Highlights, pictures and sounds from the Nordecke fans of the Columbus Crew
Sing, cheer and dance along with Columbus Crew fans in the north corner during a Leagues Cup quarterfinal match against Philadelphia Union.
Do you have any further comments or questions? Contact me at [email protected]. The letters have been lightly edited for clarity.
About the Columbus Crew
To the editors: Thanks for a great article about our Crew. I must say, though, I was a little surprised. My wife and I moved to Columbus in 2020 and as of 2021 we have season tickets. We currently have six season tickets and have enjoyed two championships and many fun times with family at Lower.com. This year I paid about $5,600 for our seats and extra games, so I consider myself a loyal season ticket holder and fan. (I traveled to St. Paul in February to see the Crew play).
I just renewed my season tickets (the cost has increased by 50% starting with the 2023 season) and expressed my displeasure with the price jump to my ticket rep. He followed the party line by explaining: we want to keep winning, players cost a lot, the Haslams are a poor family… I’m kidding on that last point. Although I wasn’t officially informed of the possibility of games in Cleveland when I renewed over the phone, the rep said he could read the fine print in the renewal contract, which I refused to let him do, so that’s up to me.
But the Haslams thinking they can just move a Columbus game to Cleveland to make more money is disgraceful (other words could be used). While I’m holding onto my 2025 season tickets, I probably won’t renew them in 2026 if they try to pull something like that off. I’m very disappointed in the owners.
Dan Foote, Grove City
To Dan: Soccer fans are easily riled up, but this is a subject they have every right to complain about loudly. For one of the most loyal fan bases in American sports to move their team’s game against Messi to Cleveland would be a great insult and a disrespect to the city’s history.
Simone Biles’ impact on mental health continues to resonate
Olympic gymnast Simone Biles has withdrawn from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, having no idea what impact this decision would have on the mental health debate.
USA TODAY
About Simone Biles
To the editors: There is a lot of ignorance in this country about what a hero is. This woman is just a performer. That’s all. She’s a gymnast, not a protector of this country, not a firefighter, paramedic, policeman, etc. These people don’t get any recognition. How sad.
Michael
About Olympic Basketball
To Brian: Professional basketball has expanded competitively around the world. When a country like South Sudan, making its first Olympic appearance, plays the United States close in the practice round (and also in the second half of Group 1 play), it says a lot about the evolution of the game. The United States team has led the NBA in points since 1996, when Duke’s Christian Laettner was the last college player on the team. A few NBA players have represented their country of birth in the Olympics. Manu Ginobili led Argentina to the gold medal in 2004. Kevin Durant, however, is America’s current superstar and the record holder for points in Olympic competition (494).
An All-NBA team (from 1992) won gold in all games except the 2004 games. This team had a less than stellar roster of players. Surprisingly, their coach, Larry Brown, had just won an NBA title with the Detroit Pistons. Brown, now 83, is the only Coach in history to win championships at both levels, the other title in 1988 with Kansas. Still, he was criticized for the 2004 debacle in Athens, Greece. I still don’t follow the NBA season (yawn) and prefer to watch college stars. Currently, I’d pick some players from UConn and their coach Dan Hurley, plus Zach Edey from Purdue, and keep Durant. Maybe that’s just fantasy now. Could they even keep it close?
Larry Cheek, Dublin
To Larry: An outcome of this year’s Olympics has been a new point of contention. At least for a while, the Dream Team vs. 2024 comparison has replaced the LeBron vs. Jordan debate, with good arguments on both sides. Maybe it’s time for Mr. Oller or Mr. Arace to give their opinion on this.
About College Football
To Brian: A century ago, the intercollegiate Southern Conference grew to 23 schools but soon disbanded, some becoming the SEC and others eventually the ACC. The SIAC had 32 smaller schools before it too found them cumbersome and disbanded as well. Three decades ago, the WAC decided to dramatically expand its membership to 16 before those older WAC schools showed remorse and left their own league to form the Mountain West Conference.
I wonder how today’s realignments will affect things, especially for Stanford and California, who travel to the Eastern time zone so often. And it’s not just for their football teams. And imagine if you were the ones driving your equipment trucks across the country. With Stanford playing football at Syracuse and Clemson two weeks in a row, that truck won’t even bother to return to California this week.
Dennis Singleton, Dayton
More from the mailbox
The reader wants to hear less about Pete Rose; and what about the recruiting rankings?
Reader’s story from the Baseball Hall of Fame takes a turn, with Al Oliver as the main character
Columbus Crew’s Aidan Morris to miss 2024 Olympics, Ohio State football and more
Pete Rose was a great man from Ohio, but what about Mike Schmidt, Cy Young?
Don’t forget Ohio State football’s surprising two-way player under Woody Hayes
Memories of the great Willie Mays, Bill Walton
Jack Nicklaus is famous, but Scottie Scheffler has the money
It is hot and trainers should not miss the opportunity to hydrate
What’s next? Special bets on the college portal movement?
The Ohio State University women’s basketball team had a memorable run
