I'm not sure that's much more than opinion, but I'm going to Chelsea this weekend and will get to see how Yankee Stadium works for soccer. Will be interesting.
Yes, the Red Bulls can survive. In fact, I think the curse on the MetroStars/Red Bulls will be lifted/transfered over to those sky blue douches when they take to the pitch and RB will suddenly win an MLS Cup or two.
No, the original sins of this franchise were caused by Charlie Stillitano and his merry band of idiots back in 1996. Stillitano took all the good will left over from the Cosmos years and destroyed it. Named the team the New York/New Jersey MetroStars -- the most uncatchy brand in the history of American sports -- and then proceeded to destroy just about every relationship with season-ticket-holders, sponsors, and the rest of the local soccer community. Big crowds in 1996 were down to about 2500 warm bodies for many games by 1999. (Where have you gone Eduardo Hurtado? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.) The Red Bull ownership and the new stadium gave the team a shot in the arm, but Chris Heck then followed in Charlie's footsteps, doubled the prices for the majority of season ticket holders and -- once again -- flushed all good will (if there was any left by then) down the crapper. The fact that Red Bull hasn't rolled back the prices to the pre-Heck policies, shows a callous disregard for the most loyal fans.
The path to MLS for the Cosmos is through Harrison, New Jersey. The only way the current franchise in Harrison will ever be relevant is if it re-brands as the Cosmos -- whether that's in the form of the current Austrian ownership buying the Cosmos name and re-branding, or the current Cosmos ownership buying the team from Red Bull and then re-branding. And now that can actually happen. MLS is now committed to NYCFC playing within the 5 boroughs. The Cosmos name needs to come home to the original New Jersey (and Manhattan) fanbase. Re-brand now!!!
I think if they just change their name to the New Jersey Red Bulls they will instantly get an identity and probably win a lot of support from Jersey natives. Look how popular the Devils are for being the only team to embrace the New Jersey name.
All this talk of instant fixes like re-branding, selling the team, only focusing on the Jersey market... its starting to across as nothing more than either a snap overreaction from some or an excuse to hop back on the anti-RB soapbox for others. The team is not on the brink of destruction, it has a solid fan base and will continue to do so after the new team arrives. Yes they have to step up their marketing game, but that's it, this isn't the sinking ship that so many are making it out to be. I think I've had my share of these conversations until emotions settle down a bit...
You mean the team damned near bankruptcy? So you would shut yourself, ON PURPOSE, out of the largest number of people you can attract? Insanity
To the contrary.... The best solution is just to call the team in Harrison the Cosmos. No "New York." No "New Jersey." Just "Cosmos." And everyone on planet earth would know where the Cosmos are from. And then the team would have fans on both sides of the Hudson.
Bluntly speaking , if RBNY rebrands to Cosmos, a third identity change will be mocked and derided by the majority of soccer enthusiasts, and also current local Red Bull fans. If any change, no NY/NJ , but just "Red Bulls" would suffice. I think Red Bulls can do more than just survive, and optimistically can thrive with even 3 teams in the New York City Metropolitan area. If the NJ Devils can compete well against the NY Rangers and NY Islanders in the NHL , for a sport less played and supported by the average New Yorker (and I like hockey a lot too), then Red Bull corporation in Austria should realize that competition and better marketing and fan relations will help make their product both on and off the field better.
Wait? I hopped off? News to me and to me rebranding isn't a quick fix - it's a sine qua non. It has a shaky, not solid fan base - and if I thought it could replace those who leave via attrition after NYCFC starts up, I'd feel as little better. But I don't. NYCFC has too much going for them, including RBFO's marketing incompetence. So no, it's not sinking as yet, but the torpedo has been fired, is headed straight for the gunpowder hold and the helmsman is asleep.
Are we going to get those $8 tickets that you bitched about? If so they can call them whatever they want, Harrison Hairballs and wear pink.
A slight ticket price rollback could put more people in seats. I don't complain about the price much. Pretty reasonable when compared to other things and I'd like two more seats for next season if I find two near my current.
If RBNY waits to react to the attention NYCFC is going to get it will be too late to do anything about it. All the king's skydivers and all the king's F1 drivers in the world won't help at that point. The GmbH boys are businessmen, if it gets bad enough they will sell off the team or pull the plug and with little expense turn the arena into an entertainment venue. Bottom line is it is now put up or get the fukc out time for RedBull GmbH.
Out of all the "suggestions" out there, this is the one that makes the most sense. If the upper deck were sold at $10-30 a ticket, and the lower deck $20-$40, there would be no open seats at all. I think it makes sense to fill the seats first, then try and keep them filled through season tickets. But when people show up and see the stadium is open enough to buy a $20 ticket then wander to the open $100 seats, why buy a season ticket? And if you don't have a season ticket, it's easier to decide to watch the game in the bar or at home when the weather is just a bit off (too hot, too cold, too wet, etc.) But, roll back the prices for a few years, pack the seats every game, then people will start looking to getting season tickets in order to stop fighting the long lines and getting the leftover seats...
Buddy of mine sent me this http://m.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/05/22/jeff-bradley-jersey-fans-rooting-nycfc-you-kiddin-me
Red Bull have been generously compensated by Sheikh Mansour for NYC arriving, and I don´t mean thru MLS.. Thru Falcon Private Bank and Aabar Invest (Both owned By IPIC who coincidentally got Sheikh Mansour as Chairman) big sponsorship deals have been struck lately with Toro Rosso, the second Red Bull racing team. But I guess it started 2011.. In other words, RB have no excuses when it comes to spending money on RBNY..IMHO
And the Red Bull name isnt any better. Cosmos would have at least fired people up who arent convinced about soccer in the NY area. For example, when I was in JFK airport the other day going through customs the customs officer commented on my Cosmos cap and started talking me ear off about how he used to go to all the games. Meanwhile dozens of people were waiting in line to get back into the country so I just smiled politely and nodded.
Lol! But that is bloody good the hear. For me, I do not mind the Red Bulls name. I look at it in symbolic way. I dont see the Red Bulls name as the name of the company that owns us but as the name for the team. We are the "Red Bulls". We will bulldoze through every team that plays us. We are like a bull at a bullfight who see red. Thus the name, Red Bulls. If we can market the name in a sports way and not a company way then we can survive with Red Bulls. Its a nice name and honestly go up to any person and say that you support the Red Bulls they will probably think of a bull at a bullfight until they see who we are owned by.
except that the logo on the can is exactly the same as the on the team logo. New Yorkers thrive on caffeine and everyone drinks red bull.
That is what I meant by my last sentence. You will tell them about the Red Bulls but then as soon as they see the logo they will no whats up. Hopefully that person will then just forget the name and focus on the team. Red Bulls a sporting brand and a kick-ass name in all honesty.