Columbus Crew Stadium experience doesn't measure up.

I have been attending matches at Columbus Crew Stadium since it opened in 1999.  It is a great venue for high school soccer and I have enjoyed many a reserve match there. I have watched my son referee there and truly enjoyed the experience. Watching an MLS match is not an enjoyable experience for me. In fact, I have never had a "great" MLS experience at Columbus Crew Stadium.

Three experiences will serve to highlight what I perceive to be short-comings in marketing and presentation.

1) The first time I took my young family to Columbus Crew Stadium I purchased tickets in advance from the Crew Ticket office. I explained I was bringing my family including 2 young sons ages 11 & 7 and wanted to purchase good seats in a "family oriented area".  They sold me seats in the north end zone right in the middle of what today is known as The Cult of the Crew rowdy fan section.  The vulgar chants, cussing and swearing were so bad, we left rather than subject our young children to such behavior and language.

Note: I am not against rowdy fans / behavior, but I have a real issue with the Columbus Crew if this is what they believe is a family atmosphere.

2) On a subsequent trip to Columbus Crew Stadium we took our 3 young sons to see the Crew play. I purchased lower level tickets along the west touchline for the family so as to avoid the "rowdy adult section".  This worked out pretty well in that regard. Friends of ours had purchased $10 tickets in the upper level for the match.  Imagine my surprise when less than 10 minutes into the match a Columbus Crew Stadium usher seated our friends who had purchased the cheap tickets in the row in front of us.  I paid more than double per ticket from the Columbus Crew ticket office and here they were getting the same experience I was.  I couldn't very well complain openly at the time but I did contact the Columbus Crew offices the following Monday. They explained to me it was a televised game and they wanted to fill the lower bowl so as to present the image of a large crowd.  Yes sir, they admitted to purposefully upgrading customers for no other reason than to present a better image for those watching on television.

I proposed submitting my ticket stubs for a refund of the money I had spent in excess of those who purchased $10 upper level seats.  Yeah, the Crew didn't go for that either.

3) At every Columbus Crew home match I have attended my ears have been assaulted as if I were at a rock concert or in a crowded bar.  It's so ridiculously loud as to be difficult to carry on a conversation with those around you. Piped in music blaring from pregame through post game. Even the announcements, often made over the top of the music, are obnoxiously loud.  When I go into a restaurant or bar where the music / atmosphere is that loud I always become suspicious - What are they attempting to distract my attention from?  What are they attempting to cover up?  In the Columbus Crew's case it might be the vulgar chants and general potty mouthed language coming from a very vocal minority of crazy fans.  Can their product, the Columbus Crew soccer team, not stand on its own?  (It most certainly can!)

For high school and reserve matches the Columbus Crew Stadium is a great venue. Take your family and enjoy quality time. You can actually converse with one another, discuss your favorite players as you watch them warm up / play, discuss strategy, play and highlights/ One can generally have a great time with family and friends. It can be an intimate setting to see a sporting event, unless the Columbus Crew are playing when it is like watching a soccer match while attending a rock concert. I like soccer and I like rock concerts just not at the same time. It's a shame because Major League Soccer has improved over the years. It still isn't Champions League or Bundesliga quality but it has improved tremendously over the years.


***** Frankie Hejduk (pictured above) is a wonderful ambassador for the Columbus Crew and MLS. My sons were walking the upper concourse during half time of last nights match when Treg recognized Mr. Hejduk exiting a suite. The never shy Lance introduced himself to Mr. Hejduk and I understand a conversation about ODP and Academy soccer ensued. Mr Hejduk was wearing his 2008 MLS Championship ring and that made almost as big an impression on the kids as he himself did. Kudos to Frankie Hejduk!