Messi to Columbus?

Top of Mind

All Stars

Let’s kick things off with a little soccer ⚽

Just a few years after nearly losing the Crew to Austin, we’ll be the center of the soccer universe when the 2024 All-Star Game comes to Lower.com Field on July 17, 2024.

It’s a big deal to be hosting for the first time in nearly 20 years. But it’s one particular All-Star that could draw global attention and send ticket prices to the moon. 🐐

We won’t know for sure until rosters are announced a year from now, but Lionel Messi could be making an appearance.

He’ll make his MLS debut for Inter Miami in the coming weeks and, as long as he still has two legs, he should be an All-Star in 2024.

Five years ago, when Columbus was fighting to save the Crew, it would’ve been hard to imagine Messi playing at a shiny new downtown stadium.

Luckily, you don’t have to wait long to see Crew players in action at an All-Star Game.

Crew midfielders Aidan Morris and Lucas Zelarayán have been named to the 2023 MLS All-Star Game roster. The MLS All-Stars will take on Arsenal FC on July 19 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

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Scarlet Letter Trivia

Question: What was the result when Columbus last hosted an MLS All-Star Game in 2005?

A. MLS 4, Fulham FC 1
B. Wrexham FC 7, MLS 0
C. MLS 3, AFC Richmond 2
D. Manchester City 5, MLS 1

In the News

Beary Rare
In another once-every-20 years phenomon, a black bear has been spotted in Franklin County. Residents of a neighborhood near Three Creeks Metro Park in southeast Columbus captured Ring camera footage of the bear wandering across their driveway in the middle of the night. The last confirmed sighting—definitely not caught on a Ring camera—was in 2004.

In Shadows
Columbus is getting solar energy—but a lot of shade around “trade secret” pricing. Ironically, solar company NextEra Energy and the city are able to avoid disclosing cost by skirting the state’s sunshine laws about public records requests. Mayor Ginther announced the no-bid contract as exciting progress toward climate goals, with the city buying electricity for streetlights and 17,000 customers. The mayor’s office bypassed a competitive process required in city code and instead locked in prices until 2054, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Wondering if it’s more or less than what Redflex was paying…

Jeopardy! Run
When books are your job… Upper Arlington librarian Donna Matturri earned a total of $40,200 but lost on her third night of Jeopardy!

Best tidbit: she said she became a librarian because of her glasses after someone complimented them.

Big Delivery
Less than a year after Intel broke ground on the largest private-sector investment in Ohio’s history, Amazon has unveiled plans for the second-largest project ever: a burn pit for all your returned impulse purchases. No, just kidding, Amazon Web Services will spend $7.8 billion by 2029 growing its footprint of data centers in the Columbus area. A specific location has yet to be identified.

"Amazon is already one of the largest private-sector employers in Ohio, and the company's continued growth here further cements Ohio as the heart of our nation's technology and innovation," Gov. DeWine said. "As more of the world relies on cloud computing, this investment will build on Amazon's current infrastructure in Ohio to help new and existing businesses grow, allow residents to securely connect to friends and family, and provide access to online educational resources and entertainment."

Strauss Fallout
Ohio State got some bad news this week from the U.S. Supreme Court. The court refused to reconsider a lower court decision that said former students should be allowed to sue the university over failing to protect them from a sexual predator. Dr. Richard Strauss, an athletics physician who worked for OSU, was accused of molesting hundreds of stuents from 1979 through 1996 under the guise he was performing routine medical exams. To date, OSU has reached settlement agreements with 289 survivors for nearly $60 million.

Bag Secured
Brown Bag Deli in German Village enjoyed a visit from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Reports say he tipped $50 on a $57 order 💰 and that’s before he signs an extension that could be worth upwards of $50 million annually…

Quotable

Cooking Through Columbus

👇 Order Here! 👇

Trivia Answer

A. The last time the MLS All-Star Game was held in Columbus, MLS defeated Fulham FC 4-1.

Signing Off

Things are looking up 🎆

The Canadian wildfire haze is dissipating and a “4-day weekend” is on deck. Experience Columbus has a full list of July 4th celebrations around central Ohio.