The Battle For Columbus | Save The Crew | Episode 3 of 3

August 2018, 10 months on from ‘the tweet’, supporters and opponents gather on the floor of the Austin City council for arguably the biggest away game in Columbus’ Crew history.
The final episode of this remarkable story has more twists than a Taratino film. Attorney Generals, lawsuits, new ownership, and a fanbase who continued to remind the world ‘we ain’t going nowhere’.
A sporting tale of two cities is about to reach the most dramatic of conclusions.
#SaveTheCrew #Crew96 #MLS
All money from this project will be donated to the Columbus Community.
A huge thank you to the incredible Sean Kelly (@virtualstatman) who Produced and Directed this story from start to finish:
www.imdb.com/t....
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[@ABK28-mn1gn]

Since these events, the Crew have experienced a renaissance, the new ownership has put in the effort to help this team grow to new heights. It's popularity has reached highs never seen before, it sells out every game, it's colors it's merch and it's talked about all over the city. They were crowned champions in 2020, and tonight they've done it again. The Crew are your 2023 MLS Cup Champions. Gone is the possibility of extinction, and now we are in a era of glory. Glory to Columbus! Everything they said has been defeated. Relocation is never the answer, and we're proof.

[@aaap6516]

Congrats!🎉and just out of curiosity how are Austin doing?

[@zachrobinson1626]

@@aaap6516not great

[@benjaminwerbovetz2492]

I don't follow them too closely. They were a good team to start off but we're very bad this past season. Fan support started off strong and has dwindle a bit as their results have been poor, but I expect them to have a bright future in the league. ​@@aaap6516

[@loufancelli1330]

Amen! Those dark days almost seem like a fever dream now. The Crew is so interwoven into the culture of this city now, which I honestly never thought would happen. This club, with MLS Charter #1, is a true hard-work success story with a storied past, a thrilling present, and a limitless future. Glory to Columbus!

[@coldphinger]

Having a brand new, fully loaded more central stadium is alway good to secure your fan base.... Happy fans, happy club....

[@beachborosix]

Shout to copa 90 for this historic film...

[@christianpereira5365]

Props to Sean Kelly for the film

[@full0nz0mbie52]

Calling out Scott Sigler for the powerful narration

[@cadeharvey7272]

This genuinely feels like a scripted movie with a happy ending but its as real as it can get! Just an amazing story that was captured beautifully by copa90! Incredible work!

[@soccerkid5523]

Went back and watched this today after the Crew took home a 3rd championship last weekend. Look how far this team has come since they were saved, given good owners, the best GM in the league, and a new stadium. Arguably within the top 3 best run clubs and fan bases now. Garber won’t admit it as he’s an arrogant ass but I’m hoping the MLS understands now what makes a good Club and how important the right club foundation is for success. In the end it’s a business and if it isn’t run right you can’t expect customers to be there. The potential was always there in a young growing city like Columbus.

[@tallyboyle9148]

As a British football fan, I watched what happened to the Crew with horror and disgust. The fact they not only saved the Crew but ended the story in so much glory? It reminds me that football is different... it’s always been about community. About identity. Thank you Copa90! And Viva the Columbus Crew! All 3 parts of this film were amazing.

[@ledzep1345rush]

4 years later and Crew have won another MLS Cup and the Leagues Cup. Go Crew!

[@stevienixx]

We are stronger than ever now! Hats off to everyone in the league who helped us fight to save our team ❤

[@austinwarren2286]

This saga is perhaps the only time fans (MLS2ATX) have been the a**holes instead of politicians. The ignorance and arrogance they showed was disgusting, actually made me feel for the council 😂.

[@mattduell3]

They’ve always embraced the shadiness of this. So many of them want to be the villain so bad.

[@CLBCrew96]

Just wait till Precum gets tired of Austin and wants to leave again. All I can say to Austin fans is to push for a new owner before it's to late. He will not put the effort into the team. Until he is gone they will never have a winning team

[@bdoza16]

They still are.. snobbiest little bunch of goons ever.. trust me . Go to a match ..it just looks full because of the green chairs

[@stevienixx]

@@CLBCrew96and now here we are and everything you said three years ago is true!

[@Eradicus]

As an English football (Everton) fan, this made me fall in love with the Crew, even without the icing on the cake of the cup win. Such a shame that Covid depleted the stadium. But I'll say this, Columbus Crew fans made history, and deserve to be heralded among all the great fan movements of the world for what they have achieved. Amazing stuff.

[@stevienixx]

As a Columbus native and Crew fan this means a lot!

[@loufancelli1330]

The great news is that they got to do it again! This time, winning the Cup in our shiny new stadium in front of 20,000 fans!

