There is absolutely zip that the NASL can do to "ward off" MLS from cherry-picking franchises. Nada. Zilch. The only real recourse would be to only put franchises in locations that MLS will never go.
In regards to NYCFC, any talk about how they're "doing" is senseless at this point. This may be hard to believe, but when you sink $100,000,000 into something you do things like: - Develop a marketing timeline that doesn't cause "burn out"! - Develop a brand identity and build around it! - Hire consultants from around the world who have done this kind of thing before! Right now they are VERY much just trying to create awareness, and the fact that they're being discussed in this forum proves it's working. If you're a hater than they're marketing is working, to hate something you have to care about it one way or another. "They" honestly don't care at this point how anyone "feels" about NYCFC, as long as they "feel" something about NYCFC. They'll probably keep up this "slow fuse" type marketing until about August and then, BAM!, they'll start selling season ticket (probably at HUGE legacy discounts for the first 10,000 people, complete with multi-season plans, future seat licenses, etc.)
That is sort of the major hang up with this venture...no NYer is buying they are a NY franchise...so that brand identity angle isn't going to get them far.
In other words...you concur. Its a terrible dilemma though, on one hand it is survival of the fittest but on the other if MLS just steals all the successful lower league markets then there is no legitimate point of even investing money into a lower division for the sport...your basically buying into a doomed proposition where you can't earn your way to the top of the sport and your long term stability is always in serious jeopardy.
Except , if you look at all the teams that have moved up, the lower league owners have been able to sell the name and/or keep ownership.
Speaking of, MLS seriously considering Minnesota now... http://www.soccerbyives.net/2013/12/minnesota-vikings-mls-aspirations-heat-up-with-stadium-plan.html
Not really just because MAN City is the majority owner the Yankees are part of the investment. NYC FC games will be on YES so NY sports fans will be watching. Like the Yankees MAN City will buy big name players in search of winning championships. NY fans can certainly idendify with that. Yankee players at NYC FC games and vice versa. With MLB players coming from the central America and Caribean countries they will know soccer and like soccer so expect them to be fans as well. Finally everyone will hate them for spending all that money while making all that Money that other teams and fans will hate them and will be a huge draw everywhere they go. As for the Cosmos they will have a fighting ca I could see that happening. It works i Seattle because of the massive attendance they get. In New England not so much. I think what Vancouver did with BC place was key to have a double use stadium and able to effectively lower the capcity to keep it intimate.
That seems likely to change in the current round of expansion as three of the possible OGs are in metros with a lower division team, but will not include the lower division owners.
The Vikings in MINN and the Falcons in Atlanta in two new stadiums that are supposed to be reconfiguerd for large NFL crowds and smaller MLS crowds. New Atlanta ownership had said he would consider being bought out or partnering with the NLS club which would likley mean a move to the USL-Pro from the NASL. So things will get intersting
MLS also talking to Minn United & Minn Twins about partnering up for team with soccer specific stadium... http://soccer.si.com/2013/12/30/mls-expansion-miami-minneapolis/
I agree... I also hope they have a "come to Jesus" moment and try and workout a deal with the Silverbacks. I think it's far better to build a MLS franchise around an existing organization where possible. I have come to realize the old quote that, "All politics is local," can be equally applied to soccer. Where possible potential ownership groups should embrace the exisitng fanbase by trying to build on the clubs and traditions that already exist. If you don't it's almost like saying, "Screw you guys what we build is way better than what you have and all that time and effort you spent supporting that time was a waste of your time..." You will embrace the new shiny ATL. On a side note I do like how US Soccer is moving from a buyers market to a sellers market.
That is a very interesting change. They are not just getting buyers from different markets but two buyers to bid within the same market. WOW
Actually, it just proves that there are fans on BigSoccer who follow MLS news. It proves nothing useful, especially when there are no more than a handful of passionate soccer fans in NYC, following MLS or not, talking about this in a remotely positive or enthusiastic way. They have only attracted the remote attention of outsiders at this point: Yankee fans, people who happened to skim the back pages of the newspapers and run into an article or two, but very few active followers of the domestic game. That is absolutely a problem, and it is worth discussing the reasons behind that.
One thing is for sure is there are a lot of yankee fans. With NYC FC being on the Yes Network will create a geat awareness of the club. If the Yankees can take this and spin it into the place to be with stars showing up at NYFC games than there is a really good possibility that this will work There will also be 81 home yankees games in which to promote NYCFC both at the game and through the Network with plenty of people in NY watching. Lets get into merchandise shall will. another 81 home Yankee games in which now not only Yankees merchandise will be sold but a section of NYCFC Merchandise as well as with the Yankees online shopping. This is the true ultimite of synergy. Yankee Pinstripes on NYCFC Uniform kits won't jurt either. Not many if any pro sports brand is bigger than the Yankees and no other MLS franchise has one even close
But that's exactly my point. They will be getting a lot of casual fans that may come in droves at first, but there will be a much lower retention rate with this approach than with a typical club. Furthermore, the fact that there is no enthusiasm among NYC soccer fans reinforces that point. I am merely entertaining the idea that this approach may prove to be disappointing when it comes to attendance and building a long-term fanbase, and that people are overestimating the positives that this particular branding and approach has to offer given the circumstances. I predict they will be among the top tier of teams attendance wise, but given the entire hype machine and cash that will be put behind them anything less than 28-30k+ average attendance (picking one metric for the size of the fanbase among many, of course) could easily be considered insufficient, and I don't think they will reach that at all given the state of things currently.
Non of this we will know for sure until it happens. Right now it is all specualtion. There can also be a logic with the huge ports market in the NYC Metro that how long can the Cosmos last in a D2 league in a metro filled with more than on team in each of the top four sports in the US. So will the Cosmaos fail their old fanbase are senior citizens and what young sports fan is going to support a NASL D2 level of soccer in Metropolitan
Yeah, and almost none of them give two flying ********s about soccer and even less so about MLS. Will it help their visibility? Of course, no one is questioning they wont do everything they can to be in the public eye...the issue is what that eye is seeing and not buying. This franchise already is struggling with authentic identity issues on its own as a Man City branded club...your suggestion is to compound that by giving them another identity crisis and visually branding them as the Yankees? Oh boy!
What would you suggest? Not using these assets? Or are simply saying that this club will be doomed from the start and evetually fold?
Apologies to the Cosmo Nation. I was just trying to get a point across that a pro Soccer team in NYC can succeed. Was a reply to a post that NYC FC will not be accepted because of their promotion tactics being tied to the NY Yankees. I do know that the Cosmos have young fans and are moving towards the direction of great success.