A thank you to historic Crew Stadium

Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK Dear Historic Crew Stadium,

In 1999 you opened your gates to fans who had a temporary home at Ohio Stadium, supporting an Major League Soccer original franchise in the Columbus Crew. You became the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States and became a household name for MLS and U.S. Soccer.

Little did you know that you would go through three different name changes throughout your 22-plus years of service. First, Crew Stadium, which was your original name when you came into existence in a time of need. Years later, you became MAPFRE Stadium, and along with that came a change in the team formerly known as Columbus Crew SC. Now, the team and you…