Crew honored at Ohio Statehouse

COLUMBUS -- Two days after the Columbus Crew captured their first MLS Cup with a 3-1 win against the New York Red Bulls in Carson, Calif., the team was greeted with its second rowdy rally.

The first came Monday at 11 p.m. when Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman led hundreds of fans in greeting their returning heroes to Port Columbus International Airport.

The second came Tuesday afternoon at the Ohio statehouse, under what would be described as "hockey weather."

"It was crazy. We were all really, really tired but they had their drums out," midfielder Eddie Gaven said. "There were like 400, 500 fans there. Signing autographs, you could see how much it meant to them. It makes you feel really proud."

As did the turnout just before dusk Tuesday when several hundred chanting fans braved a 25-degree wind chill, a light mist and whipping winds to gather on the west plaza of the Statehouse to hear Gov. Ted Strickland honor the Crew when he said, "Our Columbus Crew earned this championship. Today is a great day for the Crew and the soccer fans across the great state of Ohio."

Strickland led an 18-minute ceremony that started shortly after 5 p.m. The fans huddled together and offered loud applause, although a bit muffled by their gloves. They implored Crew owner Clark Hunt to re-sign out-of-contract coach Sigi Schmid (who stayed in California after a death in the family) and reserved their biggest cheers for league and MLS Cup Most Valuable Player Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

As is the tradition during games in the Nordecke -- the supporters' section in the northeast corner of Crew Stadium -- they bowed to him and chanted his name. Schelotto waved to the crowd but did not speak.

"Doing something like this, it's all about the fans," said Nick Rittenhouse of Columbus, who was at the game Sunday and returned Monday. "They know what it's about and wanted to share it with us."

For Gaven it could be his last hurrah. He was left unprotected in the expansion draft and could be claimed Wednesday by Seattle Sounders FC.

"Right now I'm looking at it as anything can happen and if it's meant to happen it's going to happen," he said. "I'm really hoping I'll be back next year. Right now I'm not sure because it's not fully up to me. If it was I'd definitely be back here."

Midfielder Brian Carroll, a member of D.C. United's MLS Cup winners in 2004, understands that change is inevitable even for a title team.

"Hopefully, we can keep most of the guys around but it's not going to be the exact same. Every team changes every year," he said. "It was a really special year, an incredible journey. We're sad it has to end. A lot of us we're talking that we wish it didn't have to end yet. We won it. It was a great way to end the season on a high note."

It was a time to celebrate and not look too far ahead.

Hunt spoke to the crowd of his father, Lamar Hunt, one of the driving forces in soccer in this country for more than 40 years and the founder of the Crew in 1996. Lamar Hunt died in December 2006.

"His dream became a reality, winning the MLS Cup for his beloved Crew," Clark Hunt said. "In my over 20 years in sports the chemistry in the locker room was the most incredible I've seen."

After the ceremony, the Crew players took the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy into the crowd briefly before going to Gov. Strickland's office for a tour and pictures. Fans milled around the rotunda until the players reemerged.

"I'm getting autographs then I'm going to get it framed and give it to my husband for Christmas," said Columbus resident Elizabeth Trupp as she held the front page of Monday's The Columbus Dispatch with the headline "Champs at last."

She wanted to be at the game but had a good excuse."I'm in my third my third trimester of pregnancy so no fly. Otherwise, I would have gone but I had to be here today.

"We watched it at a bar downtown. It's beyond words. I've been a fan since season one so this is pretty incredible. The whole season was magical from the first game the way they came out against Toronto and built on that. It's been an incredible season."

Gaven had a similar feeling. "It almost felt ... magical a little bit. There was such a special bond between all the players, between the players and coaches; between the players, coaches and fans; between everybody in this whole city. That special bond you felt, hopefully, we can bring that back next year and years to come."

The Columbus City Council is expected to honor the Crew on Dec. 8 and the Ohio state legislature is also expected to pass a resolution of congratulations. Also, a trip to visit the White House is a possibility next year.

"It's been awesome," captain Frankie Hejduk said. "The fans have been our supporting cast. They have so much pride in us and vice versa, us in them. It all came together in Sunday's game. It's not only the players, the staff and the organization who deserve the trophy but these fans who came to support us over the years and especially this year. They deserve it more than ever."