Tobias C

They should give the substation the smokestack treatment, lol. Put some yellow lighting in there and some Crew branding.

Wow I havent posted on this thread in a while. Let me catch up. Love the new stadium. I live in Toledo and dont get down super often for games but I made a point last season to make it out to the final game at Historic Crew Stadium and also for the opening game at Lower.com Field. I just couldnt miss both of those historic moments. New logo sucks. Thank god we still have our name, but the logo is just painful. I understand what theyre going for. Trying to make the brand accessible to non-soccer fans I assume, since the round logo was as good as it gets as far as pandering to actual world soccer fans. But youre not going to attract people to becoming soccer fans and Crew fans by making it like their other American sports. If that was the case, these people wouldve already been into since the team debuted in 96. The entire appeal of soccer as a new sport for a new fan is the unique qualities of it that make it different than everything theyre used to. Also the new logo may be acceptable as a stand alone graphic on the internet somewhere, but when its implemented pretty much anywhere it, it either doesnt fit the space its in well, or looks awkward or boring. I think the team originally wanted to be able to use it as a simple plain letter C without the team name or the year or anything. A clean, modern, minimal look which would totally make sense, generally speaking. Unfortunately for them (but fortunate for us) theyre hand was forced by the fans, to compromise and include our actual identity in the logo, even if it clutters things up. It looks better without all the text, but the team name and founding year are the only redeeming features that keep this piece of crap a bare minimum of acceptability. Im not that impressed with our offseason signings overall. Im cautiously optimistic overall, but thats all. The biggest improvement we made in my opinion was really just getting Artur and Morris back. Losing Milton is a big loss, especially without a direct replacement, but I guess he didnt want to be here bad enough. Sounds like we just couldnt match his salary demands, and thats part and parcel with MLS roster rules and cap, so its an unfortunately understandable situation. Best of luck to him. Santos can do the job, and so far its looking like hell be decent at it....but the problem with that is we sacrifice our only productive winger to fill a spot in the defense (although he can still join the attack plenty). We brought in Yaw Yeboah. He looks like he could be a dynamic addition but I feel like his transfer fee and salary are questionable. We paid nearly 2 million to get him which is whatever...decent players cost money....but hes on a TAM salary which means hes probably making at least 600k. Hes going on 25 years old and has plenty of pro experience, yet hasnt ever had a particularly noteworthy season at any team hes played for. So color me skeptical on that signing but hopefully he proves me wrong. It looks like Etienne and Diaz are off to a decent start though so thats good. I think the most impactful signing we made this offseason will probably be Milos Degenek. Vito Wormgoor never found his footing here, with too much time injured, and was over the hill age wise to begin with. He was always a stop gap for a CB partner for Mensah. Degenek has a solid track record in my opinion and has plenty of good years left on him. I think hell prove to be the long term solution for CB. A full season of Moreira at RB will be exciting and im interested to see what guys like Will Sands and Sean Zawadzki can contribute possibly. Last but not least, Im excited to see what kind of year Miguel Berry has. He was more productive in his limited time on the field last year than Zardes even. I wont go as far as to say the starting spot should be his or anything....but with him being 24 already, and having some hype around him....you have to think hes only going to tolerate being on the bench for so long. Hell either expect to be penciled into a starting lineup formation somehow, or want to pursue even greener pastures. We cant stunt this guys growth. Ive seen a lot of talk about whether we should consider selling Zardes while hes still in his prime and has alot of value, since Berry has proven he can perform at an MLS level. I have to admit its intriguing to consider. But with guys like Room, Mensah, Nagbe, Zelarayan, Santos, and Zardes (all the foundational guys on the team) being 30 or older by the end of this season but still all perfectly prime performers, you have to think this team should still be in "WIN NOW" mode, not rebuild mode, especially after squandering last season after coming off a championship year. With that mentality, I dont think you can afford to let go of Zardes, leaving a still relatively unexperienced pro in Berry to run the show with no reliable depth under him (Hurtado sucks). If were chasing another cup for sure, you stockpile weapons. With that said, if we want to strike while the irons hot, we should move Zardes soon for maximum profit. Freeing up his DP spot and probably fetching close to 2 mil in GAM would make signing a legit, elite, DP winger fairly easy. Food for thought. So far weve come out swinging, dismantling Vancouver, who while being an underdog in this league, looked like they were on the upswing under Sartini last season. Thats promising especially with goals coming from typically bench guys like Berry, Etienne, and Diaz....but I would probably temper any huge expectations yet. I think we need to see how these guys can handle some of the powerhouse teams in the league before we decide this is gonna be our year or anything. San Jose this weekend should be another route. Almeyda straight up doesnt care anymore and its apparent he wants to leave. They should be ripe for the picking. Even though these initial games starting out arent big games, we should be maximizing the opportunity to horde points while we can and pad our goal differential before we hit the dog days of summer and have to play catch up. LETS GO CREW

