Here's the latest rumor now being circulating across Twitter without concrete facts nor press release. It appears that the NASL is not only trying to put a team in San Francisco, but also in LA. The group there are trying to resurrect the old NASL name the LA Aztecs. Has anyone here heard such a rumor. I don't want to convert this one into a mockery...I realise that the specifics are very weak.
I am sure there are many cities where NASL would love to have teams in. I would imagine where ever the city the commissioner happens to be speaking at, he will say that a NASL in "insertname" would be a great idea. But with the 3 time zone rule, I am sure the NASL top brass is working on trying to get people to invest in NASL teams in the west cost. Adding 2+ teams at the same time would make sense. I am sure the Commissioners wet dream would be SF, LA (away from Carson) and San Diego to come into the league at the same time. I imagine he get an "O" face just thinking about that "possibility". Now if he pulls that off, he would/should be considered a miracle worker and a great commissioner IMO.
And which begets a flurry of posts about how there's a real possibility that city will be announced as an expansion site for the NASL very soon, or is in the driver's seat. Where's that St. Louis team? Few things about this latest one, though: 1 - "Los Angeles Aztecs" is a fine name. But... 2 - Nobody gave a rat's ass about the LA Aztecs the first time around, so its value as a nostalgic brand is virtually nil. Also.... 3 - There's only so far nostalgia can take you. 4 - I remain baffled about why some people still get blood flow to their nether regions about expansion talk. I can see it if your city could potentially have a team. I'm not seeing why some of you get so hot and bothered about potential teams that wouldn't be in your area. Don't get it.
Kenn's doing his usual good job of being a wet blanket, so I'll just toss out a few nuggets for people to chew on as they will. It's no secret to fans in South Florida who have been around Aaron Davidson and heard him talk for a number of years now that Los Angeles has ALWAYS been a huge target for him. No matter how many times people have told him, yeah I don't think that would be so great an idea, he doesn't seem to care. And as time has gone on, you see clearly why he thinks it is so important. His delusions of challenging MLS for D1 status require him to be in the biggest markets - NY & LA. One down, one to go in his mind. We can make 1,000 arguments against the NASL gunning for LA, but he has his own ideas he thinks are smarter. And the nostalgia factor Kenn is always ripping. We can all agree or disagree about whether it has value or not in certain markets. But again, Davidson doesn't care. He obviously thinks it serves his purposes well. The entire league mentality is hitching its wagon to the Cosmos to see how far it will take them. They invented this craptastic format to give the Cosmos every chance to hoist the Soccer Bowl this year - and it worked. They want to see the Cosmos playing the Strikers and Rowdies. They'd also like to see them playing teams like the Aztecs and Roughnecks too I believe. But here's the kicker, and where reality comes crashing back in. As with most things, Traffic and Davidson (and now their buffoon mouthpiece Peterson) over value this "nostalgia." Is it a good marketing tool in some markets? Absolutely. But it isn't going to vault the NASL into competition with MLS for D1 status, players, expansion markets, or TV revenue. Peterson saying he wouldn't be surprised to see current MLS teams opt to move to the NASL shows you just how delusional the folks at NASL FO are. And I say all of this is a die hard current season ticket holder, and oiginal NASL fan of the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. You know, the team Traffic owns, where Davidson shows up in a jersey and brings his family on Saturday nights. The energy is good, but the focus is wrong. Forget about MLS. Forget about what those USL clowns do too. Just focus on building the best D2 league posible. If someday that opens up heretofore unexpected or unattainable opportnities, great! But even if it doesn't (and it most likely won't) you're still doing the right things for your clubs and your fans.
What do people want to hear or know? What's next for the NASL? Is LA an option? I will only say this. The west is the goal. And the NASL is building on history to move forward. They have also currently stated that they are not talking about MLS or are worried about their business matters, as they are primarily concerned with their own league. They are just here to build their league, and expansion is part of it. NASL - Coast to coast.
You misspelled "realist." And we have. I like nostalgia, too. I just don't think it's a panacea. Wait, he said that? I have no issue with any of that. I just want people stop jerking off.
Oh brother. Some people spend a lifetime making predictions to only see the majority of them not come true. You can laugh, as that is something many often do when they simply don't believe. That's ok as everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I guess we will revisit that laughter two years from now, and not on Middle Earth, but this Earth.
the only sign of life I've heard of Aztecs coming back are the fact the NASL owns the trademark and have maintained it, something they didn't do with the Roughnecks name. Also there was a twitter account someone created @aztecsfornasl but that hasn't had activity in months. No other signs of life from the league or fanbase.
Peterson did say he was talking to a group in LA in interviews just before OKC and Jax got announced. Aztecs were never mentioned but could be where this rumour started.
I'm terrible with links to stuff, but it was on a fairly recent episode of Ultras Alive (on blogtalk radio) where Peterson comes right out and says it wouldn't surprise him to see some current MLS teams deciding the NASL model is better and switching to them. He's a total loon.
Interesting. Dude, you paraphrase and quote of context, and then you call Peterson a loon. I heard the interview. I replayed that specific area that you speak of several times. Peterson never makes that statement, about MLS owners or teams preferring to switch or that they will. He speaks about both models being different. Don't spin something that is not true.
My player doesn't give me the exact time stamp, almost exactly halfway through episdoe 110 here you go chief: Pieter: Do you think it's realistic to think an MLS team would take a step down and come to NASL? Jackass Peterson: Is it a possibility? Sure. I'd recommend some Q-tips my friend, they do wonders. Anyone working as hard as you just did to defend this clown of a commissioner hasn't been paying much attention this year.
dude, he certainly wasn't implying it was going to happen. It was a polite answer to a stupid question.
If that's what you believe, than you're either naive, or you just haven't followed this league long enough yet. Davidson has been preaching this gospel for a long time now. And now he believes he's got his golden goose in your New York Cosmos.