3 - I'm disappointed for the fans who have embraced the MetroStars but I want them to give the new owners a chance to prove their meddle. But I'm excited for the league and do not think that the name is a "fiasco" - though it will take some getting used to. I'm so looking forward to the day where every team has it's own stadium and the league is stable financially. Good luck, Bulls! (It's kinda hard to get a Chicagoan to knock any name that has 'Bulls' in it)
I have no problem with Red Bull purchasing the Metros. In fact, I think it is great! However, changing the team name sucks. No corporation should be able to put their brand name into the name. Next thing you know names will be something like New England Budweiser, Los Angeles Disney, or Microsoft Wizards. Name the stadium Red Bull stadium...fine. Put their logo on the front of the jersey...fine. Make Red Bull the official drink of the team...fine. Put their brand in the team name...HELL NO.
The P in PSV is Philips. I suspect "Arsenal" reflects some of economic connection as well. There are surely lots of examples around the globe. Japanese Baseball, Cruz Azul...
Exactly. If any company was even considering getting involved with MLS this certainly opened (kicked down?) the door for them. Other than NASCAR, no other major sport league in America has a company name so prominent. I think this could be huge.
Arsenal was called Dial Square by the munitions workers of the factory in South London originally in 1886, then the Woolwich was dropped soon as they moved to North London in 1913. PSV was founded in 1913 by workers of the Phillips Co. Bayer Leverkusen was founded in 1904 by workers of the Bayer Co. Soccer wasn't actually played until 1907. Cruz Azul was founded by workers of the Cruz Azul Cement Co. in Hidalgo,Mexico in 1927. Grampus Eight was founded in 1939 by workers of the Toyota Car Co. in Nagoya,Japan. Historically most football clubs were founded around existing organizations, corporations etc. and not by takeovers.
3 I don't like the wiping out of the team's history as if the Metros never existed. The image (logo, uniforms, colors, etc.) isn't great but i think as long as they win everyone should be happy. As far as American sports go isn't their a team in the WNBA called the Connecticut Sun that is owned by Mohegan Sun? They have the same logo as Mohegan Sun as well, i believe. So this shouldnt be a first in America.
I think this is the best thing to every happen to the league. Perhaps RB will take a page from the 2nd F1 team (featuring American driver Scott Speed -- I'm not making this up) and name the team Torro Rosso.
I voted 5. I consider the name to be better than the old name. It's fantastic that the team sold for so much money, should be a sign of willingness to run a first class organization that will spend some money on promotions (MPF - catch it!). I don't understand how any current Metros fans can consider this not to be their team anymore, it's an ownership change plain and simple. And it's probably the only way to ever get a dang stadium.
So let, me get this straight, some of you aren't upset with the company having their name with their team, just make it with their people? I know Bayer and PSV were created by workers of the company, but that's not true anymore. I voted 4. This is good for the league. It's good for the franchise(high spending owner). The only people it's bad for, and unfortunatly it doesn't really matter how they feel, because the team will do whatever it takes to bring in new fans, are the Metro supporters.
the league isn't where these guys see it going. look ahead, people. it's best to get these name changes and things out of the way now. i like the name better than what was there and it's being changed before they get the new stadium. it's going to be ok.
three thoughts - 1) in the quotes from the Red Bull pres. he referred to the team as the "New York RedBulls. 2) just like Metrostars (the Metros), I imagine most fans will refer to the team as either "The Bulls" or "The Reds" 3) I don't recall reading anything that had "New Jersey" or "NY/NJ" in the team name. Despite the fact that they are in the Meadowlands and will (hopefully) be in Harrison (Alexi sounds sold on 2008), it doesn't sound like New Jersey will acknowledged. -dl
Fourth and fifth thoughts: 4) I was surprised by the name change, but as the minutes pass, I'm excited for the team. I voted 5. 5) There are companies with worse names that the team could have adopted. At least it's a generally fearsome animal that they'll be named for. It's not like the Disney inspired Mighty Ducks of Aneheim.
I'm adamantly ambivalent. I don't care who owns the teams and could care less what they call it. And to me, Red Bull tastes like cough syrup. Are there really people who drink that stuff?
I voted 1 just for the fact that they changed the name and jersey completely.. the loyal following is going to get affected...and bringing in new fans with the name RED BULL is kinda silly and will not make new fans come in... yea the money is there but its once again MLS selling out to the hardcore Football fans out there... WHO ARE THEY PAYING TO MAKE THESE STUPID DECISIONS...anyone here knows that the new name sucks and also HOUSTON DYNAMO ...what the ******** is that?!?!?!?! can u come up with a better name MLS... even HOUSTON FC is better than Dynamo...sounds like a detergent brand or something.
Much different scenario than RedBull Salzburg. There's not 70 years of history at stake, the team colors don't have nearly as much significance, and we get a new investor in MLS. What makes me a 4 rather than a 5 is the name. It worries me that they didn't do enough research on the American sports fan to see that we're generally not amenable to teams being named after product. What makes me a 4 rather than a 3 is the dozen or so empty cans of said product in my car
If it brings helps the league as a whole be more financially secure, I'm for it. The name is dumb, but hey, it's not nearly as dumb as Real Salt Lake and only slightly more dumb than FC Dallas.
I'm neither surprised, shocked or upset that a corporate name has finally become a part of the name of an American professional sports franchise. If you haven't seen this wave coming over the past 20 years or so, you've been living under one heck of a rock. The American corporate world has been buying up naming rights for any arena or stadium that's willing to accept an infusion of cash, so why should we all be upset over the MetroStars becoming Red Bull New York? Does anyone care to mention what the name of FC Dallas' stadium is called? That's right! It's Pizza Hut Park. And if Yum Brands (which owns Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's and Pepsi, oh, by the way) wanted to drop the cash on the league, the team could have been called Pizza Hut Dallas. Almost everything in sports nowadays is corporately sponsored in one way or another. Look at any college basketball conference tournament this weekend and tell me there isn't one that's NOT corporately sponsored. And one other thing: If it wasn't for Radio Shack on Saturday afternoons, would we be seeing MLS games on ESPN2 or ABC? Answer: No! Why? Because Radio Shack pays for the airtime. If all other professional leagues were smart, they would embrace these sort of partnerships right now. Don't think that the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the NHL wouldn't do the same thing if the right amount of zeros were on the end of a check. One of these days, names of teams won't exist without a corporate name attached to it, so accept the fact that Red Bull has started a precedent that will truly have a domino effect throughout all of American sports. Joey Josephs Director of Media Relations National Soccer League (sponsored someday by someone)
I just feel sorry for Adidas having to make these last minute uniform changes with Houston and now this..
So... Metrostars fans are upset because their team is no longer named after MetroMedia - a CORPORATION which sold the team years ago? They're angry that their team is now named after a corporation that is showing that they're invested? In then end, it's up to the folks at Red Bull - if they take this team and turn it into a winner... If they get this stadium up... they will have earned a lot of support. And I have to say, by throwing down a hundred million dollars in one shot, they've shown a lot of interest in making this happen. If they invest that much energy into the club... I'm excited to see what happens.