The death of my team, the Metrostars

**Metrostars** · 09/03/2006, 2:28 PM

Metros' sale to be completed today
Thursday, March 9, 2006

By IVES GALARCEP
HERALD NEWS

Goodbye MetroStars, hello Red Bull New York.

The anticipated sale of the MetroStars to soft drink giant Red Bull will become a reality today as the new owners officially announce their acquisition, which sources say could bear a $50 million price tag once all agreements are reached.

The MLS Board of Governors met on Wednesday and approved the sale by Anschutz Entertainment Group, making Red Bull the third owner in the MetroStars' 11-year history.

Austrian-based Red Bull, makers of the popular energy drink, will purchase the franchise, a stake in the MetroStars Stadium project and naming rights for the stadium project, whose completion is projected for 2008. AEG and the town of Harrison are expected to maintain majority control of the stadium project.

The team's new ownership will change the team name to Red Bull New York, making the team's primary colors red and white. The changes are expected to be in place for the team's season opener on April 2 against D.C. United.

According to sources, the change in ownership will not bring about the drastic changes in made by Red Bull when it purchased Austrian soccer club SV Wustenrot Salzburg.

The new owners do not intend to erase the first 10 years from the franchise's history books, and the club is not expected to undergo the heavy front office changes expected when rumors of the sale first began. This means current MetroStars president Alexi Lalas is expected to remain with the team, at least through the 2005 season.

Red Bull's decision to maintain the club's history makes it unlikely that the MetroStars will be reincarnated if and when a second franchise is created in the New York/New Jersey market. By selling the MetroStars, AEG will forfeit its rights to a second franchise in the area, meaning the company would have to pay a franchise fee (currently $15 million) in order to re-invest in the market.

One source suggested that the likelihood of adding a second franchise in the area appears unlikely but also pointed out that few expected a second team in the Los Angeles market when MLS added Chivas USA last season.

One potential suitor for the rights to a second club in the area is Spanish giant FC Barcelona, which expressed interest in MLS last year.

Red Bull has invested heavily in sports endeavors in recent years, acquiring racing teams in Formula One and NASCAR as well as sponsoring extreme sports events. The company purchased SV Wustenrot Salzburg on April 6, 2005 and renamed the club Red Bull Salzburg. The club is currently in second place in the Austrian First Division after finishing in ninth place last year.

One rumored aspect of the Red Bull's takeover that doesn't appear to be likely is the reported heavy involvement by several former members of the New York Cosmos. According to sources, former Cosmos star and German icon Franz Beckenbauer has consulted with Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz on the purchase but his ongoing involvement in the venture appears unlikely.
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So this is the end of the Metrostars. True, they were crap for the 10 seasons they existed but it's hard to find out the team name is changed, the red and black are gone and we are now the toy of a fizzy energy drink company. Sad day for the few Metrostars fans there are.

**Dodge** · 09/03/2006, 2:30 PM

At least you'll have wingers*

*sorry*

**Stuttgart88** · 09/03/2006, 4:07 PM

very good Dodge

**Poor Student** · 09/03/2006, 4:11 PM

Will you get behind Red Bull or are you throwing in the towel? Bald Student was just telling me last week how Budweiser offered to build a 10,000 seater stadium in Belfield to be called the Budweiser Bowl with red and white seats but we refused. It is essentially the same team right? I mean after all the Metrostars were only a very artifically invented franchise themselves.

**klein4** · 09/03/2006, 4:13 PM

and UCD isnt??????

**Poor Student** · 09/03/2006, 4:17 PM

Originally Posted by klein4

and UCD isnt??????

The college was founded before the league even began and has been playing football for over a century.

**klein4** · 09/03/2006, 4:22 PM

i'm sure they have been playin football in new york for a long time as well...

how long has the UCD football club been in operation???

**Poor Student** · 09/03/2006, 4:24 PM

UCD took part in the first FAI cup. There's been football before in New York, but it was not the Metrostars.

**Schumi** · 09/03/2006, 4:26 PM

Originally Posted by klein4

how long has the UCD football club been in operation???

Since 1895, long enough for you?

**klein4** · 09/03/2006, 4:33 PM

well now that you are asking...no.
was just making the point that followers of UCD are in no position to look down on this guys team. every team has to start some time.

**Poor Student** · 09/03/2006, 4:39 PM

I'm not looking down on his team. There's a bit of a difference between European clubs and American sports franchises. They don't seem to be built to last.

**ken foree** · 09/03/2006, 4:57 PM

sorry to hear that metrostars. that is a godawful turn of events and as a part-time plastic revolution fan, i'll miss them red and black stripes. yea so what will you do, still follow them?

**Metrostars** · 09/03/2006, 5:39 PM

Yeah I'll support them. What are my choices? Not support them or support the Revs or God forbid, DC? There are no USL teams in my area. I love the game too much not to support a local team.

It's not like the first 10 years of the Metrostars have been covered in glory. Perennial losers and going to an empty Giants Stadium is not exactly thrilling. But when you invest time and passion for a team and then have it turned on its head does kind of the the heart out of it. I'll be there on April 8th for the first home game but it will be strange to say the least.

It may turn out well, AEG the former owners did not put much money/marketing into the team as they also owned 4 other MLS teams. I want to be positive about it, maybe Red Bull might pay more attention than AEG did and the team might be more successful.

As for Poor Student's comments about US teams being artificial, it may look like that on the surface with MLS just going into it's 11th year. You've got to understand that prior to 1996 no such league(i.e. professional) existed. So yeah, when MLS came into being teams were "invented". But at the end of the day, people still support the teams with passion and that part of it is not artificial. It's a small following when compared to other sports in the US but that does not mean they are any less passionate than fans would be in France, Germany, Ireland etc. Also regarding European versus American teams, whats to stop Pepsi agreeing to buy Man Utd from Glazer and then renaming the team to Pepsi United? Milton Keynes Dons anyone? Red Bull Salzburg?

**NJTom** · 10/03/2006, 1:25 AM

I'll still go to the games at Giants stadium but it will be hard to cheer on a team that is just a vehicle to promote a foul tasting soft drink.

**Dodge** · 10/03/2006, 8:01 AM

Not that soft either.

I thought that the Metrostars were looking to move out of giants stadium, into something a lot smaller(and more suitable?)

**finlma** · 10/03/2006, 8:12 AM

Sorry to hear in Metrostars but maybe it will be the start of something great.

Klein4, do you go into every thread with the purpose of causing an argument?

**klein4** · 10/03/2006, 8:22 AM

and that comment was designed to have what possible outcome???
I think its fair comment to point out the irony of a UCD fan being patronising about someone elses team. I always like metrostars posts and its good to have a different point of view on the forum.

**Stuttgart88** · 10/03/2006, 8:49 AM

Originally Posted by Metrostars

I love the game too much not to support a local team.

Fair play to you.

**Macy** · 10/03/2006, 9:08 AM

Originally Posted by Metrostars

Also regarding European versus American teams, whats to stop Pepsi agreeing to buy Man Utd from Glazer and then renaming the team to Pepsi United? Milton Keynes Dons anyone? Red Bull Salzburg?

Nothing, that's why fans of all those clubs launched campaigns to stop the take over's or broke away and formed new clubs.

It's unfortunate that all US sports seem to be on a Franchise basis, so I doubt there'd be much support for similar style campaigns. I mean, it obviously didn't raise issues there that one company owned several clubs - something that even European governing bodies don't let.

**Dodge** · 10/03/2006, 9:53 AM

Don't think they had a choice at the start Macy. They needed ANYBODY to start up the teams. i'm sure they'd love to have one owner one team (as is the case in all the other major sports there)