[@stevienixx]

This team is stronger than ever, Vamos Columbus!

[@joshbechtol2129]

2 years later of this release, and another MLS cup title to our name!!! Best kind of up yours Precourt

[@sdot5389]

I wonder if all these MLS2ATX chuds knew how bad they would end up looking when they made these on-camera interviews. Good for that Councillor to tell him point blank to his face that he better treat Austin better than he treated Columbus. Every jurisdiction in the country should have the same laws that Ohio did that came up in this case.

[@spacedevy]

And ATX is last in their conference

[@Figo10C]

Alot of love from Trabzonspor - Turkey well done Columbus Crew never give up ❤️💙

[@khogg3581]

Oh right, I’d forgotten about the 2020 MLS Cup Final. All kidding aside, while it was at the expense of my team being played off the pitch there couldn’t have been a better end to this saga.

[@MountainDrew2000]

crazy how the city council members are more level headed than their fanbase. Their fans come off as childish.

[@kentucky_188]

I don't know if that's crazy, when you think sports fan "rational" generally doesn't come to mind lol

[@GradyRoy]

100% correct. Thats because the people of Austin are all hipsters that think they are owed something when they weren't even "soccer" fans to begin with. Austin = Plastic Capital

[@stevienixx]

Nah mate

[@LargeOhioSon]

The Crew would go on to win 2 MLS within 5 years of saving their team. Austin still has yet to win anything of note.

[@XLRAshon]

Once the Crew was saved I didn't have any bad blood for Austin FC fans. But watching this series really made me hate them. It's one thing to want an mls team in your town. It's another thing to actively want to steal an mls team from someone else! In part 2 when an Austin fan said before city council "Columbus fans can just go root for Cincinnati now." I feel out of my chair when I heard that! You know who makes those kinds of statements? Someone who has never supported a sports team before. Someone who never knew what it was like to have a passion for a club! Can't wait to see a rivalry between those two clubs. The day Austin goes to Columbus for a game will be wild!! Amazing series!

[@jn125906]

they can go root for fucking Dallas or Houston then. Austin a fake city

[@AndreTNY]

Did you notice the majority of kits worn by the Austin people? Manchester United. Freaking glory hunters. No more then that.

[@eboethrasher]

Yeah, they were going to have USL team number 3 there, and that was not enough for them. Precourt made the announcement about moving the day after the USL team announcement was made. I had enough bad interactions with them on Twitter to have a hatred with them that lasts to this day and this video just cements it.

[@createimag4088]

Yes mls purposely made no Austin fc vs columbus in columbus match this season to avoid any safety issues. We in Columbus were ready to prove them right had they scheduled the game.

[@Zay4Life]

@@createimag4088 When they do come, give ‘‘em hell!!!

[@Willybush]

Two titles since the crew were saved🖤💛 we are massive

[@ledzep1345rush]

Plus 2024 Concacaf runner ups and 2024 Leagues Cups champs!

[@stevienixx]

@@ledzep1345rushwe are massive!!

[@joshquinn4964]

As a Brit I always thought of American fans as lifeless and that there is no atmosphere but those Crew fans threw those stereotypes out of the window. I have so much respect for those fans of the black and gold. Also, those MLS2ATX supporters thinking repeating "Alright" is a chant is beyond me.

[@robdela3632]

its a line from the movie dazed and confused starring Matthew McConaughey who is part owner of the team, but yeah its not the greatest chant

[@jonathanbocanegra5809]

Two stars ⭐️ ⭐️, 5 trophies, record sell-outs since we were saved, and arguably the most successful team on the field in the eastern conference over the past decade. The future is bright for America’s Hardest Working Team. #GoCrew !

[@joshharshbarger8909]

5 years later. 2 MLS Cups. Hey Precourt, r u OK?

[@dineshrijal10]

wow....3 brilliant episodes for a brillaint football story that I had no idea about. well done Copa 90 for this...and congratulations to all the COLUMBUS CREW and all the football fans on this victory over the evils.truely an epic story....This story reminds me of THE SUPER LEAGUE saga and the sheer devestatation all of us football fans around the globe felt...but in the end,we had a happy ending to both of the stories. -Futbol Club Barcelona fan from Nepal

[@callumnappo8107]

Copa90 raised the bar with this one. Absolute masterpiece

[@eboethrasher]

Sean Kelly, @virtualstatman on Twitter is the man behind it all. He shot it all without it having a home and edited it all. Props where they are due! :)

[@ivanmalanquini625]

