Those who live and work in Columbus, Ohio have heard the stereotypes before.
"It's just Columbus."
"Who would want to live in Columbus?"
Those who don't have a preconceived negative opinion have, at the very least, no opinion at all. To those people, Columbus is merely a point on the map to be flown over en route to more coastal destinations.
Those who do live and work here, meanwhile, know the truth. They know that this city has a community feel like no other. They see the downtown renaissance, the charm of areas like the German Village, the energetic vibe and the pride that emerges from the sporting culture here. They're immersed in what makes Columbus so great -- details that aren't so evident for those not ingrained in the city as part of their daily lives.
Steve Clark used to be on the outside looking in. Even though he grew up in Mason, Michigan, a southern suburb of Lansing that sits roughly 250 miles north of Columbus Crew Stadium, he had only been to Columbus once. That was for a friendly with the Michigan Bucks, the USL Premier Development League side the goalkeeper before he left for Norway.
Now that Clark has nearly wrapped up his first season back in the USA with the Crew, he's come to learn what the residents of this emerging city know and what the thousands of fans who pack Crew Stadium embrace.
2014 MLS Cup Playoff tickets begin at just $25 for the Crew's Eastern Conference Semifinal clash with the New England Revolution!
"I came in not knowing much about Columbus," said Clark. "[My fiancee] Carella and I were completely open. What we found here is that we really, really liked it. Coming from abroad, it's a great midwestern city. It's growing a lot, you know? It doesn't have an air of pretentiousness to it. It's a really authentic place."
You see Clark's passion reflected on the soccer field each and every weekend. He finished the MLS regular season as just one of five players to play in all 3,060 minutes for his club. He was rewarded with the Black & Gold's Kirk Urso Heart Award and named its Defender of the Year. He's formed a unique bond with the supporters, evident in his post-match "Yes!" chant in front of the Nordecke. Crew supporters, representative of the city, have made the experience of playing for the Crew so special for him.
"Every player certainly wants to play for the fans to a certain degree," said Clark. "For me, I've always been a passionate player and I think that picks up on me whether that's abroad or here. It's great to put forth that passion and have that picked up by the fans."
Columbus has fulfilled all of his expectations. Clark knows that there always will be people who knock the city, but the fact remains that there's a good chance that anyone who would do so has never been here. To those people, Clark says that you'll never know what it's like unless you try it.
"I would say that I love Columbus, and that's what I do say. I say to come check it out. I've had a lot of visitors as well, and they tell me they had a blast."
People can doubt the city all they want, but Clark has found a true second home here. In just a few short months, he's become part of the city, and the city has become part of him.
"We came here and took everything as it came. We're really enjoying it."
For the doubters. For Columbus.
