Worst run FO in the league?

But that franchise is still being run better. It's going from a dying state and incredibly boring city to one of the fastest growing and coolest towns in the US. If I was a player, I'd be thrilled. As an away fan, I'm stoked. I'm already looking forward to a trip down there. It sucks for the fans in Columbus, but the man is smart for wanting to move. No major pro sports and the only competition in town is the Longhorns.

I do agree that AS A FAN being stuck with Upper Middle Class Jay is pretty bad, but better than no team.

 

I don't think Columbus and Austin are different enough to call it a good move. What does one city being cool and the other being boring have to do with running a soccer team?

As someone who has been in Columbus for the last four years, the city isn't dying, Precourt's support for the team died. Which puts him at the bottom of the list for sure.

MLS is obviously a young league, but Columbus has one of, if not the richest histories in the league, destroying that to be cool might be nice for you to travel to, but not for MLS as a whole.

 

This. You may want to read up on the savethecrew movement. Columbus is in fact a growing city despite it's rust belt reputation with demographics similar to Austin. There are multiple Fortune 500 companies based in the area.

Most Crew fans now believe in hindsight that Anthony Precourt started driving away fans from the moment he bought the team 5 years to justify the move to Austin he'd planned all along (it's come out the he put a specific clause in his purchase agreement that allowed him to move the team specifically to Austin if certain business metrics weren't met). He's essentially zeroed out the marketing budget, disengaged with team sponsors, and stopped doing even basic maintenance on the stadium...they were caught serving rotten hot dogs easier this season. I'm sure fans would show up to a lot more games if he was trying to drive them away.

Austin may be a great City for MLS, but that doesn't justify kicking the fans in Columbus to the curb.

 

The funny thing is that I grew up a tad under 2 hours away from Columbus. It was the closest city to my home town. I actually have a lot of nostalgia for it. But Austin is literally growing at twice the rate of Columbus. Precourt is going to look smart in the long term for the move. The move upsetting traditionalists and people in Columbus is one thing...saying that he's running his franchise poorly is another.

 

You haven't been paying close attention to the Crew saga have you? In a nutshell..........Precourt (Crew Owner) doesn't have the money, nor the business acumen to run a quality pro sports team. He's already screwing up his bid to go to Austin, what has he done that demonstrates he can run a good organization?

Supporters, casual fans, local businesses, and the local government in Columbus have been alienated by Precourt since the day he took over the Crew. The only reason they are good on the field is because that blind squirrel found Greg Berhalter to run the soccer side of the operation for him. Berhalter runs that entire side of the show...................he's the scout, he's the GM, etc.......

I'm sure @drewuke could give us a better perspective of things from the Columbus end as well. The above is just the tip of the ice berg of incompetence that Precourt has shown.

The Union are in a way better situation then the Crew.

 

I mean, the man signed a broadcast deal for the Crew where fans in the market couldn't watch the team on TV. He certainly has done an absolutely shit job in Columbus.

 

You're really making my point for me. Given all of that...in the last three years, his team has still made the MLS finals and Eastern Conference Finals...and sit in front of the Union as we type.

Jay is such a bad owner that a dude who's trying to subterfuge his way to moving the franchise elsewhere get better results.

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather Sugarman be the owner of the team I root for...because he can't even afford to think about moving.

But Precourt has gotten better results and is trying to increase the value of his franchise by moving to a more lucrative locale. I'm aware this is an unpopular opinion, but you can't objectively say that the Union are any better run based on results. For every slight Precourt intentionally commits, the Union have roof holes, no scouting department, garbage truck promotions, and a mild slur for a shirt sponsor. And it's done out of sheer incompetence, not an attempt at being the villain from Major League.

 

Really? The hole is the roof has been fixed. Crew Stadium has ongoing health code violations. The scoreboard caught fire a few seasons ago. Yes, they have been successful on the field. That is all on Berhalter though. Let's not pretend that Precourt is actually spending any more money then he has to on the roster.

That "mild slur" of a shirt sponsor, is the largest Bakery in this hemisphere. Their North American HQ is located in this area too. Find another company that is willing to pony up the same amount of cash or more for a sponsorship and we all can move on. Seriously, the only person I have ever heard use the word Bimbo is my 70 yr old mother.

