Stadium Visit: Columbus Crew Stadium
02/18/2008 1:43 PM
The world's most popular sport has always struggled to get a toehold in the United States. But you can hardly tell that at Crew Stadium, the home of the Columbus Crew (MLS). Columbus is a soccer hotbed and loves its team. The Crew came to life with the founding of Major League Soccer in 1996, playing for three seasons at Ohio Stadium, better known as the home for Ohio State's football team. Interest ran high from the start, as the lowest home attendance the Crew attracted in its first three years was 10,121. Still, Ohio Stadium's main appeal as a soccer facility was its availability until a new home pitch could be built. After a couple of false starts (two referendums went down to defeat at the polls), the team finally made a deal to lease land owned by the Ohio Expositions Commission. Since Ohio Stadium was due to undergo a serious renovation in the summer of 1999 and wasn't going to be available to the Crew, time was suddenly of the essence. Lamar Hunt, one of the team's founding fathers, decided his Hunt Sports Group would pay for the new stadium. They got at it in a hurry, building the stadium in nine months for a rather most $28.5 million. So it was on May 15, 1999, Columbus ushered in a new era when an over-capacity house of 24,741 saw the Crew defeated New England, 2-0. This was not a stadium built to resemble the comforts of home. Rather, it is along the lines of a good D-II football facility...or a small version of English soccer stadia. Although it may appear to be a no-frills facility, what you discover is ol' Lamar and his buddies knew what would work. As a result, folks come to soccer games in Columbus and have a very good time. The Crew did not spend foolishly. Since the stadium was built on the edge of the State Fairgrounds, the team simply took nearby land and turned it into a parking lot. Because the team only plays 15 regular-season home games (and there are only a few other events held here, such as a concert or an occasional all-star game), there was no need to spend money to pave a parking lot. So, for the most part, people park on the grass. The price ($7) might seem a bit high to some, but there really is no choice as the street is far away. Parking a car that way lends to a country fair-like atmosphere. On the night of our visit, there were several families enjoying the nice night tailgating. Some chose to fly the Crew flag (or the flag of the country of their favorite player). There were only a few attendants on hand to supervise, but it all seems to go in an orderly fashion. If you really have a need to get close, there is some VIP parking (for $10) in a paved lot. By its nature, a soccer-only stadium isn’t going to have a lot of nooks and crannies inside. So, to keep folks from getting bored, the Crew opened things up outside the gates with a huge plaza. The first thing you see is an 84-foot soccer ball painted with the Crew's black and gold colors. There were a couple of small fenced-in fields for small soccer games, as well as the obligatory bandshell for a pregame concert (on this night, "Lovesick" had the honors) and a small playground for the children. There is another area where you can demonstrate your kicking skills as well as the usual concession/souvenir stands. Columbus likes to think of itself as a working man's city. But the prices at the team’s souvenir shop makes one think they are paying some fine wages in town. T-shirts ran for $20. A hat will run you $25. A soccer ball – that’s right, just the ball – runs you $50. And so it went...right up to a jersey (not even gameworn) for $135. This seems a little steep to some but it is the exception here rather than the rule. Programs, for example, were free. For the most part, Crew Stadium seating is intended to be efficient. There are the standard luxury boxes (1,191 seats in all), and most of them were full the night of our visit. The only seats with armrests are a three-section area on the bench side of the field. The rest of the stadium seats are simply bleachers with backs on them. No posts, no problem. The seats that go along the field run $24, with the upper deck going for $20. The folks that seemed to be having the most fun sat in the end zones. At the far end of the field, a lengthy area where you can get close to the action, a seat runs $17. Under the scoreboard on the other end is one of the best deals in sports, a $14 seat with a great view of the field. The section sits on top of a covered stand that appeared to be serving as a picnic area and an extra storage facility. As it develops, a lot of the Crew fans like to stand anyway. (At the non-scoreboard end, they like it so much they set up a specific area where fans could stand.) The team put up a sign reminding them to behave and let people pass. "As long as they don't hurt anybody, they can stand just about anywhere they want," said Frank, an usher working in the end zone. One unusual thing about tickets: get them in advance. They cost an extra two bucks the day of the game. |
Although most of the concession stands offer the usual stadium staples, there are some unusual choices here. Feeling extra hungry? Try an 85-ounce popcorn container for a very reasonable $5.50. Have an extra thirst in your mouth? A Jack Daniels concoction sells for $6.50. In what must be an Ohio-Michigan thing, a very large can of beer goes for $8. But the game’s the thing, right? After the Crewsers – the team’s dance line – did a quick number, the public address announcer dropped in this thought before introducing the players: “Please respect the referees and players and refrain from making negative comments during tonight’s game.” Then, in the finest tradition of the sport’s supposedly polite ways, both teams ran onto the field holding hands with kids from youth soccer teams. When it came time to introduce the starting lineups, the local lads were introduced by first name only. I wondered why until I overheard this conversation: He: “What’s 11’s last name?” She: “All I know is he is Ned and he is cute.” Game on. Once the game starts, it’s pretty much all business. Soccer is basically a nonstop chess match. The P.A. announcer stayed out of it for the most part, informing us of corner kicks, substitutions and scoring plays. The small scoreboard at the end offered running video (all Crew games are televised), and a couple of small side scoreboards kept us up-to-date on time and score. For a westerner used to minor-league-baseball histrionics, it takes a while to get used to this. But here's the interesting part: the young crowd paid intense attention to the game. When Ned Grabavoy booted one off an opponent's hand into the net for the game's first goal (as it turned out, it was the Crew's first goal of the season), the resulting uproar resembled the end of a Super Bowl game. Canons roared and confetti exploded all over the field. The New England goal area resembled a four-year old's bedroom the rest of the first half. The chanters were in fine voice for the next several minutes while the debris was shoveled away. The game was afoot from there, and the locals didn’t need any scoreboard or cheerleader help. They muttered to themselves when New England scored the next two goals and cheered anxiously when the Crew made several charges up the field, leading to a second (albeit a bit more muted) explosion when Kei Kamara scored with four minutes remaining to produce the draw. Most games that end in a tie (there are no overtime or shootouts in regular-season MLS games) leave the attending populace unsatisfied. Not here. The Crew crowd seemed perfectly content with this result – and absolutely ecstatic they saw two home team goals in one sitting. Thus, one walked away with the distinct feeling that the game really is the thing here. While enjoyable and entertaining, one got the idea the team felt most of the pregame activities on the plaza were diversions intended to please the western palate and the very young crowd that might not appreciate soccer's nuances. Once inside, the Crew want fans to sit (or stand) and watch the game, dammit. The fact they do so is a tribute to the team and how well the game has caught on in this community. Soccer is not everybody's cup of tea but the loyalists will brook no argument. "The season is twice as long as Ohio State's (football season), and the regulars are just as passionate," said Frank, the usher. "The people who come here really like this sport. They sold out the women's game here last year, you know." Dave Wright is senior editor with August Publications.
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