USMNT

[DrJack]

I have an ever awesomer idea for a new US soccer badge:

That would be bad ass!!! But if people think that we haven't "earned" our three stars, there is no way we've "earned" Captain America's shield!!! I like where your head is at. That SHOULD be our crest.

[Viola73]

I have an ever awesomer idea for a new US soccer badge:

I think this would make for a great roundal for the winner of the US Open Cup to wear the next season.

[tajmccall]

We could add an eagle for every win.

As long as you count a half an eagle for every draw, and a frowny face for every loss, im in.

[IceCap]

There's a phrase that says "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have". Maybe this is kinda the soccer version of that . . .

Personally, I don't mind the stars in the badge. This isn't some "rule" that is being broken. We're the stars and stripes and we have stars and stripes in our badge. So what?

HOWEVER . . . I would be all for the removal of the stars because someday (even if its 50 years from now), the US is going to actually win a world cup. And when we do, I want to add a "championship star" to the crest, and that is hard to do if you already have three meaningless design stars on the crest to begin with.

Why? If/when the US wins a world cup, they could just add a separate star above the crest.

When it comes to American soccer shirts and stars, one should worry more about the MLS. That's just ridiculous. Teams are adding stars for every title.

I get it that with the stars and MLS Scudetto's and all, they try to sell MLS to the much bashed Euro-wannabes and inject some history and tradition to the product, but come on! The current habit pretty much undermines the whole idea. In Italy they have three teams wearing stars on their shirts and it really means something. Only Juventus has two of them. In MLS half the league is entitled to sew a random number stars above their crests.

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the problem? The stars represent championships, right? So if MLS teams are adding stars to represent MLS titles, then I fail to see a problem.

[lost_limey]

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the problem? The stars represent championships, right? So if MLS teams are adding stars to represent MLS titles, then I fail to see a problem.

I think the issue is that in more mainstream leagues such as Serie A, you get 1 star for every TEN titles you win (which is why Juvenetus is the nly club with two, they have 20+ titles, match-fixed or otherwise) whereas MLS it's for every individual title.

The European Champion's league I believe is one star per title which is why Liverpool's European home shirts had 5 stars above the crest when they were in the champs League and Manchester United didn't

[Billy B]

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the problem? The stars represent championships, right? So if MLS teams are adding stars to represent MLS titles, then I fail to see a problem.

I think the issue is that in more mainstream leagues such as Serie A, you get 1 star for every TEN titles you win (which is why Juvenetus is the nly club with two, they have 20+ titles, match-fixed or otherwise) whereas MLS it's for every individual title.

The European Champion's league I believe is one star per title which is why Liverpool's European home shirts had 5 stars above the crest when they were in the champs League and Manchester United didn't

I don't really see the problem with MLS going one star for one championship. It's not like it's been around forever and teams have their shirts crowded with stars. DC United only has four stars on their shirts right now. When teams start winning so many titles that the shirts get crowded, MLS, just like every other league, will make a one star for every X championships rule. It seems like this guy (not you, lostlimey, I just quoted your post since it had to do with the stars) is just trying to rip on MLS for something that isn't a problem.

[dabest13]

Many teams around the world use add a star for each championship or for other reasons.... each league has their own traditions... it isn't all based on Italian soccer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_%28football_crest%29

a lot of Mexican teams use a similar format to MLS using 1 star per title... one could argue its even worse than MLS considering there is an Apertura and Clasura each year:

[taantumus]

It seems like this guy (not you, lostlimey, I just quoted your post since it had to do with the stars) is just trying to rip on MLS for something that isn't a problem.

Yeah, that's it.

To be honest, my problem is that the star loses its meaning when every team has several of them on their shirts.

Look at it this way. If they imported this whole star thing to the NBA, only the Celtics and the Lakers could have a star on their jersey and it would symbolize that these are THE teams. Chicago would need 4 more titles to join the big boys. If they went the MLS way, Boston would have 17 stars and at least half of the teams in the league would have some number of them. Which model seems classier?

Of course MLS is a very young league and they are desperate to have some tradition and history and don't want to wait if somebody manages to grab 10 titles.

I'm not really following the league, so if you people like the current system, I guess they are doing the right thing.

[IceCap]

It seems like this guy (not you, lostlimey, I just quoted your post since it had to do with the stars) is just trying to rip on MLS for something that isn't a problem.

Yeah, that's it.

To be honest, my problem is that the star loses its meaning when every team has several of them on their shirts.

Look at it this way. If they imported this whole star thing to the NBA, only the Celtics and the Lakers could have a star on their jersey and it would symbolize that these are THE teams. Chicago would need 4 more titles to join the big boys. If they went the MLS way, Boston would have 17 stars and at least half of the teams in the league would have some number of them. Which model seems classier?

Of course MLS is a very young league and they are desperate to have some tradition and history and don't want to wait if somebody manages to grab 10 titles.

I'm not really following the league, so if you people like the current system, I guess they are doing the right thing.

My problem with this evaluation is that it's ignoring the fact that MLS teams only add stars for championship wins. By doing so they're simply following the soccer conventions established by the European Champions' League and the Primera División de México. Those leagues allow for one star per title, and they're established leagues. So why can't MLS do the same? If it was common place in top leagues the world over to only add one star for every ten titles won, sure, MLS would be going overboard. It's not though. It's perfectly acceptable in many elite leagues to add one star for every title, so MLS isn't really in the wrong.

It's not like MLS teams are adding a star for every playoff appearance or anything.

[dabest13]

It seems like this guy (not you, lostlimey, I just quoted your post since it had to do with the stars) is just trying to rip on MLS for something that isn't a problem.

Yeah, that's it.

To be honest, my problem is that the star loses its meaning when every team has several of them on their shirts.

Look at it this way. If they imported this whole star thing to the NBA, only the Celtics and the Lakers could have a star on their jersey and it would symbolize that these are THE teams. Chicago would need 4 more titles to join the big boys. If they went the MLS way, Boston would have 17 stars and at least half of the teams in the league would have some number of them. Which model seems classier?

Of course MLS is a very young league and they are desperate to have some tradition and history and don't want to wait if somebody manages to grab 10 titles.

I'm not really following the league, so if you people like the current system, I guess they are doing the right thing.

So is your concern clutter? The MLS stars are relatively small... especially when compared to the likes of Juve, Inter and Milan... it wouldn't surprise me to see MLS trade in every 5 or 10 stars for a larger more prominent star once that day comes. I imagine something like a small star for one title and a large star for 10 titles.

[taantumus]

My problem with this evaluation is that it's ignoring the fact that MLS teams only add stars for championship wins. By doing so they're simply following the soccer conventions established by the European Champions' League and the Primera División de México. Those leagues allow for one star per title, and they're established leagues. So why can't MLS do the same? If it was common place in top leagues the world over to only add one star for every ten titles won, sure, MLS would be going overboard. It's not though. It's perfectly acceptable in many elite leagues to add one star for every title, so MLS isn't really in the wrong.

It's not like MLS teams are adding a star for every playoff appearance or anything.

As said before, if actual MLS fans think this is a good idea, I guess the league is doing the right thing.

One technical matter thou. Are you sure about the stars and the Champions League? As far as I know, they use these kinds of badges to show the number of titles:

So is your concern clutter? The MLS stars are relatively small... especially when compared to the likes of Juve, Inter and Milan... it wouldn't surprise me to see MLS trade in every 5 or 10 stars for a larger more prominent star once that day comes. I imagine something like a small star for one title and a large star for 10 titles.

No, my concern wasn't clutter. Rather the fact that the star as a symbol of extraordinary achievement (Word Cups, 10 titles) loses its meaning if anyone can have them. Of course it's still some kind of a symbol, but has a very diluted meaning.

[Still MIGHTY]

Couldn't MLS still do a star per title and then once it reaches 5 or 10 or whatever you could change the color to represent more titles?

White = 1, Gold = 5, etc?

[IceCap]

My problem with this evaluation is that it's ignoring the fact that MLS teams only add stars for championship wins. By doing so they're simply following the soccer conventions established by the European Champions' League and the Primera División de México. Those leagues allow for one star per title, and they're established leagues. So why can't MLS do the same? If it was common place in top leagues the world over to only add one star for every ten titles won, sure, MLS would be going overboard. It's not though. It's perfectly acceptable in many elite leagues to add one star for every title, so MLS isn't really in the wrong.

It's not like MLS teams are adding a star for every playoff appearance or anything.

As said before, if actual MLS fans think this is a good idea, I guess the league is doing the right thing.

One technical matter thou. Are you sure about the stars and the Champions League? As far as I know, they use these kinds of badges to show the number of titles:

It's not even a matter of what MLS fans think is right. Many top leagues the world over use the one star = one title rule. MLS isn't alone in this.

As for the Champions League, I know Liverpool represents their Champions League titles with stars on their CL shirts.

No, my concern wasn't clutter. Rather the fact that the star as a symbol of extraordinary achievement (Word Cups, 10 titles) loses its meaning if anyone can have them. Of course it's still some kind of a symbol, but has a very diluted meaning.

Again, the meaning is not diluted. Many leagues use the one star = one title rule. MLS didn't make it up to make their clubs seem more important.

[taantumus]

As for the Champions League, I know Liverpool represents their Champions League titles with stars on their CL shirts.

Yeah. Whatever you say.

And I admit that the MLS is the perfect leage and they don't do anything wrong or stupid.

[jalpz9]

LFC seems to have had stars for their UCL titles when reebok was in charge

[zjac7]

EDIT: I was just about to post this, but you beat me to it:

[zjac7]

And I admit that the MLS is the perfect leage and they don't do anything wrong or stupid.

Considering that two of the most successful Argentinian teams - River Plate and Boca Juniors - have such a different take on stars, at the very least I give MLS credit for having a consistent system.

River Plate has won 12 Argentinian titles and wears no stars:

While Boca has 31 stars INSIDE their badge for Argentinian titles, and 3 stars ABOVE their badge for Club World Cups:

I don't think MLS is losing any credibility or acting like poseurs here...

[totc]

I think a kit should have championship stars, but only when you're playing in a championship where you've earned those stars.

D.C. United has four stars above its shield. It should have that many for MLS games.

When it plays in the U.S. Open Cup, it should have two stars (1996, 2008).

When it plays in the CONCACAF Champions League, it should have one star (for its CONCACAF Champions Cup victory in 1998).