Football in Brazil at that time was a sport for the elites, and Vasco da Gama's racially diverse squad didn't appease them. In 1924 Vasco da Gama was pressured by the Metropolitan League to ban some players who were not considered adequate to play in the aristocratic league, notably because they were black or mulato and/or poor. After Vasco refused to comply with such a ban, the other big teams, including Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo created the Metropolitan Athletic Association and prohibited Vasco from participating unless it complied with their racist demands. The former President of Vasco, José Augusto Prestes, responded with a letter that became known as the Historic Response, (Resposta Histórica),which revolutionized the practice of sports in Brazil, because the team refused to exclude their players to please the League. After a few years, the racism barriers fell. Vasco da Gama had led the move toward a more inclusive football culture, forward-thinking not employed by leaders from Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo. Even though the club was not the first to field black players, it was the first one to win a league with them, which led to an outcry to ban "blue-collar workers" from playing in the league - a move that in practice meant barring blacks from playing. In 1925 Vasco was readmitted into the "elite" league, with its black and mulatto players. After that, as Vasco da Gama won the championship again, and it was again banned to play the league for the same others teams (Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo) because "the team didn't have an own stadium" (Vasco played in another club field). The supporters, all of them humble people gathered money and they built the BIGGEST stadium of Latin American called São Januário, who was open to the public in 1927. That same year that the team returned to play, Vasco da Gama was champion again. This is more than just football. "As long as there is a childish heart, Vasco will be immortal" Go Vasco! Go Columbus!

[@anthonylong9067]

What you posted makes me hope copa90 makes a documentary series about them. It shows the passion of the fans and exposes corrupt owners

[@thiagoprofili4806]

cara, vascaino aqui. Vasco tem meu respeito, mesmo tendo aliança com a porcada, oq vcs fizeram no passado eh impressionante. saudações corintianas

[@AKUNJIG]

I have a lot of Respect for Columbus Fans keeping up the Fight for so long. The Trophy Ceremony during that MLS Cup was Amazing when the Crew Fans express their Displeasure with Garber since he wanted them to Move. As much as I like Matthew McConaughey and Q2 Stadium, Austin FC will be the Most Hated Team in MLS because of Precourt.

[@swid2153]

As a Sounder till I die, huge congrats on that day and community efforts to save your franchise! It was a setup from the beginning! Our city had to endure a slow agonizing death of the Sonics. Watch sonicsgate to see the opposite of this wonderful story, where the fans voice shone thru. Save our Sonics rallies were huge, but a deal was already in place. Wonderful documentary and many thanks! Cheers to COPA90!!

[@electric7man]

Both communities.. I'm an Austin STH with an old school scarf from the Crew because Jeff Cunningham is my guy. Love the Crew.. I know it's all a mind fuck. I don't know how to reconcile things. I only hope to have burgeoning communities that support the team and the cities. I want support for football for the kids and community foremost. The capitalism part is just awful

[@savabout6487]

@@electric7man I love your honest, but just curious, all those cringe MLS2ATX tools talking about how they needed a team to support. Why didn’t they support Austin bold?

[@electric7man]

@@savabout6487 that's a tough question. The people that own the Bold are also not ideal. They're both battling over money. It's pretty much late stage capitalism, and I know that seems like a throw away term these days. I supported the old USL team here in the past, but I decided to get on the MLS bandwagon I guess. I love football and very happy to have it here. I'm conflicted but also an ardent supporter of this team. The Bold is closer to my hood actually. I was first and foremost a USMNT guy beginning in '94. Never thought I'd be pulled or lulled into the club culture. Thanks for responding to me

[@TheNamesJER]

Thank you guys so much for making this! As a diehard Crew and soccer fan, it was really nice to see our movement play out and get to relive those couple of years. A true underdog story with a happy ending! #GloryToColumbus #SavedTheCrew

[@liammoss9586]

What a phenomenal story shot by a brilliant team. Congrats to all involved from Australia! All power to Columbus!!!

[@CHRlSBLAlN]

Thank you for this. I lived every second of this in Columbus, and you captured the saga beautifully.

[@southfieldtrill9690]

💯

[@eboethrasher]

For sure. I just wish that it had some of the footage that I got to see in the cut during the whole saga when the players were at the viewing at the Gateway. It was extra epic, because it was probably the same length but without the whole third act.

[@AnNguyenYT]

I'm a LA Galaxy fan that signed the online petition and hoped for the best. I'm happy that the Crew stayed. ATX council member Leslie Pool reminds me of Marge Simpson in that monorail episode. Both questioned the outsider's proposal, asked about logistics, TRAVELED to find out more the outsider, etc. This docu-series seriously shows the flaws of the American sports business. Anthony Precourt is shady.

