http://www.espnfc.com/columbus-crew-sc/story/3231574/columbus-crew-sc-exploring-relocation-to-austin-tx

I'm kinda surprised there isn't a thread already. Looks like the crew is going to move if they can't get a new tax payer funded stadium. I'm not really sure how i feel about that. I don't have any real experience with soccer stadiums. I've been to a handful of crew games and it didn't seem to me that the stadium was an issue.

Yeah, I'm a dumb ass who can't tell the difference between college and pro sports, or figure out how to delete a thread.

I moved it, so people can talk about minor league soccer franchises in the appropriate place!

Heretic;1877692 wrote:I moved it, so people can talk about minor league soccer franchises in the appropriate place!

lol--ouch!

Meh, it's MLS; a league for old guys past their prime who want a victory lap before retiring and for guys not good enough for the overseas leagues. My main worry would be if MAPFRE doesn't have the Crew, would that affect the location's viability for other, more important, events like Rock on the Range?

It's being talked about in the 2017 Soccer Chatter thread.

Sucks. Been a Crew fan since Day 1. It's not final, but probably 99.5% sure they are done in Columbus. If they stay, it won't be with the current ownership -- no way he'd be welcomed back in the city. He's turned down two buyers (if not more) already. Not really interested in selling because he got the club on a steal.

Only real hope is MLS forces him to sell to keep Columbus in the league. Don't see that happening either.

Pretty much gone to Austin.

OSH;1877705 wrote:It's being talked about in the 2017 Soccer Chatter thread.

Sucks. Been a Crew fan since Day 1. It's not final, but probably 99.5% sure they are done in Columbus. If they stay, it won't be with the current ownership -- no way he'd be welcomed back in the city. He's turned down two buyers (if not more) already. Not really interested in selling because he got the club on a steal.

Only real hope is MLS forces him to sell to keep Columbus in the league. Don't see that happening either.

Pretty much gone to Austin.

Will Austin build them a stadium? Is there anything wrong with the current stadium?

Heretic;1877698 wrote:Meh, it's MLS; a league for old guys past their prime who want a victory lap before retiring and for guys not good enough for the overseas leagues. My main worry would be if MAPFRE doesn't have the Crew, would that affect the location's viability for other, more important, events like Rock on the Range?

Lol, same.

FatHobbit;1877706 wrote:Will Austin build them a stadium? Is there anything wrong with the current stadium?

From what I gather on Twitter, there is nothing wrong with the stadium other than it is not right downtown. I go there once a year (for a concert, not a game) and it seems just fine to me, condition-wise.

As for Austin, I've seen multiple people say they do not even have room for a stadium in the downtown area of that city, either.

FatHobbit;1877706 wrote:Will Austin build them a stadium? Is there anything wrong with the current stadium?

Doubtful there's actually anything wrong with Mapfre; owners of pro sports teams just get excited about the concept of owning the best stadium for their sport and decide that taxpayers should foot the load for their luxury projects, under threat of them living for greener pastures if the city doesn't bend over and take it. Happens in all the pro sports.

Austin's mayor has said there will be no public funding for the stadium.

Mapfre is fine. But, US soccer "fans" are babies. It's not "new." It doesn't have bells, whistles, or shiny things. It's not in my back yard (gasp, I have to drive 4 miles!).

They'll move to Austin. There'll be 3 of the bottom 6 attendance figures in MLS located in Texas. Good job by MLS and USSF leadership. They allowed it. There was 0.05% chance that the Crew owner wanted to keep them in Columbus, and that was probably supported by MLS/USSF ownership.

Anyone going to the playoff game tonight?

I wish I could be there. First Halloween with my family in 4+ years, so I'll be doing the dad duties there. Sounds like it'll be a packed house, regardless of how PSV has treated it.

Columbus really putting it all out there. Still can't make it to a playoff game. Sucks, I have training when the matches are going on.

Enjoy this run! Hopefully Crew remain in Columbus for many years.

By the sound of the reports from last night, Columbus mayor meeting with Crew owner and MLS did not go over well.

Unless something extremely drastic happens, Crew are done in Columbus. Sucks.