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It would appear that a line of blue on Toronto FC's new kit has some supporters seeing red. Reaction has varied on social media and message boards to today's kit launch, but it is clear that some feel any blue is too much blue.
Somehow the colour blue has become associated with all things bad with the franchise's impending doom. The more blue the club is associated with, the closer the club gets to that doomsday image: you know, the one where BMO Field is all blue and there is a Toronto Argonauts logo in the middle.
In reality, those fears are very unfounded. Sure, there is still a possibility that the new tenants could cause problems, but Toronto FC have no intention of becoming blue any time soon. After all, this is about as subtle a hint of blue as they club could have made.
New away kit is pic.twitter.com/1pDbPPKEzy
— Chris Mannella (@c10mannella) March 1, 2016
If there is anything to criticize the new Toronto FC kits about, it is their mediocrity. With all of the buildup to this kit has been about the possible introduction of blue, the finished product still comes off as fairly bland, especially with red shorts.
While, as aforementioned, blue is the enemy's colour, the kit with blue shorts is actually the more appealing of the two. Otherwise, the kits just look like they are a mid-2000s Montreal Canadiens jersey with a missing bottom line. They are not the worst kits that the club has ever had, but they aren't anything to write home about either.
But then again Toronto FC kits have never really impressed out of the gate, with the exception of the 2014 release of the Onyx away kit. Last season's home kit release was similarly dubbed "boring" by supporters and it would end up growing on them. This shirt could be the same, especially if the team wins in it.
While many feel that blue being introduced in the shirt is a sign of the club's doomed future, it is actually a nod to the city's soccer past. Both the Toronto Croatia and Toronto Blizzard were honoured in a video released by Toronto FC to introduce the new kit. It is also a tribute to the city's flag which is blue, white and red.
The minute and a half long video the club released to introduce the new kit might actually be the best thing to come from kit launch day. Including past Toronto FC legends such as Dwayne De Rosario, Jimmy Brennan and Danny Dichio the video reminded fans of how far this team has come in 10 years, and how far soccer has come in Toronto.
It is likely that Toronto will wear the new kits in their first match of the season against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, with the Red Bulls wearing their alternate kits as well.
While Toronto supporters will be sad to see that shirt go, they can at least be happy that the new shirt was nothing radical. There is no hidden Argos logo (we think) and they don't look like Montreal Impact kits. If one blue line is enough to cross it than this is going to be a long season.