The Union are actually building out a scouting department. Also, the Union aren't the only team that is lacking in this area in the league. Let's not act like every team has a global scouting network. Outside of the NY clubs, and maybe Toronto and Atlanta, teams are largely still depending on their GM/SD/TD and coaches to do the bulk of their scouting.

For as much shit that is due to be flung at Sugarman, he has owned up to making mistakes. He's taken steps to correct those mistakes as well. He's admitted that taking a hands off approach and letting the experts run things was not good enough. So he parted ways with Nick Sak, and restructured the organization with competent people.

Precourt is a trust fund brat spending the allowance his daddy gives him. If he ********s up the Austin move, which is looking more likely. Seriously, the guy doesn't have a parking plan and has been trying to get the city to pay for everything. Newsflash...........Columbus was going to build him a new stadium in their arena district at no cost to him and he said no thanks. Does that sound like a guy who knows what he's doing? Make no mistake, if he bungles the Austin move Kraft, Uncle Phil and the rest of the MLS BOG members will boot his ass off of MLS Island with as slim as a profit as possible.

 

We have an entire 14 page thread filled with the miserable failures of the front office. For every screw up the Crew have made, the Union have something just as bad. The building has health code violations? The parking lot in Chester is literally built on top of toxic material. Yeah, the roof was fixed...after, what, 5 or 6 months?

I can appreciate the sentiment of considering the intent, though. Precourt's chicanery in order to move the team versus the Union as lovable screw ups that are trying in mostly good faith. And, as I've agreed with, as a fan, I'm glad Precourt's isn't the owner of my team.

But in the end the fact remains that they are still outperforming the Union. I'd be thrilled with the results they've had over the last 5 years. And if he does find success in moving the team, he will come out ahead in the end.

 

The Crew to Austin thread has 277 pages and counting............

I'm not glossing over how bad the Union have been on the field, but saying that the Crew and Precourt specifically is more successful overall because of a few seasons of mediocre results is disingenuous.

Precourt doesn't get a pass as a crappy owner just because the Crew have Berhalter at the helm. The Crew spend less on their roster than the Union do............

Are you saying that if the Union were a perennial playoff contender you would overlook/turn a blind eye to all of the other stuff? That is highly doubtful.

 

Could not agree more. Things may not be perfect, but we've come a looong way.

 

Quite frankly, it's problematic to assume a club belongs to the owner and not the community. It wouldn't fly in any other sport or anywhere else in the world.

 

Ohio State is one of the largest universities in the world, and is literally ten minutes away from the Crew Stadium. Yet, if you asked a random student about the Crew, the majority would have no idea they existed, and if they did, no idea where they played. This is a larger issue than just Precourt, but the efforts on campus have definitely been lessened over my time there. The presence today is almost non-existent. There's no public transportation to the stadium (again a larger issue, but still) and no shuttle from campus. Crew games are also not on a channel available on all cable providers, which are also not available on Ohio State's cable.

When I first got here, there would ads on campus and people had jobs specifically to recruit fans on campus and in the city, and they slowly stopped and went away.

The single instance I remember is when the Crew went to the Final in 2015 and also rebranded around the same time. There was a real buzz and excitement around the city, and then the team just let it fade. The last few years have been nothing but lack of advertisements, bad tv deals, and bad stadium decisions. Either the money stopped flowing, or they purposely let the Crew die in Columbus, most likely both. Which is a shame considering how much money is in MLS now.

I think @WVUPharm2007 might be correct, and Austin might be a better MLS city. At the moment I personally think Austin is a lateral move at best and might not work at all. But it's unpredictable sometimes to predict how well a city will work or not, especially in today's MLS.

The real issue is that they don't deserve the Crew. Nobody deserves the Crew except Columbus. So many firsts in modern American soccer history and Dos-a-Cero as well.

It doesn't me feel like Philly will lose the Union or any shit like that. It just makes me feel worse about MLS. The NFL can get away with it because it is clearly the best league in the world (although I already have a lot of issues with the NFL, but that's a different long post) but MLS trying to pull this is a joke. They can't market the fans every day, and then abandon their fans who have been with the league literally the longest, Columbus was the first MLS club.

To recap, Columbus got ********ed and shouldn't lose their team, Austin might be a good MLS city, and MLS doesn't need the bad press.

 

I met with McDermott during a majority of the second half on Saturday. We watched the game together and I regurgitated a lot of what I'm always saying here.

Didn't really learn anything new that I can report back to you guys, but it was nice of him to engage with me after a twitter rant and take the time.

He seems to be an advocate of bringing in a bigger Rooney style player and hopes ownership will make a move like that, spoke pretty positive about the new guy they brought into the group. (obviously bringing in a big name would make his job easier, so not really surprising there) Says we are still around 10,000 STHs, and if we were to get a player like that we'd probably get around 2K more. With 12K STHs he thinks the place would be sold out every game. We also talked a lot about relevance in the market and how they need to basically figure out how to get more in the consciousness of the the Philly sports fan.

Again, nothing ground breaking, but it was a nice conversation.

 

I didn't get it. Can you post it here?

 

To all Sons of Ben past and present,



We need you. It’s time to rally the city of Philadelphia. It’s time to tell every soccer-loving, sports-loving, passionate Philadelphia fan that we need them this Sunday when we battle our rivals from New York. Every single SOB has given their heart to this team. The Sons of Ben brought this team to Philadelphia. It’s time to rise again!



This is about Philly sports pride and defending our dirt! Let’s tell every person we know to wear their Union gear, to carry the flag, and to create a home field advantage that Philadelphians are known for. You know how big Sunday’s game is. It’s our chance to take a giant leap towards a home playoff game. It’s a chance to show we belong. We can’t erase history, but we can define a new beginning.



This club exists because of you. 10 years ago, you started a movement. Now, your Philadelphia Union are in the midst of their most successful regular season in team history. This team has reached 50 points for the first time. It has the most wins in club history. It has experienced success away from home like no Union team ever has. It has clinched a playoff berth for the third time in team history. But we want more! We want to bring a home playoff game to you, our loudest and most passionate fans. It all starts this Sunday against the Red Bulls.



We need you here. We need you to make this the most hostile place to play in MLS. The Red Bulls are expected to bring hundreds of supporters to the match on Sunday. Let’s not just pack the stands, let’s rock it! Let’s bring energy and noise like it’s our first game ever in Talen Energy Stadium.



Let’s do this - together.



Defend the River End!



Tim McDermott
Chief Business Officer

 

I don’t know if it’s desperate, I think they just recognize this as an opportunity to capture some of that early 2010-2011 magic. TRE is a shadow of itself now, but finally being good, playing a top rival who is also really good, and having the away section packed is a great opportunity to show people who weren’t here early on how awesome a Union game can actually be. But you need TRE packed and rowdy.

 

I'm not a SOB member. Never have been. That's why I didn't get it.

I think that SOBs on the whole care more about the Eagles than the Union. Is that an accurate statement?

 

I am an SOB, have been since before the team. That being said, I am in name only anymore. The old guard has moved on. Things have changed, and as a result, active membership must be down. It is NOT the organization I joined way back when.

btw - I dont give a rats butt about the Eagles!

 

I am [a Republican], have been since before [Trump]. That being said, I am in name only anymore. The old guard has moved on. Things have changed, and as a result, active membership must be down. It is NOT the organization I joined way back when.

 

Here's a thought if you want more people to show up...

DON'T SCHEDULE HOME GAMES HEAD TO HEAD WITH THE EAGLES!

I realize this isn't always as simple as it seems...see my post in the RBNY game thread for my thoughts on these considerations.

 

The MLS schedule comes out in January. The NFL schedule comes out in April.

One way to fix this would be to have all games in September and October be tentative. Once the NFL schedule comes out, MLS could adjust its fall schedule accordingly. More difficult than it sounds due to availability of TV slots, but better than the current situation.

FWIW, all Eastern Conference teams (other than New England) play at 3:00 EDT on Sunday. All Western Conference teams play at 5:00 EDT on Sunday.

On October 28, all MLS teams other than RSL play at 4:30 EDT.

As an MLS fan that also likes to attend games, I don't like the fact that I don't have the ability to watch any other Eastern Conference game and, at a minimum, will miss the first half of all Western Conference games this weekend, and I will miss watching all games on "Decision Day".

 

I stopped thinking of myself as a SOB a long time ago but had my tix in TRE up until this year and my dad still does. I would totally go to this game over watching the Eagles, but unfortunately childrens’ birthday parties seem to be controlling my schedule.