Don't look at me, I didn't say it.
Although Match Fit USA does admit that there is an element of "tongue and cheek" in its argument, the premise - that MLS teams need to perform on and off the field to be considered a true success -- is solid. And, many of Match Fit's readers seem to agree.
Although other markets struggle as well, especially in the playoffs, I'm not sure that’s a valid argument for justifying the half empty stadium last night. Yes, it's a Thursday night, yes it's cold and yes it's college football season (although shouldn't moving the Crew game away from Saturday have helped?), but it's the playoffs and the Crew were the defending champions. Basically, there are no valid arguments to justify it.
The Nordecke, without a doubt, has grown tremendously in recent years. They are the equal of any supporter's section in the league. Hell, they are in the conversation for best supporter's section in the league. But, no one else in Columbus seems to care about the team at all. And, based on what I have seen from Mark McCullers, et al. in the front office, I have no confidence whatsoever that they can fix that problem.
Should the moving vans be sent out today? No. As stated, there are other teams that are in worse shape than the Crew (Columbus' average of 14,447 ranks it right in the middle, although there is a clear divide between the haves and have nots in attendance. The league average was 16,037). However, C-Bus is a symptom of a larger problem. How can this league grow when it continues to fail to make inroads into markets like Columbus? They were the defending champions. They play in a mid-size market without a lot of competition (none, really, in the summer). Yet, they still struggle to draw beyond the hardcore.
Defensive reactions (like the ones you might see in the comments section below) miss the point. Ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away. The Crew's on field power may have peaked -- its core isn't getting any younger. What happens if the team starts losing again? That isn't going to bring the casuals out and it might start to erode the Nordecke's strength (in ANY supporter's section in MLS there are some that are there for the party. The party isn't as fun when you are trailing the Wizards 3-1 on a cold April night).
As much as I have issues with pretty much the entire Crew fan base, I don't want them to move. No one does. But, I do have concerns.
And if you care about the Crew, or this league, you should too.
Friday, November 6, 2009
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5 comments:
Montrealers would definitely appreciate that team.. I mean they already attend to watch a substandard quality of soccer in greater numbers than Columbus fans attend Crew games.
Don Garber might be taking a page out of Gary Bettman's book on how to keep franchises in places where the fans don't care meanwhile markets with actual fans are left starving saying 'WTF?'
This is a tough situation, as if you decide to relocate the Crew, you pretty much have to commit yourself to moving the other failing clubs to show that you're actually trying to put teams in markets that will give them full support.
I hope the comment in the MFUSA piece about Canada being the true land of soccer potential wasn't written tongue 'n cheek, because I believe it to be true and that it is starting to show itself in spades.
Just think if they moved all the Crew players to Montreal, suddenly there would be a whole new level to the TFC - Impact rivalry. Could you imagine Schelloto in Impact blue and white?
I think it would be a bad move for the league to move the Crew since they actually have a stadium... a half empty stadium, but a stadium, none the less. They are asking for buy in from other communities for expansion contingent upon them building a stadium. If the league moves or ispercieved to move a team from a city with a stadium with flagging sales to a different market, expansion cities will balk at the idea of a stadium being a necessary requirement for inclusion in the league.
The issue is that there is minimal marketing for games in the local area and McCullers et al are very fickle with their fanbase.
"It's core isn't any younger" - What about Lenhart, Garey, Ekpo, Rogers, Gaven, Marshall, and a few others to name? .... Aside from Schelloto, Padula, and Hejduk, this team is younger than ever.
I am a Columbus fan and I do agree that McCullers has a lot of work cut out for him to make the team marketable to casuals but let's not forget that Toronto still has not been around the 14 years Columbus has....every team goes through its expansions and contractions, and even there has been noticeable gaps in a "sold out" attendance at BMO field this season. I think the success of Seattle in its inaugural year has made everyone go a little crazy in the mind. let's not forget that this is a young league and attendance is still and always will be for the foreseeable future 5th behind NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NHL. Albeit a small attendance for a playoff game, if you look at the statistics, an average MLS attendance for a playoff game midweek is only around 12,000 and moving a team that is middle in the league in attendance, has a established and loyal midwestern fanbase (actually high per metro population compared to large market teams), and their own SSS seems just ridiculous and reactionary. I understand the rivalry might make things harder to digest, but don't you agree?
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