[@savabout6487]

OMG great analogy. Precourt is the shady monorail salesman. "

[@peterbyrnes3891]

Well done COPA90, this is fantastic. No matter what would have happened, this was great to see in this format #SavedTheCrew

[@YetAnotherGeorgeth]

Two things: 1) congratulations to Columbus Crew, I have so much respect for their fans that never gave up. 2) this is everything that is wrong with American sports. No respect for history or fans or the community, it's all about the money and a product. Sadly, the English Premier League is not far off this, even with that stupid european super league. Money has too much power in something that originally started as a working mans sport. I eagerly await the comments! 🍿

[@David-pf9xe]

Agreed. It's become nothing but a corporate cash grab where the real connection between a club and it's supporters has been tossed to the side in favor of maximizing profits. We love our clubs but after San Jose moved to Houston and then this fiasco it has to make you wonder who's next.

[@scotts685]

It would be like ripping the Reds out of Cincinnati. When you celebrate the birth of Major League Baseball, you celebrating the Reds birthday.

[@davidevans916]

Agreed, money is ruining football and destroying competition.

[@myguyTrevorSabo]

Well said! Cheers! 🍻

[@columbuscrew1212]

This would’ve been like Wimbledon turning into MK Dons

[@savabout6487]

I hope everyone leaves this with a hatred for Precourt and Austin FC.

[@thegrizzlys]

For sure, filthy team and filthy owner.

[@tonytonychopper6208]

Why austin fc

[@recifebra3]

As an Austin FC fan, we're happy you guys saved the Crew due to your hardwork and dedication as well won 2 MLS Cups after. Congratulations!

[@TheMothdemon]

Thank you, I appreciate someone from your clubs supporters being respectful and understanding how wrong Precourt was. Congrats on the MLS Next Pro Cup, hopefully we can have some epic matches in the near future ^_^

[@recifebra3]

@@TheMothdemon Precourt was def a dick.

[@TheMothdemon]

​@recifebra3 oh absolutely he is, we'll forever see him as the devil and we'll never forget or forgive him. Good luck this coming season

[@kanervatie]

I'm so happy with the way this ended. Can't imagine how bad it feels to lose your club.

[@eagles1970]

Everything that is wrong with American Sport, celebrating the theft of somebody else’s Team.

[@jemersonsousa582]

Yeah man this franchise thing is garbage.

[@fardinmahid3881]

Austin Fans are so gross

[@MightyMack03]

Why would they. All they do is hop on what's trendy and eats it up till it falls off and dies. Can't wait to see how long this lasts till it goes belly up.

[@andrewgraham6339]

It’s a franchise. How many American football / baseball / Ice Hockey teams have moved from their original bases because the fans never show up? It’s a business in America.

[@gomaxim7057]

The root problem is the system of closed leagues without relegation. You get into the highest league not on the pitch, but on the political stage. So even fans have to focus on and start to play political games. In Europe, a traditional team like the Crew with lowering attendance figures and/or poor management would have at some point probably been relegated to a lower league (lower revenues leading to signing lower quality players) - but continued to exist and be there for its core fanbase. This is often a moment when new management is brought in, the club restructures and together with players and fans is pushing for promotion back to the higher league - on the pitch!

[@614Amsterdam]

Winning the cup missing two of our most important players with an 18 year old kid having the best game of his career (so far) added a cherry on top of the cherry

[@michaelwalker7400]

That now 21 year old had an awesome game this year as well!

[@andrearosendaul]

That now 22 year old is playing for a Championship team in England

[@danielrose1984]

I just can't get the absolute entitlement that the MLS2ATX lot had throughout all of this. I'm a Derby County fan here in England so maybe I don't understand American sport but why couldn't they prove that there was a soccer culture in Austin by starting a team in the lower leagues, supporting them and showing the MLS that there was an argument to give Austin a franchise? It's like they weren't actually interested in having a soccer team as a community asset, as a team they can cheer through thick and thin no matter what division they are in, but "oh we only want one if we're in the top flight". Its sickening.

[@TheNamesJER]

They actually had a lower league team that relocated to Orlando and then was reformed and dissolved shortly after but it wasn’t greatly supported, so you’re absolutely right.

[@SJPace1776]

That's how Cincinnati got a club. Supported a lower division one in USL that is now in MLS. No one was talking about us before then. I hope Sacramento get a happy series like this as those folks have been through it supporting a lower division side.

