Little Italy Awash in a Sea of Blue

For much of the 2006 edition of the FIFA World Cup it has become a Toronto tradition to jump in your car and blare your horn in celebration of a victory - any victory, be it actual or even just moral. In a break with the past month on College St today, after the Azzurri's thrilling 5-3 shootout victory over France, there was nary an automobile in sight - the streets were simply too flooded with people for cars to have any chance.

All along College from Bathurst to Ossington, Little Italy looked like a Reclaim The Streets rally, albeit one with feverently patriotic - Italian - flag-waving. Plenty of dogs dressed in Azzurri uniforms, countless people with painted faces, one person handing out star-shaped stickers for people to put on their jerseys, and of course lots of Italian flags. People were cheering, people were whistling, people were turning their stereos up to max; it was a street party in its most unquestioningly semi-planned form.

But now, Toronto rests - at least until EuroCup 2008. If only we could get this excited about ourselves as well.