From Soccer America's MLS Confidential: NEW LOOKS: The Galaxy is designing a new uniform for next season, when it moves into its new stadium at the Home Depot National Training Center. A dark green will replace teal as the team's primary home color. Also rumbling out of the league office is word that Nike is being forced to drop one of its teams. A source says Nike, which also outfits the Quakes, Galaxy, MetroStars and Fire, will lose its high-profile sponsorship of the Fire. Chicago general manager Peter Wilt refused to comment. Rumored to be the replacement is Puma, which has outfitted Colorado in past seasons but currently has no MLS team. Also tabbed for new sponsorship are the Rapids, with Atletica replacing Kappa.
I'm all for this. I really don't mind Kappa myself, but I'm sick of all the jokes about mudflaps and Playboy from nonsoccer fans. I wish we could get Adidas, Umbro or Diadora instead of Atletica.
Atletica is for Spanish teams, or so it has always assumed. When the Revs had it, they had a large hispanic percentage on the team, and Dallas, well enough said there. I bought a few Revs jerseys, and the Atletica ones are uncomfortable.
Re: Re: Rapids trade colors with LA??? I second that, though I'll still wear my Rapids windbreaker. In the rain capital of the country (Western Washington) I have yet to have the rain soak through that windbreaker....
Re: Re: Rapids trade colors with LA??? Even if you ARE a soccer fan, if you grew up in the US, you can't help but occasionally think the same thing when you see the Kappa logo. I'm with you, though... Adidas or Umbro would be cool. Even Puma would be nice -- most comfortable cleats I've owned over time have usually been Puma.
I could care less who the kit manufacturer is. I'm pretty steamed over the notion that one AEG property is ditching green so that another AEG property can use it. What's next, trade Spencer to the Galaxy to bring Tyrone Marshall back?
I do care who makes the kits. Look at DC United Adidas uniforms compare to our Kappa wetsuits. Most people at the games are still wearing the previous kit instead of the new one, for obvious reasons. I do agree though that it is ridiculous for us to lose the green and for the Galaxy to use it. It makes the argument that it is a move trying to sell more jerseys based off of color popularity pretty much mute. You would think the Rapids would fight for this a little more.
I like the Kappa stuff, and am not looking forward to Athletica. Greenie is right re keeping the green, and it does appear we are switching colors with LA.
The first awareness I really had of kits being made by different manufacturers was when I noticed how great the Italia nats jerseys are, and I dig it that the Rapids jerseys are similar. During World Cup I noticed an awful lot of jersey grabbing between teams but that it was pretty hard for other teams to grab at the Italians' wetsuits. What teams wear Atletica kits? I don't really know what those look like. As for the "color swap," I'm sad to see the green go (will greenie start going by bluie?), but poor Galaxy! They *need* a color change. Their colors are absolutely TERRIBLE! Thank goodness we're not going to be black & TEAL. What a ridiculous color. Teal. Doesn't even sound like a real word if you say it a few times.
Hey, it's not so bad: at least we're not waiting to see if MLS is going to take the rest of the season off while they quibble over millions of dollars worth of salary!
The most high profile team is the Mexican national team. I believe a bunch of MFL teams are sponsored as well. Not sure which ones though.
I think the Revs and Burn are sporting Atletica uniforms. I was surprised that it took a while for the real shock of my message to hook in, and that is that LA is going to take our colors. Not good enough for Colorado, but just right for California. Whatever. Maybe it is Big Phil's favorite color and now LA is his favorite team? I have like LA's uniforms these last few years. I don't know what people don't like about it.
I did a little more research and these are the MFL teams that are sponsored by Atletica: Chivas, Atlas, Toluca, Tigres, Monterrey, Morelia, Pachuca, and Puebla. The only MLS team sponsored by Atletica is the Dallas Burn. The Revs are sponsored by Umbro.
But God forbid we actually show disapproval with our money and stay away. Soccer fans are somehow indebted to MLS to ensure one league survives so we continue pissin' away our money like saps even when they do things like this to us...
I think that's true. In many sports people protest with their pocketbook, and it works. MLS is different, though. I think this is the last chance for soccer to make it in the USA. And if the MLS folds (and it's barely surviving now), watch the USMNT drop to the level of an El Salvador or Guatemala and the strides that we've made over the last 12 years go down the drain. I'm probably in the minority here, but the Rapids are my team. The Rapids are what I care about. Not a team color or a kit supplier.
I'll agree with you about the second part of this. The Rapids are my team. I like the green and black, but Blue and Black will work just as well. I might have shared others strong feelings if the Rapids had ever had a uniform that I liked, the color scheme not withstanding.
The Burn have been outfitted by Atletica since 2001. Most Burn fans are much happier with them than they were with Nike. For one thing, they offer a wide selection of Burn gear. They actually sell not only the home shirt, but also the road shirt and the 3rd shirt. For another, it's not too difficult to find their Burn gear around town. And honestly, the quality and the workmanship of the Atletica shirts has been drastically higher than that of the Nike shirts. They feel a lot less cheap than the Nike shirts. I have no idea how Kappa has worked out for the Rapids, so I can't compare if Atletica will be better or worse for you, but I'm happy with them.
As for what their gear looks like, Burn striker Jason Kreis will assist us. Here he is in the Burn's home uniform:
OK, so the galaxy are changing their main color to green next season, but where have you guys heard that the rapids are going for a change? Last I heard, it was simply an idea and a rumor. You guys have some inside info?
Nothing official has been said, but all signs point in that direction. A lot of their marketing and promotion stuff is done in black and blue now.
When Counce announced this in a press conference and it was reported in the Denver Post, I figured that was pretty damn official: Full article at: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%7E94%7E567879,00.html