sorry didn't read all 20 pages, so my apologies if someone mentioned this... Why don't the Cosmos start up a indoor team this winter and play in the MISL until the outdoor team is launched. Seriously, hear me out. We all know the Cosmos once played indoor. From what I know there is no salary caps or any TV contracts for the MISL, basically they are kinda like the old NASL, if a rich owner came in they could pretty much make up their own rules. Imagine the Cosmos with big Saudi investors do get a stadium deal, it might be 2014-2015 before they can get something actually approved and built. What if they joined the MISL and signed huge superstars who are retired just to come to NYC and play for a few months. They wouldn't even need to travel, just home games. Think Zidane, Figo, Nedved all playing for a month or two. They could get guys like Ronaldinho or Elano from the Brazilian league, pay their clubs for a winter loan when the Brazil league isn't playing. They could sign futsal legends like Falcao as well. Remember this is indoor, so while these guys might have lost a step for the outdoor game, they would be amazing to watch indoor where it is all about skills. Because there is no TV deal, the Cosmos alone could sell their games to Fox Soccer or NBC Sports maybe even TV networks around the world. You could get shirt sponsors and sell tons of merchandise. How awesome would it be to buy Zidane or Ronaldinho Cosmos indoor jerseys? Yes the team would probably loose money, but it would allow the club to stay in the news until the launch of the MLS team. It would also allow the club to begin to build its fan base and potential season ticket holders.
A nice fantasy...but no. Won't happen. As you said...it will lose money. One of the reasons that Kemsley got kicked out of the ownership group is because he put media attention before financial solvency. He burned through a ton of money fielding a first team before he even had a stadium. That's not going to happen again. They'll keep the youth team going cause they might be able to develop and sell some players. Sela knows that they own a cool trademark but have an uphill battle to be awarded a franchise. The league is now leading the search for a stadium solution. When that is locked down...the league will open up bidding for the team. Whatever ownership group is willing to pay the highest franchise fee will probably win. Sela doesn't have the money alone and will need to partner with others to come up with ~$90M to $100M. Getting a viable investor group is Sela's focus and it should be. What MLS board member is going to say.. "Okay, we have two bids for NY2...Ralph Lauren bid $95M and Sela Sports bid $20M. I vote in favor of Sela's bid because they've stayed in the news with that indoor soccer gimmick. I know...I know....we won't get paid as large of a franchise fee and we'd be adding an owner with shallow pockets. But golly... Sela has that great trademark that reminds me of the 70's.". Ain't gonna happen.... "'cause, I gotta get paid, I gotta stay paid" - Lil' Flip
I don't disagree with what you said, but I think that Montreal and the PNW teams really benefited from having a club playing and building momentum for the MLS team. It helps get the organization up and running and helps develop fan bases and supporter groups, and remember all those D2 teams lost money as well. So what do you do if your brand is 'The American Super Club' and you want to build momentum? I don't think it helps you to go to D2 and play a bunch of MLS rejects because that doesn't really reflect a 'super club'. Playing indoor allows you to sign older players or retired players because you don't need as much speed, just skill. And it gets the Cosmos in the papers and gets soccer fans talking about them. If they can get of Fox Soccer with indoor games featuring Figo and Zidane, that will be a big deal in US soccer. Yea its far-fetched, but I think this idea is stronger than the traveling globetrotter concept. Because those older guys are going to look like crap playing outdoor for 90 minutes and most of those games will be away from NYC. With indoor those superstars could be playing in Madison Square Garden right in the heart of NYC.
Lack of a D2 team didn't seem to hurt Toronto, RSL, and Philly... MLS seems to be giving teams at least a year and a half to get their crap together before the start of their first season. It's also not like they are re-inventing the wheel. MLS teams share their information, so all the Cosmos have to do is approach the other expansion teams that have been successful and ask them how they did it and I'm sure they will provide pretty much anything help they want or need.
100% agree. I am not in any way suggesting that an expansion team can't be successful without a team already playing. I was just suggesting an alternative to the D2 route, because by going indoor you can sign older superstars and get a lot of attention leading up to the launch. You wouldn't be able to do that in D2.
For the Cosmos, it isn't necessary. Their brand is already out there thanks to their NASL heritage. There just isn't anything good that can come from starting up a team in a lower division, or indoor league. They've already got a good brand that is instantly recognizable and any attempts to field a team prior to MLS will more than likely result in them harming their brand instead of helping it.
HA, good one. But the names attract attention. If a Cosmos teams played indoor games at MSG with Zidane, Figo, Nedved, Bergkamp, Rivaldo, Shevchenko (if they retire) and a bunch of Brazilian futsal players, you don't think Fox Soccer will pay to air it? You could probably get TV deals around the world. Every euro fanboy in the US would be interested because all those superstars are playing in the US for the Cosmos. How many New York Cosmos Zidane jerseys do you think you could sell worldwide? Every soccer writer would talk about it, it would be a big deal because of the names and the fact that it is the new Cosmos playing in NYC. You wouldn't need to pay these guy's year salaries just pay them per game. They don't have to join the MISL, maybe just play exhibitions against MISL teams.
