I also thought that same thing too! Just figured it wouldnt make sense to the most casual fans that are oblivious to world soccer.
I think Detroit Arsenal is a really good name actually if you can separate the name from Arsenal (England). Its not necessarily ripping them off. Detroit was referred to as the Arsenal of Democracy which is a pretty cool moniker. But with Kronke owning Arsenal and his own MLS team (rapids)...you know it would never fly.
*shrug* It is always interesting to see the reaction of SGs of lower division clubs at the prospect of moving up divisions. It's also interesting how quickly they seem to get over any misgivings once they've made the move.
Unfortunately, if MLS happens in Detroit, it might be labeled the rise and fall of DCFC, or at least it's colorful supporter group. I find it interesting that the DCFC ownership seems to be taking the high road/cautious approach to MLS, meanwhile some of their vocal supporters are going full own nuclear hate for MLS. Are these two working together or against each other?
There's a lot of "After showing up at games for 3 summer seasons, we're REAL supporters (unlike fans of other teams who've had to put up with 20 years of bullshit from their own teams)!" It just reeks of the type of pretentiousness you see in newbie fans who do their best to feel cool and worldly after discovering soccer during a study abroad trip. But hey, the people I played soccer with in Ann Arbor who drive down to Columbus every other weekend for their Crew season tickets "fake fans of fake soccer" apparently.
I suspect they are at odds with each other. It's hard for DCFC to sustain the high road/cautious approach if their largest SG is bringing out the flamethrowers and trying to burn down the MLS-Detroit group. I would suspect that DCFC will need to have a discussion with the SG to tone down their rhetoric if they want DCFC to continue.
Five years from now when they have gone the Borough Boys route and their team is drawing a thousand fans (as the NY Cosmos did this weekend):
You know, this makes me even less enthusiastic for future potential road trips to Detroit. These people are crazy. The ILF never got this acrimonious with MLS during our transition.
I do wonder how much of this temper tantrum bullshit is shared by the rank and file members of the SGs. It is a little concerning that no one in the Northern Guard has gone up to whoever the hell is running their social media to tell them...
Rawlins was also definitely going to be in the ownership group that made the transition to MLS. That isn't necessarily true with DCFC's current owner.
Of course going from USL level upwards is different from the NPSL. Your typical NPSL owner's ultimate goal is usually "hey, let's start this team, and if we're still around after a year or two, we've beaten expectations"
I don't think DCFC ownership is against MLS at all, they just don't want to rock the boat on a good thing. It's hard seeing them being a part of the MLS ownership. None of them are very wealthy ala Rawlins, Hanauer etc
This is a continuation of this thread... They have a slick stadium plan and some deeper pockets this time around. Story from MLS.com
Detroit Free Press reported that Wayne County officials are looking to finish the half-built jail with the approval of a consulting contract with a contractor that specializes in building jails and of a settlement with the original contractors who failed to complete the jail on budget. The first choice for the 20,000-25,000-seat multi-purpose stadium was the site of the 2,000-bed county jail. But to make way for the stadium and accompanying development, Gores and Gilbert would have to pay to build a jail elsewhere and level a hall of justice and juvenile detention facility.
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/2016/08/01/major-league-soccer-detroit-expansion-fee/87938502/ Gores told the Free Press on Friday: “Dan is working on it. We’re not married to (the jail site). What we’re married to is getting another sports team in Detroit. “We think a soccer franchise in Detroit could be really good. And I think we’re going to get it there, one way or another.”
This week, Detroit City FC begins distributing $107,000 in revenue sharing checks to investors of the first community investment campaign in American sports history. The payments will be sent to the 492 investors who participated in the grassroots campaign, which raised funds to rehabilitate Detroit City FC’s new home at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, MI. The campaign, which launched on October 29, 2015 and closed on February 15, 2016, was open to Michigan residents through the Michigan MILE legislation. The club aimed to raise between $400,000 and $750,000 through the campaign. The final amount raised was $725,500, making it the largest campaign of its kind in Michigan history. http://www.detcityfc.com/news_article/show/676000?referrer_id=1533258
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/n...ns-owner-tom-gores-soccer-part-life/88813712/ Why soccer matters to Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores