The Toast of the Town

Every August my father takes his kids to the Ohio State Fair. Mom would generally avoid the indistinguishable August stench from the pig barn and the average fair patron. But, we all delighted in the best breakfast of the year – elephant ears and milk shakes – and the crowning event of the morning, a ride down the giant yellow slide. As part of the ritual, every child was allowed to play one of the carnival games to win a prize. After years of scientific experimentation, I figured out that the birthday guessing game was your best bet at coming home with a stuffed animal or a knick-kanck that would soon become a dog chew toy.

One summer I remember my friend, Evan Ruff, was invited to join along. Both Evan and I played and, given my decision in games, we both won. Oddly enough, we both selected as our prize what might have been the dumbest trend in sportsfan wear of the mid-nineties - the Dr. Seuss Hat. Evan chose a red and grey one. It was versatile and could be worn at his schools sporting events and moments of Ohio State pride - which are not rare inside of I-270. I choose black and gold. At the time I was one of the few, the proud Columbus Crew Soccer fans.

Like several others, I was swept up in Crew-mania when the MLS came to town. As a teenager, the team came to me at a time when my mind was fertile grounds for sports heroes and passion. I played soccer, so it was only natural.

But, like the career of Doctor Khumalo, the road for the MLS and crew have not always been smooth. Liquidating teams in Florida. A general decline in attendance after the initial hoopla. A poor showing by an MLS dominated US national team in the 1998 world cup. All seemed to be heading in the wrong direction at the turn of the millennium.

But, over the past few years, the trend has reversed. Despite these economic times, the MLS is essentially financial solvent. Attendance is picking up. Additionally, the sporting culture is becoming more mature. With the Nordeck, a supporter’s section has come to Columbus that provides a unique sporting experience. Previously the crew supporter’s section drew 75 people on a good day. Now they are averaging over 2,000 in the section.

With all of this, somehow my youthful obsession with the black and gold finally feels rewarded. The day after Harvard once again toppled the bulldogs, my sporting weekend was rescued when the Crew won the MLS Cup. When other people saved the front page when Obama swept, I asked my parents to save Monday's Columbus Dispatch.

To me it seems that the MLS and the Crew are defining its own piece of the pie. Hopefully it will continue to grow and mature so that I can return to game once Dr. Seuss hats are back in style.

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Sampling of the Nordecke