2008 was a very significant year for professional sports in Columbus. The Ohio State Buckeyes have traditionally managed to overshadow all other local teams, but a lackluster seasons for the Bucks combined with a national title for our Major League Soccer team meant that The Columbus Crew won the title of “Best Local Sports Team of 2008” by a landslide.
The Crew were off to a solid start as far back as April when they took the lead in the league. In July, The Crew lost their exhibition game against West Ham, but the Crew fans gained some nationally-recognized street cred for some hooliganism antics rarely seen in American soccer. After a few more weeks of moving in and out of first place, the Crew managed to firmly regain control of the lead and rode it out for the remainder of the season.
In early October, there was a bit of a scare that investors in Las Vegas were thinking about buying The Crew and uprooting them from Columbus, but thankfully that didn’t pan out. Also in October, Columbus was named the Number 1 Sports City in the Country, thanks in part to the success of The Crew. In November, just two weeks before the MLS Cup, Coach Sigi Schmid was named the MLS Coach of the Year. And finally, after 13 years of waiting, on November 23rd, 2008, The Columbus Crew put down the New York Red Bulls 3-1 to become the National Champions.
Second Place: The Ohio State Buckeyes
Third Place: The Columbus Blue Jackets
Bonus Video: The Columbus Crew’s Best Goals of 2008: