DTBM - Part 1

With The Crew’s recent Dare To Be Massive campaign, attendance issues have been brought front & center. Even with a strong late-season showing, 2011 ticket sales/game were the lowest in club history. The Crew FO responded recently with three stated goals: secure a jersey sponsor, gain a stadium naming sponsor and book 10,000 season tickets for the 2012 season. While I’d love to think the jersey and stadium sponsor topics are in my realm of influence, I can only call for Pink Panty Park so many times (Mr. Wexner, I’m offering to iron your jeans each morning for a month if you’d have a serious conversation about building a stadium). That said, I’ll focus on the part of the operation that is more in all of our direct control: butts in seats.

Step 1: Know Thyself

Crew Nation, we are a small market team. This is our reality, and we must embrace it. I don’t think there’s debate here, but just for kicks, I present Exhibit A: The smallest third of MLS markets by Metro Population (via Wiki):

MLS Team	Metro Population
Vancouver Whitecaps	2,328,007
Portland Timbers	2,226,009
Sporting Kansas City	2,035,334
San Jose Earthquakes	1,836,911
Columbus Crew	1,836,536
Real Salt Lake	1,124,197

If you’ve ever been to San Jose, you know that it’s really part of a bigger blob of population in the South Bay; they don’t belong in this list. Still, there’s no denying that compared to the rest of the league, we’re a small fry. Now, let’s look at those figures again, along with national TV appearances:

MLS Team	Metro Population	2011 National TV Appearances
Vancouver Whitecaps	2,328,007	4 (7 incl. TSN/2)
Portland Timbers	2,226,009	11
Sporting Kansas City	2,035,334	7 (8 incl. TSN/2)
San Jose Earthquakes	1,836,911	6
Columbus Crew	1,836,536	1
Real Salt Lake	1,124,197	5

Each MLS team is on national TV in their home country 5 or more times in 2011 except for two: Dallas (3) and Columbus (1). 11 teams are on TV 9 or more times. This puts the already cash-strapped Crew further behind in their ability to build the brand and create a strong local and national top-of-mind awareness of the team. HSG, it’s time to pull out those incriminating pictures of Don Garber.

However, that doesn’t mean these teams don’t pack a punch. If you consider the metro population when assessing attendance, things look differently:

MLS Team	Metro Population % at Match (Avg Attendance)
Real Salt Lake	1.55%
Seattle Sounders FC	1.08%
Sporting Kansas City	0.87%
Vancouver Whitecaps	0.86%
Portland Timbers	0.84%
Columbus Crew	0.66%

Almost all the same teams appear. While mega-markets such as New York or LA would never be at the top of this list, it still speaks to the relative impact that clubs can have on their fan base and city culture. Even with the Crew’s dismal attendance this year, their relative impact can still be among the top in the league.

To all this I say, NO PROBLEM. Like a cool dude losing his hair or a hot chick with freckles, this is only an issue if we let it be an issue. Our league is morphing into one in which there will soon be 4 mega-market (NY/LA) teams that will probably always make the playoffs. Under the Garber rule, this leaves 3 Eastern Conference playoff spots to fight the other 8 teams for each year, wild card rule notwithstanding. Like the Reds, Indians, Bengals, Browns and Blue Jackets before us, The Crew are going to be a small-market Ohio team trying to make it in a big box world. Championships will be few & far between; the ’90 Reds and ’08 Crew are the only ones Ohio has had in the last 30 years (No, The Quest doesn’t count). As fans we have to accept this truth before we can move on to more actionable conversation.

Step 2: Team Building & Game Day Enhancements

Should we re-invent the wheel? No, let’s not. There are plenty of examples of small market teams being consistently competitive both on the field and at the turnstile (see: Green Bay Packers). It takes different skills to be successful as the little guy, but it’s possible. In the jungle, this means being more nimble, faster and in many cases smarter than your larger and stronger predators. Many of the same principles apply to MLS. Here are some ideas on what Crew Nation can do to be truly massive going forward in this model.

a) Be a Grower, Not a Shower

With a modest salary cap and small-market accommodations, hooking big fishes like GBS and Brian McBride will be few and far between. The Crew will need to outperform other teams in the development and scouting arenas in order to enjoy highly talented players at affordable prices. This may even mean the occasional sell-off, where a 2-3 year star gets shipped off to Europe for a fee. DP signings will be limited to those in the style of Mendoza – bona fide talent, albeit with a few character flaws. It may be 2016 before The Crew signs a millionaire, and that’s ok. Another key way in which The Crew can breed cheap talent is exactly that; to nurture it from within their Crew Academy. Ohio has proven to be a hotbed of soccer talent in both coaching and on-field performance lately, and the Crew Academy stars of multi-championship classes are only a few years from graduating from college and possibly joining the pro squad. The future on this front is bright.

b) Columbus Insert Name Here Stadium

Around MLS, clubs that have traditionally had stadium or game day experience issues are quickly resolving them: Kansas City paid Lance Armstrong to create a soccer-friendly velodrome, Houston is building a spaceship and the Earthquakes are working with Lex Luthor to create an underground lair in the South Bay area. Add in NYRB’s newish stadium & the spastic plastic environments in the Pacific NW, and Columbus Crew Stadium more resembles the big high school stadium that it is with each passing season.

However, our home field experience is entirely within our control, and can be tweaked quickly and cheaply. Stadium enhancements such as replacing lower level bleacher sections with seats, painting/refitting the Nordecke in black & gold or upgrading the scoreboard would be a few moves that could spiff up the joint. If you’ve ever upgraded the tires or stereo on your used car, this is essentially the same thing. Until we can move downtown, we’re stuck with the parking lot we’re in – might as well enjoy it.

c) Schedule Smart

Hopefully the new Game On ColumbUS program can lend influence to avoiding home scheduling conflicts within Columbus pro & semi-pro (think: big university) teams. In 2011, the Blue Jackets have only 1 same-day home scheduling conflict with home games of The Crew, Clippers & OSU Football (4/1/1). That’s just smart. Even the Big 10 Championship, which Ohio State seems unlikely to reach, does not conflict with a home game. The Crew will inevitably have scheduling conflicts with the Clippers, but a few more matinee & late game combos between the two teams might be welcomed on Saturdays in the summer. During the fall, perhaps a few more Sunday matches would be smart. Ohio State football home matches are scheduled years in advance, and generally take over the town on game days. Late in the MLS season, The Crew could even benefit strategically based on results of the previous Saturday. Maybe Coach Bob decides he can rest players based on those results? Sunday afternoon matches in the fall would also be warmer than night games, avoiding some potentially frigid Columbus nights. For that matter, the same holds true in the spring. But cold temps aren’t all bad - what better chance to stock up on Crew Gear!

Coming Next Week – Steps 3 & 4: Community Outreach & Getting Crew-ative