Originally there were statements about the Cosmos doing a 'Globetrotters' style team to generate interest. They already put together a team of 'names' to play against Man United in Manchester. What I'm saying is that, why not just do it locally, not outside of NYC (there was a cancelled game in Vegas as well). And if you are going to do it, do it indoor so you can hire really huge stars to play those games, and you won't get destroyed in outdoor games because these guys are too slow. I don't see why this is such an outrageous idea. The Cosmos did play indoor in the past, and they have just hired a bunch of stars to play a one off games.
Showbol was huge in Argentina with Maradona and other retired soccer stars. It was pretty much what you stated above. MSG would be the perfect venue.
-Cosmos Academy done -Ownership will now focus on getting a professional team -Cosmos will continue to fund BW Gottschee for the next 6 years http://www.bwgottschee.org/NEWYORKCOSMOS/index_E.html
Thanks - yea - I heard that BW is walking away with a good taste in their mouth this time - unlike last time when they werent getting paid. Seems that the Mos are even going to contribute money till them
I cant see anything on the BWG site about funding going forward? So what happens between now and the end of June? Will games carry on? There is a trip upsate at the weekend - is that to be funded/part funded And the big question on the parents minds - what about the Academy Showcase in Texas at the end of June - is that still happening or not - is it being funded or has that been cancelled?
Okay – now got further info on this The Cosmos Academy is definitely finished at the end of June 2012, following the Academy Showcase in Dallas The academy will move back to BWG from August This will resort to a Pay to Play scenario – however, all costs will be met for the remainer of this season, including the trip to the Dallas Showcase at the end of June (other than pay for food) Tryout schedule has already been posted on the BWG website for next season; http://www.bwgottschee.org/ Cosmos will fund BWG up to a six figure sum for a maximum of 3 years to support the transition back to Pay to Play, helping keep the costs down – think this was due to the fact that there was a 5 year contract in place between Cosmos and BWG………….so this seems to be a compromise A decision on the coaching staff will be made over the coming weeks, though rumors are already flying around that the existing U18 coaches (Savaresse and Gaeta) are off to Albertson Academy……….though only rumors at this stage Cosmos now wish to focus entirely on their entry to the MLS, so no other involvement in anything – U23’s/PDL, etc – nothing Parents were told not to expect any announcements on progress towards MLS (nothing new there!) as everything would be getting worked on in the background and no announcements would be made until concrete results and information is available The interesting point made was that Cosmos want to get into the MLS………………”or something similar”?????? (not sure what that means as they would not elaborate on this point) However, their expectation is that nothing will happen for at least 2 or 3 years, due to stadium and franchise funding - but that they are 100% focussed on MLS entry So that about covers all the info I have managed to get fro a few of the parents who attended a meeting last night So yet again, the end of the NY Cosmos……………………..see you in 2+ years! (maybe)
Thats about what I got - yea. They just want to focus on MLS. They are due to go back to the academy structure but right now they want to get the stadium sorted out. We shall see.
I'm not entirely certain that they even want to own the team at this point with costs constantly going up. It's one thing to soak up attention like Kemsley did, but potential ownership groups in the past seemed to show more interest than they have. Granted that may all be a byproduct of the uniqueness of this particular expansion process. MLS is really running the show at this point, so there really isn't any point in spending any money trying to promote something when it all will come down to what MLS ends up doing.
Not only that - many of us all thought that the Academy was the best piece of business they did, but im hearing that the Cosmos did not even have the rights to the Gottschee players. This of course all comes out after the fact. So they were paying half a million dollars to fund an academy they could not really even benefit off of. The new owners are starting with a clean slate - they will go back to the Academy structure from what we hear but not until they are closer on an MLS team which might still be 2 or so years off.
right - whats another few years. Hey - I want the team to come ASAP but i enjoy watching MLS with no real team because its nice to not have a rooting interest, you view it a little differently. That will all change if this team actually happens lol.
Can whoever is angling for this effort just get this crap done with already, how much more Red Bull GmbH and Chris Heck can I be expected to bare before i give up on MLS altogether?!?!
Oh they would have had the rights if they asked for it and they were members of MLS. Portland and LA have gotten players on less of a claim. So if they were still maintaining the deal upon getting to MLS, I have no doubt that they would have been able to retain whoever they wanted. MLS rules on homegrown players are purposely vague to allow just such instances. I really don't think that that would have been an issue considering the homegrown signings the league has allowed so far.
I think the issue is that Gottschee retained the initial rights to all of the players as a separate entity. However I don't think that the organization has the right to sell or trade players since they are an amateur club, so any player leaving them could in effect have a discovery claim slapped on them by a hypothetical Cosmos FC that the league would likely honor. Same as Phili or Portland who have claimed players from affiliated private clubs in their area. Neither of those two teams have "official" academy teams but rather affiliate with local pay for play clubs.