[@oggiggs]

They even had just started a brand new team in the second division, one year before any news about the relocation had come out. I really can't comprehend why real soccer fans didn't just support that team

[@senorsoupe]

@@SJPace1776 Montreal the same way, the USL Impact were well supported before the move up to MLS. As someone who grew up cheering for the Montreal Expos, this documentary brings back a lot of bad memories of a snake owner who sabotaged the team to force a move

[@matthewsaul10]

The funny thing is that there were talks of Columbus getting a lower league team afterward. Even though there would have been a lot of pain and bad memories, Columbus would have supported a lower league team if the Crew would have left. What does that say about both fanbases?

[@TC7WarThunder]

For the second time since the we were saved, The Columbus Crew are Mls Cup WINNERS. Precourt has 0 trophies to show for his time in Austin. Glory to Columbus💛

[@loufancelli1330]

This was an excellent series, and as a Crew fan, it really was surreal to experience. While it was going on, I paid zero attention to what was going on in Austin because it didn't matter to me, as I knew there was enough support here to keep the team in Columbus. Now seeing what actually did transpire in Austin, their fans look classless, and it was kind of fun to see Precourt squirm for hours on end. Great job capturing the conversation his legal team tried to keep hushed. I am so glad that piece of garbage is long gone, and now the Crew is surrounded by local companies - the stadium is full of local eateries and breweries, the name of the stadium is a local company, and I see the black and gold checkerboard all over the place. When ownership understands and cares about its club and city, it's very easy to get local businesses to support it. Precourt, and to some extent the Hunts after Lamar's death, didn't even know how to go about doing that. Watching the Crew win the MLS Cup in December was absolutely the most storybook ending I've ever seen in sports. A club that was presumed dead 3 years prior is now the King. Glory to Columbus!

[@waqarkhan25]

this is what you call a true soccer fan who would fight for the club to stay in there city

[@dc1261]

Since day 1, Columbus is and will always be America's hardest working team!

[@JimSmith-tp7ic]

What a fabulous series! I can't imagine having Anthony Precourt as the owner of your team. I do not think he cares

[@scotts685]

I can't help falling in love with Crew!

[@jaquaviousdasian6857]

You guys even got the mayor of Austin. , the attorney general of Ohio, an Ohio state senator, wow that’s devotion

[@eboethrasher]

That fucking day at Endeavor was fucking amazing, with Josh... I fucking cried my eyes out and I am crying right now watching it, thinking about that day. It was amazing. So amazing. One of the best days of my life, along with my wedding and the day we won MLS Cup in 2008.

[@adameamesxbox]

Copa90 makes some amazing documentaries but these three episodes have been immense! Quite possibly the best sporting based documentary I’ve ever watched. Keep it up folks 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@brandonhubbard8760]

This documentary proves that sometimes the little guys win. I cried way too much reliving all of this but it makes me more thankful for when I see this club in person with my wife and kids. #crew96 #savedthecrew

[@wwCs49]

Respect to the Crew. Franchise system is everything wrong with American sports. But they are a CLUB

[@SteelJacket729]

5 years later. 3X MLS CUP CHAMPIONS. Austin and Precourt? 😏0️⃣ 🖤💛⭐️🌟⭐️💛🖤 🖤💛🏆🏆🏆💛🖤 How far we’ve come since then. GLORY TO COLUMBUS!

[@ChizFM]

Austin fans didn't have to make themselves the bad guys in this story but they really did take every opportunity to do so didn't they.

[@geoffa87]

It's Texas. Assholery is their main cultural export.

[@mrpotato442]

Great finish to this series and how everything came full circle with the cup win. Amazing how the adversity the club came through and fighting against all odds to survive worked in its favour long term. The franchise system and relocation of teams can never be accepted and there is no justification for one location/team to benefit from another's misfortune. The Crew fought a great fight.Much love and respect from Ireland.👍

[@nhornyak8118]

Remember when we saved the crew and won mls cup twice after? 🖤💛🏆🏆

[@NickleAskew]

I really wanted to see sad Austin fans after the party in Columbus

[@DiggerjohnKansas]

I kind of agree, but there were some decent folks in that city who knew what Precourt did was wrong. I am glad that they got their club too and they can try to beat the Crew, the most deserving champions in spot.

[@ZakRTID]

I'm a Glasgow Rangers fan so know more than most how painful it is to go through uncertainty. I've been a season ticket holder since I was 11 years old and have now had it for 12 years. The team means everything to me always has done and in 2012 in our darkest day not knowing what was going to happen was a lot of pain and suffering. I and many other people in Europe have gave the MLS and its fans a fair amount of criticism but seeing this is incredible. Seeing how the fans came together and showed how much they really do care was great and I'm so happy it was the outcome that all real football fans wanted in the end. As for the locals in Austin I understand how much some of them wanted a team but to be more than willing to make it happen at the dispense of so many other peoples passion and happiness is disgusting #SavedTheCrew

[@myguyTrevorSabo]

Thank you!! #SaveDtheCrew

[@ThomasDonnelly1888]

Big Difference though, yous actually let your club die.

