This morning, Cleveland Soccer Group unveiled the crest and identity of its MLS Next Pro team, Forest City Cleveland. There will surely be plenty of chatter today about how it looks, with the art deco hexagon, and the color palette, and the tree, and the script / typeface, and the obligatory explainer graphic where the … Continue reading Forest City Cleveland
The Night Pele and a Melee Came to Cleveland
In their respective eras, Pele and Lionel Messi took the field while wearing the crown as the greatest soccer player of all-time. Among the many feats these two global icons have in common is that neither of them could score a goal in Cleveland. 57 years before Messi came to Huntington Bank Field for a … Continue reading The Night Pele and a Melee Came to Cleveland
Sirk’s Notebook: Miami 1, Columbus 0
NOTE: Before starting, I just want to acknowledge that many Columbus Crew fans are understandably upset that this marquee home game was moved to Cleveland. I do address my own conflicted feelings near the end of this. I hope to have a few more pieces tangentially related to this past weekend’s match, but I wanted … Continue reading Sirk’s Notebook: Miami 1, Columbus 0
MLS Cup 2023: A Personal Reflection
My younger self never could have imagined me contemplating which of the Crew’s three MLS Cup titles is the best. Growing up in Cleveland, I was accustomed to heartbreak and torturous near misses, and the early Crew continued that tradition, losing four conference finals and seeing a Supporters’ Shield winning season go up in flames … Continue reading MLS Cup 2023: A Personal Reflection
Some Random MLS Cup Thoughts
So I’ve been working on an MLS Cup thing in dribs and drabs as circumstances allow and sometimes it feels like I will never finish, but I decided that this whole section wouldn’t make the final cut for length and flow reasons. It’s a series of tangents that would otherwise bog down the narrative of … Continue reading Some Random MLS Cup Thoughts
A Massive Collection Vol 2 now available!
I'm happy to announce that my newest book, A Massive Collection, Volume 2, is now available to everyone through Amazon and Barnes & Noble! Hardcover at Amazon Paperback at Amazon Hardcover at Barnes & Noble Paperback at Barnes & Noble A family COVID situation caused this to be a sub-optimal book launch, including the cancellation … Continue reading A Massive Collection Vol 2 now available!
Relitigating the Bradley Boos
After an evening receiving more boos than a Philadelphia Santa Claus Convention, Michael Bradley wanted to set the record straight about his long-ago comments during the Crew’s attempted relocation. Comments that continue to reverberate to this day. In his eardrums. Every time he visits Central Ohio. In November of 2017, barely a month after Anthony … Continue reading Relitigating the Bradley Boos
PRE-ORDER A Massive Collection, Volume 2
At long last, I am excited to announce that A Massive Collection, Volume 2, is now available for an early access pre-order exclusively through the Nordecke! The book will be available for general purchase in mid-October, but you can get it a month early through the Nordecke. The Nordecke has long used its voice not … Continue reading PRE-ORDER A Massive Collection, Volume 2
Crew Add to Record Book vs RSL
The 2023 Columbus Crew can’t stop making club history. And in a good way. A week after the 6-1 dismantling of Atlanta United in historic fashion, the Crew throttled Real Salt Lake, 4-0, adding to their recent run of scoring records. Last week, Aidan Morris scored his first career goal on a diving header off … Continue reading Crew Add to Record Book vs RSL
Mr. Numbers Nerd: Crew’s firehose of firsts vs ATL
Saturday night’s Columbus Crew match against Atlanta United seemed like it would be a less than scintillating affair. After all, between injuries and international callups, the Crew would be without their two headlining, goal-producing attractions, Cucho Hernandez and Lucas Zelarayan, as well as starting center back Milos Degenek and starting goalkeeper Eloy Room. But the … Continue reading Mr. Numbers Nerd: Crew’s firehose of firsts vs ATL
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