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The Empire Strikes Back at Its Own Crew
The Empire (MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt) issued a statement in response to their first meeting with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and the President and CEO of the Columbus Partnership Alex Fischer (the Resistance) that took place yesterday in New York.
Precourt Sports Ventures and Major League Soccer met this afternoon in New York City with Mayor Ginther and Alex Fischer, at the request of the city, in anticipation of being presented an actionable plan and a legitimate offer that would advance efforts to improve Crew SC’s long-term ability to operate and compete in Columbus. Both PSV and the league entered the meeting with open minds, no demands and a complete willingness to listen and entertain concrete ideas or a meaningful proposal from the city’s representatives at the meeting.
We were extremely disappointed that no concrete offer or proposal was presented and then told by the City of Columbus that it would not communicate with us past today.
Precourt Sports Ventures made a clear commitment to Columbus four years ago by purchasing 100 percent of Columbus Crew SC. In the meantime, despite successful efforts to reinvent the brand and improve the Club, market challenges for Crew SC in Columbus continue to mount.
Despite the city’s refusal to make a real offer and its decision to cease conversations, we remain open to a productive dialogue if the City of Columbus reconsiders. Columbus Crew SC remains focused on our quest to win MLS Cup.
The following are just a few reactions to a statement that would otherwise be comical if the truth wasn’t so infuriating.
Reaction #1: Anthony Precourt of PSV and Don Garber have been working together to take the Crew out of Columbus for around four years. Their sleazy mission has not changed. That being said, honesty is not the strong suit of Mr. Precourt or Mr. Garber, so phrases like “open minds,” “no demands” and “clear commitment to Columbus” fall on deaf ears. The Empire has no integrity in this situation, so that’s the starting point with their statement that was released yesterday.
Reaction #2: The “market challenges for Crew SC in Columbus continue to mount” is quite a charge to make considering the ongoing sabotaging efforts by Mr. Precourt and PSV as reported just weeks ago.
“It seems Precourt’s story behind the proposed move away from Columbus rests heavily on a lack of sponsorship interest locally, but anecdotal evidence points to exactly the opposite, and also points to manipulation of sponsorship prices,” Columbus executive and soccer fan Anthony Olejniczak told me. “Those disparate accounts need to be reconciled with evidence.”
–Laura Newpoff, Columbus Business First reporter, “Columbus Crew sponsors say deals have gotten pricier”
Reaction #3: “Columbus Crew SC remains focused on our quest to win MLS Cup” is, to put it discretely, a line of BS. When #SaveTheCrew is the leading marketing force producing what’s projected to be a sell-out for this Tuesday’s game against Toronto FC, coupled with acts of deception throughout the fast few years, the only reason why Mr. Precourt and PSV are rooting for an MLS Cup champion are so Austin will be happy with a stolen team that’s won its second MLS Cup. Another curious component in that sentence is “our quest.”
After formally telling Columbus that he’s actively looking to move the Crew to Austin last month, he made sure to make this telling correction via Twitter, as reported in “#SaveTheCrew is What We’ll Do.”
I really do feel for you Crew fans. Its an uncertain time I recognize, and I take full responsibility for the situation I have put us in.
— Anthony Precourt (@APrecourt) October 19, 2017
Then this.
Put you all in, not us.
— Anthony Precourt (@APrecourt) October 19, 2017
The words “our quest” by Mr. Precourt is yet another line of BS.
What’s next?
Hopefully, a Crew win against heavy favorites Toronto FC in Crew Stadium this Tuesday night on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. on prime-time television. After this match, which will hopefully be a win, there need to be lots of stories by major outlets detailing the inspired playoff performances of the Crew in light of off-field speculation. The drumbeat must get louder every day for the foreseeable future.
On a bright note, it seems highly improbable there will be no next meeting in the coming weeks and months, especially considering this magical playoff run isn’t over in 2017 and since the Crew is guaranteed to remain in Columbus for the 2018 season. There’s time. Part of this effort, however, does require the Crew to keep winning.
The games on the pitch aside, another nervous component for #SaveTheCrew fans is keeping this story on the front page of the news and building proof for reporters locally, nationally and internationally to cover the extensive and deliberate deceit by Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt. Mr. Precourt’s choreographed “business metrics” that project a negative picture in Columbus has misled and is misleading some of the most influential power players in American soccer for the purpose of supporting his mission as the owner, which is to rip the Crew out of Columbus.
As Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend!” Now amplify that sentiment by twenty thousand people who will be rockin’ and rollin’ next week in the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States, cheering on their team’s playoff (and long-term) survival.
No broad support for the Crew in Columbus, Mr. Precourt, and Mr. Garber? Tune into ESPN this Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET. I’m guessing there will be a sell-out crowd and a customized chant, courtesy of the Nordecke, written just for you two. If you thought “Dos-a-Cero” made for intense soccer environments…
#SaveTheCrew
The First (Meeting) WAS the Worst
Today’s first meeting in New York between Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and the President and CEO of the Columbus Partnership Alex Fischer (the Resistance) and scumbag MLS Commissioner Don Garber and scumbag Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt (the Empire) resulted in what can be described as a major bummer. Here’s the statement from the Resistance:
“We met with Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber and Columbus Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt in New York today. It is clear the MLS and ownership did not come to the meeting willing to commit to staying in Columbus. We know this is heartbreaking for the dedicated fans in Columbus and across the country who have shown unwavering support for the Columbus Crew SC.
“We are disappointed and frustrated. We were united in putting all options on the table, with the expectation in return that the MLS and ownership would cease pursuing moving the team to Austin. Great American cities do not get into bidding wars over sports teams to benefit private owners. Garber and Precourt were not willing to do that today.
“Once the league and owner are committed to Columbus, we stand ready, willing and able to support the team’s success.
“On November 21, standing alongside the best soccer fans in the country at MAPFRE stadium, we will be cheering Black and Gold onto victory. Glory to Columbus.”
Reaction #1: The fact the meeting today was held in New York was a bad sign from the beginning. It does, however, clarify to the follower and non-follower of #SaveTheCrew that Mr. Garber and Mr. Precourt are forever linked as the two evil forces who have been plotting for four-years to rip the Crew from Columbus through lying, deceitful practices. Since this mess started with secret, backdoor deals, talks to #SaveTheCrew should not have been held behind closed doors, especially in any city other than Columbus.
Reaction #2: The phrase “We are disappointed and frustrated” made its way into the good side’s public statement, which reveals that Mayor Ginther and Mr. Fischer were not savvy enough and/or ready for the first round of the epic fight to keep the Crew in Columbus. Mayor Ginther and Mr. Fischer understand the process for normal business deals, but this is not an ordinary business negotiation. Normal business language won’t cut it, inside and outside of meetings. I’m on their side, but their current tone is feeble in the midst of an inspiring run by the Crew that gives them an upper-hand in the debate. Were they prepared for this kind of fixed meeting by the Empire? Do they have a long-term strategy we don’t know about? Hopefully.
And then there is “Once the league and owner are committed to Columbus, we stand ready, willing and able to support the team’s success.” Well, the Empire is clearly not committed to Columbus or even basic human decency, that’s the problem! Patience is a virtue, but ignorant and do-nothing patience is nonsensical. Strong, effective persuasion has to be part of the #SaveTheCrew business solution. What happened?
Reaction #3: I still believe this is just the beginning of the fight to keep the first and most important club in MLS in the soccer capital of the United States of America. The latter part of that statement is true and I can write a dissertation on that assertion. That aside, if the social media era has proven anything, it’s that an ongoing PR disaster can move mountains (cough cough United Airlines). #SaveTheCrew and its media allies have and must continue to reveal, well, the mountain of lies and deceitful practices from Mr. Precourt and Mr. Garber to the most visible and most consequential audiences for maximum exposure and impact. The facts are on the side of #SaveTheCrew. At a certain point, these facts will reach a boiling point and that’s when the right change can and hopefully will occur.
Columbus Crew outsiders and skeptics in an equal measure may consider the grassroots guerilla marketing campaign to #SaveTheCrew to be admirable, but ultimately all for naught because its opposition is the duplicitous partnership of a powerful business firm Precourt Sports Ventures and institutional force Major League Soccer (MLS). Fair point. The odds aren’t great and the deck is stacked against Columbus and integrity. And yet consider this movement that grew from a hashtag just a few weeks ago is driving a city of passionate fans dressed in black & gold towards a sell-out first-leg of the 2017 MLS Eastern Conference Final for the host Columbus Crew against the top-seeded Canadian visitors from Toronto FC despite a cold forecast. What if Crew fans deliver an electric, sold-out atmosphere and the Crew players deliver another magical playoff win as quintessential small market underdogs?
