What Tomorrow Means...

Tomorrow has crept up on me without any overwhelming feeling or thoughts coming to my mind until now. I didn't know what to think at first, we haven't been here before. But, now I'm thinking of my team playing in MLS Cup and it's leading to the happiest damn smile on my face. It hasn't hit me totally yet and probably won't until I see those yellow jersies come out of the tunnel to 1,000 cheering Crew fans. But, when that does happen, I figure it will be hard to hold back a tear or two. I mean, hell, haven't we come a long way. And, by long way, I mean like 47,000 continuous flights to LA.

It's been a crazy year. A year where basically anything a Crew fan could ever dream of happened. A franchise that was the laughing stock of MLS rising from the ashes like a mad man on a mission in the stands and on the field, taking no prisoners. For the average Crew fan to explain what happened this year is impossible.

Why? Just rewind back to last year at this time. On the field you had a struggling team that didn't win anything for the third straight year. In the stands, you had a struggling supporters section with a hardcore group of members with dreams of bigger things. Not many people would of believed that this team or this section had anything to offer coming into this year. But, the hardcore Crew fans always believed and so did the Crew players. I think that's what has bonded the section with the players, we have both risen out of nowhere.

Myself, personally, as a fan, I can't explain in a neat paragraph or two what exactly attracted me to the Crew. I bet alot of you are the same. It just became an obsession for me. I started coming to games when I turned 18 back in 2004, driving 3 hours both ways from Pennsylvania. Whenever, I told anyone about it, they just looked at me like I was crazy. "You drive all that way for soccer?" "No, really, I drive all that way for the Crew." Always had a strong feeling that this organization was a winner that could acheive big things. And, I bet that story can be repeated for Crew fans who sit in the corner and the other diehards throughout the stadium. Now our big dreams are realities on the biggest stage in MLS.

The MASSIVE turn around is thanks in part to smart coaches, great players, and alot of smart people in the stands and the offices. There are alot of people who have helped change things for the better this year. Guillermo, Frankie, Sigi, Shawn Mitchell, Micheal Arace, Mark McCullers, Kessler & Keeney, Thoma, Sam, Kevin, Allen, Jericho, Jim, Mike, and a little thing called Nordecke, just to start off a astronomical list of people and groups with major contributions in all facets of this organization. I hope this blog has helped in a wild ride this year as well.

I'm very proud about this blog. I made this blog back in March to hopefully lead to more Crew news, it has. I also came up with some crazy ideas that surprisingly stuck. I coined the term Nordecke which took off. I pushed We Love You. I made a big TIFO in my yard in Pennsylvania while neighbors and my family looked at me like I was absolutely nuts, asking "what the hell is Nordecke?" Thinking to myself, "I would explain it to you, if I could." I went to law school in Columbus over different area's because this is where the Crew played. Actually, it was no question, and sometimes I wonder if I came here for an education or for the soccer. What I'm trying to say is 800 blog posts later along with some crazy ideas, the ride has been all worth it.

There has been nothing like a Saturday at 7:30, walking to the stadium with a good buzz and cheering your favorite song with a bunch of people that love it like you do. It's beautiful. The stadium, the team, the fans, just a beautiful thing.

Columbus Crew soccer is passion and love. And, as soon as March 29th got rolling, we all started to have a feeling that this was our year of big dreams. It was the year where we would no longer be a joke. We were going to take over the stands and the standings. We were going to become a force in MLS. There is no looking back now. We are on the cusp of our dreams and we are going to achieve it tomorrow.

Then next year we are going to do it even bigger as we capitalize on the momentum. We are going to win MLS Cup, we are going to win the Supporters Shield, we are going to make Columbus and the world take notice, then we are going to win CONCACAF, we are going to win the FIFA Club World Cup vs. West Ham, we are going to win the Open Cup, and we are going to expand our Nordecke a couple more sections. :-) We are going to take over soccer as we know it.

The stands will be full. The Crew will be the hot ticket in town. Schelotto will be back and instead of a couple people in Argentina wearing yellow Crew jersies instead of Boca, that number will become thousands. The dynasty starts tomorrow. I think if you have been holding out, now is the time to become part of it.

For the lucky others,
Tomorrow, wherever you are, hold up your Crew scarf and have your heart pound to the beat of:
We Love You! We Love You! We Love You!
And Where You Go We'll Follow! We'll Follow! We'll Follow!
Cause We Support Columbus! Columbus! Columbus!
And, That's The Way We Like It! We Like It! We Like It!
Ohhhhh ohhh! Ohhhh ohhh!

There is nothing like it. Columbus Til' I Die!

And, anyone that ends up at church tomorrow morning, say some prayers that we win that trophy. :-) I have a feeling some people upstairs are on our side. I'm talking about Lamar Hunt, Jim Nelson, my dad, and any other Crew fans who have passed on and are being our angels on the pitch.

Enjoy tomorrow Crew fans, what a day it will be.