4/1/09: A Few Email Reactions From A TFC And Crew Fan

A couple email reactions I received, my last post on this as I have been over talking about it since after the game. Just sharing others opinions (Pic by: Chris Hough/Toronto Star)

None of these are my opinions, just sharing more opinions from emails I have received after the game. I'm for the most part over the subject and have been since after the game. I have moved on to other more interesting subjects like World Cup Qualifiers and tomorrow's game against Real Salt Lake (I'll hopefully have a preview up later tonight). I don't have the same opinions as either of these people completely and think the second one has some good points as well as some stern ones, as he points the finger a little too much at TFC fans and not enough at the cops or Crew fans. I'm completely of the opinion that a good security plan that isolates away fans from home fans after the game solves every problem, ex. holding away fans in their section for 30 minutes after a match no matter where and who is playing. Nevertheless, email poster #2 makes an interesting point, maybe myself and others are pointing it a little too much at the cops overreaction, it is their job to diffuse a stituation that might have gotten uglier and maybe to them it's better to overreact then to have a violent stituation break out on the concourse. I also figure to share these since this is an opinion website for Crew fans. I'm open to different opinions of a stituation, that's why I have 16 different writers with different opinions.

Figure I would add this disclaimer that these are not my opinions because the Anti-Seattle ACES thing wasn't my opinion at all but just something I re-posted and that ended up being a whole annoying sh*t storm.

A TFC season ticketholder:
Hey there,

I'm sure this doesn't mean much, but after talking to people who did go down I can honestly say that the disrespect shown to your championship winning year celebration was garbage. If you're a real soccer/football fan you'd know that Chelsea and ManUtd don't like each other but yet they showed the class to parade each others team onto the field with a 'guard of honour' in recent years when the other team had already wrapped up the league. So the newspaper thing was bush league if you ask me.

I won't get into any of the other things that happened on both sides, and with the cops. But as a season ticket holder since day one with TFC I can say I wasn't impressed with that incident.

And no, that RPB 'pres' don't speak for me either.

peace

AGB

From Cam5FC, not an opinion I totally share just posting a different side:
Let me address the police reaction. Regardless of whether or not the initial reaction was enough or not, when the police reinforcements are called in, they're not coming in to evaluate and then decide what to do. Reinforcements come in to protect, diffuse and disperse by extended means as necessary. So pardon me if sympathy runs short for ANY folks who were tasered, effected by mace or even tear gas. Guess what - it happens because of your judgement call to be near a situation to begin with. Lets look at the tear gas issue. CLEARLY NEEDED. The two groups were not dispersing at all and fisticuffs were beginning to go. You see one TFC fan being dragged away by an officer at one point. So they drop the tear gas and - oh my - look what happens - everyone goes their own way and situation has been diffused. Its easy to take things out of context when you don't see the whole story. The taser event is just a perfect example of that. Taken by a TFC fan, the video begins just after tasering begins. So all you hear are TFC fans talking about what BS it was and how unnecessary it was. I've read accounts by some people on the TFC fans that the so-called victim was doing nothing wrong. Somehow, I sincerely doubt that. If a police officer tells you to stand down, then shut up and walk away. This is comically retarded. The man in question CONTINUED TO RESIST. A result is that he gets a few more volts. Its justified in my opinion. If you want to talk about police brutality, talk to Rodney King. I bet you he'd laugh in your face at this event. The guy was just shocked, and sure, it hurts like hell, but was he shot? No. He was subdued by a minimally dramatic, but highly effective method. The vandalism is another issue I'd like to tackle. This is unbelievably disrespectful to the Crew, MLS, America and also Canada, seeing as they were poorly representing some undoubtedly fine people. Since when is it okay to rip off railings? I read something where some guy said it was already loose so they removed it. I'm sorry, but, ummm, NO. Period, at game time, it was still attached. If the concerned TFC fans really thought it was an issue, they should have contacted a Crew official to have it removed instead of taking it upon themselves. My opinion, loose or not, it was vandalism. Then throwing the railing is something that boils my blood more than anything. It is a total disrepect for life. I know the party plaza was empty below, BUT that doesn't mean that the area infront of them was empty. Photogs, ball kids, security all constantly are around the area and could have been seriously injured. The attitude that TFC fans can do anything they want without punishment is just filthy to the bone. The issue at the heart of all of this is simple accountability. And there were mass fans out there that clearly do not have it. And from the videos that I saw, Crew fans were, for the most part, non-participants. The tear gas issue, there were plenty there (clearly more TFC fans). But, that aside, a lot of morons were there. Then, the taser issue. Sure, the recipient is clearly a pinhead, but there were also a lot of others there resisting efforts of the police to leave the area. Next, the trash barrels. Each person who dumped one over has no accountability. But also, others who were with them that laughed or did not prevent the problem, are of the same fold. I'm tired of the old addage, "one bad apple ruins the whole bunch." It just opens the door for the excuses to come piling in. I look at the pictures on the railing being pulled out of the stands and then being thrown and I count approximately 30 people. All of those people were witnesses to the atrocity being done, and I consider them to be proponents of the vandalism. And I think that the photo doesn't capture ALL the people. I'm talking a whole section's worth is the have some of the blame on this. They watched as it was pulled and then watched as it was thrown without any objection whatsoever. This wasn't an act of just a few. This was an act of a few alongside many who stood by without the strength of character to say anything to the contrary of their actions. In the teargas video, it looked a helluva lot like more than just one apple in that crowd - more like 30 to 40 folks who just couldn't move along. So if you're going to say "one bad apple," then make sure you extend that to say "one bad apple bunch." We are already witness to the fact that TFC fans have little personal accountability and want to put off a lot of their actions on the supposed "lackluster security." They are their own proof of our culture today in terms of not owning up to your own actions. I've spoken to a few of our own guys who have completely admitted that they got maced and they were at fault because they got in the middle of the situation. I that's what I'm talking about. I don't know what their intentions were, and quite frankly, I don't care. Even if they were going in to help break up the matter, they understood afterwards, that was the risk they took on themselves. They didn't blame the police for being overzealous, they didn't blame even the TFC fans for provocation. They took the mace in the face and they walked away. Eyes may have been burning a smidge, but they didn't cry foul. Cheers to them for that. TFC want to pass the buck, outside of the few who are calling their own out for being thugs. There are 27 matches that we, as a team, take part in where there are no incidents that take place between the fans. Crew fans can do their part to try and make that 30 matches. Not only can they, but the endeavors to continuously achieve high marks for proper behavior towards others should continue and be encouraged by the community, the media and the team. Standards shouldn't be dropped because "this is a game of emotion," as so many TFC fan boards have already stated since the game. Sure its an emotional game, but once that game ends, the following actions can either be classy or thuggish, and TFC has been branded Thuggish. "This is football" can be quoted throughout the TFC boards like its an excuse for their pathetic behavior and they hide behind it like its a badge of honor. Deplorable. Intially, I thought that TFC fans were not a bad bunch of guys. I enjoyed many chats with them. I'm sure those same guys were non-partipants, if even there this past weekend. I have no beef with them. But this weekend has put a bitter film in my mouth regarding the larger majority of TFC. I hope they improve their perspective and show us respect. We are hospitable hosts and they treated us like garbage. We had a hard lesson of accountability to learn last year, but learn it we did. I hope the next time they come down to our beloved "Cowtown," that they can show us the respect we deserve and restore some of the promising intial impressions that I had of their supporters. -Cam5FC