If Zak hasn't said this, he has strongly implied it by stating he is considering getting the MLS Shootout and then tailgating in the parking lot while listening to the radio. I, for one, am thinking of doing the same. I think the only games I will go to will be to unfurl the "Fire Andrulis" banners that should be so prominently displayed.
zak has it right: what the crew management wants is season ticket sales. im not giving them my season ticket money. that doesn't mean that i won't be at games.
So Splarg let me get this straight, does this mean that in order to support a club you have to chuck money at them? If the answer is no then what is the difference between following the team on the radio versus following them in the stadium?
Just so this is straight I wasn't questioning the dedication of anyone to the club. I am as dissappointed as anyone and believe me if it weren't the girlfriend I would have missed several games this past season out of sheer disgust. I actually booed my own side for the first time this past season, which is a big event for me. So I completely understand the feelings being expressed here. You can be fed up but still be dedicated to the club. And yeah just seeing these guys win at home on a somewhat regular basis would be a nice change of pace.
Hey now. The only reason I said "you're welcome" was because you said "thanks". I still can't figure out why you said thanks because no one offered you anything. Its like me saying "I hate democrats because they are morons and blame everyone else for their problems because of the pansies they are. I think I'll continue to hate them, thanks" See, no one offered me anything and no one asked for my opinion. I just hauled off and said thanks for butting in and stating something that no one asked about.
I'm primarily a radio person myself, as that is all i can do for most games. I just think that a fan is someone that does what they can to support their team. (within reason of course) I guess this has gotten a bit out of proportion. I took the meaning of this thead as "Since The Crew are playing crap and we don't like the manager why should we bother seeing them play anymore" but like with all clubs, the club is only as good as its supporters. I just didn't like that it seemed to me that people were giving up all together. If anything, this should bring more of the fans closer together so they can come out next season and really show the players AND the staff what the Crew mean to us by being at the matches and making ourselves really heard.
I have not attended a Crew game in years but I still consider myself a fan. I don't think this thread is people jumping off a bandwagon as much as it is fuming about the organization's commitment to mediocrity. The club is not as good as it's supporters. Fifty one per cent of the money goes to carry unprofitable dead weight in NY, Chicago, and DC. So does allocations, lottery picks, and more rule bending than I care to mention. Show of hands please. Who thinks the Crew's actual salary equals that of NY or Chicago or DC? In most cases this would be a chance for fans to rally and show the club what they mean. But the players lack of effort has shown what the fans mean. The Hunt's reluctance to clean house shows what the fans mean. The league's desire to have competitive markets in certain areas show what the Columbus fans mean to them. Crew fans mean money and nothing else. What I think we are witnessing is another market tuning MLS out.
Fixed your post... its quite obvious that the Hunts nolonger give a rats ass about this team. They probably feel that they've done enough for Columbus, and that things should be working themselves out. This team just pisses me off right now. Greg and Jim are too busing doing the elephant dance with each other to realize what a sh!tty team and organization they have. They couldn't do anything right if their lives depended on it. They're more worried about what new concessions to add or how to get more Buck-a-Brat nights than having a team that is worth a damn and can win at home... and gee... maybe even be near the top of the league.
Whose fault is that? For some reason, I am do not subscribe to the conspiracy theory that the league will not allow us to carry any high priced talent. Just so we don't get a lot of Chicago trolls complaining about this thread --- how much does Damani Ralph make in one year?
Until MLS salaries are in the millions instead of in the general vicinity of working stiffs, I have no problem w/ this. I got a 25% salary increase to move to Chicago, and would have required a damn near a 100% increase to move to either DC or NY. Go to any job site salary calculator and you'll see the difference. MLS salaries are low enough that they are affected by cost of living. Columbus is cheap. Trust me.
What will I do with that money? Pay for my 2004 season tickets, of course. Just like I did the last time we missed the playoffs. The bad goes with the good.