The future is bright for U S "Soccerball"

[RexCathedra]

The future for US gridiron football looks less rosy than it used to, now that the extent of brain damage among its players is becoming clear.

Football-as-you-lot-call-it may pick up a bit from the turmoil.

Here's a piece from a life-long fan --- Atlantic Monthly writer Ta Nehisi Coates -- who's sworn off the NFL.

I now know that I have to go. I have known it for a while now. But I have yet to walk away. For me, the hardest portion is living apart--destroying something that binds me to friends and family. With people whom I would not pass another words, I can debate the greatest running back of all time. It's like losing a language.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

The possibility of the New York Cosmos team being resurrected gets a step closer. They have announced they will be playing in Div 2 of the North American Soccer league in 2013 in the stadium at Hofstra University and hope to have their own stadium in Flushing, Queens by 2016 as part of the MLS expansion. There is supposedly a link with Beckham who could be appointed as an executive under his deal with the MLS.

Beckham connection with New York Cosmos

 

[BigGully]

Isnt it all a 1970's re-run.

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

Isnt it all a 1970's re-run.

Who cares. The retro football kits and tops are AMAZING! Cantona and Pele also on board. From what I read from an article a while ago The Cosmos were snapping up all the best American prospects and playing them at youth level. So in a few years they will be ready to play in the first team.

Has the potential to be the largest MLS franchise for sure.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

The future for US gridiron football looks less rosy than it used to, now that the extent of brain damage among its players is becoming clear.

Football-as-you-lot-call-it may pick up a bit from the turmoil.

Here's a piece from a life-long fan --- Atlantic Monthly writer Ta Nehisi Coates -- who's sworn off the NFL.

Collapsed scrums in rugby come with the risk of vertebrae damage and paralysis, and even though such victims seem few and far between, I'm amazed that anyone would willingly take that risk for a sport.

 

[BigGully]

Who cares. The retro football kits and tops are AMAZING! Cantona and Pele also on board. From what I read from an article a while ago The Cosmos were snapping up all the best American prospects and playing them at youth level. So in a few years they will be ready to play in the first team.

Has the potential to be the largest MLS franchise for sure.

I wasnt talking about kits, I was talking about the vision.

Recruit big 'fading' stars, pay big money, employ lots of razzamattazz and bust in 10 years, its already replicated that in the 70's, what is so different now?

I reckon away from the immigrant communities the American public generally are indifferent towards soccer and it has failed at every attempt.

 

[Simster]

I wasnt talking about kits, I was talking about the vision.

Recruit big 'fading' stars, pay big money, employ lots of razzamattazz and bust in 10 years, its already replicated that in the 70's, what is so different now?

I reckon away from the immigrant communities the American public generally are indifferent towards soccer and it has failed at every attempt.

Loads.

1) Firstly and most importantly, MLS is now played in soccer specific stadia. Basically 16 of the 19 teams are in stadiums built with soccer in mind, so most of them are built in the 18-28k range. The notable exception is Seattle who have 34,000 season ticket holders and average 43,000 - the same as Chelsea.

2) There has been a wage cap in place since MLS's inception in 1996 - that got modified (the "Beckham rule") such that one and later two players don't have to count against the salary cap, but ultimately there is a form of cost control in place that didn't exist in he 70s.

3) A reserve league is now in place. Basically as part of their commitment to improve US and Canadian soccerball.

4) The owners all buy into the league and take an equal share of league revenues. It's basically similar to the form of sports socialism which seems to work so well from a financial point of view in gridiron.

The "fading stars" thing is a good point, but you have to remember that this is really no different to people like Thomas Brolin, Edgar Davids, Craig Bellamy, and others plying their trade in the Championship, where average gates are actually slightly lower than MLS. Worth remembering too that Beckham at 31 could have gone anywhere from Real Madrid - he was nowhere near over the hill.

 

[BigGully]

Loads.

1) Firstly and most importantly, MLS is now played in soccer specific stadia. Basically 16 of the 19 teams are in stadiums built with soccer in mind, so most of them are built in the 18-28k range. The notable exception is Seattle who have 34,000 season ticket holders and average 43,000 - the same as Chelsea.

2) There has been a wage cap in place since MLS's inception in 1996 - that got modified (the "Beckham rule") such that one and later two players don't have to count against the salary cap, but ultimately there is a form of cost control in place that didn't exist in he 70s.

3) A reserve league is now in place. Basically as part of their commitment to improve US and Canadian soccerball.

4) The owners all buy into the league and take an equal share of league revenues. It's basically similar to the form of sports socialism which seems to work so well from a financial point of view in gridiron.

The "fading stars" thing is a good point, but you have to remember that this is really no different to people like Thomas Brolin, Edgar Davids, Craig Bellamy, and others plying their trade in the Championship, where average gates are actually slightly lower than MLS. Worth remembering too that Beckham at 31 could have gone anywhere from Real Madrid - he was nowhere near over the hill.

I hope it succeeds.

1) Football specific stadia is welcomed and shows a level of financial commitment which in itself is a risk if things do not work out, you must remember USA owners walk away or liquidate franchises at a whim without the responsibility of heritage/history that allow English clubs to survive when things get tough.

2) There have been salary caps throughout soccer's chequered history in the USA, no doubt with the same exclusion for the big big names.

3) Reserve league is a structural change and a good one for the USA to produce players, before they tended to recruit from High Schools and their Universities, however they have always had a roster which could fill a first and reserve team, so maybe a more focused approach but nothing too ground breaking.

4) Havent really looked into dynamics of the 'sports socialism' bit that the owners have subscribed to, however I bet it has clear exit clauses for all of them to scarper should they not turn a healthy profit quite quickly.

Maybe I missing something but without the core support of their general sport fans I fear soccer will remain a quite minor sport within the USA and this might have the same outcome as happened in the 70's and 80's.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Who cares. The retro football kits and tops are AMAZING! Cantona and Pele also on board. From what I read from an article a while ago The Cosmos were snapping up all the best American prospects and playing them at youth level. So in a few years they will be ready to play in the first team.

Has the potential to be the largest MLS franchise for sure.

It certainly does because of its ‘brand’ and New York is big enough to accommodate two teams. I don’t think their choice of temporary stadium is that good – but I guess they didn’t have a lot of choice. It’s a good hour from NYC by public transport whereas the Red Bulls are only 25 minutes.

MLS will never challenge the Big Four but I think it is now comfortably established. I’ve been very impressed as a season ticket holder with Red Bulls. They delivered the new stadium when they said they would and it’s very good value. They also admit when they screw up – one week the catering was a shambles (sound familiar?) and every season ticket holder got an e mail from the CEO apologising and $10 was added to our cards

 

[essbee]

I was in Pittsburgh back in the 90's and happened to catch a ladies
match at Carnegie-Mellon University. Amazing footie players.

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

I reckon away from the immigrant communities the American public generally are indifferent towards soccer and it has failed at every attempt.

Well I reckon you are wrong. We live an hour away from Seattle and when I go to pick my daughter up from school all the 8-12 year old boys and girls are out playing soccer in the playground wearing Sounders kits. This is very positive as the kids could have on Seahawk or Mariner's jersey's.

The future and growth of the game looks good to me.