Manchester confirms Lampard on at MCFC for full season

OH I didn't realize you had spoken with all of them and knew what all of them were upset about. I guess all the fans on BS, facebook, news article comments and other forums I have read just don't count or weren't interviewed by you.
I really think you are way off on this. I think soccer fans are unlike most other American sports fans because it is more of a niche sport here. I think they are much more dialed into the details than most other general sports fans.

 

You keep saying that, but you are not a fan of them.

So just sit back and laugh at them.

 

Yeah that would be nice and I should try, but as I have stated several times...I am much more of a fan of the league than any one team. That being the case I don't want to see any team do stupid things and piss off fans.

 

So, when can we agree to stop calling soccer a niche sport?

The people you are reading about on "BS, facebook, news article comments and other forums" are the "more dialed in fans" -- the general fans aren't that concerned or knowledgeable, and NYCFC is happy to sell tickets to that "less-dialed in" fan base.

Of course how they choose to treat and respond to their core and dialed in fans is also very important. But those core fans are more likely (it would seem) to put up with the crap anyway.

 

People will always do stupid stuff. Pissing of some fans is, regrettably, a part of the cost of doing business. And in a way you get to find out how much your fans truly care about you based on how much you can piss them off and still keep them as fans.

 

Sorry dude but when you look at the TV numbers it is a niche sport in the US, but lets not go off on that tangent.

 

Not a good idea for a team that hasn't ever played a game or built a fan base yet. Not a good way to start the relationship.
The other point (considering you keep comparing it to the Beckham situation) I think you seem to be missing is this is a much different situation because they are brand new. If they were established it may look a lot different.

 

TV ratings are certainly one metric, and a tough one to crack.

But the business of MLS is (apparently booming). Attendance is strong, and ownership groups are buying in and the league is regularly adding teams. We've gotta be getting close to getting beyond that "niche" label at some point, right?

 

sure

 

I wonder what this thread would look like if you set them both to ignore. Not that I advocate that.

 

It's pretty hilarious when you have one of them on ignore. It's like Garfield Without Garfield.

 

Odie and Jon would be fine for three-four months without Garfield.

Oh, never mind.

 

Here are 10 regular season matches every MLS fan should have circled on their 2015 calendars
JANUARY 7, 2015
Benjamin Baer
MLSsoccer.com

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...hes-every-mls-fan-should-have-circled-their-2

 

That little snippet accurately says that those games/dates are the times that those players "could" play for the first time. For Gerrard and Lampard that's fairly likely barring injury. For Cubo Torres, however, he could very well be called up to Mexico for the Gold Cup or Copa America and it may take him even more time to come play for the Dynamo.

 

I'll admit I don't know but is that correct for Torres? The Dynamo already own him and are loaning him to Guadalajara. I understand that the Copa America or Gold Cup may interfere but why would he have to wait until the transfer window opens to play for Houston?

This is how the acquisition was reported in Houston:

http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/...ernational-splash-with-signing-of-5976687.php

 

Joke's on them, the agreement wouldn't be with "New York City FC" -- it would be with "MLS."

MLS should (nay "must") get Lampard signed to a pre-contract for the summer transfer window, or whatever it is that Gerrard now has at this point in January.

 

That is a great idea. I think I am going to ignore my own posts.
Sorry guys for being annoying. It isn't like we are the only two that have posted our thoughts over and over, but point taken. I was absent for an 5 page section of this thread at least. Those were probably the best pages though

 

Mark Abbott told me: “There is no possibility he (Lampard) is not coming at all…he’ll be playing for the @MLS team in 2015.” #Pellegrini

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) January 5, 2015

I give up. @NYCFC http://t.co/Zs1Frb5966

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) January 8, 2015

 

If Lampard has a 2 year contract with City Group ( going by reports), which has 18 months to run. How can he sign a pre-contract?

 

Well, this happened. I'm just gonna wait for the "Cosmos to MLS" rumors to start.

http://www.sbisoccer.com/2015/01/premier-agreement-lampard.html

 

Keep on beating that drum, bro.

 

He's giving up just when things are getting good!

No agreement.

What a joke ...

 

That article links to the NYCFC announcement of Lampard's 'signing', which is still on their website and apparently unedited. It seems pretty surreal to read it now, all things considered.

 

Because a "CFG contract" does not equal a "MCFC" contract.

He hopefully only has a MCFC playing contract for one season.

His "CFG contract" would be some kind of umbrella over both the early one-year MCFC deal (registered with the EPL) and a deal of whatever duration starting in July 2015 with MLS/NYCFC as a DP contract (held by MLS and registered with FIFA for Lampard as an NYCFC/MLS player).

That would be my guess, at least. Not that I necessarily support that arrangement or would fully understand the inner workings of the agreements and contracts.

For all we know, Villa could also have now both a "CFG contract/agreement" and an MLS DP contract.

The first one is to do business with the CFG family of clubs, and the second one is to be and get paid as an MLS player (when he isn't on loan to Melbourne or wherever).