Chivas USA No More

[WideRight]

Perhaps they just need a new identity alltogether. Something that reaches out to the Hispanic Community without completely alienating the Anglo or other LA communities. I offer some options:

LA Mania (With LA also being "la" the feminine form for "the" you could use any singular fem. name)

LA Salsa

LA Azteca

LA Unión (Too close to Philly)

or play off the Angels idea from Los Angeles:

City of Angels SC /Ciudad de Los Angeles SC

[BallWonk]

Perhaps they just need a new identity alltogether. Something that reaches out to the Hispanic Community without completely alienating the Anglo or other LA communities. I offer some options:

LA Mania (With LA also being "la" the feminine form for "the" you could use any singular fem. name)

...

or play off the Angels idea from Los Angeles:

City of Angels SC /Ciudad de Los Angeles SC

Which allows me to put in another pitch for LA Repubica.

But I really like your second line of thinking. Maybe simplified into a sort of Hispani-zation of British club names, thus:

Los Angeles Ciudad (LA Ciudad or La Ciudad)

Where they use the Spanish "Ciudad" instead of the English-style "City." It's a two-fer, since I believe that "ciudad" is feminine and so takes the article "la".

I wish that the internationalization of MLS club names had done a bit more localizing. So SC instead of FC, for example, or Royal/Majestic instead of Real. That sort of thing; take the basic concepts but use them within the American cultural vernacular. I think taking the basic concept of Manchester City and making it Los Angeles Ciudad would be a perfect example of this.

[cubbies06]

Whatever the name, the club could reach out to the the Mexican fan base and rename the Home Depot Center AZTECA STADIUM USA....

Oh, the Galaxy and/or Home Depot wouldn't have a problem with that at all.

Oh, L.A. has another team? I didn't realize that.....

*sigh*

[-kj]

Never mind the whole CD Guadalajara / Club America (the club playing in Estadio Azteca) thing.

While you've all been wanking over the most stupid collection of name suggestions ever, no one's addressed my question about what seems to be at the center of this whole thing: Seriously, the club doesn't own its name and colors?

Oh, and whoever suggested another New York team (maybe that wasn't in this thread, but I thought it was): that's still a completely ridiculous idea. The first team--and yes, it's a New York team; please shut up about the state line thing--would have to show that it's not incompetent first before MLS would think about putting another team in the market.

[gosioux76]

Never mind the whole CD Guadalajara / Club America (the club playing in Estadio Azteca) thing.

While you've all been wanking over the most stupid collection of name suggestions ever, no one's addressed my question about what seems to be at the center of this whole thing: Seriously, the club doesn't own its name and colors?

Oh, and whoever suggested another New York team (maybe that wasn't in this thread, but I thought it was): that's still a completely ridiculous idea. The first team--and yes, it's a New York team; please shut up about the state line thing--would have to show that it's not incompetent first before MLS would think about putting another team in the market.

Apparently this whole exercise doesn't matter, at least as it pertains to Chivas USA. While everyone is busy rebranding the club, MLS had this to say (from the Canadian Press article linked a few posts back):

Major League Soccer spokesman Dan Courtemanche said the case does not apply to Chivas USA.

"Chivas USA has protected its brand in the United States and Canada and is not involved with any of the legal proceedings in Mexico," Courtemanche said.

[IceCap]

That's good to hear. Chivas USA is, honestly, a much better name then Los Angeles Aztecs. Aztecs? Really? NASL nostalgia aside, the name doesn't fit. The historical Aztec Empire never existed anywhere near modern day Los Angeles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aztec_Empire_c_1519.png

[LMU]

Here's a more in depth take on the situation

My linkhttp://www.insidesocal.com/soccer/2010/02/chivas-trademark-clash.html

[Droost]

Never mind the whole CD Guadalajara / Club America (the club playing in Estadio Azteca) thing.

Oh, and whoever suggested another New York team (maybe that wasn't in this thread, but I thought it was): that's still a completely ridiculous idea. The first team--and yes, it's a New York team; please shut up about the state line thing--would have to show that it's not incompetent first before MLS would think about putting another team in the market.