That would be another massive statement on national television post-Austin news last month.
Determined people with a positive, unified mission have a proven track record of taking down goliaths if the right tact is developed and utilized. #SaveTheCrew has shown great tact and is evolving and growing stronger by the day at the grassroots level.
So, am I saying there’s a chance to keep the Crew in Columbus after another two-faced and staged meeting set-up by the Empire? Yes. A seismic change in strategy in reaction to this devastating development is necessary, but it’s possible. #SaveTheCrew wouldn’t be the first unthinkable upset in soccer history but it would be one of the greatest and most significant. The identity of Columbus and similarly small market soccer clubs, as well as American soccer, is at stake.
And that’s not a game we can lose.
#SaveTheCrew
We Saw You, Precourt. Did You See (& Hear) ALL of Us?
“C-R-E-double U” — the rest of this chant may have partly contributed to the long face seen below as it’s a safe bet that Anthony Precourt heard the personalized chants with his name from Crew fans on Halloween loud and clear.
(Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt overwhelmed with joy watching his club lead NYCFC 2-nil in the playoffs at home in Columbus)
Unbelievably, the unbridled deception of scumbag Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt has yet another chapter to report. And the word of the day is:
Attendance.
Here’s former Crew forward Dante Washington via Twitter last night regarding the Columbus Crew vs. NYCFC playoff game a few days ago on Halloween.
I’m still having a tough time processing announced attendance of 14.5K. I’ve played in that stadium enough and there were more than that.
–Dante Washington, former Crew forward
Speaking as someone who was also at this game and has been a spectator for countless games at Crew Stadium for 18 years, the 14,500 figure has to be wrong. There’s no way that Crew Stadium was nearly 30% empty. Impossible. If you follow the conversation via Dante’s original Twitter post above, you’ll see that Twitter users posted pictures of long, long lines of fans waiting to get into the game as the first goal was scored just minutes into the match. You’ll also read Twitter user Brett Stewart’s comment:
Apparently, the official count happens at kickoff. Never heard that being the criteria before. Tons of us (you included) still in line at KO.
–Brett Stewart
The second word of the day is:
Sabotage.
Again, the 14,500 figure from the electric atmosphere for the Columbus Crew vs. NYCFC game earlier this week has to be wrong. Just another lie from scumbag Anthony Precourt. But recall that snake in the grass Precourt has cited unsatisfactory attendance numbers throughout his tenure as one of the key metrics for moving stealing the Crew and transplanting the team to Austin, Texas in 2019. So, how likely is it that Precourt and Co. fixed the attendance number by holding fans up at the gates, unable to get inside by kickoff, in order to report as low as an attendance number as possible? Remember that, according to Precourt, an attendance of around 14,500 reveals a failing MLS club.
Hint: The answer, sadly, is highly likely.
According to a Nov. 2nd story from FOX 7 reporter Ashley Paredez in Austin titled “MLS2ATX event regarding Columbus Crew,” Precourt Sports Ventures (PSV) President Dave Greely said the proposed stadium in Austin will be built with a 20,000 seat capacity.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Presume the Crew moves to Austin and after a few home games, or seasons, the third MLS club in Texas isn’t winning every game and/or at the top of the table with 3-4 goals scored every game with world-class talent and tactics. Attendance will, most likely, take a natural dip. And when this drop happens, the attendance for Austin would likely hover around the “supposedly” and completely unacceptable number of 14,000-15,000 fans per game. But wait, scumbag Precourt and his Precourt Sports Ventures goons have made it clear to Columbus that 14,000-15,000 fans/game (or even a minuscule 20,000 capacity stadium, like Crew Stadium) reveal a failing club and disinterested fanbase? Hmmm…
You can’t make this up. But you can lie about it, which is PSV’s credo.
