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Why doesn't this surprise us?
Courtesy of the Columbus Dispatch. Here is an excerpt:
The Crew is a solid playoff contender for the first time in years. The team began the season with a franchise-best 6-1 start and is 8-5-3 as it prepares to play host to the Kansas City Wizards in a nationally televised game tonight.
The response of the Crew's fans has at times been resounding, as it was when an announced audience of 17,172 crowded into Crew Stadium to see a 2-2 tie July 5 with the Chicago Fire.
But the fan base has exhibited some disturbing apathy, as well. Only 5,082 fans paid for a ticket to see the Crew play Chivas USA in foul weather April 12. According to the stub count, or the number of tickets that were scanned at the gates, only 4,473 showed up.
The announced attendance, based on the longtime Major League Soccer practice of using the total number of paid and unpaid tickets distributed, was 6,733. The inflated total was a record low for an MLS game in Columbus.
Read on here....
And to see just how much the numbers were inflated click here for a handy chart.
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
REPORT: Columbus Crew Caught Lying and Inflating Attendance Numbers
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42 comments:
I heard Portland and Vancouver are looking for teams...
Notice that the article says "A long time Major League Soccer practice of counting the total number ofpaid and unpaid tickets distributed..." This goes on in all of MLS and past articles have brought this subject to light before.
clubs have been inflating gate numbers since the league was started...hell all professional leagues inflate their gate numbers a bit...Columbus just got called out on it, big deal.
"The Crew's ticket counting methodology is no different from that of other MLS teams and the majority of major league teams in the United States.
"MLS follows the industry standard," MLS president Mark Abbott wrote in an e-mail to The Dispatch."
You forgot about that part you assholes
Thats pretty pathetic Columbus. But never the less what is this article trying to prove? last time i checked a lot of sports including NFL used tickets distributed to calc people in attendance. Not that NFL games wouldnt sell out, but many of the tickets are give-a-ways. But seriously Columbus, inflated or not, why does your attendance suck so bad? You have your own stadium while other teams that dont, do much better. im not from middle america, but do you people even play soccer? is this what we have to expect from St. Louis?
This is pretty standard practice in all sports. Attendance numbers are for one thing only and that's sponsorship sales. The only reason this is a story is because they have nothing else to talk about apparently. I have worked in sports for many, many years and I have never heard of a franchise, outside of teams that sell out every game like the Packers and Yankees, that doesn't inflate attendance numbers. It's not like it's an industry secret folks. This is a non-story.
"The announced attendance, based on the longtime Major League Soccer practice of using the total number of paid and unpaid tickets distributed" ... where is your article follow up on the rest of the MLS teams are they lying too? And should we really care or is this just another shot at Columbus that you couldn't let go by. All i want is consistency (and maybe some decent referees).
Columbus should have never been given an MLS franchise. Move the team to St. Louis.
To be fair, if the Crew is lying, so are all other pro sports teams. This is from the article:
"The Crew's ticket counting methodology is no different from that of other MLS teams and the majority of major league teams in the United States.
"MLS follows the industry standard," MLS president Mark Abbott wrote in an e-mail to The Dispatch.
That standard varies by sport and in some cases individual teams, but no major professional leagues use turnstile counts, which they all keep confidential. The Blue Jackets use the NHL standard of total tickets distributed.
The Crew has stayed true to its practice of including all tickets distributed -- nothing more, nothing less -- in its announced attendance this season."
Nice stadium.
Too bad only 300 fans go to enjoy it.
Columbus was a bad pick for an MLS team to begin with. Heck its a bad pick for an USL team.
Time to end the experiment, close shop and move the team to a more deserving city.
I'm still trying to figure out who got bribed so that Columbus got a franchise in the first place. There where and are so many more intriguing markets that want to support soccer. If they do not improve the way they support their team and run their franchise they should lose it.
They need to fold the Crew and move the franchise to Montreal. Believe me if MLS do this they will be supported and MLS will have a rivalry of rivalries on its hands. Toronto v Montreal would be like Celtic-Rangers, Galatassaray-Fenerbache or Feyenoord-Ajax in its intensity.
And it is real cool to be supporting a team like TFC that does not have to sell 1 dollar bratwursts to fill our stadium. I wish they did sell 1 dollar bratwursts at BMO Field but that is another issue for another time.