Another team in NY is not a suggestion, it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that its going to happen. Garber has been positioning the league for a 2nd NY team before Portland and Vancouver were ever announced. If not for the recent recession and the Wilpon's financial troubles there would be a team in Queens near Citi Field instead of Portland or Vancouver.

Even with Redbulls recent struggles, A team located within the City should fair considerably better than RB NY

[IceCap]

Even with Redbulls recent struggles, A team located within the City should fair considerably better than RB NY

How would that work? New York isn't supporting the team it has, but it will support a second franchise?

[Waffles]

Until they move to their soccer-specific stadium with greater transit access to the city, I don't think it's completely fair to judge the support RBNY has gotten. Giants Stadium is a rotten place to watch any sporting event, especially a soccer game, and the underwhelming in-stadium experience is only trumped by the misery of trying to get there, especially by mass transit. It could be tolerable for one or two football games a year, but you'd have to be a masochist to put up with it over an entire MLS season.

RBNY is not currently a New York team, and it's not a question of superficial hangups over state lines. Whether this changes or not once they move to Harrison remains to be seen. Personally, I'm skeptical. While the new stadium is more convenient to Midtown and Lower Manhattan, it's still a pretty considerable trek from a large portion of the city, especially the immigrant hotbeds that the MLS would undoubtedly love to tap into. Personally, I think these communities will remain untapped until there's a team in the Five Boroughs. I have said before that I think Queens is the perfect place to put a team, and I think RBNY and a Queens team could absolutely coexist and share the greater New York market.

[DelayedPenalty]

Though it may not be PC, I would certainly join those that suggest bringing back the Aztecs name in some manner.

I don't think San Diego State has ever gotten any flack for the Aztec name, have they?

[Brian in Boston]

I don't think San Diego State has ever gotten any flack for the Aztec name, have they?

Actually, yes they have.

The propriety of the Aztec mascot and nickname was the focus of considerable protest and debate at San Diego State University over the course of six or seven months in late 2000 and early 2001. While much of the discussion focused upon SDSU's eliminating then-mascot "Monty Montezuma", there were those who called for the university to drop the Aztecs identity entirely. Ultimately, SDSU President Stephen Weber elected to have the school's athletic teams retain the Aztecs nickname, while dropping the "Monty" diminutive from the name of the depiction of Aztec emperor Montezuma and positioning said figure as San Diego State's "ambassador", rather than a team "mascot". The SDSU student depicting Montezuma was no longer allowed to charge up and down the sidelines at football games, carrying a flaming spear and leading fans in cheers. Rather, he was simply positioned in a highly visible location as an embodiment of the Aztec theme.

It was in the wake of this protest that SDSU dropped a depiction of Montezuma's profile as the school's primary athletic logo, replacing the Azterc emperor's visage with a stylized interlocking "S" and "D" monogram.

[Gothamite]

While you've all been wanking over the most stupid collection of name suggestions ever, no one's addressed my question about what seems to be at the center of this whole thing: Seriously, the club doesn't own its name and colors?

News reports are sketchy, but there seems to be a dispute between the current and former owners of the club as to what marks the current owner does indeed control. Perhaps he didn't buy them all, perhaps he voided an agreement when he changed the name and crest?

Until they move to their soccer-specific stadium with greater transit access to the city, I don't think it's completely fair to judge the support RBNY has gotten. Giants Stadium is a rotten place to watch any sporting event, especially a soccer game, and the underwhelming in-stadium experience is only trumped by the misery of trying to get there, especially by mass transit. It could be tolerable for one or two football games a year, but you'd have to be a masochist to put up with it over an entire MLS season.

RBNY is not currently a New York team, and it's not a question of superficial hangups over state lines. Whether this changes or not once they move to Harrison remains to be seen. Personally, I'm skeptical. While the new stadium is more convenient to Midtown and Lower Manhattan, it's still a pretty considerable trek from a large portion of the city, especially the immigrant hotbeds that the MLS would undoubtedly love to tap into. Personally, I think these communities will remain untapped until there's a team in the Five Boroughs. I have said before that I think Queens is the perfect place to put a team, and I think RBNY and a Queens team could absolutely coexist and share the greater New York market.

