FC Cincinnati to MLS

[UKMustangFan]

@Getslow, you've been someone who has seemingly been against FCC to MLS from the beginning, I'm curious to hear your reasoning...Since you're neither a fan nor a resident in the city, what's been your beef with them going after a bid?

[TheDeuce]

They are apparently changing their name to “Fussball Club Cincinnati.”

[UKMustangFan]

They are apparently changing their name to “Fussball Club Cincinnati.”

 

Yeah, that was decided a couple months back. It's the German origin of the word, to play off the large German population in the city.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

They are apparently changing their name to “Fussball Club Cincinnati.”

 

Yeah, that was decided a couple months back. It's the German origin of the word, to play off the large German population in the city.

 

That's pretty cool. I wonder whether or not we'll see it stylized as "fußball".

 

The ß eszett symbol is used in German in place of writing a double s.

[StrongSide]

They are apparently changing their name to “Fussball Club Cincinnati.”

 

Trying to post a gif to match this but unfortunately technology has beaten me again in my attempt to post a gif/image.

[TheDeuce]

Trying to post a gif to match this but unfortunately technology has beaten me again in my attempt to post a gif/image.

 

Don't feel bad. I haven't been able to post an image for months.

[Getslow]

@Getslow, you've been someone who has seemingly been against FCC to MLS from the beginning, I'm curious to hear your reasoning...Since you're neither a fan nor a resident in the city, what's been your beef with them going after a bid?

 

True, I’ve been against the bid, but it’s not specific to Cincinnati. After years of watching the way things operated and where American soccer was headed, I came to the conclusion that MLS’ mode of operations was ultimately not positive for the sport in this country as a whole.

 

No promotion/relegation, Byzantine player acquisition and payroll rules, lack of support for youth clubs that bring up new players, and a sweetheart deal with the US Soccer federation that directs money generated by the USA’s national teams’ games to MLS that other leagues don’t get.

 

I can’t fault the ownership for wanting in on that, but as someone who thinks this country can build this sport up into a mountain that could be seen across the whole world, I think they’re playing it safe for small potatoes and leaving everyone else to rot to protect their molehill.

[Getslow]

@Getslow, you've been someone who has seemingly been against FCC to MLS from the beginning, I'm curious to hear your reasoning...Since you're neither a fan nor a resident in the city, what's been your beef with them going after a bid?

 

As a follow up to the above post, not only can I not blame the owners for wanting to get in on MLS, I can’t blame fans for wanting in on it either.

 

While I think there’s a better way — with a lot more money to be made — for right now, under the rules we’ve got, FCC just got themselves a secure spot for years to come. Without a shift in the way we run the sport, lower division soccer is still a really dicey proposition For owners/investors. MLS brings long term stability and security for them and for fans.

 

I just wish it didn’t have to come at the expense of other teams and fans out there, my own being among them.

[UKMustangFan]

 

I just wish it didn’t have to come at the expense of other teams and fans out there, my own being among them.

 

How so?

[Irish Cat]

True, I’ve been against the bid, but it’s not specific to Cincinnati. After years of watching the way things operated and where American soccer was headed, I came to the conclusion that MLS’ mode of operations was ultimately not positive for the sport in this country as a whole.

 

No promotion/relegation, Byzantine player acquisition and payroll rules, lack of support for youth clubs that bring up new players, and a sweetheart deal with the US Soccer federation that directs money generated by the USA’s national teams’ games to MLS that other leagues don’t get.

 

I can’t fault the ownership for wanting in on that, but as someone who thinks this country can build this sport up into a mountain that could be seen across the whole world, I think they’re playing it safe for small potatoes and leaving everyone else to rot to protect their molehill.

 

I would love to see the US get a sports league with promotion / relegation. Every since I discovered that this is how European soccer leagues operate, I've thought it was a good idea.

 

I would love to see MLB make all the minor league teams independent and give them a chance to move up. I think it would improve the product across the board. Owners would at least have to expand their payrolls enough to put a product on the field that would warrant stay in the major league. Also prospective owners such as Mark Cuban could buy a minor league team and invest enough money to knock out one of the big boys.

