Supporters representing nearly every MLS team were on hand Saturday at Pizza Hut Park for the annual Supporters Summit, which allowed the league's most passionate fans a chance to ask some heavy hitters some pretty tough questions -- including MLS Commissioner Don Garber and even referee Brian Hall.
The highlight of the event -- the presentation of the Supporters' Shield -- saw the emblem of the league's best overall record passed from the Columbus Crew supporters to those of the San Jose Earthquakes -- who besides New England and Los Angeles had the largest turnout of fans at the event.
But beyond the handing-over of the trophy, the summit has also allowed a chance for the core fan groups to communicate directly with the league at each MLS Cup since 1998.
"Immeasurably, I don't think you can put a value on it," said Jason Greene, a member of the Centennial Firm, supporters of the Colorado Rapids. "The opportunity to ask questions and then (Garber's) responses are honest, and he doesn't shy away from the tough questions and that's remarkable.
It wasn't just the commissioner who faced the crowd Saturday. It was also Dr. Joe Machnik, the league's director of officials, explaining unflinchingly why the league makes officiating decisions the way they do.
The summit was held following a morning Supporters Cup, pitting groups representing each team against each other.
"As a fan, this is the Holy Grail to go to the MLS Cup -- I've been to three," said Ted Pyrzenski who came to Frisco from Tucson, Ariz., but is a Revolution supporter. "What's cool about it is the culture of this sport is so different than what you see in other sports. We had that fan tournament today and you would never see that in an NBA Finals or at a Super Bowl."
For the fans the level of access at the event was immense, as everything from "will San Jose be moved?" to "do referees ever make a makeup call in a game?" was asked and answered by top authorities on the subject.
"That was great," said Pyrzenski -- a member of New England's Midnight Riders supporters group. "It gives you an insight into the game. Yt's really fun to ask these folks questions and know more about things.
"I think it really helps you enjoy the games more. What's neat about it is most of the people in this room actually played the game and still play so the fans have a different understanding of the game anyway. The questions are very informed I find."
Scott Joiner is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
