https://youtu.be/mESrFnWKg80 To say something is a dream come true, one would have to dream it first. On the evening of July 30, 2022, I learned that I (along with producer Melissa Kulwinski and editor Jeff Platz) won a regional Emmy Award for “Sacred Ground”, the video essay I wrote about Historic Crew Stadium on the … Continue reading Thoughts on Unexpectedly Winning a Regional Emmy Award
Columbus Crew
Mr. Numbers Nerd: Cucho’s GOAL-orious Debut
When Cucho Hernandez came off the bench and scored the winning goal to cement a stunning Crew comeback from a 2-0 road deficit for only the second time in the club’s 26.5-season existence, he added his name to various lists in Crew history. As Mr. Numbers Nerd, I shall elaborate. * Cucho is the 17th … Continue reading Mr. Numbers Nerd: Cucho’s GOAL-orious Debut
A Big Thing: Cucho Debuts in Historic Crew Comeback
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 burned more than three square miles of the city. The not-so-great Chicago Fire of 2022 burned a two-goal lead at home to the Columbus Crew, making for a historically memorable Black & Gold (er, Gray & White) debut for $10.5 million signing Cucho Hernandez. The Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow of … Continue reading A Big Thing: Cucho Debuts in Historic Crew Comeback
The Oracles of Crewsmas 2022
There was something in the air on Crewsmas, and it wasn’t just the chill of a February 26 start to the season, a date two days earlier than even the famed La Guerra Fria against Mexico at Historic Crew Stadium in 2001. No, this was something imperceptible in the moment that only became apparent after … Continue reading The Oracles of Crewsmas 2022
A Berry, Berry Interesting #HellisReal
Friday’s Crew game against FC Cincinnati was poised to be either Seventh Heaven or the Seventh Circle of Hell. Entering the match on a six-game losing streak, it was imperative that the defending MLS Cup champions, playing in front of their home crowd in their new stadium, proved to themselves and to the world that … Continue reading A Berry, Berry Interesting #HellisReal
UPDATE: More Warzycha Free Kicks Unearthed
One of the perils of doing reconstructive research is that you might not catch everything on the first pass. Such research is often iterative, laying the groundwork for other researchers to fill in the gaps. Such is the case with my middle-of-the-night research on Robert Warzycha's unofficial free kick goal totals since the league did … Continue reading UPDATE: More Warzycha Free Kicks Unearthed
Mr. Numbers Nerd: Crew Comebacks from 2-0 on the Road
Hi. This is going to be very to the point as it is already after 1:00am and I have to get up early tomorrow. But Friday's 2-2 #HellisReal draw in Cincinnati after falling behind 2-0 was only the seventh time in club history the Columbus Crew salvaged at least a point when falling behind 2-0 … Continue reading Mr. Numbers Nerd: Crew Comebacks from 2-0 on the Road
The House Columbus Built
Shortly after arriving at Lower.com Field for the first time since the groundbreaking ceremony on October 10, 2019, I checked out the new Circle of Honor display at the northwest corner of the stadium’s exterior. That’s where I ran into one its inductees. Crew legend Frankie Hejduk, captain of the 2008 MLS Cup champions, radiated … Continue reading The House Columbus Built
Save The Crew: The Battle for Columbus
Three-and-a-half years ago, Sean Kelly invited me to dinner and told me of his moral compulsion to document the fight to save the Crew. Born in England and primarily based out of San Diego, Kelly had fallen for a Columbus girl a few years earlier, then subsequently fell for the city’s soccer team. Despite being … Continue reading Save The Crew: The Battle for Columbus
Warzycha Knows and Appreciates Zelarayan’s Free Kick Wizardry
The whistle blows for a foul. There’s a deadball opportunity just outside the opposing penalty area, well within shooting range. As you take measure and do your internal calculations, the goalkeeper shouts instructions to the several men comprising the human wall designed to take away half the target. It’s the final minute of stoppage time. … Continue reading Warzycha Knows and Appreciates Zelarayan’s Free Kick Wizardry
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