They could use it as a MLS reserve team in USL. Possibly a rebranded NYRB II or a new NYCFC2 team? (still like my idea of a rebranded Sky Blue FC) Ah, my mistake.
Why would they be selling 50 year commemorative stuff 59 years after they were created? Their 50th anniversary was in 2018. Most New York soccer fans will remember the Cosmos as a whiny little soccer club with no fans from Long Island. There's really no demand for a commemoration.
Everybody used to talk about how New York II was Don Garbers dream, the one thing that he coveted most. Well, that and getting Columbus out of the league. But that wasn't entirely true. What Don wanted, what he truly dreamed of, was a beautiful soccer stadium in Queens that people would walk to and watch a local soccer team. He admitted to an interviewer once that he used to stop by Flushing Meadows on his way home and sit in his car smoking a Havana cigar while imagining the place as a soccer mecca. He didn't include the part where he touched himself but it was.strongly implied. What he got.instead was a team owned by Arab oil billionaires playing in Yankee stadium. But then, as someone wrote.recently, he did get his team in Austin but missed on killing Columbus. Its probably not much comfort.
Honestly I would think they would take over the Red Bulls branding eventually. Can't see NYCFC take that branding as it would be a step back in the NYC area.
At the request of the state no less. I think they just did it to gain favor for the planned site south of Yankees stadium
I always thought David Downs got a raw deal. At the time, NASL was somewhat stable and postured to partner with MLS. Even with Traffic owning a couple of clubs, they seemed better postured to survive than USL. Instead, NASL’s owners drank Cosmos kool aid. Now USL is doing well and the NASL is dead again. As for the Cosmos at the time, they just seemed fishy. Great marketing, Cantona as a spokesman and friendlies with Man U. I remember reading some propaganda in Four Four Two which seemed too good to be true. However, it seemed off ... not surprisingly, Cantona later sued the club.
Ouch. Hearing Cosmos' braintrust contacted Pelé about writing a letter in support, for suitable compensation. No dice. Ain't his NASL.— JackBell (@JackBell) March 1, 2018
The NuCosmos used to call me all the time because I went to the first Cosmos NASL 2.0 match. I live in PA and rarely go to NY.
From what I understand, the Cosmos brand is still pretty popular as a retro brand outside the US, particularly Brazil. MLS could just turn it into a clothing brand like Seamus originally tried to take advantage of that.
Downs went from heading up a World Cup bid and the newly (re) formed NASL to coaching kids in Westchester County. The podcast is here https://elevennewyork.com/journal/david-downs/ And they're probably the reason people think of MLS as a retirement league.
Really? The Impact rebranded. So did the Kansas City Wizards who changed their name to Sporting and no one seemed to care either. They've both been around a long time.... Would fans really care if they rebranded NY City to the Cosmos?
A few would but honestly what would it achieve? Why throw away over 5 years of traction in the local market for a name that's associated now more with minor league soccer and failure? I say that as a Cosmos fan, they need to be their own team and need an owner who is realistic with the expectations.
Do the Borough Boys still exist? Their website is gone. https://www.firsttouchonline.com/ny-cosmos-jack-demseys/ Didn't they essentially pick the Cosmos over NYCFC? How's that working out for them? At least they had a cool logo, not sure about anything else...
Throwing away a 5 year tradition to follow a team called City playing in a baseball park? Don’t see the big deal nor do I see the major harm. Heck I think this pandemic will prevent fans from coming back more than a name change. Also, I never really understood the need to be Euro or English for MLS clubs. I mean how many FC’s and United’s are there? Many of those original NASL names and logos had a lot marketability and were pretty cool. The Cosmos brand around the world even though they folded in 1985 , is still revered. At least it was when I lived abroad last decade.
Thanks, looks like I remembered the history wrong. In the meantime, the Borough Boys will be supporting the NASL New York Cosmos, who are expected to begin play in the fall of 2013. And they'll get behind the NYC2 project best they can. So does this mean they're currently NYCFC supporters? Or not, because they play in the Bronx and not Queens? And most importantly did they change the mohawk in their logo from Cosmos to NYCFC colors?
The whole story is a bit murky unless if there's any people on this forum that can explain better than me. *Some?* went to support the Cosmos while the remaining others supported NYCFC? Slightly related but there was a Borough Boy turned Cosmos supporter that hosted a podcast dedicated to the Cosmos, he was blackballed by the team after he asked if the team still has ties to shady Saudi sports marketing company Sela Sports, and this was after Commisso bought the Cosmos. Afterwards, this happened. Coincidence?
Ummmm....The team plays in New York CITY. The team isn't called City. Also....The Cosmos have been playing in a baseball stadium for a few seasons now too..... I honestly believe that you are one of the last, if not the only persons who believes this. There's a reason most of those NASL "Brands" haven't been resurrected. One being that most of those teams barely lasted 2 seasons. The overwhelming majority of the target audience for professional soccer teams in America weren't alive during the NASL's original run. Furthermore, those team names and great brands weren't around during their lifetimes either. I would be shocked if Commisso is able to sell the Cosmos IP. I honestly don't believe anyone will buy it for anywhere near his valuation of it.
Oh yeah and the San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps came out of thin air too. Not too many fans today in Vancouver , Seattle or Portland attended games in the 70’s and 80’s unless they are over 50. The name and logos though stuck and were synonymous with the teams. The Cosmos were much more successful and famous out of all those NASL teams. That is why they were brought back in 2010 and why they are up for discussion now. I'm the ultimate Quakes fan but when you think of that era, its the Cosmos not the Quakes , Timbers, Sounders or Caps. If it doesn’t mean anything or not worth much then why even discuss it or put it up for sale? Obviously, there is a market for it and someone will buy it sooner or later.
Then why are our members known as Cityzens and why do they sing: Come on City boys Make some ****** noise! Personally I will never refer to them as City. I don't think anyone outside of the Hampstead area went to watch the new Cosmos. They had a big following in the local El Salvadorean community. In fact they signed Salvadorean internationals to build on that. The NYCFC supporters Facebook group started the hate towards the Cosmos at a very early stage. I think it was down to Cosmos trolls but it escalated when Cosmos won their first open cup derby at Stuart Stadium and their second at Fordham University a year later. But anyway, the Cosmos name is poison in the Bronx. Maybe RSL or Montreal will take it.
The Cosmos brand is way less important then you think my friend. They simply don't have relevance in the city proper, sure there are a bunch of old NASL fans that think highly of them but that's it. You can't create a team following with that base and their piss poor attendance compared to NYCFC showed that. The current Cosmos fans wouldn't be cool with them taking over RB or NYCFC, so why mess with two separate fanbases? I only mentioned Red Bull because honestly they'd be up for a rebrand as their name is more associated with energy drinks than soccer and it's hurting them.
The original Cosmos averaged about 6,000 when they played in NYC. The fans at Giants Stadium were mainly NJ suburbanites. Apologies for getting the foundation date of the Cosmos wrong. Their debut season was 1970 not 1968. @kenntomasch - what's up with your website?