We Have No Problem.

Link here where I found these comments

I really hope that this guy isn't one of the anonymous on MLS Rumors.

This is speculation but this slightly concerns me coming from a co-host of a reputable site and radio show like CSRN:
23 Kartik // Jul 21, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Check out MLS-Rumors.net for a good interview with Dougie Brimson on the subject of Columbus.

The interview was conducted last night by my friends at the site.
http://mls-rumors.net/

If you don't know, Kartik Krishnaiyer, is the co-host of CSRN’s American Soccer Show. And, obviously he is chummy enough with the anonymous folks at MLS Rumors to call them friends.

This was also posted here and on his own blog:
30 Kartik // Jul 21, 2008 at 4:26 pm

USA in 2018

I agree with you on some points but also disagree on a few things which makes Columbus far and away the biggest offenders in MLS or USL.

1) Portland has rowdy fans that sing throughout the matches but hardly ever pick fights with the other teams supporters.

2) In Houston you describe the incident correctly but failed to mention the club itself and the other large supporters group the Texian Army took strong action against EB and little trouble has occurred since.

3) Chivas USA banned several members of a supporters group that picked a fight with the LA Riot squad outside the SuperClassico match in April from several matches and the entire Supporters groups choose to sit out the matches in solidarity with their members.

4) DC has had no violence or trouble between the Barra Brava which tend to be Latinized and the Screaming Eagles which are not.

5) TFC dealt with the problems of violence on the GO trains after matches as well as frequent pitch invaders and no trouble has occurred since. The Metropolitan police in Toronto have increased their presence around the ground on matchdays.

6) New York has had assorted rowdy behavior but as some other writers bemoan the ejection of many Red Bull fans Saturday night versus the Galaxy let me applaud the police for stamping out trouble before it started.

Now let’s look at Columbus and contrast it with the above situations:

1- Columbus did not adequately police the tailgate area before the season opener with Toronto and thus many TFC fans were attacked(really? when? by who? This is laughable. Never happened. All the TFC fans were together in one large grass area before the game. It would have been suicide to go over there and start trouble and most of us didn't arrive from Ruby's until 20 minutes before the match anyways. Find me a report of this? Instead of making it up out of thin air.) and with a lack of port o lets for such a large tailgate area, inevitably tensions flared(why? Do people get angry when they don't poop?) and not only did fans piss on the ground but they began fighting w/ one another. (This never happened before or after the match. As both sides can't seem to recall any notable fights, might have been some bickering at best. The worse I got were some quarters thrown at me when I was going to the bathroom and some "who are ya's" when I was surrounded by TFC fans. It was good humored ribbing if anything.)

2- At the same match the police presence was so minimal several TFC fans were able to storm the pitch and head towards the goal Columbus was defending. (this never happened either. If it did wouldn't we all remember it watching the game? Wouldn't they have been arrested?)

3- When I discussed the Toronto situation openly and honestly and tried to engage TFC fans on my CSRN show the complaints about me being “too soft on the canucks” all seemed to come from Crew fans. Days later several Crew fans were shouting racial obscenities at New England players. (I guess several counts as one racist dickhead straggler these days?)

4- The organization and supporters group in complete contrast to the strong a decisive actions of Chivas USA and Houston in fighting hooliganism(at least no one has been stabbed at our stadium. That seems alot worse to me then anything that has happened at Crew stadium. Since that you know could actually kill someone. Call me crazy though, maybe stabbings are not a big deal) tried to cover up the situation and wouldn’t give up the individuals(remove the "s") involved. (that's because we didn't know who the hell the individual was. Why don't you sit in the Nordecke sometime and see how loud it is. I couldn't hear myself even. It's 2,000 people chanting as loud as they possibly can for 90 minutes, and it wasn't CCTV-ed but it is now. However, some of us are beginning to believe that they could be one of the same individuals who were trying to fight just about everyone including our own supporters groups last Sunday. These guys were real dbag's that were just trying to start trouble at every turn. Without any real certifible evidence though who the hell knows. It's frustrating.) The team would not take action so the league had to after several embarrassing columns were written in newspapers, some of which hardly cover the sport normally.

5- In defiance of a league wide ban Columbus fans began sprayed confetti(we never have used confetti before(I stand in the front center, I should know, and never was there a ban on it anyways) and streamers on opposing players while attempting a corner. Now I cannot recall the specific match but it was done. Why the security did not confiscate the items at the gate is beyond anyone’s comprehension. (probably because they were not banned at that time by the front office or the league. Still not banned for celebrations at Crew stadium. Sure the commissioner wrote it in his blog that they shouldn't ruin the run of play but did you see them in TFC this weekend at the All Star game? Yes. How many did you happen to see in Columbus on Thursday night against Kansas City? Two or three. And most of those with a ball sack to still throw them were kicked out of the ground.)

