People may say $50 million a year. People may also say that wearing magnets in your shoes cures back pain. In each case, people saying so doesn't make it true, and a minimum amount of investigation can show it likely to be false. My take on this is that both Chivas and America ultimately would _like_ to own an MFL team based in Los Angeles. FIFA of course says "no way" to this so they're stuck wanting what they can't have. So my assumption is that Chivas is trying to accomplish the next best thing, try and get an MLS side in Los Angeles with as much of a Mexican/Hispanic flavor as they possibly can, and hope they can draw from the city's huge ethnic Mexican population. Now whether this is good for the league or not, remains to be seen, I think. And whether it's actually gonna work I think is up for debate as well. If it doesn't, we run the risk of another Miami Fusion situation which didn't reflect well on the league and alienated a section of the league's fan base.
ahh! why spread the disease! that STYLE obviously isn't too effective if we americans that don't know how to play can beat them.
I want both Chivas and Club America to own teams in MLS, thats two new owners, what I don't want is team names like this; Chivas USA, America USA... 2005 ABC National Broadcast Season Opener Rob Stone: "Welcome to the 2005 Major League Soccer opening weekend, this opening match features Chivas USA against America USA" Random person watching the game thinking hey, i like soccer, maybe i should start to follow MLS... "What the hell, America USA, thats stupid, why do both teams have USA at the end, what kinda league is this" - turns the channel... exactly, ridiculous, retarded, stupid, thats what i think of Chivas USA and America USA... now Chivas starts a team in San Diego and names them San Diego Armada (hell even wear the red and white stripes), and america buys San Jose BUT keeps the name Earthquakes (hell even change the kits to yellow and get that Corona sponsor on the back)...The "Armada" can still do the "New Blood" search, still bring over 2 or 3 star players from the REAL Chivas...and the Earthquakes and Armada can have a huge rivalry, like America and Chivas in the MFL, in MLS... Chivas USA America USA What a joke...
You mean kind of like the lack of proper grammar, punctuation, capitilization, etc. in your posts? Please tell me that English isn't your first language and you use Babelfish to translate your messages into English before posting them. Lie if you have to.
A fellow Sounders fan and thats how i get treated... this is a message board, not a college exam paper.. Please tell me that your 12 years old and your an immature little kid, lie if you have to... Speaking of proper grammar, punctuation, capitilization, etc...whats with Green and BLue, why is that L capitalized, oh ya, cuz your an idiot, don't waste my time...
If done right I think this could be very good for MLS and US soccer as whole. I don't know Vergara personally, but I'm guessing he didn't become a billionare by being an idiot. MLS has a 1.7 million dollar salary cap. Chivas de San Diego is not going to sign any Mexican internationals. Those guys are making millions in MFL. Top salary in MLS is $287,000. If Chivas wante4d to go "all hispanic" all they could get would be 2nd rate Mexican players and unproven Mexican-Americans. A team like that would be bound to suck.
That same MONTH, Univision and Telemundo have been giving the game free press, pumping the game, interviewing players and coaches and Vergara, analyzing the strategies, giving injury reports (can the young apprentice, whose grandmother just died, fill-in for the injured starter? Film at 11...). Random Latino decides to check out the game w/ his sister, mother, father, next door neighbor, etc. Talks about it w/ his Americanista friend and gives 'em a hard time, they laugh over a budweiser that they bought at the local supermarket, which is a sponsor of the local MLS team... The "random person" to whom you refer happened to stumble upon the game, and lord knows it's not b/c CBS, NBC, Fox or even ABC have mentioned *^&&^$%# about it. The most important task for MLS is to convert the soccer fans in this country, those that made '94 the biggest WC ever, those that follow foreign leagues and assume that MLS is inferior. This is a tough task, but it's actually a little easier than convincing the average bloke to leapfrog MLS over NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.
I like your scenario better Carlos... but STILL Chivas USA America USA gimme better team names... San Diego Chivas (i'll take it, just get USA outta there) San Jose America? (don't really know here, keep the Earthquakes!!!)
You hit the nail on the head. My Guadalajara friend with some inside track in Omnilife, tells me Vergara once said: "Fijense como voy a hacer que todos los gringos hablen de mi..." Loose translation: "Pay attention and see how all "gringos" will be talking about me..." He was right. Controversial and vocal, pages and pages have been written on BS about Verga-viagra and his team Chivas-USA. You can rest assured that when they come to our confines they will be the team everybody will love to hate. But if this puts some people in stadia, who cares? MLS WILL BE BETTER BECAUSE OF THEM...
If people turn away because of team names, they will certainly find another petty, juvenile, imbecilic reason for not watching if the names are changed.