[@southfieldtrill9690]

This was a damn good series💯👍 If this series doesn't win any awards it'll be robbery.

[@eboethrasher]

I hope Sean wins something for all the hard work he has put into it. I've seen other cuts of it and there is a lot more footage that could be added to make it even longer.

[@geirasjmg]

Respect the Crew!!! Support from a fellow Timbers fan

[@savabout6487]

Thanks for Caleb porter! Has hard as that 2015 cup final was, I can now look back and be happy y’all won because precourt didn’t get the trophy, a great fan base did and crew got it again later!

[@agckirozx4902]

A Great history of never give up, now the columbus are once again champion in the new stadium that was one of the condition to the Crew to stay in Columbus, where they will never leaving💛🖤

[@myguyTrevorSabo]

You’re crying! I’m not crying!! 😭 #SaveDtheCrew

[@eboethrasher]

Face it. We ALL were crying that day.

[@holbroni]

Great doc I was shocked at those Austin “fans” attitude. If they cared so much why didn’t they travel as they wanted CC fans to do ep2. Even better why not get behind a grassroots team? But a great documentary about the passion and power of footie and its fans

[@jn125906]

or support the multiple USL teams Austin had had in the past as well....

[@krisdelgado4922]

Right, they let the Austin Aztex dissolve TWICE

[@scotts685]

Yes, I found it hypocritical of that MLS2ATX fan tell us Crew fans to like FC Cincinnati when they could’ve easily supported either FC Dallas or the Houston Dynamo

[@myguyTrevorSabo]

Chris Doran is the best radio guy in MLS! By far! So glad they used the local radio call for the Cup highlights!

[@SteelJacket729]

AND A GOAL. FOR. COLUMBUUUUUUSSSSS!!!! 😁🖤💛

[@mfelipedaza]

Since winning our third championship last Saturday, can’t wait for Austin FC to visit the Crew. That will be an unbelievable game to attend! It’s incredible what a community of dedicated people can accomplish! #GloryToColumbus

[@AnneEdwards-b9h]

Inside info, Precourt will never let Austin play a match in Columbus. Owners get to make the call on one match only, Anthony’s chosen to not play Columbus. Don’t see him changing his stance, do you? He and his team would be utterly humiliated by both the Crew and their fans.

[@mfelipedaza]

@@AnneEdwards-b9hThanks for that inside scoop! It now makes sense why they have not come to play here in Columbus in three seasons. It's absurd that the MLS allows this!

[@matthewmaddog7]

Thank you for the immense amount of work your team put into this project. I certainly hope similar projects come out in the future. Love it, Glory to Columbus.

[@richardbeck818]

What a story! So glad it all worked out the crew was saved!

[@CLBCrew96]

So funny watching this now. 2 MLS cups, sold out almost every single game this season, sold out of next seasons season tickets, and Austin being shit. This is what can happen when you have owners that actually care and want the club to succeed. Austin got exactly what the deserve. A crap owner that will run the team into the ground. Then in a few more years will try and move the tea, somewhere else and tank everything. Will be celebrating when Austin’s team is taken away. What’s funny is they will never win anything with the current ownership.

[@QaZzFilms]

What a story! I didnt have a team on MLS. Go Columbus!

[@Jason-er1vf]

The crew got lucky that a law like that was on the books. More states need to enact legislation like that to protect cities from predatory owners trying to shake down taxpayers.

[@geoffa87]

Luck has nothing to do with it, that's a scar leftover from when the Browns were snatched away from Cleveland. This had a very similar feel, down to a slimy owner intentionally making the market look bad to get his way.

[@bepebayu]

This is brilliant! From part one till the end it's just phenomenal. Great documentary from Copa90. Props to save the crew team and for all Colombus supporters. Mad respect all the way from Indonesia to all of you guys. You such inspirational, and i hope one day my community can build a strong, persevere, loyal and full of vision fondation for our local team.

