We have taken it up a notch lately, now we go in motion.
http://vimeo.com/27179306
Very nice. Good sound, too. You guys have been a great addition to the league, tho I want Brunner back.
This video is long, but it remains to this day one of the greatest game atmospheres I've ever experienced. The 2008 Eastern Conference Final, between Columbus and the F*re (with ex-Crew legend McBride featuring in their attack).
Some highlights: @3:30, there is a Crew free kick that results in some real pandemonium. It's just over a 2 minute long segment, so stick with it. @7:00, you can pick up the "We Love Ya" chant.
As someone who's been intimately involved in the supporters' culture since 1995 (I founded the original Crew supporters group, with a few other folks), it's gratifying to see the beast grow. There's been some ups and downs, but we've come a long way. I see what's happening in the Pacific Northwest as a vindication of all of the hard work we've all been doing supporting the league over all these years. I'm a little jealous, sure - I wish Crew games looked like what Qwest or Jeld-Wen looked like all the time (and not just for big matches), but I honestly believe that the newer clubs have benefited a lot from having a stable MLS with a modest but respectable supporters culture to enter into and build upon.
I'm also enjoying the growing diversity in the support in each city. For a long time, we've been much more similar than not (with perhaps the notable exceptions of Chicago, with their large Polish influence on their supporters culture, and Chivas), but as the league is growing and maturing we're seeing
less copying of successful stuff from other MLS supporters, and the supporters for each team are starting to grow their own distinct cultures. It's pretty neat to see.
I think Columbus' football culture is an interesting blend of German and Hispanic influences, which a heavy pinch of vaguely blue-collar "alt" (lots of tattoos and piercings - and beards).
:rockin:
