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Columbus Crew’s bland rebrand adds to a worrying trend in football
The MLS side's much-derided renaming as Columbus SC actively seeks to erase the club's history in pursuit of a more marketable product. The strategy is fundamentally flawed, writes JAMES NALTON
Columbus SC fans celebrate a 3-1 win over D.C. United

JUST months after being crowned Major League Soccer champions, the Columbus Crew are no more. At least not by that name.

Last week, club executives announced that they were officially changing the name from Columbus Crew SC to simply Columbus SC, and released a new logo containing no use of the word “Crew.”

The Crew would now be a nickname only. But in removing this identity from the official club name displayed on various media and documentation across the world, they are erasing a big part of their history and identity.

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