Twice in my life, I have been heartbroken over a parasocial relationship.
The first time was 31 May 1998; I was 11 years old and Geri Halliwell announced that she had left the Spice Girls. I remember going to bed, refusing to eat dinner, crying my eyes out because I could not imagine a world without all five of the Spice Girls.
The second time was 17 October 2023; I was 36 years old and Michael Bradley announced his retirement from Toronto FC.
Now, in 25 years my coping methods have evolved. Despite being absolutely brokenhearted over the news, I managed to eat dinner that night. However, I also told my partner that I needed to be left alone for a while and I signed off social media saying I was getting too much “sadxiety” (sad anxiety) to read any more about Bradley.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I have seen players retire from teams I love before. But an announcement hasn’t quite hit me like Bradley’s and for the last few days, I have been trying to figure out why.
And I think I finally got it.
For old-timers like me – those who lived in Toronto FC’s stands through the Mo Johnston-era of 2007 through 2010 and then the lost Payne years that followed (which I wrote about for the Guardian in 2013) – Michael Bradley became our beacon of hope. He was an authentic, organic success that made Toronto FC the team that we were promised in 2007 and we now long for in 2023.
Talent, passion, without the egos or T-shirt deals. Just a love for the club and the performance to match it.
Let me explain.
To understand the importance and uniqueness of Michael Bradley, you need to first understand Toronto FC. Introduced to MLS in 2007 (the aforementioned Mo Johnston-era), TFC was instantly popular in a sports-obsessed city, with a large immigration population.
While Toronto had football teams before, none were at the level of TFC. The club is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), who also own the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Marlies (AHL), Raptors 905 (NBA G League), as well as a handful of esports teams. MLSE saw the potential of TFC and invested in the club; they built it and the fans did come.
At least, for a while.
In the early seasons of TFC, tickets were on par with Leafs tickets in terms of demand. Games were sold out and the tiny Toronto neighborhood of Liberty Village became an adopted home for football fans.
But pretty soon the novelty wore off.
TFC weren’t winning,…