When one of the true Crew greats moves on, should we bury our thoughts in the "2022-2023 Offseason Roster Thread"? I say no. Good luck and thank you to one of the most important Crew players of the modern era. One of only two Crew captains to ever lift MLS Cup.
BREAKING: The San Jose Earthquakes have agreed a deal for defender Jonathan Mensah in a trade with the Columbus Crew, per sources.Mensah, 32, made 159 apps with the Crew, winning 2020 MLS Cup. Mensah in last year of his contract, SJ would cover total salary. pic.twitter.com/Wv3UkMguir— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) February 10, 2023
Jonathan Menah’s time with the Crew was historic for many reasons. He was a constant face during the most tumultuous time in the club’s history, and he wound up seeing it out and will leave the club as an Eternal Champion. What I’ll always remember though is how he won over the fans. There were high expectations for him as a DP, that he most definitely did not immediately meet. I was not kind about his initial performances, and I was far from alone in that sentiment on this board. He evolved into his role, became a steadying force, and one of the most reliable players in this century of Columbus Crew soccer. Once upon a time someone mocked up a t-shirt that said Scot Sedley Was Right. I was wrong about Jonathan Mensah. He proved me wrong and I am so glad he did. Thank you Jonathan, you Eternal Champion. You’ll be missed.
He was remarkable in 2020. Didn't some other league GM is was unfair that the Crew had Mensah, as it was like having two players out there. Has to be one of the most impressive single year performances by any Crew player.
Ever since the last game of last season ended I've felt it was time to move on from Mensah, which pains me to say because he seemed like one of the nicest and most genuine guys to ever put on a Crew jersey. It was time to make the change on the field, but he will be a huge loss on a personal level.
Blue looks good on you, @Jomens25. ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/zOPedG8WGH— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) February 22, 2023 (ಥ﹏ಥ)
Talked with Jonathan for a good 20 minutes tonight at a sparsely attended meet-and-greet. I apologized for our unseasonably cold and wet weather but he brushed it off saying he was from Columbus, where it snows. He had lots of nice things to say about Columbus fans and was a wholehearted supporter of Save the Crew. A fan in his apartment building was heavily involved and gave him almost daily updates. He bought a house in Columbus when he found out the team would be saved and still owns it. He showed me photos on his phone of his extensive framed kit swapped collection, which included national team kits from Landon Donovan and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ask him to show you if you see him in town for a championship reunion. Really personable guy.
Columbus has a long history of sucking in players who thought it was flyover country. Hope to see him back some day and involved with the organization in some way.
I'm not sure if Dante is actually on the team's payroll, but I could definitely see Mensah back in an ambassador role like that.
FWIW, Dante (and Frankie) is still listed as being a part of the FO staff: Dante actually went back to school to prep fopr his post-playing days career. He has earned his MBA from Ohio State in 2011. He then worked at Nationwide for 8 years in marketing and business partnerships development roles before goin to work for the Crew in 2019. I could see Mensah as a team ambassador, in the Frankie mold (althought, admmittedly, I have no idea what Frankie actually does for the club anymore). But Dante did a lot of work after hanging up his boots to earn the roel hsi now has with the team.
Frankie is still very involved in many/all of the community outreach programs. From Ronald McDonald House to mini pitches to delivering meals on Thanksgiving.
Those marketing events could be paid on a per event basis. I doubt Frankie is a full time employee with benefits. If he is, he has a sweet deal that any player would love to have. Jonathan has always been a standup guy in the community and it’s nice to hear some news about him. Thanks to Don as well. I remember Don from the STC days. He was always on our side. Way to go Don!