Cincys stadium is definitely impressive but I personally feel like that wow factor is really dependent on the light display spectacle. When it comes to the actual architecture, Cincys stadium just reminds me of the space ship, bubble look trend of alot of European stadiums of the past decade or so. Granted FCCs trumps what others have done, it's not that different than LAFC or Minnesota externally in my opinion, and looks like Red Bull Arena on the inside. Its impressive, for sure, but I like what we have better. Im not sure who's concourses or high end amenities are better, but I think our actual seating and stands and field is superior looking. Cincys feels very plain and open. Ours feels tighter, darker, and more intimate. When it comes to the exterior facades, I do wish we had something to rival that, even if it's not the same at all. I was hoping maybe there would be some way to make our angular mesh panels like shimmer or sparkle with light behind them. Something a little more discreet than what Cincy has but something that gives it a little pizazz.

I'm hoping for AEP since they e been a team sponsor in the past and the stadiums right up the street from their HQ. AEP Arena would be cool. A power company named stadium across the street from a historic power plant that will have Columbus Crew emblazoned down its prominent smokestack.

Love the signings of BWP and Molino. Kevin Molino assures us goals and assists from both wings now. Hes also a possible call up to T&T and has a substantial injury history......but.....who cares. If we lose either of these guys down the way, were just back to the same team that just won MLS Cup. Kitchen is a good pickup. Hes nothing special anymore but that kinda works for us. He knows our coach, and just wants to stick with a team somewhere. He wont expect to start very often, but is capable if called upon. Morris can absorb the majority of available minutes and Kitchen will tolerate it if he wants a paycheck playing for the reigning champions. If we have everyone available, were deep as all get out and prepared for the regular season plus multiple tournaments. We still just need a solution for right back. Starting the season with Afful as starter is fine, but we, at minimum need a backup to fill Caddens role that isnt an untested rookie. Ideally we sign someone who can succeed Afful in the near future and be our starting RB for years to come. Even a solid MLS journeyman would suffice for a while too though. My hope is that we basically go out and find another Milton Valenzuela for the right side.

