What Is An Offseason?

So it's the holiday season in the U.S.A. and the off season for Major League Soccer. But for this supporter, there is no off season. To support my club Columbus, I must continue to find stay focused on having creative ideas for new banners. this is a perfect time of the year for buying fabric because of the discount prices. While most old hens, cougars, and other motherly type of women shop to make gifts like quilts, clothes, etc. I go to the fabric store to help make my Nordecke section full of color and statements.

The MASSIVE banner was one of my earliest banners made in 2008. Due to wear and tear I feel this banner is in need of being replaced. So the plans are to make a new one, one that is just as visible as the first one.

The Collection in Columbus

I am highly overdue in my posting of banner or overall tifo work from our Nordecke Supporters section . My epiphany of sorts came this week as I was awarded the 2009 Fan of The Year award from the Columbus Crew Soccer Club. While driving my 138 miles home from the awards ceremony, I was full of thoughts, but one that came to mind was how much the Nordecke and overall supporter culture has grown over the past few years. And while some may have sent me plaudits in regards to banners, there are several others who have played their part by stepping up and doing some form of display, whether by banner, flag, etc. Collectively, and together the Nordecke has and will become a top notch supporters section with vision.

I (photos by Studio79, Ryan, and others) will now feature the workings from other supporters, first from 2008.

Strictly for Cups and the Playoffs

After a couple of days of easy work, I'm finally finished and this was painted and dried inside my too small apartment. This banner was supposed to have included a more scary individual in the middle of the banner with the words on either side, but I had to improvise. The font called 'MASSACRE', to which I hope Columbus massacres all opponents in it's way during the MLS CUP playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, and the CONCACAF Champions League (and hopefully one day, the Club World Cup.

A break due to..........chibi manga?

Some may have visited this site wondering why I haven't been doing updates. I have been working on banner ideas, but for right now, I have started a keen re-kindling of my interest in Japanese anime/manga. As of right now, I have done the sketches of the players of Columbus. After the 1-0 away victory vs. New England to get Columbus closer to solidifying the number one position for the regular season, my first 'comic' looks as such

Lamar Hunt: True Original

If this were the United Kingdom, Lamar Hunt would surely be known as Sir Lamar Hunt. His contributions to soccer and sports in general in the U.S.A. were truly massive. In terms of the Columbus Crew, during his ownership of the club, his top highlight was the funding of Columbus Crew Stadium with his own money. This stadium built, finished in 1999, was the first top flight soccer specific stadium in the U.S.A. Major League Soccer teams have followed and continue to follow in this trend that Lamar Hunt has started.


This banner was done randomly, but as always I aimed to do it with meaning. In banner making, it starts with brainstorming.

Then comes the actually work. For this banner it took me two and a half days to paint. Why? Well, for the simple fact that the font I used required patience in painting it technically correct.


So this is the final result. The font used is called Outlaw. I chose this for a couple of reasons. Lamar Hunt was raised in Texas, hence the Wild Western type of theme. Also all things considered, Mr. Hunt was considered by American sports standards as an outlaw in that he promoted and was dedicated to the sport of soccer from the late 1960's onwards. The NFL thought of Mr. Hunt as an outlaw because they felt that the North American Soccer League was starting to become a threat to the fan base of the NFL. But Mr. Hunt persevered through the ups and downs of the NASL and the fruits of his labor is seen with Major League Soccer today.

The border pays homage to the western theme, as seen with stars. The True Originals idea is for the fact that the very first soccer club announced in Major League soccer in 1996 is the Columbus Crew. The first True Original soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer is Columbus Crew Stadium.

The People's Choice in August: What Do You Prefer To Wear At Matches?

Only 20 people voted, and it's pretty much even. Ten people decided that wearing the club's brand (Official/replica kits, shirts, hats, etc.) is the preference at matches. Nine people wear supporter's group type of gear. Casual clothing was voted by four people, and two people chose Other, one probably in a mascot suit and another probably nude.

Me? Well, I usually lean towards the creative and often inexpensive Supporter's group.

Aggro In Thought

Columbus Crew Soccer Club have some time away from home, which means that I'll have some time to work on new banners. Everyday this week, my objective is to aim for a banner idea per day. Not too tough in my humble opinion, it's just a thing in which a person simply puts idea to paper.

Painting On Black

Painting on black fabric seems to be a tough obstacle for me in making banners. No other fabric makes the paint bleed quicker than black. Maybe I need to use a different paint or fabric.

But one thing I've found out in the last week and a half is that determination to go along with trial and error can bring positive results. So I've wised up and recalled my days painting a cutter ship, where we'd use a base coat of Kilz primer and then applies the two-three top coats. It's saved me time, and mental strain.

The People's Choice in July: What is the best type of supporter display?

