Crew Notes: Early Season

The Crew has started the season on a bumpy road at 1-2-1. Shawn Mitchell is the Columbus Dispatch beat writer for the Crew. You can check in on him HERE. One of the frustrating things about MLS soccer is its coverage in the news (paper and online) but Mr. Mitchell does a good job and so does the Dispatch in general.

The local sports radio stations and TV news outlets spend more time on the awful local NHL team Blue Jackets. It sticks in craw that the Jackets get so much coverage. I think Nationwide Insurance (HQ here in Columbus and owns the arena) has a lot to do with it. 10 years on one playoff series in a league where half the teams make it each year. While it's great to have a pro hockey team in town nobody see's it as much more then just something to do in town.

Anyway. For official Crew stuff; check out Mitchell's blog I linked to.

For cool unofficial Crew stuff keep the dial locked here! Lock it! Okay, well I don't know too much BUT I got a couple things:

1. A little birdie told me that the Crew organization (Hunt family) is looking to move away from the Fair Grounds and into the Arena District. Same place where the Blue Jackets and the Minor League baseball team Clippers are. I think it would be a great move. Nice area down there and only a few blocks from me. It'd be cool if it happened soon, but my birdie says it's not imminent.

2. Crew must be (still?) training out in Obetz, right near where I work. I saw a trainer in the Subway across the street from the facility ordering a bunch of food. He was a jerk, sad to say. Guess they weren't making his subs fast enough. But it's fitting because I get the feeling that is representative of the team's staff right now.

Robert Warzycha called out disgruntled Robbie Rodgers last week for some of his comments about not starting. Robert... Robbie is one of your best players. Take off your jock strap and cool it. You're not wearing a captain's arm band, your are the Manager of the team.

3. It's clear the Crew is in a transition year.

4. Crew is hosting Newcastle in July. Crewcastle? Anybody?

5. MLS needs to provide better stat tracking. The Dispatch tracks YCPG. Seriously. Yellow Cards p/gm. Oh, and Goals. Goals per game... good. No assists? And yes, RCPG.

I'm thinking about tracking stats for the crew myself. To do so I'd have to combine a few sites info together. MLSsoccer.com does a pretty good job though. GWG (game winning goals) is a nice touch. Hey maybe the Dispatch and calculate GWG per game?