I like all the roster decisions given all the particular circumstances. Tarbell out kinda sucks since he was a solid reliable backup, but its completely understandable that he would want to pursue a starting position somewhere coming off a championship season that he contributed to. At 27 he still has plenty of good years ahead of him as a GK, but probably wants to lock down a position somewhere so he can be the "#1" at a team for the foreseeable future. I'm fine with getting Evan Bush. Hes a proven, capable keeper in the league, but not like an unquestionable starter necessarily, and will probably be content to be the backup keeper as long as hes getting a handful of games, which he should see, with CCL, and especially if Room is getting callups for the Curacao National team. Bonus points for being from Ohio, which could appeal to him as well. It's hard to know the salary situation with players since we havent been privy to any of that information since late 2019. Last I knew, both Nemeth and BWP were million dollar players. I'm not sure if we were able to negotiate something lower for Nemeth when we brought him in, but if we didnt, and he was a quick bandaid for Adi being mostly a flop, then I can see us cutting him loose. I thought Nemeth was decent and actually was comfortable with him as our backup. With that said......landing Bradley Wright Phillips is way more exciting and assuring. BWP is still a lethal finisher. At 35 (I think?) hes not going to have the juice to put in 90 minute shifts weekly, and he will mostly only sub in at the end of games. With a busy USMNT schedule this upcoming year though, Zardes is bound to be gone periodically or at some point at least, and BWP can fill in confidently. Also were qualified for CCL for the first time in a long time and he will definitely be able to see action then, as well as in US Open Cup, and the occasional midweek game. He will definitely play a major role. Him leaving an excellent team at big market juggernaut LAFC, to come to another team where he wont be the starter tells me hes probably chasing a cup win before his careers done and who better than to come to the current champs. Signing him is a statement of intent by this organization in my opinion, that were not going to skate by on last year's success, but keep ramping up our talent to do our best to have a repeat win next season in our new stadium. Bez has gone out of his way to inform that we could sign 2 more DPs if we so choose to. It blows my mind thinking we could still add 2 more big talent players to the decently stacked roster we already have. At this point, theres two positions I could see us spending a solid chunk of cash on. The biggest need in my opinion would be right back. Harrison Afful did well closing out the season, but if we expect to keep up our momentum right into next season, I think we need to figure out what our future looks like beyond Afful. Caddens the only other logical choice but after a full season in the books, hes barely cracked into the starting lineup. With that said, hes in his prime (24), and talk is Hibs in Scotland, as well as Oxford United (who we had him on loan at) both are interested in taking him. If we havent bothered to utilize him anymore than we have, over a 34 year old, I could see us cutting bait and moving him on. Maybe he hangs around as the backup? Regardless, I could see us spending TAM level money on a starting RB. DeAndre Yedlin seems to be eyeing a move back to MLS and I think he would be a statement signing as well for our ambitious champions going into next year. He may be more likely to go back to Seattle, but maybe he wouldnt mind connecting with his college coach in Porter to chase a championship next year. I'd wager were probably number 2 in line to snag him...if were interested. Going into next season, as reigning champs, and even more importantly as we open our new stadium downtown, I keep thinking the organization will want to have a hot new DP signing to flaunt as we usher in our fancy new digs. With Zelarayan, and probably even Zardes, untouchable in my estimation...the only spot I see us possibly adding/upgrading is on the wing. At first I thought maybe we try to upgrade over Pedro Santos, who's definitely over the hill for a winger now. But hes been crucially productive for us as of late and I now question if we would pull that trigger. Then again, just like with Afful, if you want to keep the Championship train rolling, you cant rest on your laurels.....so who knows? If Mokhtar is out, I'm not surprised as he never locked down a job, but I thought he was serviceable and even pretty good in some instances. He may just have used us to rehab his form and career a bit and will try to get a starting job somewhere else, and more power to him if that's the case. We paid a million dollars for Luis Diaz so I think hes gonna stay in the equation for a while. Hes a major talent, albeit still a little raw and not entirely consistent. Hes still young though. If you hope to maybe sell him on for a profit, I dont think you can confine him to the bench. Dudes gotta play to beef up the resume. I'm not sure it makes sense to bench him and bring in a star to play over him. Well see. If Santos chooses to move on from us for whatever reason though, I would totally go the cliche route of bringing in a big name, older, European star, for the immediate injection of undeniable talent and the sheer clout and attention in the media going into the new stadium. I wouldn't waste money on a transfer fee for someone who may only give me 1 or 2 good years but I would fork over several mil for the salary while he delivers performances. I'm thinking we bring in our own equivalent to Nani in Orlando. Maybe a little lofty, but I could picture grabbing Di Maria on a free, throwing 7 mil at him and letting him play next to a fellow Argentine in Zelarayan. Just spitballin!

I understand the desire for a tall tower or anything with some height really, on that parcel to the north of the stadium, but I think it's important to consider that that could inhibit a decent view of the stadium from 670. Even if some people who are general urban planning aficionados like the idea, I imagine the club will take issue with it. Highway frontage is prime advertising space and some company is going to be paying millions of dollars for the naming rights to the stadium. I imagine theyll want their name in clear view of the highway if possible. Just something to consider. Has there been any talk of ever doing anything to the south side of Nationwide Blvd across from the stadium, currently occupied by the parking lots that serve the buildings facing Spring St? It seems kinda like dead space right across from the stadium that people will still walk past. If another garage, even a smaller one, could be configured into the plans, like along the immediate backside of the 530 Spring St building, it would be great to have some mixed use or whatever lining Nationwide Blvd, facing the stadium.

