Execs from the city of Columbus met yesterday with MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Crew Owner Anthony Precourt "hoping to align interests and find out what it might take" to keep the club in Ohio, but both sides "left the meeting frustrated," according to a front-page piece by Andrew Erickson of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer in a joint statement said Crew ownership and MLS "did not come to the meeting willing to commit to staying." A statement from Precourt Sports Ventures, the Crew's ownership group, was "issued less than an hour later." It noted a "lack of an 'actionable plan and a legitimate offer' from Fischer and Ginther during the meeting to demonstrate the team's long-term viability in Columbus." It also said that the city told PSV it would "not communicate with the ownership group beyond Wednesday." Ginther and Fischer in their statement said, "Great American cities do not get into bidding wars over sports teams to benefit private owners." PSV's statement read, "Despite the city's refusal to make a real offer and its decision to cease conversations, we remain open to a productive dialogue if the City of Columbus reconsiders" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 11/16). Meanwhile, in Austin, Kevin Lyttle reports local attorney Richard Suttle, a lobbyist for MLS retained by PSV, "began pushing professional soccer to the Austin City Council in late July." Suttle said, "There are council members who don't know a whole lot about soccer, so I started sending them information about the sport, kind of paving the way" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 11/16).
NUMBERS NOT ADDING UP: FOURFOURTWO.com's Paul Tenorio cited league sources as saying that there is an "'unsustainable' path in Columbus." The Crew "rank at or near the bottom of the league in nearly every business metric, including commercial revenue, sponsorship revenue, jersey sponsorship, season tickets and season ticket renewals." Those business metrics have "been a trend that have existed for nearly the entire 22-year existence of the Crew franchise." A team source said that the Crew "'struggled' to find a jersey sponsor that would pay even half of the league average." The Crew signed up Acura before the season began. A league source said that the average MLS jersey deal goes for "approximately" $3.6M annually. For comparison, USL club FC Cincinnati this week signed a jersey deal worth "approximately" $5M annually with Mercy Health -- but that is "contingent upon entry into MLS" (FOURFOURTWO.com, 11/15).
LOCAL PRIDE: In Columbus, Michael Arace notes the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday at Mapfre Stadium is a "sellout with caveats." Standing-room tickets were still available yesterday and the Crew's front office said that it was "considering adding bleacher seats on the north stage." This is a "ringing testament to the #SaveTheCrew movement -- and to the generations of Columbus fans and the hundreds of local businesses, large and small, who feel victimized by the team's proposed move to Austin" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 11/16).