You hit the nail on the head. My Guadalajara friend with some inside track in Omnilife, tells me Vergara once said: "Fijense como voy a hacer que todos los gringos hablen de mi..." Loose translation: "Pay attention and see how all "gringos" will be talking about me..." He was right. Controversial and vocal, pages and pages have been written on BS about Verga-viagra and his team Chivas-USA. Even mainstream media in U.S. and Europe are talking about his MLS team. And, in Mexico, where news about MLS were non-existent, newspapers and TV are become more knowledgable about our league. You can rest assured that when they come to our confines they will be the team everybody will love to hate. But if this puts some people in stadia, who cares? MLS WILL BE BETTER BECAUSE OF THEM...
Guess i'm wrong for being concerned about the team names... Chivas USA and America USA are great, nevermind... can't wait til i own DC United so i can upgrade them to DC United USA, maybe i'll buy two teams, get LA also and get Los Angeles Galaxy USA going....or maybe i won't ever have that money and Man U and Arsenal can come over so we can have a Manchester United USA and a Arsenal USA.... Mexican ownership, two storied Mexican teams coming into OUR league, none of that worries me, I want it to happen, what (doesn't really worry me) is just stupid is Chivas USA, the name is ridiculous...San Diego Chivas, America of San Jose?
      Absolutely... especially since there would be no reason for them not to! -G
Terremotos de San Jose, hah...good stuff... Goodsport!!!! We need to do something to let them know we want to keep the Earthquakes... America USA, sounds f'ing ridiculous!!!! San Jose's TRUE Soccer Team IS, WILL BE, and ALWAYS WILL BE the Earthquakes...
Besides, The Earthquakes have already won a Championship. Championship teams don't change names. It's total disrespect for the history of the Quakes and American soccer in general. BTW, did anyone else notice the severe dropoff in attendance right after the Clash name change? You know why? It looks bush league and it disrupts league history. Now that the Quakes have won a title to change the name again!!?? Bush League.....
      Exactly! And the team would have been called the Earthquakes from MLS Day One had Nike not stepped in (and what a relief it was when the mistake was finally corrected a few years later)! -G
      I totally agree with what you're saying, but just one point: the drop in attendance throughout the 2000 MLS season (the year that the team was renamed the "Earthquakes") wasn't really caused by the name-change (as a matter of fact, the first two or three home games drew very well - mainly since the team had finished the previous season strong). The prior years of mediocrity and neglect, combined with the on-field ineptitude and off-field shenanigans of SJ Year 2000, as well as other factors discussed ad naseum elsewhere, led to the attendance drop.       Still, I concur that a name-change is not something to be taken lightly, even moreso now than back in late-1999 since, as you've correctly stated, in this century so far the Earthquakes have had a winning tradition and a Championship to its name. -G
ya, i have all these papers printed off, but they are from 94/95/96 reguarding the lead up to MLS opening day, from player moves, stadium decisions, coaches (clive charles turned down the revolution job) and team names...Nike PLAYED A HUGE PART in naming these teams and that was a mistake, but all have grown on me except Burn but the Burn are Dallas' team and those die-hard fans want to keep the team name the same so I say keep Burn, they have a title also so lets not ruin tradition... thanks to me having my friends dad work within the league (still does!!!) the various message boards and mailing lists, MLS-LA was the best...but anyways, heres a few of the choices they were looking at for names, not all, i could write a book on all this stuff they could have used and some of the players that "almost" came over (dunga, branco, thats 96 branco, hah) Dallas - Fury, Express Kansas City - Outlaws, Express, Bandits or Wizards (why did they choose Wiz? hah) Washington DC - Force, Spies, Justice NY/NJ - Metros, Metro Stars, Foce, Firestorm, Empire (a bunch of fans throughout the league including myself wanted them to go with Empire S.C.) thats just a few, some of the funny coaching news, these were leading candidates a couple weeks before coaches started to be announced... Columbus - Sigi Schmid, Bob Gansler Colorado - Dave Dir Los Angeles - Sigi Schmid, Leo Cuellar, Mike Connell New England - Clive Charles was offered the job and turned it down, they almost got Schellas Hyndman whos NOW in the hunt for the dallas job NY/NJ - Eddie Firmani, Carlos Alberto San Jose - Tony Simoes Tampa Bay - Thomas Rongen, Gordon Jago Washington - Bruce Arena just a look back in history... Keep the Earthquakes Name!!!!!
