While the Toronto FC - Montreal Impact rivalry may not have the long and storied history of the Leafs and the Habs, it is still there, even among grounds keeping crews.
Hours before the clubs took to the field from their heart pounding Eastern Conference Championship match (which Toronto won, in extra time 7-5 on aggregate), the BMO Field grounds crew decided to have a little fun at the expense of their Montreal counterparts.
"44 yards... 132 feet... Measure twice, paint once," read a Tweet that accompanied a photo of a white line on a grass field with a tape measure.
44 yards... 132 feet... @torontofc @impactmontreal @MLS "measure twice, paint once". pic.twitter.com/B0HEvHeJhK
— BMO Grounds Crew (@TFC_GroundsDept) November 30, 2016
The good-natured jab was the club's response to the 30 minute delay prior to the first leg of the Eastern Championship at Olympic Stadium last week. Just moments before the match was to start the referee noticed both penalty boxes were too narrow. The blunder made international headlines, and was a hot topic on social media.
The Impact later apologized, with an executive blaming human error.
Not something you see every day - match delayed because penalty box was painted too narrow. #MTLVTOR pic.twitter.com/tbY8158zob
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 23, 2016