Were gonna have to really dig deep to carve out performances the rest of the way to the final. New England is hot and riding some serious momentum and that can be a hard thing to handle. I really hope our guys are laser focused and prepared because our final opponents are all arguably in better actual form than we are in my opinion. I'd love for Room to be able to start the game but Tarbell has been solid enough, fortunately. Were no underdogs but were not favorites either. Hoping for the best though!

I clearly dont think it's okay for anyone to get covid and thankfully it sounds like they're all asymptomatic and doing fine. I was gonna say though that we got extremely lucky that no major pieces were hit besides Room. Tarbell has been decent in goal and can hopefully get us through. Etienne has been useful but we have enough options that I think well be fine. Hopefully fans and especially the team dont sleep on Nashville. They might not look like anything terrifying on paper but they're a team that's getting hot at the right time. We have a lot more rest which most consider an advantage but I dont necessarily think that's always the case. Hopefully we should be able to outlast them energy wise, but it can be a positive for them that theyre stringing back to back positive results with only short gaps in between, allowing them to really kick it into high gear and maintain form. I'm personally more nervous about facing them than I was about potentially facing Toronto.

I'm hoping we can get the chemistry going back to how it was last time we had our ideal starting 11. At least we still get a couple more games with Nagbe and Zelarayan together before the playoffs start, to get the team really firing on all cylinders. This team is deep and weve made a lot of good sensible depth signings this past window as well. Fatai Alashe isnt anything special but gives us a more experienced depth option at D-mid so that we dont always in every circumstance have to rely on the rookie homegrowns. Ema Boateng is a solid pickup as well and adds to the competition on the wings. I'm not lying when I say Kristian Nemeth was somebody I thought would be a good depth option, even before we signed him. It seemed like he had taken a step downward going back to Europe to play in a lesser league like Slovakia, even when just last year he had still been a pretty dynamic striker with SKC. I'll be interested to see what price and salary we got him for but hes a legit backup option for Zardes where I dont totally fear for the future if, god forbid, Gyasi has a major injury or whatever. Adis time is officially up.

I honestly like the stadium design just the way it is for the most part. The black angular look is unique where as FCCs stadium looks like the trendy stadiums that look like neon space ships of the past decade or two. Our stadium looks like a stealth bomber. As far as the facade goes, I think it could be cool if there was a way to just illuminate the black mesh looking material from behind and to make it look like its sparkling but nothing too ostentatious...very subtle. Id love to see some really dynamic lighting and effects inside the stadium especially for pregame and goal celebration moments. I think it would add to the atmosphere and hype of the occasion and make an impact on new fans and people yet to become interested in the Crew, if the game experience feels like a big freakin deal. I'm also more interested in lighting up some of the surrounding features of the stadium than the facade of the stadium itself. Id like to see the smokestack illuminated, at least on game days. I think it would be cool if there was like a rotating beacon light or something. Some yellow lighting on the pedestrian bridge to the Olentangy Trail could be a nice simple touch. I also think theres an opportunity to do something really cool with the railroad underpass along Nationwide Blvd approaching the stadium. Could be a cool place for Crew related art/murals and some yellow illumination as well! Just my ideas!

I suspect the north side of the stadium facing 670 wont have very high building(s). Theyll want the stadium very visible to the highway, especially when it comes to the stadium naming rights being slapped on the building.

No idea but I'm curious about them not having any other placeholder sponsor names in the artist rendering... but Honda is clearly visible on the wall/screen by the stage. HONDA PLAZA at ACURA ARENA YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST! Just kidding. But seriously, wouldnt be the most surprising thing if they decided to upgrade from shirt sponsors to stadium naming rights.

I've always envisioned them bringing back the GW Boeckling steamship ferry for downtown Sandusky to Cedar Point traffic. Whether it be a restored old ship, or a modern ferry. Cedar Fairs could help develop downtown Sandusky by bringing some nice hotels down there. I always thought it would be cool if they developed the land across Water St from Shoreline Park and the Yacht Club, as well as the land next door at the old Sandusky Bay Pavilion into a big mixed use development leading toward Battery Park. More restaurants and shops with a big hotel or 2 above it all. But have it all very oriented to Water St so theres somewhat of a symbiosis and cohesiveness between Downtown and this new little district.

