Columbus Crew SC Investor-Operator Dee Haslam was honored alongside LPGA legend Judy Rankin at the Greater Columbus Sports Commission's ninth annual Women's Sports Report on Tuesday, Feb. 5.
As part of the event, Haslam shared stories about her journey in the world of sports, and afterward spoke about, among other topics, the impressiveness of the community's fellowship and 'The Columbus Way.'
"The Columbus Way is truly amazing," Haslam said. "Everybody is collaborative here. Everybody wants to see things get done...that doesn't happen in a lot of communities, so it's truly amazing how everything works together and how everyone is on the same page."
Haslam, who is the first woman to be on Major League Soccer's Board of Governors, also emphasized the important role the Crew plays in the community.
"The Columbus Crew is important for this community and I think everybody realized how important it was, but that 'can-do' attitude of what's best for our community is very rare and very exciting to be a part of," Haslam said.
"We have so much to learn about the game, but we do understand how important it is to take care of our fans, we understand that part. We do understand giving back to the community. We are all in on that and very active already."
With the home opener less than a month away, Haslam expressed her excitement and described the Club's supporters as the best in the country.
"The supporter group is amazing," Haslam said. "They are the first in line to help out. They are the most enthusiastic group. We are so fortunate. What you want is a really passionate fanbase when you have a sports team and we couldn't ask for more from the supporter group of the Columbus Crew. We think they are the best in the country, and we need for that supporter group to grow and we need for fans to come out."
The Black & Gold family commences the 2019 regular season on Saturday, March 2 against the New York Red Bulls in a rematch of the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals. Kickoff at MAPFRE Stadium is slated for 4:30 p.m. ET.