Well lets consider this logically, here we have a team that by principal and tradition only employs mexican players. Our nation languished in the soccer dark ages for years after the failing of the NASL, due to over saturation of foriegn players. Now, a mexican owner, whose openly stated intention is to field a team of mexicans in our first division, is attempting to purchase franchise in the AMERICAN first division. The underlying premise of MLS is to strengthen the American game, to develop our players, and promote our national side. So given this stated intention, what use would a team of foreigners and uncapable players be to our league? I for one see this as counter productive to American football, and frankly an insult to the integrity of MLS. I mean have some pride here, under no circumstances should Mexico, our greatest footballing rival, be allowed to gain any sort of foothold in MLS. Expansion will come with time, MLS should not allow its principals to be comprimised to bring on board a half assed investor. Vegara is talking about buying Atletico Madrid, and already owns a Chivas, I highly doubt he would invest any substantial money in building a top side out of Chivas USA once MLS drops the single entity structure. He has no stake in the US game, he cares nothing for our football, because he is MEXICAN, and I believe given the current economic climate and financial nature of MLS, we need investors who could guarentee commitment to the league long term, and have connections to their respective communities. Chivas USA is the money making gimmic of a business man, nothing more, and this will reflect in his commitment to MLS, I assure you. On top of all of that, from a purely American prespective, do any of you really feel the desire to watch a team of mexicans suiting up in OUR league? I sincerely hope not.
Wow, are you just really uninformed, or bloody ignorant? They will play by the rules. Period. They can't do it any other way no matter what you think. Do a bit of research before you spout off. Since you seem to know so much about the man's intentions, maybe yo could elaborate on why all the other owner and operators of this AMERICAN league are all for it? If you hadn't noticed, AMERICAN investors are not excatly breaking down the door at the front office of MLS.
Well in response to your first assertion, it seems MLS keeps going back and forth, first stating concessions will be made, then stating they are standing firm, I believe Vegara will maintain at least some leverage in this matter, therefore MLS will capitulate to some degree. Naturally league investors are all for the entrance of another investor, to help beat the burden of MLS, and obviously an increase in revenue, while they care about the the game, they are still motivated by the financial bottom line, thus the entrance of a mercanery like Vegara. Third, all of the ivestors currently involved have proven their stake and love for the game in this country, they bore the loss of the first few years of MLS, and they should be commended. These are the sort of investors which the league needs to remin viable, investors that are commited to a long term vision, rather than a gimmic, like Chivas USA. I realise investors are not kicking down MLS's door, and rightfully so, until it proves itself to be profitable, MLS remains a tisky investment. However, the investors in Rochester, Cleveland, Oklahoma City and the like represent the truth and rightful growth of MLS, and if it takes a bit longer to integrate their bids in to MLS, so be it. Expansion every 2 years is hardly feasible, and I highly doubt we will reach 18 teams by 2010. But as exhibited by the NASL, such rapid expansion without the proper ingredients for sucess represent disaster. Our country and our children deserve to be watching MLS 20, 30, 40 year from now, and to do this properly, and ensure its long term health, we must take the right steps in it's formative years, and I hardly feel that selling out to the first investor that throws the most convenient dollar amount MLS's way neccisarily represents a viable investment. It would be great to see another team in the league next season, but ask yourself at what cost down the road?
my thing is this; did everyone who plays for Chicago, come from Chicago? No. Did they all come from the US? No They came from everywhere, and that is waht is cool about the league. So why have a team that excludes everyone except a certain nationality? It just doesn't seem right to me. I don't object to the team, I object to its "closed doors". I do agree, however that they will indeed become the team everyone loves to hate. That could put a little more life int o the league. Just my 2 cents.
I think he o.d.'ed on both. USMNT languished b4, during and after NASL, which folded b/c they were foolish, soccer-ignorant business men, not due exclusively to oversaturation of foreign players at the expense of US players. Shut the f' up! Learn to read. Just a couple of days ago, he stated his intentions quite clearly. Uncapable? You are proving yourself so f'ing ignorant that you are INcapable of any substantial thought. Yeah!! and tell that Austrian Anschutz that he can take his AUSTRIAN $$, his Austrian Home Depot Center and shove it!! We don't need no foriners investing in ARE league. They have there leagues!! (sic) And everybody knows that SSS are built for just 2 or 3 seasons, so building one (like he states as his intention) would just PROVE that he's NOT in it for the long haul. And WTF: he's only going to paying a franchise fee and entering into Single Entity, but we ALL know that the league will cave into his demands and he WON'T pay his share of SJ, Chicago, NY/NJ and DC's losses b/c those clubs are AMERICAN!! Do a bit of research before you spout off (to quote Stinkey Turner). Chivas will follow the league parameters. Like developing the infrastructure to assure that USMNT and MLS are populated by THE ENTIRE COUNTRY (which includes Latinos, who are the top soccer consumers) and not just suburban soccer standouts. Chivas has stated that it will go into the inner-city and barrios and help develop this talent. I feel bad for reasonable, intelligent anti-Chivas posters. These guys make you look pathetic.