Accidental Heroes: The Grassroots Movement That Helped Save the Columbus Crew

by Pete McGinty

This is a story about nineteen extraordinary people who led the grassroots #SaveTheCrew movement that pushed back against a millionaire owner and the Major League Soccer commissioner, and inspired Columbus' private and public sector leaders to consider their legacy as they pondered their role and responsibility in trying to save the Crew.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

231 pages, Paperback

Published August 21, 2020

About the author

Pete McGinty has seen life through the eyes of a roofer, bartender, bouncer, railroad track laborer, and auto racing photographer. As a writer, speaker, and brand consultant, he has had a vast career in marketing and advertising, observing and influencing how people think and behave. He is now putting his experiences of observation and curiosity to work through storytelling, creating characters beholden to deep flaws and abounding promises, and weaving tales rich with emotion.

Never straying from Ohio, Pete remains a Midwestern kid at heart. A graduate of The Ohio State University and a lifelong suffering Cleveland sports fan, fueled by caffeine and classic rock, he finds escape in love of family, travel, reading, furry creatures, and his home gym.

Pete can be found at www.petemcginty.com

Reviews

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never forget the night when I saw Grant Wahl's tweet saying the Crew would be moving to Austin. My son was only 2 months old at the time and I realized that he would have no memory of the Columbus Crew. That was the most devastating thing to me. I was pessimistic and angry, and despite the #SavetheCrew movement, I didn't *really* think there was a chance to keep our team here.

That's what made the following October so unbelievably remarkable. The day I found out the Crew had indeed been saved, I came home from work and cried. My son (and soon-to-be baby girl) will be able to grow up going to Crew games in a beautiful new stadium.

The incredible men and women who are the subjects of this book will always have my undying gratitude. They didn't give in to pessimism or despair. They went to work. The city rallied, the state rallied, the soccer community nationwide rallied. This book is a monument to the blood, sweat, and tears that went into a truly historic moment in American sports history.

And together, against all odds, we all Saved the Crew.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books I read this year! Part historical narrative and part oral history, this is the definitive story of 19 soccer fans who, through their indomitable spirit, stopped the evil owner of the Columbus Crew from moving the team to a different city. In light of how often this happens (thinking of the Oakland A's and Arizona Coyotes this year alone), it is amazing how the #SavetheCrew movement started from an angry Tweet, authored by its eventual leader Morgan Hughes, and how it quickly morphed into a disciplined and highly organized grassroots juggernaut that fought historical precedent and won! Pete McGinty does a masterful job in highlighting all the major players and their contributions as "accidental heroes." He expertly walks us down the stressful year in minute detail. Nothing is missed here and all is recorded for posterity with careful accuracy. McGinty presents a heartfelt story that will make all sports fans laugh and cry and ultimately burst with pride as he hammers home the life-changing importance sport teams can have on their fans as well as their local communities.

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sports book on in so far as the topic was the Columbus Crew. The focus, and brilliance, of McGinty's story is the miraculous tale of how a group of soccer fans took on a millionaire and the entirety of Major League Soccer to preserve the first team of the league. With the Crew slated to move to Austin, Texas, Accidental Heroes is a story of grassroots influence in the face of certain failure. There is probably no other story like this in North American professional sports. McGinty's writing is masterful, allowing the main players to essentially tell their own story, with the perfect amount of interjections to keep the story flowing.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

#SavedTheCrew

[Mojire]

the book is absolutely awesome

[Brian Aubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who loves Columbus, the Columbus Crew, or underdogs with more passion than sense