Your Views on Foreign Investors and Team Names

[PhantomTollbooth]

The latest update from MPS contains this little nugget:

Milwaukee Professional Soccer is in discussions with more than two dozen potential investors locally, nationally and internationally.

If a foreign team wanted to be the main investor in MLS Milwaukee, but only if they could name the team insertNameHere USA (ala Chivas USA) would you welcome them with open arms, or tell them to take a hike?

I have nothing against foreign investment -- go ahead and brand the team with similar uniforms. Send us some folks from the mother country (whichever that might be). Sell trinkets from the foreign team in the club store. None of that bothers me.

However, I HATE HATE HATE the idea of naming teams Arsenal USA, Inter Milan USA, Club America USA, etc. I think it makes the league look amateurish and silly, and undermines the idea that the US can have its own traditions and top-flight league.

So -- what does everyone else think?

[chinaglia]

It all depends. I don't like xyz USA for a team name but if they wanted to be Milwuakee Arsenal or something similar then maybe. I think the international investors are more like corporations or individuals and not foreign teams. However, I could be wrong.

[mkecane]

I have no problem with investors being local, national, or international. Whatever gets a team here without fleecing the public will get my support. As far as names are concerned, it'd depend, like Chinaglia said. Inter Milan USA? No. Inter Milwaukee? Yes. Milwaukee Juniors? Ok, that could be interesting. But really, I don't think we'd see it.

[Minnman]

I don't get the impression that this is the situation with the Milwaukee bid. From what I know, MLS wants there to be a front "man", a primary or lead investor for each franchise. So unless this "international" mention equates to leading investment by some foreign soccer club - which is quite a leap - I doubt it'll mean much come team naming time.

[G Enriquez]

The latest update from MPS contains this little nugget:



If a foreign team wanted to be the main investor in MLS Milwaukee, but only if they could name the team insertNameHere USA (ala Chivas USA) would you welcome them with open arms, or tell them to take a hike?

I have nothing against foreign investment -- go ahead and brand the team with similar uniforms. Send us some folks from the mother country (whichever that might be). Sell trinkets from the foreign team in the club store. None of that bothers me.

However, I HATE HATE HATE the idea of naming teams Arsenal USA, Inter Milan USA, Club America USA, etc. I think it makes the league look amateurish and silly, and undermines the idea that the US can have its own traditions and top-flight league.

So -- what does everyone else think?

I agree 100% with you.
MLS should have team names that are original
not some knock off of a foreign team.

The U.S. is an old enough country with lots of it's
own history to draw team idenities and nick names.

[FireFanInPackerLand]

Tonight! An MLS doubleheader! First, Chivas USA takes on Club America USA, then at 9/8 central, Barcelona USA takes on Ajax America...
After that, SportsCenter will catch you up on all the details of today's Chelsea USA- Real Madrid Miami game.

:eek:
God help us all.

[Calexico77]

My view is that Chivas USA managed to whip everyone into a frenzy on these boards, causing people to go blind with fury and begin denouncing names like "America USA" and "Manchester USA" before there is any rumor of a team having such a name.

I like Foreign investors in MLS, as long as they treat MLS like it should be - as a young league with a ton of growth potential, both fiscally and talent wise. If they treat it like a farm team, they can go ******** themselves.

But it seems that every time a potential investor is brought up, somebody starts ranting about "Chelsea USA" or what not. The thing is, Chivas has a brand name UN-********ING-MATCHED in the USofA. No other soccer club, not Man U, not Chelsea, probably not even Club America can come close to Chivas' fan base here. Plus, Vergara is a big drama queen who treats Chivas as a type of Uber-brand - an ideal of Mexican heritage,etc. So it makes sense that he'd name a team in LA "Chivas USA" (although I wish it was Chivas de Los Angeles).

Anyway, my view is that people need to get their panties un-twisted.