Gosh...is isn't that big of a deal. While I'm not condoning it, I just want to say that you guys sensationalize EVERYTHING. From "BlancoGate" to "The Columbus Crew of Neo-Nazis" to this. You guys make the kind of reports that a celebrity tabloid would make - you know, the ones you find in line at the Supermarket. While there may be some elements of truth in their stories, and in yours, you blow everything out of proportion. Your title makes it sound like the Crew are all going to federal prison.
This thing you got going against the Crew is getting a little boring.
If the announced attendance is "based on the longtime Major League Soccer practice of using the total number of paid and unpaid tickets distributed", then what's the problem?
Where's the lie?
You've got to be kidding me with your headline/"analysis".
You want to see real lying about tickets - check out the PRE KATRINA New Orleans Hornets whose owner was inflating his attendances and double selling tickets and accounting for people not at games.
Get over yourself. It doesn't take a genius or any statistic to realize that Columbus and Chivas USA have attendance issues. I've been to other sporting events (Wizards games) where the box score attendance was WELL above actual.
Hey fake journalist/race baiter. All sports usually do this. The Dodgers announce 30,000 and half the stadium is empty. It's a common practice. Why do i read your blog?
Crew CEO #1 - We're in the headlines again... what do we do?
Crew CEO #2 - Blame TFC?
If you think Columbus is the only team that does this, you're sadly mistaken.
*ahem*
L
oh
ELLLLLLEEEEEE
Rampant racism and number fudging... bravo
This really is old news. Clubs have been inflating attendance numbers and not breaking even since the inception of the league.
As a massive Crew fan this is slightly disturbing and not totally surprising but they are certainly not the only one guily. For some reason it seems like you guys at mlsrumors have it out for the Crew and I just don't get that. I love your site but I don't always appreciate the negative Crew press. Columbus is one of the best teams and one of the most enjoyable places to watch a game. Just think about that!
Okay, so..let's get this thread rolling
Blame Toronto...
Toronto and DC don't inflate their numbers.
Wow, I didn't realize how far behind I was with my comment.
But, for all of you people saying that Columbus "doesn't deserve a team" or "needs to be moved," consider this - do you really think the league would move the first team in the country to build its own stadium? Do you really think they'd do that?
C'mon now.
Here I thought Columbus crew was massive. LMAO! Don't worry Columbus few, I am sure you guys will some day get 10,000 paying customers per game in the future.
I wonder if they'll somehow blame Toronto for this.
The point is not that Columbus (and other sports franchises) inflate their ticket prices. The point is that NO ONE GOES TO CREW GAMES! Support your team, or lose them...bottom line!
To all you bitter people posting here...remember than MLSR is not making this up...the source is the Columbus Dispatch newspaper!
Seriously, Columbus and Chivas are in trouble. As much as I would love to see them do well, they are having some major problems right now. I think that Chivas needs its own city, and Columbus needs to be taken OUT OF THE MIDWEST.
I know some (ignorant) people disagree, but STL is not going to be a huge success either- it will be roughly like Kansas City.
I propose moving Columbus to Montreal, and Chivas to San Diego (largest city in CA), Vancouver (largest city in western Canada), or Portland (rabid existing Timbers Army fanbase).
Excuse me, but do not blame Toronto. Toronto has real fans and get support. Watching other MLS games, they are boring because the stadiums are empty, except for LA Galaxy, and that is only for Beckham.
btw: Toronto has no need to inflate numbers. The fact is, they sell out, and when many people don't show up, they announce the actual attendance. For both the Pachuca and Indipendiente games, there were 18,000+ people, which is bad for Toronto attendance.
to the anonymous post on July 18, 2008 at 4:40 AM: Yes, and yes. Couldnt agree with you more. I dont really know too much about the Timbers following, but i think moving Chivas to San Diego and changing Columbus to Montreal is a smart move. I also agree with the STL comment. I must admit, i have never been to STL and dont know much about the city or its culture, but i cannot imagine it being too different from that of KC. And look how great KC is doing.hah. Seriously, I want someone from STL to comment on how and why MLS will be more succesful there then in KC or Columbus for that matter. What makes you different? Thanks.
