Well, this supposed "NYCFC hater" also wrote in that piece:
- "Despite some marketing missteps along the way, you cannot possibly deny the impact the franchise has had in raising the profile of the domestic game in the world's city."
- "...NYCFC represents a rising tide that will lift all boats for soccer in the nation's media capital, including the green and red ones. "
- "...NYCFC is the absolute best shot domestic soccer has at making it in the nation's biggest city. The red fans who have suffered with the MetroStars and Red Bulls for 20 years may not want to hear it, the green fans who carried the grassroots movement to bring another team to New York for years before MLS told them to go screw may not want to hear it, but it's the truth. "
Based on those reasonable comments, this guy does not deserve to be dismissed as an "NYCFC hater".
Furthermore, he is correct to criticise NYCFC in this instance. To present a history of soccer in New York and to fail to mention the Cosmos is abolutely dishonest. More specifically, the team's use of the words "New York City" to refer to the City of New York, in a context where it could easly be understood as referring to New York City FC ("In 1975, the signing of Brazilian star Pele thrust New York City to the forefront of the soccer world.") is beyond weasly; it is an act of utter bad faith.
We must be intellectually honest enough not to re-write history. Even someone who dislikes the current Cosmos must acknowledge the fact the original Cosmos were a cultural phenomenon that placed raised soccer to a level in the American mainstream which it had never before attained, and to which it is only now again approaching. Every fan of every MLS team owes a huge debt of gratitude to the original Cosmos and the original NASL.
A New York MLS team has the responsibility to acknowledge this. The MetroStars, when they would bring Pele out for their openers at Giants Stadium, would show pictures of him in his Cosmos uniform. NYCFC should never place itself in a position lower than that of the MetroStars, which is a lowly place indeed. So this presentation on the part of NYCFC deserves condemnation by all fans of the sport in our City.
I have stated before that I very much like the current Cosmos, and that I root for them (except against NYCFC). I greatly admire them for making a go of it outside of MLS. The team's owners decided that it wasn't worth it to them to pay the $100-million expansion fee and, in return, to lose control of their trademarks and logos, and also to lose the right to sign players independently. Even as a fan of an MLS team, I am not unaware of MLS's quirks and flaws; so I applaud the Cosmos for going the route that they went. And I totally support their claim to the original Cosmos' legacy, just as I support the analogous claims by MLS's Sounders, Timbers, and Earthquakes.
Let us also remember that the two teams' histories are inextricably intertwined: NYCFC exists only because the Cosmos' act of not joining MLS when the opportunity was offered to them is what allowed CFG and the Yankees to take up that offer, and to pay the $100 million for the expansion team that became NYCFC.
Fundamentally, both NYCFC and the Cosmos are about authenticity. NYCFC is authentic because it is owned by the owners of one of the world's great clubs in Manchester City, and because it entered MLS at a time when teams were enjoying increased independence; thus the Man City connection could be put to some practical use. And the Cosmos are authentic because they reject MLS entirely and operate as a real independent club, as in the rest of the world.
This is why I argue strenuously that NYCFC fans and Cosmos fans really should have a relationship essentially of harmony, friendly rivalry, and mutual respect. (This, despite the boorish and violent behaviour by some goons against our fans at the U.S. Open Cup match at Hofstra.)
Our two clubs' fans have in common a contempt for the Red Bulls, a team which will forever bear the stink of early MLS. Originating with the risibly unwieldy name "New York/New Jersey MetroStars", and playing in a league with goofy rules (no draws!), hideous logos, and multiple-team ownership, the team alienated far more local fans than it attracted. The sale to Red Bull and the change of the team's name to that company's name was just another offence which made the team look ridiculous to serious New York fans, notwithstanding the improving state of MLS.
So please let's acknowledge that our club was wrong in its mendacious and disrespectful presentation regarding Pele. And let us look fondly on our friendly cousins the Cosmos, as they are fighting on the same side that we are. We must save all our vitriol for our real enemies, the Red Bulls.
