PES 16, ACC Screen Shots

A couple years ago, EA's FIFA franchise included a player / team editor. It was awesome. I'm a sucker for that stuff. In it, I created teams that ranged from NASL sides to childhood friends. The one I had the most fun with, though, was creating a team made up of Crew folks I had met in person, or out there in the social media universe.

EA tossed that feature into the dumpster for whatever reason so now I've moved on to the other triple-A game Pro Evolution Soccer. I gave it a test drive last year and found it to be a better representation of the game (although still far from what the sport actually is, of course).

Enjoyable as it was on the Xbox One, I could tell her roots were PC based. So, I bookmarked the game in my head and promised to try it out on my PC when I finally upgraded my PSU and graphics card.

Welp, yesterday day was that day and I couldn't be happier. She handles great on the PC and it is loaded with plenty of player and team custom creation options.

This go-round I've decided to us a very real Athletic Club of Columbus as the team name. I love that this 100+ year old club exists and would like to think that in an open to all and organized soccer pyramid, they would have a team participating. Using a existing place also helps with the creative process a lot. I even find myself working out things I otherwise wouldn't. For example: the kits would be made locally and paid for by club membership fees.

Anyhow. I've got 11 players in and about to work on a few more. It's great fun and allows my to quench my thirst for kit design (in a real 3-D space, something Adidas should try out).

If you're one of the few reading this, you are probably going in the game:) - Stay tuned for more!



Here's how it looks in motion.

The Athletic Club of Columbus

"At the Athletic Club of Columbus, our members are the boss. We are member-owned, committee driven, and Board-approved."

The quote above is from a very real place in downtown Columbus. Founded in 1912, the Club was "interested in promoting both social and athletic endeavors." Notable members over the years have been Warren G. Harding, 29th President of the United States (born in Blooming Grove, Ohio), William Saxbe, U.S. Senator and U.S. Attorney General 1974-1975 (Mechanicsburg, Ohio) and even Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy's.

In recent years, it's seen visitors like Randy Travis, Harry Connick Jr, Joe Lieberman, Chelsea Clinton (of whom I have a good story, ask me about it one day), and even Katie Couric.

yellow dot

I took a nice walking trip with my ladyfriend downtown last weekend to get a good look at the painted yellow circle that, according to social media, was on the corner of High and Broad. It was a beautiful day for a walk and indeed there was a painted yellow dot with the text #NEWCREW below it right in the middle of the intersection. Markedly much less impressive in the afternoon daylight, but it was there. Right smack dab in the middle of the only part of downtown that feels like a downtown to me.

As we made our short trek to it I started to wonder what part, if any, the town of Columbus had on this yellow dot. What caused the change. Why it's being done. Why bother? I composed short answers in my head but nothing really stuck.

"Maybe, it's just because I'm not from here," was my conclusion to my conclusions as I approached the yellow dot of paint. A thought that's quickly chased away however, as I have been here, living in downtown Columbus, for what's going on eight years. Some might say that's a decade already.

Once I got to the dot I tried to snap a pic or two of it while crossing the street but that was about all I could muster up. I thought it'd be something more interesting and answer my questions, but it didn't. Of course it didn't.

Part of the reason for my tepid response to actually seeing the dot was due to the fact that I had just passed The 100 year old Athletic Club of Columbus building on my way. It's something I've heard about but never really put any thought into. Turns out this little journey to see a pro sports team's ad promotion got me thinking on it, doing a little bit of research and coming to other, unexpected conclusions.

The one that overrides the rest is that; were this another country, The "Columbus Soccer Club" would have originated in such a place as The Athletic Club of Columbus. Because sports clubs, in the rest of the world, belong mostly to the township, village or city (similar to the NFL's Green Bay Packers). The people. Her badge is that of the town, the steel factory that supported the team or what the town is known for. Perhaps it would be called The Athletic Soccer Club of Columbus, were it here.

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The Athletic Club of Columbus... wonder if they are looking to get a soccer team going.