What Happens in Columbus, Stays in Columbus?

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In case you missed it, all the Crews in Crewville are talking about this article from the Sports Business Journal, which basically says a portion of the Crew is being sold by Hunt Sports Group. Here's what we know:

- Big Soccer lit up like a Christmas tree when the news first hit.

- Crew GM Mark McCullers posted on the Crew's official blog, the Black and Gold Standard. He states the team is not moving.

- John Warner, President of HSG, flew in to Columbus to talk with the team, and speak with Shawn Mitchell in yesterday's Dispatch. Warner states repeatedly the team is NOT moving. He cannot point to any one reason why, nor provide any assurances when asked to do so.

- The guy who is in charge of the group that wants to purchase a portion of the Crew is named Mark Noorzai. Noorzai is also linked with a group looking to bring the MLS to Las Vegas, along with a proposed $500 million-dollar stadium/casino complex.

- A group called "The Team: Sports, Entertainment, Media" is supposedly a Columbus- based group who are helping broker a deal for the Noorzai group. This group was not mentioned by Mr. Warner yesterday, and only came to light in the last 24 hours.

- Paul Caliguri, of Pert Plus and lawsuits against MLS fame, is one of the spokesmen for the Noorzai group, though which group he is speaking for has not been determined. He also is the one who may have let the cat out of the bag a little early in this case.

- Big Daddy Don Garber, Commish of MLS, has said he won't comment because the Crew moving or staying "is not a league issue." Garber comes through for us again!

- Michael Arace penned a whole heap of awesome in this article today.

My take? The Crew need local ownership, and no matter if the Hunts nix this deal, or it goes through, that won't change. We need to start a grassroots campaign to find some people here in Columbus that can take an interest in the team and put down the roots to show MLS we're not going anywhere. Let's draft Brad Friedel, Dante Washington, Eric Clapton, and Bobby Rahal to get an ownership group off the ground that can keep the Crew in Columbus.