From Pokes at Poker to a Pitch for a Pro Soccer Club on a Local Pitch


Well, I managed to get my anti-poker piece (...well not anti-poker, but rather a push to poke poker off the major sports television networks to make way for other, somewhat more inspiring and popular team sports ) published in the Edmonton Journal's Sports Venting section this past weekend, though they edited out my comment about Poker on sports channels inspiring people to get fat rather than fit/active. So, hoping this will create a bit of a buzz, it's off to my next wee bit of social demolition...

I have submitted the following article to the same Venting column, this time about getting a professional Soccer franchise in the M.L.S. for Edmonton. Subsequent attempts have failed with the Brickmen or Bricklayers or whatever they called themselves back in the 1980's de-funked CSL, and, more recently, the failed Edmonton Aviators of the USL (a league that seems to be doing okay). Though this formula is my idea for a soccer club in Edmonton might seem boring, it can also serve as a guide to any owner contemplating starting a North American Soccer club (cos let's face it, it seems the rest of the world has things figured out). Anyway, this is my mini-vent. For a more detailed version of my divine soccer plan (which the papers probably wouldn't publish), scroll down to an article I wrote a while back about the beautiful game in Canada.

...and one last word, I don't know if this counts, but I hereby claim the rights to the name Edmonton City Football Club (or ECFC or Edmonton City F.C.) but am willing to sell it for $5000 USD, two lifetime seasons tickets and a free inaugural jersey should the club ever come to exist...

Here's my vent, and, until I have something closer to home GO T.F.C.!:

Toronto F.C. shows how soccer can be a success in Canada: 1.) don't give your club a dumb name (i.e. Aviators), 2.) build a stadium that won't seem cavernous with 20,000 fans (i.e. Commonwealth = bad, renovated Clarke Park = good) and 3.) design a strip folks would want to wear (i.e. not with gaudy soccer balls wearing silly hats). Who's up for starting Edmonton City F.C. in a bid for a MLS expansion franchise?

VISIT: www.torontofc.ca and support pro soccer in North America!