[Getslow]

How so?

 

What it boils down to is that I believe US Soccer and MLS function as a de facto monopoly that stifles business innovation that would be good for consumers (fans), players, and outside ownership groups.

 

The way they do it is a little convoluted.

 

In addition to ownership of their MLS team franchise, that franchise gives an MLS team owner a set of shares in a marketing company called Soccer United Marketing (SUM). That separate company holds the marketing and television rights to all MLS teams.

 

At the same time, US Soccer has sold the rights for all USA men’s and women’s national team games to SUM every year since 2002, on a no-bid contract. SUM, in turn, sells those rights to broadcasters, ingeniously bundled with nationally-televised MLS games. 20 years ago, when MLS was barely keeping its head above water, this was a brilliant innovation. They used nationwide interest in the national team to artificially inflate prices for MLS games by tying them to Team USA rights.

 

This might all be for naught if US Soccer would sell the rights to a different marketing group. Or if SUM didn’t package MLS and USA games together.

 

But Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, also sits on the Executive Board of US Soccer and is the CEO of SUM. And Sunil Gulati, former US Soccer President, was at the same time a deputy commissioner of MLS and sat on the board of directors at SUM.

 

It all has worked to set up a system in which leagues, rather than teams, compete with each other and in which MLS has a massive advantage given its entanglements with US Soccer.

 

Thousands of fans across the country lost their teams when NASL folded last year. For every poor decision made by an NASL owner, there were two other things stacked against them from the outset.

[Getslow]

I would love to see the US get a sports league with promotion / relegation. Every since I discovered that this is how European soccer leagues operate, I've thought it was a good idea.

 

I would love to see MLB make all the minor league teams independent and give them a chance to move up. I think it would improve the product across the board. Owners would at least have to expand their payrolls enough to put a product on the field that would warrant stay in the major league. Also prospective owners such as Mark Cuban could buy a minor league team and invest enough money to knock out one of the big boys.

 

And it doesn’t just serve to move teams up. It allows team offices to attempt to find a level they can safely stay financially afloat in. Rough patch and revenues are down? You don’t have to sell your team or fold altogether, you move down a league or two and start again.

[mexitucky]

True, I’ve been against the bid, but it’s not specific to Cincinnati. After years of watching the way things operated and where American soccer was headed, I came to the conclusion that MLS’ mode of operations was ultimately not positive for the sport in this country as a whole.

 

No promotion/relegation, Byzantine player acquisition and payroll rules, lack of support for youth clubs that bring up new players, and a sweetheart deal with the US Soccer federation that directs money generated by the USA’s national teams’ games to MLS that other leagues don’t get.

 

I can’t fault the ownership for wanting in on that, but as someone who thinks this country can build this sport up into a mountain that could be seen across the whole world, I think they’re playing it safe for small potatoes and leaving everyone else to rot to protect their molehill.

 

Not to mention the craziness of requiring 100 million + dollar "soccer only" stadiums. The only way that the MLS will completely benefit soccer in the US is if they bring in 8 more teams and split into a Premier/Championship under the MLS umbrella. Not the ideal promotion/relegation, but at least it is a start.

[Getslow]

Not to mention the craziness of requiring 100 million + dollar "soccer only" stadiums. The only way that the MLS will completely benefit soccer in the US is if they bring in 8 more teams and split into a Premier/Championship under the MLS umbrella. Not the ideal promotion/relegation, but at least it is a start.

 

I just read an article forecasting the “diminishing returns” MLS can expect since the way they seem to be going about generating excitement is via expansion or the tried and true American sports tactic of strategic relocation.

 

Soccer has too many options at too many levels to be viable that way for long. It isn’t the NBA or NFL that can hold a monopoly on people’s attention like that.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

There's an account I follow on Twitter, @Alchmst_dsgn, that tweeted out a couple of ideas back in April for team kits. Both of them are pretty fantastic, even if they are just suggestions. I really...REALLY dig the 1990 West Germany homage though.