In my first ever poll here, only 48 votes were tallied. Now mind you, this obviously isn't a poll that represents the global train of thought for supporter style, but it gives a small insight as to what people prefer.

The numbers were close in regards to each style. Flags received 10 votes and was the winner. Three methods were tied with nine votes, banners, flares, and colored smoke. Scarves and toilet paper rolls/streamers had three votes, respectively while massive flags/banners and two-stick flags had two votes. Mosaic displays had one voter and balloons and confetti received no love.

Naturally my bias is for banners. I love the sight of them and how they can enhance the color of the supporter section and stadium overall. Banners can last for years if not decades. Even when worn or showing tear or faded and cracked paint, that shows that the banner has been through the good and bad seasons of a team.

Six Days Later................

Finally finished. If I had taken time off from my job, I could have finished this in two days.

It's like watching paint dry!

Something frustrating for me is not having my own warehouse space. Normally I can paint outside with the hot sun beating down, which is excellent for banner painting. However it's been nothing but rain planned this week for most of Ohio. So I have to paint inside of my small apartment. It's weird, most of my largest banners have been painted indoors. With painting inside an apartment comes longer dry times. Humid conditions don't favor well for paint drying, so I have been trying everything in my power to help speed things up. I'm using fans, a hair dryer, air conditioning to beat outside humidity, and even water sprinkles to help spread the paint. But the ultimate drying agent for pant is, well, time.

Influenced

So once again I've got the itch to do a banner, since it's been a couple of weeks . The theme is somewhat influenced on a typical style that can be seen in Italy's Serie A.Since I do not have large amounts of money to get a company to make my banners, I had to sew the black and gold fabrics together. I've always wanted to do these types of banners, but I guess I was too much of a slacker to sew in the past. I will reveal the final product hopefully before Saturday. This banner will probably be the longest that I've done, totalling about 17 yards. But there's a long way until I can do such work as:

The Collection part 2

Fabric coupons for discounts? Check!
Cans of paint? Check!
Spending hours measuring, cutting, sewing, ironing, drawing, painting and waiting for the paint to dry on fabric? ADDICTIVE!!
(photos compliments of Sameh Safaa Fahmi-http://www.flickr.com/photos/studio79)

ES TODO O NADA- That means It's All Or Nothing in Spanish

BRING IT!- I guess this is what I'll call this one.

IN IT TO WIN IT- That's the only way I see things.

MIKE HAVELY- One stand up type of guy who stood at the foot of the Nordecke section. He was tough but fair and understanding.
WARZYCHA HARDCORE- Polish head coach comes from the old school Eastern Bloc. You better believe he is hardcore. Also he has been a part of the Columbus Crew Soccer Club as a player and coach since the team's inception in 1996. In this modern game, that's hardcore, dedication.

SEMPER COLUMBUS- Watch this space! EL MELLIZO- This banner was done in a tribute to not only Guillermo Barros Schelotto, bu to the style seen in his native Argentina, with the city he is from. Also the color scheme is similar to the club where his legacy was formed, Boca Juniors.

IRON FIST 100% SUPPORT- give it all or stay home!!CREW- I was watching something on TV about the American Mafia. Northeast Ohio has had an infamous connection to the mob. The font is a classic one found in the 1920's and 30's while the man is wearing a flat/newsboy cap.

The Collection, for now

After living four years in Charleston, SC I would come back to Ohio in the summer of 2007. The offseason of 2007 going into 2008 would have me brainstorm ideas and angles to create banners again. The decision was to make banners that have meaning, both for myself and for the team. And the result? (photos compliments of Sameh Safaa Fahmi-http://www.flickr.com/photos/studio79)

SEMPER COLUMBUS- Semper is Latin for Always. When it comes to support, it's Always Columbus! Notice the military fonts. This is for a future supporter's group I aim to begin, probably after I retire!

MASSIVE- this is a term in the dictionary sense means big, huge, immense. The term has been adopted amongst the hardcore Columbus supporters to describe not only the team, a way of supporting the team................

..........and a way of living.

GUILLE MVP- the 2008 MVP of Major League Soccer

2000: New Stadium, New Ideas

In 1999, Columbus would move into a new stadium, the very first specifically built for soccer to a Major League Soccer team. After seeing the amount of railing space, I just knew that banners would make a great scene in showing support. So in 2000 I would make four long banners, Get Goals, Vamonos Crew, Work N' Progress and Glory, Glory To Columbus. Back then I would do everything by freehand, with pencils, a yardstick, and spraypaint.

1998: The Obsession Begins

After a few years of following the European game, I decided that Columbus could use something to show that I support them. So on a hot and humid summer day in 1998 I decided to create my very first banner with spray paint. And the final product?

From this moment on, I would make banners that would have some meaning and/or connection to the team. 'Mix It Up' was made at a time when Columbus were playing a predictable type of game and I wanted to see them mix their style of play.