There were grimaces on the faces of the MLS suits after the anthem fiasco last night. They meant well. But they botched it.
Here are the facts. The English and American anthems were to be played early to get them out of the way to set the stage for a rousing rendition of O Canada! As an aside, one executive wondered aloud in our conversation why they would play The Star Spangled Banner in the first place since the game wasn't in the U.S. and the league is multi-national. Why not play the Mexican national anthem after all?
The mistake they made was in announcing those anthems with the flags on the pitch, and no mention that our anthem would be forthcoming. However, an astute observer might have noticed that anthems are not normally played until the players are on the pitch which wasn't the case at this point. I was in my seats last night and the anger and vitriol over this slight was full on. What a mess they made of it. And in the end Canadian fans look like boors for their behaviour during the first two anthems.
But its the league's fault. They should have seen it coming. I chatted with Steve Nash last night who is thrilled to be part of the ownership group in Vancouver. That's what today's announcement on the west coast will deal with. They will also update everyone on the status of their bid, BC Place stadium renovation and other details designed to make a statement that the Whitecaps will be ready to join the league in 2011. Montreal hopes to be part of the league by then as well.
It's no slam dunk however. Even though both groups are far ahead of any other U.S. market, there are still concerns in the league head office over how to maximize revenue in what is still to them a foreign country. How much sway does BMO really hold in the United States? The league would love Toronto FC on national tv in the states to show off the atmosphere, and yet ratings do take a hit. There remain questions for the league when it comes to Canada, but I don't see how they can deny the two groups who are far superior to the rest. And finally, Chad Barrett to Toronto to complete the Brian McBride deal. And there will be more. The other shoe is about to drop. Stay tuned.
