I?m not going to lie to you; it?s disappointing. But I have high expectations.

There are a lot of things that have been happening in Central Ohio and in our market, and even within our industry. With the Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL went on strike but they came back strong. We've got a new Arena Football team here. The Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees has got a new stadium coming up here in Columbus. There are a lot of factors that I think contribute to why we're taking this sort of approach and this mentality. Mostly it's that we think it's the right thing to do. It's the type of brand that we want to be and I don't know that that has actually been the case in the past.

We are very pleased with our new graphic identity. Ryan Partnership has done a terrific job of creating a clean, bold, professional look which clearly conveys our commitment to philanthropic ideals and we are proud to introduce it.

We are delighted to reintroduce the MLS/NEA Get a Kick Out of Reading program to central Ohio families. The upcoming Winter Recess offers a fantastic opportunity to rediscover the joys of reading for pleasure and we look forward to seeing a great many participants at our home opener on April 15.

We are extremely grateful for the support and generosity of our donors and anticipate that these items will generate a lot of interest and excitement, ... Events like this help the Crew Soccer Foundation raise the money necessary to realize our vision and fulfill our mission.

Things sure have changed in the last year. It has been a challenging year, but we are professionals and need to accept responsibility.