MLS appears complicit with another effort to relocate one of its inaugural franchises. We all remember the pain we suffered here in San Jose when it befell us. If Columbus Crew fans are going to fight this injustice, and it appears they will, we owe it to them as well as ourselves to lend our support. Let's post all information and discussion in this thread. If there is league-wide solidarity among MLS fans, we can help Save the Crew and also send a message that relocations won't be tolerated any longer in this league.
This whole Columbus crew sale with a clause to let Precourt move the team to Austin is soooooo disgusting. It’s so absurd too because Texas already has 2 teams with anemic attendance. Why would MLS want to move a 3rd team to Texas? Anyhow, how do we help fight this, besides writing emails to the reticent/invisible Mr. Fischer and maybe Kaval? Does Kaval still go to MLS meetings, or did he drop soccer entirely? Should we Protest outside Avaya before the game on Sunday? I feel like we need to do something concrete that will garner media and League attention... are the Ultras doing anything?
A question: did the rest of the league's fans helped us out in anyway during the time of our suffering? Or did the rest of the league's fans turned their heads and looked away?
Social media had not yet taken hold back in 2004-05. The opportunity is much greater now to organize league-wide insurrections among fans.
Worse... many of them mocked us, gleefully repeated that it was for the good of the league and told us to get over it. Not that I'm for this potential move, but just answering your question. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Please let me know if there is an Ultras tifo fund I can donate to, to help pay for such a message. It would be the most effective way I can think of for folks to see what San Jose fans think about this.
More accurately, did a few a-holes on BigSoccer support our move? Like Don said, we are better than that, and need to support the Columbus fans. If you feel the need to vent, Bobby, it should be fvck Garber, fvck MLS, fvck Precourt.
I personally plan to boycott: (1) Austin's MLS team whenever it comes to Avaya. I won't attend and my seats will remain empty. (2) All MLS league sponsors as well as sponsors of the Austin MLS team. https://www.mlssoccer.com/league/partners (3) The City of Austin, Texas and any burb in which it may locate its stadium. I urge other like-minded fans league-wide to do the same.
Thank you Goodsport, as you're the only one that actually answered my question. Peace out Columbus, you've had a good run. You've danced on our graves once, now you can dance on yours, alone.
Austin is a different market -- even though it's Texas, it's not Houston or Dallas. Eventually there should be a team there and everywhere. But not the Crew. I don't care who said what in 2005. I wouldn't want to inflict that level of loss and suffering on any other soccer fan. But I also don't see much of an organized effort right now -- looks like they're sending emails to Garber's assistant, but that's about it.
This is a pretty good read of the battle Columbus has to face. It's not just the Columbus Crew owner and Columbus vs Austin. It affects Cincinnati and San Antonio expansions too. Then there is also the approvals from other league team owners. http://www.espnfc.us/club/columbus-...hill-battle-with-austin-to-retain-crew-in-mls As stated in the article, the other team owners are unlikely to stand in the way for a move. Still, would it make sense to write to our own owner to vote No?
Our owner is more concerned right now with building a ballpark for his baseball farm team in the ghetto wasteland that is Oakland. And why would he bother to vote No while knowing half of the current ownerships are the same people who voted Yes to take away San Jose's team in the first place. I will say the same thing to Columbus that all the other fans have said to us back in 2005: Just get over it.
I think it does. Social media has the ability to make Sporting franchises answerable to their supporters. As Brooks Peck of Dirty Tackle has pointed out, soccer in America is run first and foremost as a business, without looking at the needs of the sport or its fans. MLS’s big plan is to build fan experiences, which build loyalty, and thus revenue. Moving any team is a big negative experience, and all fans need to back up other fan groups by making this clear to MLS. Putting owners’ greed ahead of the fans is not going to be accepted anymore. We are the body, we should be able to make the head move where we want it to. Moving a team when its fan base is NOT moribund, should not be accepted as business as usual anymore.
Who can we write to? Does the don.garber at mlssoccer.com address still work? Does anyone read it? F-Precourt! Keep the Crew in Columbus!! - Mark
Also check this posting for a tweet to a doc with mls-wide email addresses https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/other-teams-results-r.2001630/page-203#post-35989314