2015.
What a time to be a sports fan in Toronto.
The Raptors just got swept in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Maple Leafs finally decided that it was necessary to completely tear down and rebuild their organization.
Toronto FC bowed out of the their first ever MLS Playoff appearance, losing 3-0 to their rivals, the Montreal Impact.
But yes, what a time to be a sports fan.
This was the year when sports became fun again, amidst the struggles of the local teams. This was the year that sparked a seemingly magnetic pull of the world's best athletes, amateur and professional, to our city. This would go on for at least the next three years, a period in which Toronto:
- hosted TWO World Junior Hockey Championships, an event that was traditionally held in rural North America, or anywhere else in Europe
- hosted two multi-sport events, one of which was the largest in the world outside of the Olympics (the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games)
- hosted the best basketball and beach volleyball players in the world
- hosted an unparalleled international hockey tournament, where the world's best players were available to play without insurance issues and scheduling conflicts with the NHL playoffs
But also, what a time for inspiration. Inspiration to finally try that sport that you always thought looked like a lot of fun. Or to catch one of these games, and visit a place in Toronto that you've always heard about but never been to, because you've "always lived here." Finally, you didn't have to be a sports fan to enjoy this. Local and international art and music were celebrated at the Pan Ams and the World Cup of Hockey.
Let's re-visit our city's golden age of sports.