6- A bottle was thrown on the pitch during a Crew home match in June. Again I cannot recall the specific match but it happened. (If it did happen it was the New England game when I saw one bottle thrown. That was unfornate and pissed me off more then anyone but I couldn't see who it was. I don't think you grasp how enormous the section really is. When someone chucked a bottle the next week at the San Jose game. Everyone chanted "your an asshole" before security found the guy and took him out. Same thing happens every time that goes on but it doesn't anymore. Haven't seen a bottle since that game over 2 and a half months ago.)

7- The Crew hooligans yesterday started a fight with the West Ham group. (Oh really now? You sure it wasn't the other way around? I mean usually when people come into the opposing sides section and start flicking people off, spilling beer, and throwing the occasional punch I would blame it on them. Unless we carried those fat tattoed beasts into our section and pointed a gun at their heads and said "create a ruckus.") Now West Ham has a reputation for having rowdy fans, but we’ve hosted English clubs before and never had trouble. As I mentioned earlier the Crew hosted Everton two years ago, played them to nationally televised draw and no problems occurred.

Here is my thesis. Hate me if you wish: Columbus attendance once the highest in MLS has now become among the worst in the league. I believe the organization, desperate to create an “atmosphere” and attract new fans is purposely turning a blind eye to the things other organizations are stamping out immediately. As I have said to this point we’ve had no repeat incidents in Houston, Toronto or LA because those matters were dealt with by the club before the next home match. Have we had a repeat of anything? Columbus on the other hand has allowed things to fester. They are going to have to take action this time for the good of MLS and Soccer in this country.

Maybe we could just put Batman on the case.

It’s really a shame. At one time the Crew were the model for MLS. They built their own ground while the rest of the league was still using NFL/College Football stadiums and had such a good record of finding players and developing talent. But this year’s version of the Crew while talented on the pitch has left a sour taste in many people’s mouths because this stuff just keep happening and happening.

Please, Columbus clean up your own mess and stop blaming others for your problems.

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And from MLSRumors, using a rather similiar closer:
Seriously, Crew, we're sick of reporting on your problems, so fix them. Perhaps rather than blaming Toronto for hosting the All Star Game which brought West Ham over you can learn how to police yourselves?

When did we blame Toronto for having the All Star game?

It's all comforting as well to know that they both used the same flyer image for their stories, that I got off the Kansas City fan and posted on my blog days before on a Crew advertising blitz story. The flyer images were hard to find and only appeared on this Kansas City's fans blog(because he took them straight out of the dispatch) through a rather long goggle search.



It's whatever either way. Just the incorrect facts are strikingly similiar and it figures MLS Rumors has some friends in high places if they keep getting their decent rumors(except when they want to make up stuff about my website like the Nazi secret images when the dude who made them looks more innocent then a buttefly



Yes, that's Mr. Sensky, Mr. Ultra, big terrorist Nazi getting his face painted by girls.

Or yeah me and my HSH buddies who just drove all the way to Peoria to exchange a "Stamp Out Racism" banner for our one idiot. Yeah we went to support our club but if it wasn't for the importance of this banner we would have probably just have stayed home for the Open Cup match. It cost us a ton of cash. Myself a sleepless day at work the next day in PENNSYLVANIA and a blown tire.



Listen we are just young and old who love our club to death. After god and my family, it's Crew soccer for me. It's my only real passion. It's what keeps me going.

We are not monsters. There is nothing to sensationalize here. We just want to build our support and our atmosphere. And we have dramatically.

Yes, if people come into our section and act like a bunch of idiots then we will not take too kindly to that. The one fat guy with tattoo's was swinging at people and there are kids down there in La Turbina. Honest swear to god truth, little kids. I know you would love to say, "ohh it's just a bunch of monsters in that section." But, there are lots of families in there too especially in La Turbina's case. And, me and some other guys idea was to keep this dude away from them. Yes, tensions flared. But, it was an absolutely minor incident. No one got hurt and one guy got arrested. Worse happens even at a WNBA game or Minor League Baseball game in Dayton if you caught those tussles this week, let alone at a College Football game.

The same with the racist dbag. One asshole dbag. Trust me when I say I would have rather of found him then drive all the way to Peoria to get that banner. Would have been a hell of alot easier.





COLUMBUS YOU HAVE A PROBLEM?

REALLY? Compared to last year?

Well then it's a problem worth having.

And, what is our problem exactly? That we have made it cool and exciting again to support the Crew? Instead of the previous year when it was 20-50 people with one or two flags? That we have brought atmosphere and passion? That we have a love for our team?

I'm at a loss why some people hate us so much.