CARSON, Calif. - As Clark Hunt and members of the Hunt Sports Group walked through the stands of The Home Depot Center prior to the start of the MLS Cup, Crew fans chanted, "Re-sign Sigi."
"That shows we have very smart fans," said the investor-operator of the Crew.
He will know soon whether the fans will view him in the same manner.
"Sigi" is Crew coach Sigi Schmid -- make that 2008 MLS Coach of the Year and MLS Cup champion Sigi Schmid after Columbus beat New York 3-1 Sunday at The Home Depot Center.
While the smell of champagne engulfed the victorious locker room, Hunt -- the son of the late Crew founder Lamar Hunt -- stood in a hallway and addressed the status of Schmid, midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto -- the regular season and MLS Cup MVP -- and 2008 Defender of the Year Chad Marshall.
All will be out of contract.
"It's our goal to have all three of them back," Hunt said. "It's not easy to keep championship teams together but all three of them really want to be back in Columbus. We've got the financial resources to make it happen."
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• Red Bulls waste strong first half
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SIGHTS & SOUNDS
While the three have expressed interest in returning, Schmid would likely be in line for the job with the expansion Seattle team if a new deal is not reached.
"It's my expectation," he'll be back, Hunt said. "We've had a lot of good conversations over the last six, eight weeks. I believe he wants to be back in Columbus and as a family and an organization we want him back. Being in the sports business gives you an appreciation for championships. They're very hard to get. We've been in this business a long time. When you have a chance to win a championship go ahead and get it."
Schmid said he wanted to enjoy the moment of taking a second team to the both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup in the same season -- he did it in 2002 with the LA Galaxy -- but knows a decision is forthcoming.
Hunt understands what's at stake.
"Today was the Cup. Tomorrow we start worrying about 2009," he said. "We've got a great core group of players. There's a lot of players who are very young. We're in good shape from a (salary) cap standpoint. I think we'll be able to keep the core together. Certainly we're thinking about repeating in 2009. Nobody remembers who finishes second, including their owners.
"They capped off today, I think, one of the best seasons in MLS history in terms of their season and playoff run -- got the double. We're thrilled."
Hunt also knows what his father, who died on Dec. 16, 2006, would have said about the victory.
"He would definitely give the credit to the player and the coaches. For him, it was never about him. It was all about the organization and the people who make it up, not only the guys on the field but the guys in the front office," he said. "He would tip his hat to both groups on the year the club has had."
Aerial assault grounded: Schmid said he was worried about the play of Red Bulls wingers Dane Richards and Dave van den Bergh. After one half of play, Schmid might not have liked what he saw.
Goalkeeper Will Hesmer had to come off his line time after time in the opening half as van den Bergh consistently wriggled free down the left and bombarded crosses into the box. While the Red Bulls couldn't any of those efforts on goal, Hesmer still had to deal with the considerable aerial traffic.
"That was the biggest thing for me in the first half," Hesmer said. "We really weren't sharp. They made some crosses in there to some dangerous spots. That was about all I had to do."
Van den Bergh and Richards didn't enjoy similar success in the second half as the match shifted and the Crew fullbacks asserted their will over the wide players. Hesmer became the first goalkeeper in an MLS Cup Final not to record a single save.
"Our back line found a way," Hesmer said. "Obviously, Angel is a special player. How you take him out of the game is by shutting down Dane [Richards] and shutting down [Dave] van den Bergh. If we can take those guys out of the game, I thought we could take Angel out of the game. I've said this all year long, I think we have the best two fullbacks in the league."
Hair today, gone today: Before the champagne bottles were popped, many of the Crew players had some grooming to take care of.
Most had grown scraggly playoff beards and one of the first things they did was to get out the electric trimmer and buzz away. Midfielder Eddie Gaven went from the mountain man look to a goatee but said that would probably go after his wife saw it. Adam Moffat had his fur removed with the aid of Jason Garey and others went clean-shaven.
More than faced were trimmed. Duncan Oughton had a swath of hair razored from his forehead and fitness trainer Steve Tashjian sported a new Mohawk.
The craziest stunt had nothing to do with the hair cutting. Encouraged by his teammates, Chad Marshall did a naked cartwheel as the players formed around them.
"It's something I do in the locker room to lift the spirits. I'm glad I could do it in front of all the media,' he said sarcastically.
Two with three: Alejandro Moreno didn't want to broach the subject last week but after the final he was more than happy to discuss winning a third championship with a third team as he and Ezra Hendrickson accomplished.
"There's no jinx now," he said.
Moreno and Hendrickson were teammates on the 2002 Galaxy when they won the MLS Cup. Moreno also was a winner with Houston in 2006 while Hendrickson joined Crew midfielder Brian Carroll on D.C. United's 2004 championship team.
"The Crew's been a class organization since the inception and to finally win a championship, I'm excited for everybody," Hendrickson said. "Even though it's my third it's my first with the organization. Every organization I've been with one of my goals was to make it better.
"I'm happy for guys that have been with this organization for awhile like Chad Marshall and Duncan (Oughton) and Frankie Hejduk. "Me and him (Moreno) talked about winning three championships with three different teams. Not many people have done that."
Hendrickson said he was honored to be on the same team as regular season and MLS Cup MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who had three assists against the Red Bulls.
"This is the kind of game that superstars like Guillermo show up in. He's special. He's a class act," he said.
Finally: After being on the losing side with the New England Revolution the past three seasons, forward Pat Noonan was a winner and it didn't matter that he was on the bench the entire playoffs.
"This is a little better feeling. It's well deserved for the team and organization. I'm proud to be a part of the Columbus Crew," said Noonan, who joined the team in a trade with the Revolution in August after returning from a season in Norway.
"Of course you want to be playing but you support the guys who are out there. They worked hard for it and did the job. It was still great to run out there and celebrate with them.
"I'm sure it will sink in more in a couple of days but having lost three straight it sinks in pretty quickly. I'm not surprised we won it. This team has had great confidence and fight for each other. I've seen it every day since I've been here."
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