The transport issue is one thing, but until very, very recently RBNY seemed to have been aggressively ignoring the NYC soccer market. At least in Manhattan. I heard almost nothing about them, they have no presence at the soccer bars I haunt on Saturday mornings. Their outreach into the soccer community was almost non-existent. The friends I have across the Hudson River had a very different experience, where the Metrostars were obviously spending their marketing money.

They seemed to have decided they wanted to be a suburban team. And not the only ones - the Islanders have been doing that for-freaking-ever. Fair enough, but they'll be crushed when Gotham gets its own club.

[Sguse1]

I submit Los Angeles City SC/FC

[The_Admiral]

Mockba sure brought his gun to the knifefight here. Golly.

[Panthers]

The problem with the whole Red Bull/NYC City idea is this:

Red Bull NY has never, ever embraced this city and looked hard for local talent. If they did they would have scouts in every part of the city including Queens' County "Golden Mile". Citifield sits on the outskirts of Corona. From 120th Street - 60th Street along Roosevelt Blvd. under the 7 train is the most dense "melting pot" in the US. Along Roosevelt you have South America (notably Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela), Latin America (notably Mexico and Costa Rica), Asia (India, Phillipines, Indonesia, Korea, Thai) and if you extend the trail either end (past Citifield) to Flushing (Hong Kong, China, Taiwan), and past 60th Street to Astoria (Brazil, Greece), you have an incredible hotbed of athletic talent - soccer and baseball mostly. Have the Red Bulls embraced this? No. Where are the scouts? No where to be found. Sad indeed.

As for the Cosmos, Peppe Pinton ownes the rights to the trademark. He is an a-hole, plain and simple. He considers himself the guardoan of the heritage - so much so he'll sell you jerseys for $200-$300 each. I can understand not wanting to sully the name. Butit is time to step down off the throne, Peppe.

[Gothamite]

Where does he sell those? His eBay store has been shut down and his Cosmos website hasn't been updated in years.

[Brian in Boston]

As for the Cosmos, Peppe Pinton ownes the rights to the trademark.

Several sources - including Paul Gardner of The New York Times - have reported that former Tottenham Hotspur director Paul Kemsley had reached an agreement to purchase the rights to the Cosmos brand identity from Pinton. That said, the USPTO website still lists Cosmos Soccer Club, Incorporated - the umbrella company for Pinton's soccer camp business - as holding the LIVE trademark protection to the elements of the Cosmos identity package.

[Gothamite]

As for the Cosmos, Peppe Pinton ownes the rights to the trademark.

Several sources - including Paul Gardner of The New York Times - have reported that former Tottenham Hotspur director Paul Kemsley had reached an agreement to purchase the rights to the Cosmos brand identity from Pinton. That said, the USPTO website still lists Cosmos Soccer Club, Incorporated - the umbrella company for Pinton's soccer camp business - as holding the LIVE trademark protection to the elements of the Cosmos identity package.

How many of those sources, including the NY Times' soccer blog, were simply reporting that the Daily Mail had reported such a sale?

[Red Wolf]

Never mind the whole CD Guadalajara / Club America (the club playing in Estadio Azteca) thing.

While you've all been wanking over the most stupid collection of name suggestions ever, no one's addressed my question about what seems to be at the center of this whole thing: Seriously, the club doesn't own its name and colors?

Oh, and whoever suggested another New York team (maybe that wasn't in this thread, but I thought it was): that's still a completely ridiculous idea. The first team--and yes, it's a New York team; please shut up about the state line thing--would have to show that it's not incompetent first before MLS would think about putting another team in the market.

Apparently this whole exercise doesn't matter, at least as it pertains to Chivas USA. While everyone is busy rebranding the club, MLS had this to say (from the Canadian Press article linked a few posts back):

Major League Soccer spokesman Dan Courtemanche said the case does not apply to Chivas USA.

"Chivas USA has protected its brand in the United States and Canada and is not involved with any of the legal proceedings in Mexico," Courtemanche said.

I figured there was nothing to this. I was just hopeful we could get them to switch from a horrible, awful name to something that was less awful (aka almost anything else).