Question about the financial part. If the promoted team isn't an owner of MLS LLC, how do they get the benefit of that ownership stake, and how does the MLS owner lose it? Wouldn't the MLS owner relegated still retain the benefits of ownership unless transferred, and wouldn't that make them whole? Or if pro/rel meant divesting ownership of MLS LCC (convert them to non-profit like NFL, etc) wouldn't each owner receive the value of that ownership stake and other revenue partnerships like SUM? The promoted team would likely share in seasonal league distributions like TV money, but how would they automatically gain 100 million in value? I just hear a lot about MLS investors/Owners losing their shirt if relegated or NASL team earning a windfall, but on a pure accounting basis...how does that happen exactly?
It's not a matter of quality on the field, Cal FC beat the Timbers once. So MLS is on top of what's a pretty flat pyramid. But off the field there's no comparison. MLS is light years ahead of NASL when it comes to awarness, profile, marketing, stadiums, etc. You may say "big deal", but it is in fact a very big deal. Like I said, the top MLS teams operating costs are around $50M, with only about $15-20M of that going to salary. NASL doesn't, can't, and won't match that, no matter how badly the Cosmos want to.
I'm pretty sure people don't consider the English FA to be a flat pyramid when a lower division team beats a BPL team in the Capital One Cup/FA Cup ... that's hardly proof about quality on the field. Completely agree with the rest of your post.
My post wasn't arguing any of that. I was merely pointing out that the on field quality between the MLS and NASL probably isn't as big as most people seem to believe. There are a few myths going around, at least on these boards, that there is a big gap in quality between the MLS and NASL, and no gap at all between NASL and USL Pro. When I see an opportunity to dispell these two myths I like to. I actually think the difference between MLS and NASL in quality is pretty similar to the difference between NASL and USL Pro. In both cases I think it is about what you would expect the difference between a D1, D2, and D3 to be. Which means the top two or three teams of each league could compete in the higher league, but everyone else would be outmatched.
Nice rebuttal. I actually don't hate NASL. I can't stand the Cosmos however. Enjoy the show as they ruin your league.
Yeah, they got called out on that in twitter, with @usopencup and @duresport providing some stats Not a winning record, but yes a good record (not their fault if the opposition does not bring their best teams). In the twitter discussion, some one brought up the USLPRO vs NASL record, NASL holds a slight lead if I remember correctly, the thing is, USLPRO vs NASL match ups do not happen very ofter, the sample size is small. Maybe the coming Open Cups will give us more USLPRO vs NASL matches.
But that is the beauty about soccer, because scoring is very hard in soccer, weaker teams look much better vs strong opposition, if scoring in soccer was as easy as say Basketball, the FIFA world cup would have blow outs similar to the FIBA world cup (a lot more Germany vs. Brazil scorelines). Yesterday the USWNT tied China 1-1; China I believe had 1 single shot on goal, they made it count, so it looks like it was an even match up. Same with the US vs. Belgium game this summer, people can say it was a "competitive" match where we lost 2-1 in overtime. But when you watch the game you can easily tell that it was not that competitive, but with soccer it the score line can stay competitive with 2 mis-matched teams.
I would say England is actually a fairly flat pyramid. The difference between a good Championship, the best second division in the world btw, team and a mid-table BPL team is far less great than the difference between most countries D1 and D2. Same could be said of Germany. I'd say Spain has a steep pyramid, and France's looks like the Eiffel Tower.
That's fair ... but I have seen some scores where 3rd and 4th tier English teams upset a BPL team. But I agree ... the Championship's quality does make it competitive with the bottom third of the BPL. Why is it that the English 2nd division can play so many games, but our NASL and USL Clubs can't? Do they have more roster depth? I know shorter travel helps, but it doesn't solve everything (or maybe it does). You would think the more games means the more chances to bring in ticket revenue (the only REAL revenue for some teams without TV deals). Does making lower divisions in the US more regional help travel enough to increase the number of games in a season?
Non league Sutton beat top tier Coventry that one time ... screw pretty flat, the English pyramid is concave.
I hate the Cosmos and their fan as much as the next guy, but the simple fact is in order for the NASL to survive and/or grow we need the Cosmos to be successful. I love my team beating them as well, it's fun
The thing is, the Cosmos define success very differently than most people associated with NASL. Right now the talk up the league because it suits them, but the Cosmos are in it for the Cosmos and give two poos about anyone else. They really haven't changed much from the old days when the ruined NASL. It's a league of convenience for them, nothing more.
As much as the NY market could matter for TV purposes, if TV ever happens, let's not forget that the Cosmos were 6th in attendance in the spring and 5th in the fall. Nobody really cares outside of a decent NASL crowd.
As I have said. NASL is in a tough position. Peterson has a super hard job. Folks are going to say and do whatever they can to prop their team and league up. Hell, before MLS, soccer folks in general would say anything to try and prop up the sport. Much of it a reach and non sensical like MLS does now. MLS did it for the first ten years ofthe league. You know you are starting to matter when folks start to really get fed up with the silly stuff. MLS is in that postion now, and I hope they address it....rule clarity....in the new CBA. Much needed at this point, not so neccessary before.
Raul may help attendance. But maybe an extra 1K. Or so. He has been on Spanish tv since signing with the Cosmos. He is the poor man's Beckham.
Well if the signing of raul only brings 1k or so to cosmo home games, it's bringing international attention to the league, their are probably people that had never heard of the nasl before the signing, it's good for the league as a whole, as did the signing of Beckham was for the mls
True. Hell, JK has allowed the world, Euros and Euro posers to accept that we actually play soccer now. We had done nothing until 2011.
If the nasl doesn't succeed, the Cosmos don't succeed. If the league folds what are the Cosmos going to do? MLS is not going to have 3 teams in Nyc area, what then? USL pro, that's a good one haha, a feeder league for the MLS. They need the NASL as much as the league needs them
The Obvious answer is that they will joing the World Superleague with Real Madrid, Chelsea, Guangzhou Evergrande, etc. etc.
I found no active owners of the Aztecs name and logo. The name was last trademarked by Dfunct LLC and was abandoned on 6/7/2005. The logo was last trademarked by Aztecs Sports LTD and was canceled on 12/12/1985.