FYI – Middle of the table Girona defeated global powerhouse Real Madrid (yes, that Real Madrid) in a La Liga match last Sunday 2-1 in front of, wait for it…12,743! Girona’s team quality and really low attendance when hosting one of the top football clubs in the world appear sustainable for competing in the far superior and competitive La Liga and against monetary and talent-rich goliath Real Madrid. There are countless variables that affect attendance, as well as countless variables that can act to suppress attendance, like in the completely random scenario of an owner wanting to sabotage the team’s home city in the Midwest throughout a four-year period by actively plotting to move the said club to a new city in Texas through deception, purposefully bad business deals, backdoor meetings and a refusal to address any of this lying in public.
Ladies and gentlemen, the supposed lack of attendance and lack of broad community support whining from PSV is deceitful garbage and complete nonsense coming from sleazy people who know nothing about the sport of soccer.
The fix against the Columbus Crew has been in since scumbag Anthony Precourt bought the Crew in 2013 and scumbag MLS Commissioner Don Garber acted in concert with and supported the clear deception to destroy and erase the Crew’s storied history, legacy and importance in U.S. soccer through repeated acts of purposeful incompetence and fraud.
Thankfully, the honorable fix (ie-solution) to keep the Crew in Columbus is ever-evolving by the day. This daily support for the Crew in Columbus and around the country, if measured by an attendance metric, would be immeasurable because it’s off the charts.
There’s no gate or presumed deceitful tactic that can contain or suppress the #SaveTheCrew movement.
The Columbus Crew will play the offensively potent NYCFC at Yankee Stadium (that beloved soccer-specific stadium) in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal with a 4-1 aggregate advantage this Sunday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
Let’s Go Crew!
Keeping Austin Weird Means Keeping Austin Original
As you’ve read throughout the past couple weeks, the ongoing situation with the Columbus Crew and the shockingly bold and unrepentant deceit from scumbag Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt and scumbag MLS Commissioner Don Garber and the #SaveTheCrew movement are much more than a “huh, that’s interesting” moment or mere hashtag and rallying cry.
This is all deeply personal and this leads me to the next chapter in this winding, unfolding saga:
Authenticity.
More specifically, authenticity in Austin, Texas.
“Keep Austin Weird” is the signature slogan that personifies the culturally weird city of Austin, Texas. And that weirdness is viewed as an affectionate label internally and externally. Moreover, it’s important to understand not only what makes Austin weird, but who makes Austin such a weirdly fun place to live.
Rick Smith, a current resident of Austin who used to live in suburban Columbus, recently spoke with news outlet MyStatesman located in Austin about a critical difference between the sports fanbases of Austin and Columbus in an article titled “1 team, 2 cities: Columbus fans ponder possibility of Crew to Austin.”
“A lot of people in Columbus are from there so they associate themselves in my eyes more with the Crew,” he said. “Here, everyone is associated with Dallas, with California, with the (New England) Patriots, Green Bay — with everything else. There’s so many more transplants here that if you bring a soccer team here I don’t think it will be noticed.”
–Chris Bils, MyStatesman Correspondent
Perception (cough cough Austin) versus reality (cough cough Columbus) isn’t always a tricky quandary to navigate, especially when the reality is a wonderfully historic and storied place when not actively sabotaged through horrific TV deals, a mountain of lying and a complete lack of presumed investments to fix small problems that are easily fixable (cough cough improved parking spaces and traffic patterns post-match).
I think I need to get some cough medicine; it’s that time of year.
Let’s always remember the tragic deception involving secret backdoor deals betraying the Columbus Crew and its faithful fans, including innocent Crew staff, for the past four years all began with the inauthenticity of Anthony Precourt and the inauthenticity of MLS Commissioner Don Garber towards Crew Nation and MLS followers as a whole.
BTW: Inauthenticity is putting it very lightly.
If Austin wants an MLS club, then build one from the ground up like Columbus did and work your ass off to make it your own. Being weird, which is literally what defines Austin, means never copying anyone or anything and being unique to your city’s famous rallying cry. In other words, being authentic. If (key word here) Austin wants an MLS club, it needs to evolve the right way like Columbus with Lamar Hunt and his group of admirable business leaders in the mid-’90s. Any other scheme (key word here) to get an MLS club in the image of/literally from another city would be a form of stealing and just flat-out weird…
and not in a good way, Austin.
#SaveTheCrew
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