit Red Wings). I really like Kansas City's semi-Azzuri look. Two good basic colours appear available and unused in the MLS even with the expansion teams: kelley green (a la Nigeria, looks great) or brilliant orange ...but not both please! Come to think of it, what's wrong with nicknames like "the Toronto Green" or "Toronto Orange"? The old animosities of the old colours in the old days have long since gone.