When Austin City Council voted to approve a new stadium deal in August, Columbus Crew owner Anthony “snake” Precourt sat in the audience and smirked.
Precourt was well on his way to relocating Major League Soccer’s founding franchise to Austin, Texas, where he could drink endless amounts of Zima.
But on this day, the billionaire didn’t win. On this day, the grassroots movement of #SaveTheCrew, supported by thousands of die-hard fans, prevailed, and the Crew is staying in Columbus, where it belongs.
In a statement released by MLS on Friday, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam joined forces with a local investor group, headed by Pete Edwards, to buy the team and keep them in Columbus.
“MLS is committed to keeping Crew SC in Columbus,” MLS announced.
Hundreds of fans flocked to Endeavor Brewing in Columbus for the announcement, singing and chanting together, underneath a giant banner that read, “We aint goin’ nowhere.”
Relocations of professional sports teams have become all too accepted in America, but after losing the Browns, Ohio swore it wouldn’t happen again. The people stopped this from happening, and although the working class often feels oppressed and the struggle seems hopeless, it was victory for the common person today.
How’d We Get Here
Precourt bought the Crew in July of 2013 because he wanted to play pro sports owner with his oil-barren daddy’s paycheck. But instead of going through the expansion process and paying the anywhere from $150-$200 million expansion fee, he bought the Crew for $68 million.
The original Crew owner, Lamar Hunt, made Precourt promise he wouldn’t move the team for at least 10 years. But “the snake” included an out clause in the deal, where he could move the team to Austin at any time.
Shortly after the deal was done, Precourt’s scheme was put into place. He sent MLS-approved lobbyists to Austin, registered trademarks for a pro soccer team in Austin and funded a “grassroots” campaign, “MLS to Austin.”
During the Crew’s playoff run in late fall of last year, Precourt made the inconvenient announcement that unless a new downtown stadium was built, the team would be moving to Austin.
Crew and US National Team supporters were beyond baffled. Crew Stadium was less than 20 years old, it was the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States and it was home to the legendary “dos a cero” games against Mexico. Four World Cup qualifying cycles in a row, from 2001-2013, the US team beat Mexico by a score of 2-0 at Crew Stadium.
Not So Fast, Prescum.
It soon became apparent that Precourt had no intention of staying in Columbus, regardless of a new downtown stadium build, and local investors even tried to buy the team at well over market value.
The rich boy was taking his ball and going home to Texas, where is family had made its billions.
But the hashtag, #SaveTheCrew, soon spread like wildfire. Stickers and signs showed up in different continents, at different sporting events, and endorsements from famous soccer people, like Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp, were everywhere.
There was also a lawsuit brought by the City of Columbus and the State of Ohio, against MLS and Precourt, arguing they had violated the “Art Model Law,” where a team can’t leave the state if public funds were used to finance its operations.
This goes beyond a soccer team. This is about how one person was stopped from changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Ohio. Local businesses depend on sports teams to fill their bars and restaurants, to buy merchandise; the franchise itself employs hundreds of people. It stretched all the way to Ashland, as at least two Ashland High School students have played in the Crew Academy.
“The Crew is in good hands. It has been a pleasure serving the community of Columbus and I’m happy something could be arranged for all parties,” Precourt said.
Glory to Columbus, and on this day, glory to justice.
Political Voice
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine released a statement on Friday concerning the Crew:
“Today is a great day for Crew fans, and this is outstanding news for all of Columbus!
“I am proud of the work our legal team has done in ensuring Ohio’s laws are followed and the door has been kept open to productive negotiations. Our community has invested in this team and deserves the opportunity to keep the black and gold right here, where they belong. I appreciate the efforts of the Haslam and Edwards families, and the Columbus Partnership for their work, and I will continue pursuing the case in court until there is a final deal.
“Columbus’s long history as the home of U.S. soccer continues. Central Ohio is not only home to the country’s first professional soccer team and the first soccer-specific stadium; it is also home to the fans that #SavedTheCrew. The dedication, loyalty, and heart of fans shows that the Crew SC community is truly ‘America’s hardest working team.’
“I look forward to watching a future match of Crew SC and FC Cincinnati!”
