The dictionary.com definition of talisman is anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions.
Now the last thing Danny Dichio needs is more praise heaped on his 6'3" frame, but from the 37th minute until the end of Saturday's win over Colorado I could not get the idea out of my head.
Previous experience has taught me that if I have hunch about something TFC related, asking head coach John Carver is the only way to find out if it is true or not.
So after Carver ranted about how he was disappointed and pleased at the same time in the wake of the 3-1 victory, I quizzed him on his thoughts about Dichio's remarkable or powerful influence on games this season.
"It defies logic really," Carver said. "He keeps having this (groin) problem yet he keeps playing and performing and scoring goals.
"If he has a bad groin from now until the end of the season and he keeps scoring goals I'll be delighted."
I had my answer; Dichio is the TFC talisman. But I still was not convinced. So while most of the media gathered to (rightfully so) talk to Rohan Ricketts, I saddled up to Dichio for more proof.
First question: How do you score a goal like that on one bad leg?
"It was actually feeling good until about 10 minutes after the goal when I got a knock on it," Dichio said, all the while maintaining a Tour de France pace on the stationary bike.
Decent answer; but not what I was looking for. The goal on Saturday was pure magic. After watching a handful of chances from Laurent Robert, Rohan Ricketts and Jeff Cunningham fail to find the net through the first 36 minutes; Dichio showcased how important he is to the team's success.
But before I could embarrass myself and ask the man himself about my hunch, the self-proclaimed big, ugly giant (his words!) just starting talking.
"I am feeling a lot stronger in myself, and that is down to the likes of Paul Winsper. He has brought in a different regime," Dichio explained. "I am getting on now, I am 33-years old and I am feeling stronger and better everyday and that is because of him. He knows what kind of mechanics work with my body and he is doing a lot of core work and all credit to him for that."
Winsper, eh? A wrench in my Indiana Jones-esque quest to uncover the truth behind the TFC talisman. Stayed tuned for insight on the search from this 'Winsper' fellow.
