If that happened...I don't really know how to express my outrage. It's getting harder to sing the anthem all the time - and not just because of syncronization.
From what I was told, the undercovers sent in an under ager to do the buying. Thanks again, Hamburglar and RoleModel for setting the event up. Had an amazing time, this incident aside. It was great meeting you both, and Dirtskier as well.
I was standing in front of the tent from about 430 to about 630(?) and saw the UC's come up to the tent. Reason I knew they were UC's is because my friend who met me there said the same two women (UC's) busted a guy earlier in their group for underage drinking. It did look like she walked to the table and purchased tickets. A long while later we see the Ohio State trooper suv coming down the aisle and then I look around to see the same women UC's with 1 guy in cuffs and they were asking the guy at the table, who I believe said he was from Baltimore, to come around then put him in cuffs. After that more UC's started showing up to disperse the crowd, shutting down the tent and taking the beer. From what I read on FB though the two guys were let go by 7pm and should have made it to the game.
We had a great time. My wife and my fourth qualifier together at Crew Stadium--the last three Mexico matches and last year's Jamaica match. My fifth including Jamaica in 2004. My estimate is 90 to 95% USA fans. Will this match return to Columbus in 2017? Will the CONCACAF format change as was proposed for this cycle when CONCACAF expected four spots? I'd like to see the game stay in Columbus. The stadium is on the large size for soccer specific MLS stadiums and convenient for such a large part of the East and Midwest. Not so much for us Californians. We stood in the upper south endline section with tickets I bought through USSSC. The energy in stadium was great until the coordinated chanting/singing through the speaker system late in the first half. Major fail and unnecessary.
T I paid 20 for my parking pass. I eats kind of late to the stadium and couldn't figure out where the Mega Tailgate was. I guess I didn't print out the right info to get me to the right spot. The Charlotte AO let us hang out at their tent.
It happened. This is false. It was not an underager. It was one of the Liquor Control agents, and I'd estimate she was in her 40's. This is true. I was in my seat by 7:25 pm. My experience was partially ruined, but once in the supporters section, it all kind of went away. Unfortunately, I still have a court date to attend and large fine likely. Frustrating thing is, I wasn't trying to make money on this. The practice of accepting money for beer from people without beer to donate started earlier in the day when I was not policing the tent. When I came back, it was happening, and I should have thought better than to just go along with it. The atmosphere was rocking at the tailgate at that time, and I didn't want to turn anyone away. Needless to say, I'll never organize anything like this again.
Ahh, okay. Thanks for clearing that up, glad the police didn't actually stoop that low. Glad you got out and made it in on time.
Sorry you had to go through that. Wish we could have formally met seeing I was standing right there the whole time.
I am truly sorry this happened to you, and there is no excuse that it did happen. Just another example of a state agency justifying their jobs but making a bogus arrest. Perhaps an email or phone call, or even a post on this site saying -hey be careful? No it's all about arrests. Shamefull action and it could have happened to any one. Most cops I met in Columbus were honorable and helpful...these dishonored their badges IMO.
Hey nancy b...I was there too! I am from Charlotte of course - probably said hello. Went over to Mexican tent for awhile and had a blast there before coming back to qco (queen city outlaws)
Yeah. It could very easily have been handled by CPD with a warning of "hey you can't do that" instead of this. Whether Mike wants to our not, I think we will probably have a "passing of the hat" around once he knows what is going to happen to help pay any fines.
Someone on the bus ride back to DC was talking about the beer tent being shut down. Ridiculous. I remember something similar happening in Foxboro at MLS Cup 1999. I wish I had found the tent. We got to the parking lot around 5:00, and a friend of mine and I tried to find the tailgate, but we heard rumors about cops hassling the tailgate, so I assume that must have been what the rumors were about. We went in around 5:30, and ended up getting seats in a pretty good location, about three rows back behind the goal.
to be fair, I, too, had an encounter with the CPD pre-match, and I found them to be quite accommodating in this regard. I parked on Wyandotte St, just west of the tracks, and made my way across the well-worn path that leads to the west parking lot (as I've done literally dozens of times before), only to be greeted by a handful of columbus' finest once I got past all the foliage. they informed me that I was trespassing, took a look at (and photographed) my drivers license, and told me that if I was caught doing it again, i'd be in trouble. they were pleasant enough, and took a moment to tell me the alternative post-game routes back to my car (not that I didn't already know) before letting me continue the shortcut across the tracks. they were obviously there for this very purpose and will have presumably confronted dozens of folks; but I thought them quite decent and perfectly respectful.
Hey @gvazqu1 , remember how you were ridiculing the notion that the US fans would heavily outnumber the Mexicans and saying it would be 60-40 at best. It wasn't even close to to that, I'd say 75-25 at BEST.
Their apparent presence was even less than that. The Mexican fans were so scattered across the stadium where it looked more like a 90-10 advantage.
They could have made their alternative route suggestions without photographing your drivers license, which you didn't have to produce because you weren't driving and because the police weren't detaining or arresting you.