Can I say something? If you Canadians are so certain of your ability to sustain great rivalries, why don't you start your own league and less us worry about Columbus? Columbus to Montreal? You must be joking.
to the anonymous posting July 18, 2008 10:32 AM: Canada is a great place to have 2, 3, even 4 teams in the MLS as the league grows (not enough for its own league). And No, i wasnt joking about Columbus to Montreal. You gave no arguments against it. No offense Columbus, but Montreal is an actual metropolitan city. Its size dwarfs that of columbus, has a number of european translplants, and generally has a passion for the sport of soccer. Im not saying move the team this very minute, but if that team doesnt show some improvement in support i dont see any other alternative. And dont even get me started on how badly the MLS needs NYC2. (note: not NYC needs MLS) gett'er done Mr Garber, you need us.
The team that will come to STL (at one point or another) will be vastly more successful than KC or Cbus. I'm not saying they'll jump in the fray with attendance figures that soar, but they will be on par with other solid MLS markets. STL is a soccer city, they have many products in the league, and Saint Louis University itself gave us in the league talent like Jack Jewsbery, Brad Davis, Dipsy Selowane, and a bunch of others I've forgotten. Point is, it will be a solid market. I am more of the opinion that if Cbus continues to faulter, move it to the STl and then award expansion to whatever Canadian market makes the most sense. Then Portland and NYC--I won't call it NYC 2 as NYC doesn't even have a team. F*ck jersey.
To July 18, 2008 8:31 AM:
Toronto only sells out its stadium because it only has 20,000 seats. Even if it expanded to 25,000, most likely you would see less sell-outs and more near sell-outs. If DC United had 20,000 seats, it would sell out or have near sell-outs all the time. Instead, DC plays in a 56,000 seat stadium. Toronto would never sell out every match in a stadium that big, and especially if the stadium were old, dilapidated, and falling apart.
And TFC fans are cocky now, claiming their fans are the best, but when Seattle rolls around with its 17,000 season tickets, I think they will have the better fans. I think if MLS goes where the soccer history is, more and more franchises like TFC or the Sounders will come.
And to the guy who said that a match between Montreal and Toronto would be comparable to Celtic-Rangers, Fehnerbache-Galatsary, Boca-River, or whatever...yeah right! Those rivalries are fueled by years and years of football history. While I'm sure it would be a passionate event, I don't think you can just suddenly equate it to the top rivalries in the world.
At any rate, I'm all for MLS in Montreal (way over bringing to vancouver)...but I think it should stop there. There still needs to be a soccer team in Portland (Seattle vs. Portland would be great, and its a historic rivalry between fans), STL (Soccer really is a big deal there. I'm sure it would go well), and I am CONVINCED Miami (although it won't happen).
Adios.
Colombus has 1.7 million in the metro area, KC 1.98 million, St. Louis 2.8 million, Montreal 3.6 million.
This is why KC and Colombus are failing, while St. Louis and Montreal will succeed.
Why does Columbus have a team?
11,000+ season ticket deposits in 1996 which translated into over 9,000+ season tickets. No other team in the league was even close.
D.C. United - 2005 - paid: 11,982 comps: 3,186 actual: 15,169 announced: 16,664
move this team to montreal
As an employee of a major league baseball team I can tell you that this is common over all sports. Also, the same thing is done during concerts at our stadium as well. So, to single out Columbus on this one is a little lame.
I love how no one points out that the Kansas City Wizards a proud member of Major League Soccer play in a 10,000 seat minor league baseball stadium......KC needs to move to St. Louis unless they get a new stadium quick, Columbus has one the fastest growing supporter sections in MLS. I just got back from a friendly against West Ham and the section was relatively packed... to say we need to move is joke and it will not happen
I'm pretty sure KC plays in a 10,000 seat minor league baseball stadium....If anyone moves it should be them..
Pathetic. Your writing is simply pathetic and you deserve all the diabtribe to you get.
ALL MLS TEAMS DO THIS!
And I mean ALL! What do they publish? The number of tickets sold. Its not the number in the stadium, its the number sold. Every single event in the MLS and all other leagues have no shows. PERIOD. But they don't and never will publish the turn-stile rotation. Its all about tickets sold.
Grow up MLSR.
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