That’s Quite A Drop, Folks

By Ben Knight Onward!

Both sides of the story
Right off the top, I can’t give you eyewitness accounts of Columbus-TFC.

I was sitting in a living room in Scarborough during the second half, singing songs and telling stories at the three-year-old boy’s birthday party. There were no smoke bombs or taser-crazy cops, although one colourful plastic shaker did go flying across the room before mom patiently explained that isn’t how things ought to be done in a crowd.

I’ve been listening to CBC Metro Morning and FAN590 this morning, and reading various media accounts of the post-game intimidation exercise the Columbus cops decided to uncork on the travelling TFC fans. I was there in person a year ago, when a milder version of the same game was acted out.

Some thoughts, if I may, aimed at the non-extremists on both sides of the debate. (Bob McCown and Barbarez can take the rest of this column off – although Mike Toth might want to stick around.)

Someone in the TFC support grabbed a broken piece of metal railing and hurled it over the side of Crew Stadium’s south stand. That’s quite a drop, folks. Not good. Pictures of this person apparently exist, and I hope they will be quietly passed on to the heads of the supporters’ groups.

I don’t want to enter the debate about whether the railing thrower also broke the railing, or if the chunk of metal in question was already loose. I want to talk to everyone who actually saw this happen.

All of us who board buses and travel with TFC want to chant, sing and have some beers. A bit of posturing and rude behavior? Delightful.

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