Four Reasons that No Beer in Toronto this Weekend Could be a Good Thing

By: Laurie | July 15th, 2009

MLS team Toronto FC is known for having some of the most passionate fans in the league. They sing. They chant. They throw things at opposing players.

They were tops in MLS attendance in 2007 and 2008, and only dropped to second this year because Seattle has a bigger stadium. But that passion is going to be put to the real test this weekend.

Yes, this is the weekend that will separate the true fans from the poseurs. Because this is the weekend when we find out the truth:

Which fans can watch an entire Toronto FC game while sober?

The story here is that way back in May, some stadium concessions employees made the mistake of serving beer to underage fans. They got caught.

The team’s punishment: One dry game, to be served this weekend against the Houston Dynamo.

Does this seem a little unfair to you? I mean, who’s really getting punished here? Not the stadium. Instead, it’s the folks who have to watch the game.

But I’m thinking this won’t be all bad. Here are four reasons that the beer ban could be a good thing:

1. Shorter bathroom lines. BMO Field is notorious for causing full-bladdered fans to miss long portions of the game due to its bad concourse design. I’m guessing this will be much less of a problem this weekend.

2. Better aim with the streamers. Think what these guys could have done here if they were sober?

(Hey, Toronto guys! Aim some at Craig Waibel for me, will ya?)

3. Better singing. (Or at least fewer Youtube videos like this):

4. I’m guessing that a lack of alcohol will mean no more promos like this one. (Because there’s no way that the person who thought it was a good idea to hand out frisbee-shaped seat cushions was sober.)

Hang in there, Toronto fans. The rest of us feel your pain.

(At least until we numb our empathy with beer.)

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Category: World Football

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Toronto Travel Watch

Finally someone wrote a decent article about this. I've been looking for more than an hour.

http://www.torontotravelwatch....
Darren

Does anyone have any stats on how much beer sold during one game? Revenue etc??
Jimmy

This will be a good chance to see if all of those fans that look like empty seats on TV were really at the beer garden as announcers always claim, or does TFC really draw about 15K to each game.
Laurie

Utku, no, the legal age in Canada is 19.
Andrew

Forgot to add, great article otherwise.
Andrew

"I mean, who’s really getting punished here? Not the stadium. Instead, it’s the folks who have to watch the game."

Don't know if I agree with this. They'll definitely be losing revenue from beer sales, which I'm sure is the lion's share of their profit, and they could (and most likely will) lose ticket sales.
Utku

is the legal age 21 in canada as well?
Jake

@Martin: So says the guy from the UK, where you can't take your beer past a line on the stairs.
Alan

I plan getting beered up prior to the game, which is what I do anyway.
Johnny

The videos where TFC scores their first goal and the pitch is subsequently bombarded by cushions are easily on my list of all time favorites.

I laugh out loud at every viewing.
martin

That's pretty sad if the fans can't go to one game without drinking and not enjoy themselves.