I was reading an article about how Red Bull branded their Chicago team. Some say they have the most creative uniform design and brand in North American soccer. Anyway…I’m not sure this is what is occurring with Mr Magic Talk redoing the Freedom in the image of his company. Is that really a bad thing? Some say the other organizations should be more creative. I was surprise that Sahlen’s didn’t do more with the Flash team but we haven’t seen the final uniform design yet. Personally…I think it’s Magic Talk because people think it’s a flash in the pan product. Would people have been in arms if Larry Ellison of Cisco “REAL respectable firm” had renamed the Freedom “Cisco DC United” or something of that nature like the NY Redbulls given his money like Red Bulls keeps the Freedom around to the next lifetime ala the Sounders moving from the USL - the MLS via Paul Allen I guess we'll know this week but if I remember Puma said they didnt have time to make changes so I'm assuming the Freedom stay pretty much the same visually this season.
And Larry Ellison is the CEO of Oracle, not Cisco. I think there are a lot of issues here: - The lack of communication about what's going on. - The lack of respect for an organization's history and standing. I mean, if you buy the Dallas Cowboys, you buy the Dallas Cowboys. It's not just any team. You don't pick them up, change the name, and move them to another city. (Of course, Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns fans - just to name two - might have some comments, too.) - MagicTalk FC is a ridiculous name for a soccer team. "Red Bulls" is bad, too, but at least it's conceivable as a genuine team name and not just a walking advertisement. I'd be willing to live with "MagicTalk Freedom", even. - The idea of splitting the season between Florida and Maryland is pretty ridiculous, too. - The resulting impression that the new owner has no idea what he's doing, is just playing with a new toy, and is going to discard it after he's had some fun with it. I would be glad to be proved wrong, but I doubt there's going to be anything left of the Freedom by 2014.
Don't know about "genuine team name" for RedBull. Every sporting venture they've bought/sponsored has the RedBull name regardless of prior name. Their Austrian team had a different name but is now RedBull. And their various other sporting ventures are all RedBull in name. But I totally 100% agree w/ your first point. If there had been better/more/steady/any communication with the fans on the front end and through out the process, Team Borislow would come out much farther ahead and w/ a better rep & fan understanding than they have right now. Complete and utter failure on the communication & fan relations front.
i'm assuming if he completely moves the team to miami and renames it that the Freedom brand can be picked up by another group in DC/Maryland/Virginia ala Cleveland. I would think the WPS CEO has enough common sense to do that.
i may not like it. but he paid good $$$. so he can move and rename the team if he wants to. what we have to hope is that his methods don't bring down the league. he may actually be a help if, as newsouth says, he successfully renames and moves and the freedom brand is picked up and revived by someone else.
I know this is going to piss a few off and I do not intend for it to do so. I am also putting aside the alienation of the fans (I have a problem with it too, that's the only thing that makes this whole thing unsettling to me *packs that issue in a box and pushes it aside*), but this may not be a bad idea. No offense but the team darn near went "bankrupt" where it was and by the grace of sweet mercy it's still around. Moving it sounds like the logical thing to do.
Well, frankly, my impression is that all the teams have been losing money. It's just that the Freedom owners (among others, of course), decided they'd had enough. The only thing that's keeping any of these teams going is the willingness of the owners to continue to lose money in the short-term.
That's a very fair impression to make. My hope is that they will keep they will keep the team "split," for this year and then seperate into Magic Jack FC and then create or revive the Freedom as a stand alone team. Of course some might say "We need more west coast teams!", but I'd rather have the fans be left with something. They've invested a lot into the organization.
...and that at least Red Bull owns other soccer teams named Red Bull http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_Brasil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RB_Leipzig http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Red_Bull_Salzburg
"Magic Talk Freedom" is a creative name. "magictalk fc" is a destructive name because it apparently alienated the fan core. I can't believe you're not grateful. You could be in Chicago or St Louis ! heh, If you want, you could defect and become an Independents fan! we didn't sell out!
I do like the new approach of changing a team's nickname when you move to another city (started, I think, when Art Modell moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore and renamed them the Ravens). That avoids abominations like the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Utah Jazz, or the LA Lakers (all names with what were local tie-ins that are now meaningless).
I think the only difference between us and Chicago or St. Louis is that it's going to take us two years to lose our team rather than have it happen immediately. Borislow clearly has no interest in keeping the team in the DC area.
Had an "Origin of the Species" like experience today while trying to better understand the evolution of Washington Freedom to magicJack. I am still shaking my head now, but as a compiler of lists, and researcher of geneologies from time to time, this one took me by surprise. It's all so much clearer now that I have seen the video! Check it out. http://www.magicjack.com/5/index.asp I see a sequel in the works - magicjack 2 - tickets available now, everyone should try it! Call in now and ....... Maybe there is a cohesive branding plan here. I like it.
Very nice article by Jenna Pel on the transition from Freedom to MagicJack in the New York Times soccer blog: http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/for-w-p-s-franchise-new-home-new-name-same-team/
thought i'd have some fun with photo shop while i worked on my site. magicjack is ALL wrong. it should have been MagicTalk...just a nicer sounding name but not his main brand, so i guess that's why he didn't use it. And mermaids is really common with FL and South Amer and women's football. anyway...maybe one of his reps reads this board. at least get rid of magicjackoff after this season.
Check out this blog by Ella Masar. She gives some insight as to what's going on with MagicJack and compares her training now with MJ vs. first 2 years with the Chicago Red Stars. They seem to be treated by their new owner very well with apartments overlooking the beach. Also some honest feelings about how she felt as a player in Chicago vs. now with MJ: http://blog.ellamasar.com/
I really hope no one from the Chicago org reads this, especially the people who made Chi a reality - front office & owners...she may be kissing her new owners ass, but really, a slap in the face to a team that let you play professionally for two years? Sounds like entitlement to me. I was an Ella fan until I read this.
Sounds like an employee who finally feels appreciated. Considering she pretty much carried her old team and only had a pack of peanuts to show for it, I could see why she is elated to be on "The Come Up," as we Mookians say. If she hadn't played for Chicago its not like she couldn't have a gotten a job with another team. It sounds a little off to say they "let" her play. (I could see how she may come off to some as smug, but maybe she's just happy as hades that she can stop eating ramen.) The MagicJack camp sounds pretty intense. It'll be very interesting to see how this equates on the field. Soccer playing robots looking to demolish all in site? Let's hope so. MRAD, thanks for posting!
if pia and ussf stop playing games...that showdown in rochester between jack and wny should be off the charts with a full house of fans if their rosters are intact. good going by the 2 new owners. sahlen isnt doing too bad with his players either. was that press with the nice tan in the photo?
That's...THAT'S ACTUAL TICKETING INFO! http://www.fausports.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/032211aah.html Reasonable prices if you're willing to bake in the Boca Raton sun at 4 PM in the summer. Also, guess we can kiss that fantasy of games being held in Maryland goodbye.