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In the moments before a Toronto FC supporters event with Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley kicked off on Monday afternoon, MLSE President Tim Leiweke wandered onto the stage. His plan was to announce to the fans that the club would be buying the first drink for everyone in the building as a thank you for their support. But before Leiweke could say anything, the 500 fans in the room burst into spontaneous song. He couldnt shut them up. Leiweke sat on a stool on the corner of the stage soaking it all in as Toronto FCs supporters showered him with plaudits. At that moment, it appeared as if the magic was back. For seven years, Toronto FCs fans have had the life squeezed out of them as they witnessed failure after failure, but there was a buzz of excitement in the room Ive not seen associated with the club for a long time - and the fans knew exactly who was responsible. Its amazing to see the impact that one man can have on an organization. Leiweke would be the first to acknowledge that hes had incredible support from the MLSE board and the staff he has around him - including general manager Tim Bezbatchenko - but Monday was a result of one mans vision and his ability to get things done. Earlier in the day, Toronto FC made one of the biggest splashes in Major League Soccer history, introducing not one, but two Designated Players arriving in the league from Europe. The signings of Jermain Defoe from Tottenham and Michael Bradley from Roma marked a day in the clubs history that can only be matched in importance by the day the franchise was launched. "A very simple saying we will steal from the Kennedys is appropriate today," Leiweke said when opening the press conference on Monday morning in downtown Toronto. "Some people see things as they are and say why. Others dream of what can be and they say why not. Today is why not. Why cant we be great?" It was a day that made a big impact within the city of Toronto, but also potentially changed the landscape across Major League Soccer. Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl tweeted on Monday evening: "Some MLS execs telling me they think Toronto overpaid for Bradley/Defoe and will cause other teams to have to overpay in new market." Its fair to say that these deals have set a new standard, and that will likely be taken into account when future contracts are negotiated for these types of players in MLS, but in my opinion Toronto FC did not overpay. These moves have saved the club from obscurity and for that reason these two players are worth every last cent. Yes, Toronto had to commit what Leiweke called "financial suicide" to make the signings, but it was the only option. In Leiwekes own words, "the patient was dying." The club was on "life support." You cant put a price on saving a club. Having Defoe and Bradley available will not be the only benefits for Toronto FC from the recent transactions. The Reds have also formed two partnerships with big clubs in Europe. A four year sales and marketing deal between MLSE and Tottenham was part of Defoes transfer, while the Roma deal for Bradley includes a player development program for Toronto FC players at Romas training facility. More shrewd business by Leiweke who, since bringing David Beckham to LA from Real Madrid in 2007, has shown he has the ability to operate superbly in the global football environment. Monday was a feel-good day for soccer in Toronto, but Leiweke was clear in his message that they have achieved nothing yet. All they have done is to give themselves "an opportunity to be successful." He also told me on more than one occasion: "were not finished yet. There is more to come." He wants to build a super-club - and with what Leiweke has already achieved in a short space of time in Toronto, its hard to bet against him. Courtland Sutton Jersey . -- Two out of three aint bad. Jared Veldheer Broncos Jersey . And once again, Team Homan emerged as the victor with the reigning national champions defeating Team Sweeting at the Pintys All-Star Curling Skins Game Friday night in the tournaments opening draw at The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in beautiful Banff National Park. http://www.thebroncosstoreonline.com/Youth-Bradley-Chubb-Broncos-Jerseys/ . It was considered unlikely that Rielly would be loaned to Canada for the tournament, which begins Dec. 26 in Malmo, Sweden, though a stretch of three straight games in the press box made it something of a debate. Isaac Yiadom Broncos Jersey . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. Royce Freeman Jersey . The two-time former Formula One champion downplayed his third-place finish three weeks ago in China and said progress is going slow for Ferrari as it tries to make up ground on Mercedes.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss the a Roy Halladay, a Cooperstown conundrum, Robinson Cano and a certain Washington football club. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to the Washington football team with the racist name and the sitcom stylings, which continue to delight those who rightly root for it to fail. This week alone, there were reports that head coach Mike Shanahan was trying to get fired, Costanza-style, so he could collect his money and flee and that shameless expired peanut-selling owner Dan Snyder was unwilling to fire him, and that quarterback Robert Griffin III - who in true Dan Snyder-fashion once let fans buy him wedding gifts - was a pawn between them as he was benched for the season. What a swamp: backstabbing, greed, admissions of serial falsehoods, remarkable misuse of assets, and a toxic snowball of failure. Its clear, now more than ever: this is the team that Washington deserves. Steve Simmons, SUN Media: My thumb is down to the meaningless one-day contract Roy Halladay signed with the Toronto Blue Jays this week, thus announcing his retirement from baseball wearing Canadian colours. This is the same Roy Halladay who asked to be traded from Toronto, demanded it be to a contending team and even suggested that the team train close to his Florida home. If Halladay wanted to retire a Blue Jay, he could have done the simple thing and finished his career here. Dont get me wrong. Halladay had a marvelous career, Im not questioning that. But his last pitch was thrown for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team he threw a perfect gamme and a playoff no-hitter for.dddddddddddd Never mind ceremony, he retired as a Philly. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is down to the MLB Veterans Committee for again excluding the late Marvin Miller from the Baseball Hall of Fame. While Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa are worthies, the legacy of the former Players Association executive director dwarfs that of any manager. Along with Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, Miller is part of the holy trinity of baseball titans. The despicable reserve clause, which bound a player to his team in perpetuity, was struck down on his watch. The average salary rose from $16,000 to $250,000 under Miller, who built the strongest union in the United States. Some owners still revile him, but Cooperstown truly is incomplete without him. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down to Robinson Cano – and to his poor choice of words. Specifically, one word … the word "respect". Cano claims he was driven to sign a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners because the New York Yankees showed him no "respect" with their offer. It was for only seven years at a measly $175 million. There isnt another human on this planet who would say that amounted to "disrespect". Cano should have thanked the Yankees for being willing to go that high so that the mariners felt the need to go higher and then he should have thanked Seattle for doing exactly that, and then he should have said nothing more about a lack of respect, unless he wanted to admit his own for the fans who are tired of hearing the complaints of spoiled, far too rich athletes. 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