Lately it has occurred to me that NYCFC constitute the second biggest debut ever into the New York sports scene, second only to that of the Mets. Both teams immediately became culturally significant in their first seasons, despite lack of success on the field.
The baseball Giants, the Dodgers, the Yankees, the football Giants, the Rangers, and the Knicks all began before the modern culture of pro sports existed. They certainly became huge entities in the sports culture later on; their debuts, however, were not significant moments.
The Jets (Titans), the Mets, and the Nets debuted in the 1960s. The Jets briefly became a major phenomenon years later when they won the Super Bowl, while the Nets never cracked big-time stature until they moved from Jersey to Brooklyn, despite having won ABA championships and having twice made the NBA Finals. The Mets, as mentioned, were a cultural icon instantly.
The 1970s saw the debuts of the Cosmos and the Islanders. We all know that the Cosmos started small; they predate the first soccer boom in the U.S. in the same way that the Yankees and the other traditional teams predate the pro sports boom. Despite the Cosmos' eventual heights, their debut was no big deal. (Ironically, their second debut in 2013 was more significant than their first in 1970.) The Islanders' appearance was notable only in their sub-section of the New York area (Long Island), nowhere else.
In the 1980s we had the arrival of the Devils and the creation of the Generals. The Devils, like the Islanders, were hailed only in their section of the metro area (in this case northern New Jersey, and even there just barely), not area-wide. The Generals' debut caused some buzz; I'd place it third on the list behind those of the Mets and of NYCFC.
This brings us to the 1990s, and the MetroStars. Their average attendance at Giants Stadium was about 23,000 in their first season, and it plummeted from there. By comparison, the Generals' average had been 30,000 in their debut season of 1983, and it went up from there. The MetroStars made no impact on the area's sports scene; and the Red Bulls have carried on this tradition.
Already mentioned was the re-emergence of the Cosmos in 2013, a debut which I would rank behind that of Generals in terms of general (no pun intended) cultural impact on the area's pro sports scene.
This provides some context for NYCFC's remarkable debut into New York's sporting culture.
The baseball Giants, the Dodgers, the Yankees, the football Giants, the Rangers, and the Knicks all began before the modern culture of pro sports existed. They certainly became huge entities in the sports culture later on; their debuts, however, were not significant moments.
The Jets (Titans), the Mets, and the Nets debuted in the 1960s. The Jets briefly became a major phenomenon years later when they won the Super Bowl, while the Nets never cracked big-time stature until they moved from Jersey to Brooklyn, despite having won ABA championships and having twice made the NBA Finals. The Mets, as mentioned, were a cultural icon instantly.
The 1970s saw the debuts of the Cosmos and the Islanders. We all know that the Cosmos started small; they predate the first soccer boom in the U.S. in the same way that the Yankees and the other traditional teams predate the pro sports boom. Despite the Cosmos' eventual heights, their debut was no big deal. (Ironically, their second debut in 2013 was more significant than their first in 1970.) The Islanders' appearance was notable only in their sub-section of the New York area (Long Island), nowhere else.
In the 1980s we had the arrival of the Devils and the creation of the Generals. The Devils, like the Islanders, were hailed only in their section of the metro area (in this case northern New Jersey, and even there just barely), not area-wide. The Generals' debut caused some buzz; I'd place it third on the list behind those of the Mets and of NYCFC.
This brings us to the 1990s, and the MetroStars. Their average attendance at Giants Stadium was about 23,000 in their first season, and it plummeted from there. By comparison, the Generals' average had been 30,000 in their debut season of 1983, and it went up from there. The MetroStars made no impact on the area's sports scene; and the Red Bulls have carried on this tradition.
Already mentioned was the re-emergence of the Cosmos in 2013, a debut which I would rank behind that of Generals in terms of general (no pun intended) cultural impact on the area's pro sports scene.
This provides some context for NYCFC's remarkable debut into New York's sporting culture.
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