[@bigdaveyyboi]

Before watching this doco, I always found it hard to connect with MLS. It always seemed soulless. MLS always felt and looked like a corporate event, not a sporting spectacle. The fans, the chants, the names of some of the teams, even the commentators - it felt/looked like, from the outside, footballs version of gentrification - no history, attachment or association with anything football really stood for, and so felt plastic, as if it were built by and for the wealthy few to move in and use as a means to funnel money through, and gain profits from. Columbus fans completely changed that narrative for me. To see supporters and the greater community/city of Columbus, from its civil leaders, to the business community, to the Columbus residents, ban together not only take on corporate greed for personal gain, but then win and achieve everything it set out to do in the most spectacular way, from the most unlikely and dire of situations, is a true testament of the old football lore that "Football is nothing without the fans." I hope MLS as a governing body take heed of the lesson here - You are nothing without the fans. Your revenue, TV rights, ability to have a marketable asset on which to garner corporate investment and fiscal support is built based on the viability of the product, and without fans, there is no product. Viva Columbus! Up Up The Mighty Black & Gold from a new supporter in the land down under #SydneyToColumbus 🖤💛🖤💛

[@TheMothdemon]

Happy to have you as part of the Black and gold family ⚫️🟡 welcome and I hope you enjoy the club and culture ^_^

[@mattman777]

Did all these soccer supporters in Austin not realize that they had a professional soccer team already?

[@darrylwilliams6123]

I was just thinking that. Austin ALREADY had a soccer club and they tried to steal Columbus Crew

[@andrewgraham6339]

Who?

[@muhdpeep]

@@andrewgraham6339 austin fc?

[@andrewgraham6339]

@@muhdpeep Ah I thought you were on about Dallas and Houston Dynamo. Those Texan MLS teams.

[@thesportscourt]

@@muhdpeep austin bold!

[@MountainDrew2000]

GOTTA LOVE LESLIE POOL

[@eboethrasher]

I wish he had caught footage of her the time she came to a match and was in the Nordecke, that was EPIC.

[@shawnp2549]

Honestly brings back tears to rewatch this and remember what we went through

[@victorcoretti5236]

That went well for you Austin, didn't? Columbus Crew has won 2 MLS titles since Precourt has left, actually, we just experienced our third final in 9 months, winning 2 trophy's in just 9 months. Go Crew!!!

[@sburke91]

I love the one Austin councilperson saying "I can't way until we're all wearing the same jersey and celebrating the first championship." How's that wait going there buddy? :D

[@kronaldkreech]

GLORY TO COLUMBUS

[@markhamilton6407]

Great story saved your club that's what football should be all about . From now on the Crew will be my MLS team. All the best for the future and Godbless

[@martinpratt86]

This is why i love copa90, interesting moving films about the sport we love

[@csfwatson]

Who else is here following winning our second cup after getting saved, third overall!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@joshinaround9551]

Been ambivalent to MLS for a long time but this series was absolutely fantastic. Crew earned a new fan

[@shortcake926]

Great documentary!! The Austin fans was very selfish! Seeing Columbus winning the MLS Cup last year was great!

[@Cohodes]

I love that council womans advice to Precum.. so are you going to be as Loyal to Austin as you have been to Columbus? BLILLIANT

[@Jonahvlogs96]

Incredible series!! Thank you.

[@brendanwessling4702]

From an outsider standpoint, I have a feeling Austin FC aren't gonna get a lot of likelyness from other teams in the MLS. How in their screwed up mind can fans celebrate just about stealing another supporter base's team and then have the arrogance to say they are in the right the whole time

[@briannieto2406]

Would love to see a short addition about the rebrand and the fallout following the announcement and reworking of the name from Columbus SC back to Columbus Crew!

[@DerangedManiac12]

16:09 and now news comes out today that said supporters' group is trying to bully alternative fan groups out of the supporters' section via astroturfing and threats. Goes to show that these "passionate fans" that painted themselves as leading the MLS2ATX charge were just grifters like Precourt.

[@DerangedManiac12]

@@georgeboutselis3605 there was a write-up on the Austin FC sub yesterday that's since been deleted by the mods. From what I can tell, most of the drama seems to be confined within the Supporters Groups' social media so I don't really know where to find any of the details beyond what the post said about Austin Anthem proposing paying sponsored musicians to take over the supporters' section and threatening legal action at other groups for using their songs or borrowing their drums.

[@marcopolo2418]

Soo good thanks guys Crew You

[@MountainDrew2000]

MAN I LOVE PETE EDWARDS TOO

[@cs3473]

The Irony that Art Modell had a very very indirect hand in saving the Crew... Kudos to the Ohio State Legislature for creating the law that ultimately saved the Crew. And I'm glad for once in American sports that the Fans were able to save their team.

[@chadlhoover4841]

That's A good point

[@LaneKing]

Hardest working team in the Land. #SaveTheCrew #GloryToColumbus

[@Elwer2009]

The ending was magical!

