A couple of comments from BigSoccer about the Columbus situation

(bigsoccer.com 10-27-17)

Minnman

This process was never going to be easy, or short. What the team has done is gift fans and the city an opportunity to stay in the news, to further ramp up support for keeping the club here in town, to engender opportunities for fans (and owners) of other clubs to take notice of the backstabbing character of Tony Precourt, see what they'd be losing if Columbus (and all of the history we own) is cut out of this league as if it were a cancerous growth. The cancerous growth, of course, is Precourt.

As we've already noted, on its merits, a relocation to Austin makes no real sense: no stadium deal; no obvious reason to think there'd be particularly strong support for MLS in that market; the headaches it causes with an expansion franchise in San Antonio; a market that is almost a carbon copy of what exists here in Columbus so, in other words, all this trauma for a lateral move; the long history of a venerable club here in Columbus - and its associated history with the national team - that simply won't, can't transfer to another city. The fact that the plan to move persists, in effect, peels back the veneer of plausibility and deniability that often covers these kinds of actions, and exposes the backchannel, old boy network corruption that, in truth, is driving it. While Precourt and Garber bemoan the mysterious (and secret) financial 'metrics' that they claim doom a franchise here (while showing nothing that implies things would be any more rosy in Austin), it might not even be that much about the money, in a bottom line sense. The Crew are being treated like a loss leader. Yeah, maybe PSV takes a $10 million bath on a relocation, so what? It's his money, just as it is with TFC's owners, who certainly don't turn a profit on that club's operation. Trust Fund Tony wants to move the team to Austin. Period. All the countervailing facts in the world don't add up to much when, in the end, he considers the team his t do with what he pleases, an he pleases a move to Texas.

So this is a battle, not one of merits, but one of perception and publicity. I've always felt that the only way out of this mess rests with the business and public leadership in central Ohio and with the attitudes of the other owners. As fans, it may not seem as though we can have much effect on that dynamic. But, of curse, we do. We're the ones that are seen cheering on TV. We write the letters. Show up on social media. In short, we're the only ones that can keep this cockroach infested process out in the glaring, purifying sunlight of public opinion. We - and the wave of fans, players, and commentators that support us - can make this very unpleasant for MLS. This was never supposed to happen out in the open. The longer we keep it in the public eye, the better our chances.

GoCrew1996

I'll try to elaborate a little on what I was told and why I am not happy:

1) Garber said they would all meet "in the next couple of weeks", but wouldn't give a specific time, which makes me worried he is just stringing them along to try to let the bad pub die down.

2) Along those same lines, MLS had the balls to tell the CP leadership that in order to meet with them they were going to have to tone down the push-back they were giving because they (the MLS) were not happy with how it was being perceived nationwide. Much to my chagrin, the CP agreed to do it in order to get the meeting. However, when it took the MLS 9 hours to respond to a memo that the CP was going to have circulated (don't ask me why the CP agreed to send the MLS their press releases before they got them out) members got frustrated and decided they weren't dealing with a party who respected them, and thus you saw the Mayor's statements and Alex's statement last night where the gloves came off. Now, I'm not even sure if a meeting will happen. We'll see.

3) The biggest reason I am being a pessimist is this: I was told that they have 10 or so new corporate sponsors willing to get on board for 5-10 million sponsorship if the team stays in Columbus (which is great) but not one group is willing to step up to the plate and throw down the real $$ that we need to buy them team or a new franchise. CP estimates that if the MLS were to allow them to have a new franchise (a huge if) it would cost around $350 million (150 for team, 200ish for stadium) and they have completely struck out with the big fish here that would have enough money to really make this thing work. They also don't think they have the support to get any real public $ based on some market research and lobbying they have done (they do have a plan for land, at least).

So basically they are worried they have no real good option for keeping the team if the MLS doesn't decide that we should get a lowered franchise fee or they can luck into an owner and somehow buy out AP.

I don't see either of those two things happening so I hope when they meet next they come up with some better ideas. As of today the CP is still trying to lock down a meeting with AP and DG and go from there. I told them that they better have a lawyer at the meeting or at least video tape it due to the fact that both are pieces of garbage that will go back on their word in a heartbeat. Will keep updated as I hear things.