Jet Express has regular service from Sandusky to Cedar Point, Kelley's Island, and Put-in-Bay. It's not as frequent as Port Clinton's service (the same Sandusky boat makes multiple stops per trip) but a boat leaves from Sandusky about every 2 hours. I used to live directly across the street from the dock.

The area around the train station - Oliver House - Middlegrounds - Post Office is the most interesting part of the city for me right now. Vistula is a close second. Itll be good to see something done to that awesome building.

I'm not the biggest fan of developments like these. With that said, It already exists and it's the better of the two in the area in my opinion. Good to see it finally fill in more so the front section actually connects with the back and feels cohesive.

Wouldnt think they would've included a noticeable detail like that if it wasnt something their planning on or at least hoping to do. Probably makes sense too. Especially for some older fans, disabled fans, or families with small children for whom walking even a few blocks may be an ordeal.

Trapp will be missed on an emotional level, that's for sure. But it's time for the move. It's been coming for a while. Hes been interested in a Europe move now for years. The one offer we know about was back in 2018, from English Championship side Blackburn Rovers for 1.25 mil. That's what he was worth to them, back when he was performing at a higher level. I suspect his value steadily declined soon after that in conjunction with his form and even if there was teams still interested in his services, a transfer fee of 1.25 or lower was never going to be worth losing the Crews long time, homegrown, national teamer, captain and face of the franchise. By the time this offseason rolled around, I was expecting us to just release him for free due to his committed tenure with the team (and subsequently retain his rights if he ever comes back to the league). I never thought the Crew staff or Trapp himself would be okay with going to another MLS team, much less another Eastern conference one... But here we are. Hes with Miami, and since it's a new team with no bad blood with us or anything and no real history to them...it doesnt feel too bad to me. It's a good move for all parties involved. Columbus can move forward with their tactics, and release an expensive player who didnt fit the plans of the new coach. Miami obtains a player with lots of league experience for the center of their team, who's a proven leader, with plenty of good years ahead of him as they build out a roster. And Wil gets a fresh start to rejuvenate himself, a new opportunity to prove himself as a solid, and hopefully elite MLS midfielder, try to fight his way back into the USMNT (wasnt gonna happen with the Crew), and maybe even eventually secure a move overseas still.

I've seen quite a few people who are displeased with the Adi signing and I suppose I understand. Between the reckless DUI and the unproductive recent seasons, I get it. I'm alright with giving a guy a second chance to get things right. If he abuses that faith being placed in him by the team, then so be it, we can bounce him outta here easily. Only paying 205k of a nearly 2 million dollar salary is a huge bargain for us though. You wouldnt get a remotely capable second choice striker for any less than that, and we know hes capable of double digit numbers at his best. If he even bags 5 or 6 goals for us, it will have been worth it (especially if any are against Cincy!)

Been a while since any posts on this topic. I've been wondering if theres any plans to keep developing the area around Secor/Dorr/Byrne? They didn't do too bad with the Gateway. I just always wonder how there isnt way more cheap/easy food options, as well as wayyy more bars/clubs around the campus. Seems like you could easily attract these things if there were good spaces for those businesses to locate themselves in. You would think actually having a walkable business district, like a downtown UT, would make the college more attractive to prospective students. What are the plans for the long, completely cleared out stretch of land between Byrne and Secor along the south side of Dorr? That looks prime. I also wonder if there may be a future where they develop some of the surface lots at Rocket Hall. Continuing the Gateway project to the north up to at least College Dr or even the University Parks Trail....and to the east along Dorr Street to about where Rocket Dr is. I'm not a kid anymore, so I wouldnt know...Where do UT kids even go out on the weekend in 2020?