[@jonathanshaffer6757]

Why did he even want to move the team to austin? there’s already 2 mls teams in texas so they’d be a distant third for a long time, also atx vs clb games should be known as the “Precourt is a snake” derby

[@SJPace1776]

Texas is a huge highly populated state and Austin has been booming in recent years. I wouldn't be surprised if other major sport leagues look to it in coming decade.

[@sdot5389]

Austin WAS the biggest US city without a major pro sports team (El Paso is now the biggest). With its left-leaning young multi-ethnic population, its an absolute no-brainer to try to get an MLS team there. Stealing another team is never the right way though.

[@randogg7815]

His wife is an Austin native .

[@vinnie_choogs84]

HEY PRECOURT! THE TEAM YOU TRIED TO MOVE JUST WON THE MLS CUP AGAAAAAIIIINNNN! ENJOY BEING THE OWNER OF AUSTIN YOU JEBRONI! LOLOLOLOLOLOL

[@guysimpson8300]

I have not been in the states since 2015. It is cool to see that Fußball has gained the passion. My hope for this year is that Kaiserslautern stays up and that MLS understands they are clubs not Franchises.

[@nathanellis622]

Leslie pool is an absolute Queen lol

[@linnane98]

The Austin fans are actually grim, leeches the lot of them. Petulant. Glory to Columbus, one of my favourite COPA90 docs ever

[@jn125906]

the new stadium is open now and its great. I would reach out on reddit or bigsoccer to people if you end up coming

[@linnane98]

@@jn125906 thanks buddy, I appreciate it!

[@ft3265]

Get any seat and will be fine... The new stadium is just great!

[@savabout6487]

Crew fans are so welcoming. Just go to any bar in the arena district or short north and ask them to tell you about save the crew! They’ll buy you a drink for sure

[@linnane98]

@@ft3265 Cheers mate. Look forward to it.

[@Rushfelt33]

I remember hearing about this and hoping it wouldn't happen. However, seeing this outstanding documentary makes me want to offer my Congratulations to everyone associated with the Crew for their efforts on and off the pitch. Whilst there's no such thing as an easy ride as a football (or soccer) fan you have held firm beyond what any of your peers should. I have no malice towards Austin FC, however, the initial attitudes of their fans left a bitter taste I hope they learnt from having their own team and what it means when it's under threat. Congrats again from a Sunderland fan.

[@andygarcia3246]

The only they forgot to mention is how they took advantage of an Ohio State Saturday prime time football game to spread the word of the Save the Crew movement.

[@NytroXGaming]

This series shows everything wrong with the American franchise system. Great job to the people who put this together, was a very good watch 👍

[@Gallusinsky]

I truelly detest Precourt and Austin FC...and im not even american! Wish Columbus all the best they deserve it, from a Raith Rovers fan

[@HarlowGlobetrotter]

considering the opening few minutes of episode 1, anyone else think it's really crass that the Austin FC logo is a tree? RESPECT YOUR ROOTS? zero class.

[@fardinmahid3881]

Genuinely hope they never win a trophy is Precourt's lifetime

[@TANOFTZ]

And their moto was "Grow the Legend"

[@shortcake926]

They have no class at all!

[@mogarba1463]

It looks like a Broccoli

[@cristhianfly]

Forever the Columbus Crew 💯

[@JdDiehl]

Copa90 has once again outdone themselves. This documentary was so well put together and did a wonderful job at showcasing the grit and fight of the Columbus city, community, and supporters alike. This was truly a David slain Goliath type victory and it proved that the rich and powerful elitists who seek to re-shape the very concept of the beautiful game and exert full control over the sport are no match for a determined, passionate football fan community. Great job, once again to all involved in putting this together, saving our team, and standing up for Football in this country. Oh and one side-note (because I'm a political junkie haha), Mike Duffey was never a State Senator. He was a State Representative. Great guy, though!

[@virtualstatman]

I've just sent a message to Mike Duffey congratulating him on his job promotion :-D

[@JdDiehl]

@@virtualstatman Okay? The man ran in 4 and won all 4 elections to his House seat and prior to that served 8 years on the Worthington City Council. He's accomplished a lot and only had 1 close election in the legislature (that being 2010 when he first ran). So your sarcastic gesture of sending him congrats on a job promo as if he was defeated in an election is laughable. You do you, man.

[@virtualstatman]

@@JdDiehl I'm the film's director.

[@JdDiehl]

@@virtualstatman Cool. Should have led off with that. Your smiley face is typically used by those who are being sarcastic.

[@virtualstatman]

@@JdDiehl It says my name in the blurb underneath the film.

[@eiberg9054]

SAVE THE CREW and F Austin!!!