Why Alexi Lalas feels Columbus Crew fans should be 'thanking' former owner Anthony Precourt
After the Crew earned a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final against CF Pachuca, many fans used it as an opportunity to look back.
Thursday morning, the "Good Day Columbus" morning show hosts on WSYX ABC 6 and WTTE Fox 28 used the Crew's latest win to troll the team's former owner Anthony Precourt.Fans on X, formerly Twitter, followed suit.
But National Soccer Hall of Fame member Alexi Lalas, who had multiple MLS stops with teams such as the New England Revolution and Los Angeles Galaxy, feels differently. As he posted on X, he said Precourt's attempted move of the Crew to Austin, Texas was "the best thing that ever happened" to the team.
Yup, it was the best thing that ever happened to the @ColumbusCrew. It succeeded in getting Columbus to care and pay attention to their team. The team actually became relevant because it was threatened. You should be thanking @APrecourt and @thesoccerdon. Good luck in the final! https://t.co/MfTUPMTNUy
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) May 2, 2024
"It succeeded in getting Columbus to care and pay attention to the team, Lalas wrote. "The team became relevant because it was threatened. You should be thanking (Precourt) and (MLS commissioner Don Garber). Good luck in the final!"
In October 2017, Precourt announced he exploring options that included a potential move to Austin, Texas if they could not secure a new Downtown stadium. Later that month, thousands of Crew fans congregated in front of City Hall to voice support of the team remaining in Columbus before a March 2018 lawsuit by the City of Columbus and the State of Ohio against the owner of the Crew and Major League Soccer helped continue the "Save the Crew" movement. The lawsuit was dismissed in December 2018 before the team was sold to Jimmy and Dee Haslam and the Edwards family.
In 2023, the Crew won their third MLS Cup, beating Los Angeles Football Club in the team's first season under coach Wilfried Nancy: the first Black head coach to win an MLS Cup.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Alexi Lalas feels Crew fans should be 'thanking' Anthony Precourt
