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The last 12 hours have been epochal for this football club we swear allegiance to, this Toronto FC. No two ways about it. Eras have ended. Bridges have been burned.
Throughout TFC fandom, sides have been drawn, redrawn, and abandoned as new information comes in and completes the picture.
TL:DR - we are freaking the *&^% out.
At the expense of sleep, any measurable ‘work’, and personal relationships/hygiene, your crack team of gumshoes at WTR HQ have dissected every Twitter rumour, every Instagram troll, every scorching hot take, and rumours big, small, and utterly ridiculous.
Seba’s exit is a bloody big deal (couldn’t resist). The event and its aftermath deserve this special attention. Those comment threads are getting into the double-digits across six or seven of Benedict’s articles anyway. Best hit the reset button.
There is finally some good news, from unquestionably reputable sources, about the future of Toronto FC:
In case there was any doubt... Toronto plan to go big to replace Giovinco and Vazquez. Told club is aiming to sign a younger attacker as a DP in next couple weeks. If signed, the fee will likely be among the highest in MLS history. Targeting 1-2 TAM signings this window, as well.
— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) January 31, 2019
If that didn’t bring some colour back to your face, then I’m afraid I can’t help you.
Last night, SebaCo had the floor, so today, it was time to hear the other side of the story, first from Bill Manning, who could melt glass with one steely look.
Manning gotta Manning, and I love his cold boardroom nous, but we all really wanted to hear from new boy Ali Curtis, who has only been on the job for a month or so and has seen some rather big changes during his short tenure. To say the pressure was on Curtis to calm a rabid fanbase is putting it lightly.
Who else but KJ would we want asking the questions? The soccer gods, they did abide:
Video: My one on one with Toronto FC GM Ali Curtis as he responds to Sebastian Giovinco’s comments about the direction of the club & clarifies what happened in the negotiations https://t.co/qc8tQYKptg #TFClive
— Kristian Jack (@KristianJack) January 31, 2019
Now I’ve only seen this once (we wanted to get this out post haste). (Note to self, let one of the news boys, like Benedict, do this — he’s quicker — I’m prose-y), but I think Ali Curtis absolutely murders this pressure cooker interview. Top marks. It’s the most personable he’s been publicly thus far, and his candid, unrehearsed responses, even his knee-jerk chuckles in spots, speak volumes to the attack dog we have in a new GM that we’ve barely had a chance to meet.
I was worried. I am certainly overtired, but holy hell did Ali Curtis just go and restore a good measure of my broken faith in the front office.