I consider myself an even-keeled individual when it comes to my sports teams. Though passionate, and sometimes irrational, I think that I'm pretty good at tempering the inevitable highs and lows that come with any season, especially those that consume significant "calendar length." Furthermore, I can also be pretty objective when reading potentially negative information about my teams. While I can get defensive at times - a required trait, I think, of a Crew fan - I'm good at not letting some hits ruin my enjoyment and support of my team. If I didn't, as an Ohio State football I probably would have offed myself by now after the last two national championship game reactions. This brings me to the latest news that an investment group from Las Vegas is reportedly "close" to purchasing a portion of Hunt Sports Group's (HSG) share of the Crew. Normally I wouldn't be overly concerned with this news, but rather would be interested in how a possible "freshness" would affect the Crew (the amount of money's still the same, right?), how such things could help shake off the stench of the past three years and capitalize on the on-field success of the 2008 Crew. But for whatever reason - the "other shoe" I feared - this news, when I look at other Crew items of note and hear information from people I trust, worries me. This isn't a worry that a Mayflower truck will be utilizing the new stage access for Saturday's game against Los Angeles and some English guy, but a nagging feeling that quickly put a damper on this week's match-up. Why can't we have nice things?!? Though not necessarily all related, here are things that worry me.

An ownership group who, let's face it, gives off the absentee vibe. HSG doesn't have a strong, visible presence in Columbus with decisions seemingly made either in Dallas or whichever Caribbean island is handy at the time. Coach Sigi Schmid mentioned, in his early-season quest to bring a Designated Player to Columbus, that he had to go to Dallas to pitch his case to the owners. While a far-flung ownership group isn't automatically a terrible thing, the lack of a strong, viable local ownership group isn't comforting. In the end, it might just be about perception: a local ownership group feels more likely to want to keep a team in a location while a remote group seems more detached, less in-tune with the local market's needs and concerns. Crew fans will point to the longer-than-desired tenure of former GM Jim Smith and former coach Greg Andrulis as perhaps the best two pieces of evidence against an out-of-state ownership group.

Crew Stadium opened in 1999 and Crew fans and others interested in such things became familiar with The Bonham Group, the company tasked with selling the naming rights to MLS's first soccer-specific stadium. As of today, the stadium's naming rights remain up for sale. While it's nice that our stadium still retains its original name - much like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park sound much nicer than Pac Bell turned SBC turned AT&T Park or Progressive Field - it represents an unrealized revenue source, a revenue source that one hopes could only benefit the Crew. Each MLS stadium built since Crew Stadium opened has successfully sold its naming rights for various amounts, with Real Salt Lake's about-to-be-opened stadium the latest to do so (entering into a deal with mining giant Rio Tinto).

The Crew's training complex in Obetz was - I think, and I'm too lazy to verify right now - the first of its kind in MLS. However, as MLS rosters have grown the team has stated that they have outgrown the training center and announced that they were soliciting proposals from Central Ohio communities to house the next training center (and associated auxiliary fields and perhaps housing for academy-type players). The facility's location was to be announced in August...of 2007. Without an agreement in place soon, the team will once again have to invest money into Obetz to improve a facility that they want to leave. Crew GM Mark McCullers told Crew beat writer Sean Mitchell that the lack of progress on the training facility and news of the Las Vegas purchase are in no way related. However, unrelated though they may be, the lack of progress - not to mention the lack of, um, actual construction - identifies one less physical tie to Columbus, one less tie to the community.

Hopefully things are moving forward behind closed doors, but the silence about an extension for Sigi Schmid is a bit concerning for me. It was a long haul to get to this point, the Crew on the brink of taking the 2008 Supporters Shield, and I would hate to see the core of the team, which includes the coaching staff, not have the opportunity to see how far this team can go, not just in 2008 but in the next few years. By itself, this isn't an indicator of horrible things on the horizon. Combined with other items, though, it makes my head hurt.