Since everything else in the Westgate district is basically just strip malls, this new development makes sense I guess. I always feel like theres a ripe opportunity to do something a little more ambitious at Westgate though. If you look at the Elder Beerman and Sears properties and the vast expanse of parking around them....theres a lot of land. Lots of possibilities. For not being a brand new, edge of the metro area, business district like Central Ave in Sylvania, Spring Meadows in Holland, Dussel Dr in Maumee, or Rt 25 (DixieHwy) or Rt 20 (FremontPike) in Perrysburg......Westgate has held it own while being more centrally locate. Between having the captive customer base of the University of Toledo and the still kickin Franklin Park mall both in close proximity....as well as many well established, some historic, neighborhoods with some decent wealth...and lots of apartment complexes as well....there's a lot of dollars that get spent at Westgate. I've always envisioned something resembling Levis Commons, Easton, or Crocker Park, in that location, but a little smaller, with maybe less emphasis on the shopping (we already have Franklin Park right there, and with internet shopping, etc)...and more emphasis on creating an entertainment district. I could see having a single street that runs from the intersection where Costco and Rite Aid and Piada Italian are on Central....back through the property, curving over to the intersection on Secor where Hallmark and Chik-Fil-A are. Maybe have an drive that cuts over to Executive Parkway to have a little escape route to alleviate some traffic. I would have this development be all streetfront buildings though so it actually has the downtown/village vibe of a lifestyle center. Offices and/or apartments above the retail. Plenty of room for parking behind the buildings. Just like a collection of restaurants and bars, cafes, etc. I think it would go over well there. Any residential would easily fill up if it's not over priced.

I dont really understand these types of guys and how they conduct their business. Can someone explain to me why this guy would possibly want to just sit on these properties, owing tons of money and letting the fall into disrepair? I could understand a scenario where hes waiting for the buildings or land they sit on to be worth more in the future or something, but it's unlikely anyone would build anything brand new, of major scale there again. A buyer would want to renovate the buildings but letting them fall apart just devalues them greatly. The guy cant be too poor if he always comes through at the last minute with 800 or 900k checks to pay off his debts. What's his agenda/end game? Madison & Huron is so important to this city. With the right developer(s) making these properties truly special again, can you imagine this area of downtown with those buildings thriving. I'd love to see all three towers full of bustling offices again and restaurants and or other retail along the bottom. The whole Huron streetfront between Madison and Adam's would probably finally take off. Lots of vacant space that should not be vacant considering it's right between all the corporate offices in the center of downtown and the government offices north of Adams.

The acquisition of Bezbatchenko was possibly the most important signing this new ownership has made. There may not be another management figure in or around this league with as much knowledge and experience with all of the convoluted roster and salary rules and mechanisms than Bez. He worked in the league office helping to create and manage a lot of that stuff, and then, as you said took his experience and built one of the best rosters this league has seen in Toronto. Hopefully we can build a roster that not only can consistently go deep in the playoffs and win an MLS Cup or 2 or 3...but also have the depth to actually take the US Open Cup seriously and possibly be competitive and stand a chance in the CONCACAF Champions League if we happen to qualify.

I pretty much agree with all the people they interviewed. The cynical side of me doesnt think it will change much of anything as far as the adjacent neighborhoods are concerned other than they gain a major civic amenity in the new park, which is obviously deserved and worthwhile for the community. Residents will definitely benefit from and enjoy that park because it looks great. Beyond that I dont really see it having a noteworthy effect on the neighborhood. I dont know how many people that live outside of East Toledo will visit the park often but I cant see that many of them bothering to patronize local businesses and what not all of a sudden, if they didn't do so already. A positive would be if the parks presence helps spur more quality residential development in proximity to it. That seems like a big hypothetical to me though, at this point in time, for that specific area. The apartments dont impress me. It's good to see something go in there, but it seems like a waste of such prime land. They look like theyll be their own private enclave that doesnt have any kind of relationship or cohesiveness with their surroundings. The buildings line Main St but dont seem to have any business/retail space at street level from what I can tell. I had hoped that there would be room for business along the streetfront to mesh and connect with the business district going from Front St, onward. I also wonder if these market rate apartments will be affordable to the average east side resident, or if the goal is to pick up some of the people who are interested in living downtown since its relatively close. If that's the case, I'm not sure many of them will be interested in everything immediately around them, besides the new park and maybe the Docks. I dont see the benefit to the existing eastsiders though. But having something there cleaning up that area is better than vacant land, generating no tax dollars, becoming blighted. Its just difficult because it's rare in a decent size city that you have such a huge piece of land right along your downtown riverfront, that could be suitable for both an exquisite waterfront park as well as an absolutely massive development but the demand isnt quite there, quite yet. I mean we still have plenty of historic buildings to renovate and plenty of underutilized surface lots throughout downtown to develop and move residents and businesses into. I would love to be proved wrong though and see things start to blossom a bit more on the east side.