Editorial (August 23, 2018) — On November 21, 2017, just over a month after Anthony Precourt announced his intentions to uproot the Columbus Crew and plant the club in Austin, TX, they faced off against Toronto FC in leg one of the MLS Eastern Conference Final.

Before the match, the Crew’s boisterous supporter’s section, the Nordecke, unveiled a tifo which sent an unequivocally clear message to Precourt and the Major League Soccer higher-ups who are enabling him.

Respect your roots.

It’s only fitting that the match ended in a scoreless draw. Because the real goals were scored off the field. Precourt claimed that one of the reasons he wanted to relocate the club was because Columbus doesn’t support the club enough. They sure squelched that narrative last November.

It certainly didn’t come without obstacles. The game occurred on a Tuesday. Precourt, in a desperate bid to make the stadium look empty at kickoff, put Crew fans’ safety at risk with limited entries into the stadium that created a dangerous bottleneck. But when all was said and done, not a single seat was to be had at MAPFRE that night.

Not only did the Nordecke make their presence felt with a brilliantly designed tifo. They made known their feelings towards Precourt early and often. It came in the form of multiple R-rated chants involving the f-word directed at him over the course of the game. Three weeks earlier, during their 4-1 win over New York City FC in the conference semis, they did the same.

Did Precourt’s precious feelings get hurt? Because since then, many announcements updating his progress in Austin seemed designed to twist the knife he’s used to stab Crew fans in the back with ever so deeper. Look no further than him releasing a statement committed to the move while Crew season ticket holders, holding onto the hope the team will stay put, were holding a preseason kickoff party in late February.

But what transpired on Wednesday night truly took the cake. At that time, Precourt Sports Ventures released the name and crest for the hypothetical Austin MLS club. And what’s the most prominent part of the crest? A tree. In the release discussing the symbolism of said crest, what descriptive elements stand out? Roots. And tradition.

Are you kidding me?

DEAR GOD THE PROPOSED LOGO FOR AUSTIN SERIOUSLY REFERS TO BOTH ROOTS AND TRADITION YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS SH1T UP #SaveTheCrew pic.twitter.com/c6A6HzHLFg — sheba ⭐ (@shebainpdx) August 23, 2018

Honored that #SaveTheCrew continues to be inspiration for yet another ripoff. https://t.co/AMqizBEzqB — Keith Naas (@knaas) August 23, 2018

Just when you think Precourt’s tactics with regard to rubbing it into the fanbase he’s screwing over can’t get any lower, we get this. We get him revealing a permanent reminder of the year-long swindle job that will go down as one of the lowest points in American soccer history. All of his recent subtle jabs at a fanbase he lied to from the beginning points to a revealing aspect of his personality. Namely, he comes across as a socially obtuse, passive-aggressive narcissist all but devoid of empathy.

The first article I wrote about #SaveTheCrew detailed the heartfelt support Crew fandom received from MLS fans across the continent. It coalesced almost immediately after Precourt announced his intentions. And it remains as strong as ever all these months later. Not only does this new crest appear to shamelessly troll an entire soccer community. It also looks like a knock-off of another existing MLS logo. The supporters’ group of that team had a rather short and to the point response on Twitter.

Nearly three years ago, those supporters saw the Portland Timbers win their maiden MLS Cup in Columbus. For those who made the trip, it’s an experience that will forever leave a positive imprint on their lives. Though the Timbers and Crew were enemies on the pitch in a winner-take-all game that day, it was a festive environment among fans of both teams in the lead-up to it. It’s no surprise then, that the Timbers Army has the back of the Nordecke.

A little over a decade and a half ago, MLS was on death’s door. What prevented the league from folding was Lamar Hunt convincing investors to stay on board while making additional financial commitments of his own. Among his enduring legacies are the stadium at One Black and Gold Boulevard in Columbus, MLS’ first soccer-specific facility. Is it outdated now? Perhaps. But the ownership group that wants to purchase the Crew from Precourt has a solution. Either way, Hunt is rolling over in his grave given the way the league is standing idly by while Precourt sullies its good name in ever-increasingly shameful ways.

It’s frankly nauseating. And you know what color that feeling represents.

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