Why buy season tickets when you can get deals like this? And you don't have to pay an extra $100 for a BS member card to get some of the same fringe benefits.
Follow up atricle from Forbes Soccer Business Writer.... and the unwanted gift keeps giving, some more shockingly bad quotes from Heck. http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeq...g-for-new-york-fans-first-soccer-fans-second/
Fits in pretty nicely with everyone's gripes about him caring more about new fans than existing ones. Its not that he's wrong that the team should be shooting to become engrained in NY's sport culture, just that this will take far longer and far more effort than a few marketing campaigns or discount tickets and he doesn't seem to have any fresh ideas on how to increase the team's market visibility.
As much as I don't like the guy, I'm not going to kill him about the "glad we haven't won yet" comment. I get what he's saying even if I think he's deluding himself - one championship isn't the silver bullet.
Chris Heck is either a genius , idiot savant or totally clueless. He is correct that he is competing with other sports and for that matter other forms of entertainment. However, I cannot understand why he disenfranchised loyal MetroStar/ Red Bull soccer fans. Sure, I like hockey, gridiron football, college basketball, baseball, concerts, etc. For me, soccer takes precedence especially when I am there in person versus watching an alternative event on TV. Again, I cannot wait for NYC2 PS That Living Social deal seems desperate.
I don't agree. They aren't going to have absentee ownership that is focused on branding. I don't think they are going to be tied to players because of product licensing.
I disagree, they already brought in Eric Cantona. You think that was for his insightful business oriented mind?
Explain to me a scenario where it could "easily be not be true". If you are talking about the Cosmos, the guy who made all those ridiculous PR moves has been fired, and there's no guarantee that they'd be the owners when/if there is a NY2. And that's still different than having to keep a guy like Marquez because you are putting his face on your soda cans.
We have no idea who will own the Cosmos, or whatever NYC2 is called. I don't think MLS is going to require the owners be NYC residents. And if it's the Cosmos, they're naming themselves that specifically to capitalize on selling old jerseys and memorabilia.
Still not comparable situations, and no one is getting rich selling Cosmos memorabilia. You can however get rich selling 15 cent soda for $3+.
Agreed NY2 has been openly discussed since 2007. We've had Wilpon/that taxi guy/F.cosmos/Borough Boys/petitions/endless chatter on niche soccer sites like this one/ and what has the reaction been in the city? One big yawn. The Luke Rodgers petition gathered more signatures than either of two NY2/F.cosmos petitions. I hate to break it to folks but soccer is a niche spectator sport in these parts. In the greater scheme of things our team name and ownership is a minor issue. And I know, I know 70k fans come out to see manu/national teams but guess what the New England Patriots can fill the Tokyo Dome but that doesn't change the fact that the NFL is not relevant in Japan.
That is all true. If I were MLS, NYC2 would not happen until they figure out if NYRB's problems are its management or the NY entertainment market. PS: I hope NYC2 is not the Cosmos-resurrected because whatever the fond memories some people have of the Cosmos, those memories can not be replicated.
Yep 17 years and not ONE marketing regime that has had any sort of patience or competence. Not ONE ownership group willing to make a local connection between market and team. How do we know what the market can bear?
Btw - in trying to get me to renew they swore up and down no more groupon-esque deals. Obviously not true.
I dont think it matters who is the owner, name of the team or in charge of marketing they will all face the same problem and that is that the majority of fans in the area view MLS as a product of low quality not worth their time. Until that perception changes it will matter little what anyone does. After so many years, with so many different owners and general managers and everyone getting the same results at this point I wonder if this market will ever do any better then what it currently does. Im skeptical of the NYC2 idea because they will face the same market perception problem we currently do. I put the attendance problems more on the soccer fans in the area who turn up their nose to MLS more then anyone else.
Not True. 1) Not in New Jersey 2) Not named after a Beverage 3) No alter ego branding marketing gimmic scheme 4) Not 17 years of being MLS's worst ever franchise 5) No Chris Heck, Nick Sack, or Marc DeGranphre 6) No broken and internally divided supporters Just that alone gives whoever is next in market a HUGE advantage. Having a dedicated local owner that actually cares about the team and product is a massive advantage over an absentee owner for whom the soccer is simply a minor byproduct of his global brand empire. They get to play in NY proper which would immediately sever the NJ side, they would get to capitalize on the Cosmos tradition (if that is the team) and not have to be brought down by the weight of 17 years of utter failure. It also would have a huge division between its biggest fans. Oh no, you are sorely mistaken if you think for a moment that a new franchise in NYC would have anything close to the same problems that Red Bull has
The Cosmos did not play in Manhattan. They played on Randall's Island which is huge difference in terms of access. Yes, it was a bunch of no names until they got Pele followed by all the others.
Because it is better to be named after ********ing astrophysics than it is after a worldwide recognizable label. When do the Washington Black Holes get here?
True, but they still share what is imo by far the biggest barrier with the RB, which is that NY sports fans don't give a shit about the MLS no matter what team is named or where they play.