Columbus 'Cubbies'...

The Crew franchise is only 11 years old and Crew Stadium is NOWHERE near as cool a place as Wrigley Field.
And Sigi is no Lou Piniella

So the question on the minds of Crew 'fans' is 'why bother'!

Vent at the Crew

Sometimes, the best way to express is to copy/paste from other's views:

Here's mine:

This is what happens when you've lost your spiritual leader: Lamar Hunt is gone, his sons dont seem to care much.. and even the old critical guys who always had an opinion on how to 'fix the Crew' are without an offering.

It's not the GM, it's not really the coaching, though Sigi actually got us in this mess by blowing up a team that had an identity with the Crew. He's tried hard and never BS'd us.
I mean we ARENT established enough to be like Browns/Cubs' Red Sox fans.
So it must be the KC Chief syndrome.

If the Crew arent sold to local ownership, and soon, they will fade away into oblivion.
I think there will be a concerted effort on the parts of some to beg Peter Wilt to come to Columbus and put together an ownership group.

 

I feel for ya it does look pretty bleak.

Are you sure its not the GM though?
I mean a look down the roster and its full of guys who are 1st and 2nd year players who aren't particularly impressive. Then you got these guys like Moreno, Hendrickson, Oughton, Grabavoy, Gaven who may well be alright but they're hardly innovative, like you said at best treading water.

Scheloto was obviously a good signing but beyond that what?? Szetela was a lottery win, same with Rogers. I guess Virtuoso was supposed to be the business but I'm not impressed. Its not terrible but teams like New England, Dallas, Chicago, KC, Chivas, NY, Houstson, DC can come up with some good aqusitions that can offer alot to the team. The Crew get players which seem to merely mesh in and fill a hole. They live through the draft but aren't particularly good at it.

Also they have no defenition. What are they all about? What way do they want to play. Its like they try doing it one way and by the end of the game they're doing something else. Its all a lot like the Timberwolves actually. Anyways I'm saying, I don't see any reason to give McCullers a free ride.

 

In Columbus' scenario, I think McCullers is more of a COO/Marketing VP

He certainly isnt the guy who picks the players. My point is not to point fingers for blame, that's been done in the past.

My point is that HSG is an absentee owner to all intents. Not blaming them, either but they have a way they operate and that has resulted in what the Chiefs are, as an example.. which I think is to the point.

 

I say move the Crew to Cleveland. We have Wolstein who is committed to building a dedicated soccer complex and getting an MLS team - it was his late father's dying wish.

 

Isn't that what there making of the mess in Summit county by i-271 and SR 8? The Cleveland Crew (or Hammers or Devils or Beach Bums) has a nice ring to it

 

I'd prefer a more "traditional" name, like Cleveland Albion Wanders.

:banana:

 

Personally I wouldn't underestimate the on the field display. When a team continually fails to make the playoffs a stigma becomes attached and all aspects of the operation begin to drag.

From personal observation......

Not all that long ago the Twins were the community whipping boy up here, the team everyone loved to laugh at. A few years onward they've fought off contraction, won the division a couple of times, have some likeable and good players and you see twins caps all over the place. It’s seems at this time everyone genuinely wants the Twins to do well.

Reversely the Timberwolves have had a revolving door of players, and now the franchise player has left for Boston. They were fairly popular, trendy three or four years ago, particularly when they made the playoffs but at this time it couldn't be worse. The on the court product has fallen by the wayside and now they are the whipping boys of the Twin Cites. It’s taken on the tone where people are seemingly glad when they lose as so they can make fun of and criticize the team some more. The Vikings are headed this way fast as well.

So Twins on the field play improved and the franchise as a whole has improved. Timberwolves play has declined and so has everything about the franchise. Oh and don't underestimate the force of the sports editorials and talk radio, they really do set a tone that is tough to overcome.

A little jolt in a team can do wonders. The Wild made key acquisitions before last season and just when it looked the honeymoon was over they are as good as ever, still sold out every game in their history. Gophers Basketball scored Tubby Smith and now there’s the most buzz around the program since the run to the final four years ago.

So as it relates to the Crew the constant missing of the playoffs has to be having an effect. And the slow and steady approach of Hunt may be a serious problem as a jolt is perhaps what’s needed. What kind of jolt I don’t really know.

 

Okay then here's the answer for the Crew. Get Cleveland its own MLS team and then we'll have an Ohio rivalry. That should help fire things up in Columbus.

I'm no expert on Columbus but it does seem like all that matters there is Ohio State. Even in Cleveland, people who didnt even go to Ohio State are Buckeye fans. I cant really relate to that so it makes me wonder about sports fans in Columbus.

Finally, the painful truth. The Columbus Crew insignia is gay. Guys in construction hats - it reminds me of the village people. Maybe when McBride was on the team, the intended idea kind of worked but I think it is gay. Doesnt help in a country where a lot of people think soccer is weird. Sorry, but somebody had to say it.

 

Sorry, but the 'Village People' thing has become a matter of perverse pride {heh}. Even those Crew Fans who hooted and brayed because of that have switched over. Still have the occasional troll come in on that and the response is unanimous*.

And in the nineties Crew often had the 4th and 5th best ticket sales in the nominally smallest market in MLS. It isnt REALLY that small because highway access is excellent {**disclaimer below} and we have many ST holders drive 75 miles each way for the games. Considering it took 65 minutes for us to get to the Crew @ Galaxy game this summer in low traffic.. and you can actually SEE past Carson to Long Beach from Sierra Madre where we started.

** Of course that is barring the ubiquitous highway repair ... which is ANOTHER reason we like the logo.

* How can I put this best... oh, yeah... "when they see our badge and grab our asses, we knock their hands off and do their mothers and sisters....In front of them."

Does that make it clear? (sorry, I'm channeling a couple of the more 'eloquent' Crew posters from BS.)

:twisted:

 

Well, it gets worse... the malaise and dread is not just some figment of the fan imagination:

Cols Dispatch Sat 10/6

Which follows THIS odd statement, a few days ago:

Ah, yes... the dreaded denial/vote of confidence. We DID just fall off the turnip truck.

In fact, the north end of the stadium is being rebuilt over the winter to feature a permanent stage base for concerts.

The Crew ALSO just got its first kit sponsor, which also means nothing as to the viability of the team in Columbus, other than it would pay for a designated player.

 

Pettyfog, I like hearing that the Village People thing has become a source of pride. Shows a sense of humor. Guess I am definetly wrong on that one. I was really just fishing to see if anyone ever says that about the Crew insignia because I have never heard it.

Dont you think a rivalry with a Cleveland MLS team could help?

 

There has to be two teams to have a rivalry.

Cleveland isnt getting one anytime soon. And by the time they do, there may not be a Columbus team.

Crew ahead again... Crew lose again. I didnt even go becuase I cant stand it anymore... it's like going to a funeral over and over.

I wrote a while ago I was a follower, not a fan. Guess I was wrong. I started following the Crew because the Bengals sucked so bad... heh.

 

RE: You have to play them

Leave it to the Crew to put on a good show only on their last gasp!

And DC plays like Zombies against Chicago.. thus eliminating the Crew by giving Chicago the point.

Hope this is properly used as motivation next week and the Crew knocks DCU out of the Supporter Shield {winner of single table}. Chivas has to also win to do that.

 

Re: RE: You have to play them

You dont have ENOUGH angst and misery in your life, or is it an 'emotional isometric' for you?

The sig? Just practicing my 'irony'.