The potential investment group has been actively seeking a team for Las Vegas. Paul Caliguri's comments, which he claims were misunderstood, indicated that even though this group would be investing in Columbus their goal remained to get a team for Las Vegas. Unfortunately, that situation simply smells. This group's stated desire to bring a team to Las Vegas, while potentially investing in Columbus, does nothing for the league's goal of one team per owner, plus it just seems odd that a group would invest in another team while working to bring a team to a different city. While some BigSoccer posters have speculated that perhaps this Las Vegas group is using an investment in Columbus as a mean of getting their foot into MLS's door, other posters have written that this is all too familiar to them - they've witnessed a similar situation develop in Seattle as they watched their Sonics eventually, and contentiously, become the Oklahoma City Thunder. Just the thought, as remote as it may be, is unsettling.

Finally, fans in other MLS cities have experienced something similar, specifically those in Kansas City and San Jose. In each case, according to those fans, by the time information similar to this Las Vegas bomb became public, negotiations were months along and the wheels for relocation were in motion. Kansas City fans organized into the Heart of America Soccer Foundation which was instrumental in the Wizards eventual sale to OnGoal, LLC. San Jose fans organized into Soccer Silicon Valley which, while unable to stave off relocation to Houston, was instrumental in the relaunch of the Earthquakes under Lew Wolff. Note that I have intentionally cut these stories short; for in-depth information on the extreme effort expended by these two organizations, visit their respective web sites.

Look, this isn't an easy formula that adding all these together equals relocation. And, I know, this is more-or-less just some rambling on the Internet. However, this is the first time I've been actually worried that the Crew might leave Columbus. I truly hope that I am wrong and that this is just the typical mountain out of the mole hill. Unfortunately, this time I'm not as confident saying, "There's no way they're leaving."

OK, fine. They're good.

Thanks to a father's love of his son, my dad brought me up primarily on four sports teams - Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, Ohio State football, and University of Dayton basketball. While my teams have experienced some success in my lifetime - three World Series titles, two Super Bowl appearances, a national championship, and some NCAA appearances - it more often feels as if my teams, well, stink. The Reds haven't seriously contended for years since losing their one-game Wild Card playoff. The Bengals are once again a joke after a short-lived tease. Ohio State is a national contender who has stubbed its toe in its last three "really big" games. Dayton, um, Dayton is always on the cusp of something special.

All of this is background information that shows why it's difficult for me to admit that yes, the 2008 Columbus Crew are good. Heck, they're actually really good. As of today they sit atop the league table with an eight-point cushion on second-place New England. Mathematically, it might be more difficult to NOT win the Supporters Shield at this stage. Should results fall perfectly, Columbus could win the Shield this weekend (I haven't double-checked that; I'm relying solely on some good posters on BigSoccer). Even supporters of other teams have to admit that the yellow soccer team, previously a target for laughter, is turning the joke back.

This is an unusal feeling for a Crew supporter. The last three years have been dismal, if not worse. Attending games was like a chore, but a chore without the satisfaction of knowing something can be crossed off the list. Oh, right, it was also a chore that I paid to do. In some respects it was like prostitution - Crew supporters were paying the Crew to get screwed. Did I mention those years were dismal?

And, let's be honest - the years before these latest Dark Ages weren't exactly overflowing with greatness. Sure, there was an Open Cup title and a Supporters Shield mixed in but, for the most part, seasons ended in disappointment and disgust while hoping that the Crew were really just one key player away from getting over the hump. However, instead of getting over the hump the Crew were just a modern-day Sisyphus with different teams filling the role of the rock.

The 2008 Crew just feels different from previous editions and, despite my always waiting for the "other shoe," this team is good. They win at home, they win on the road. They win from in front, they win from behind. They win with a legitimate MVP candidate, they win with him out. They win with their preferred starters, they win with reserves filling in for injuries, suspensions, and national team absences. Though it's been happening all season, frankly this team amazes me each week by doing something they shouldn't - coming from behind on the road, winning on turf, or whatever other obstacle is in their way.

With four league matches remaining, the Supporters Shield in sight, and the Crew actually charging toward the finish - unlike maybe briskly walking like in 2004 - I might have to go to Los Angeles to watch the Eastern Conference champs take on the Western Conference champs.