So on my 2 and a half hour drive to work today (HRBT flooded), I heard an interesting thought on one of the sports radio stations I was listening too. This was not a soccer show, so the dude was pretty much throwing out a random idea but it got me to thinking. He said soccer may be able to become popular for Americans if a rich millionaire owner got the US National Team together and paid them as a traveling team, and go around and play the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid, etc. This idea probably isn't logical, but it got me thinking to another idea. Before I go into this, I know NOTHING about the details of how this would work logistically, money-wise, or with whatever league rules may be in place. But what if some owner did put together a team to play in the English Premier League (or Italian or one of the other Elite Leagues) and pay whoever we select to be Team USA as the players? Like I said, I don't know the details of how you start a team or how you are allowed to select your players, but if you could do this I would think it would be an awesome idea. Our players for one, would play together consistently against great competition (not Trinidad & Tobagao and co.), and also would finally be actually playing for something. I know personally I would definetly follow a "US" Team playing in the Premier League, Champions League, etc. pretty religiously. Two, I think paying Team USA players in almost a necessity if we want to be a powerhouse team, and this is a way to do it. Bottom Line, our country is motivated by $$, and if were paying our guys for performance I guarantee our team will improve.
Anyway, just curious what you guys thought about that. Another funny note was that the guy, who like I said really doesn't follow soccer, goes "And first order of business, fire that pathetic coach Bradley". Gave me a chuckle.
Oh, and a completely off my earlier topic but another interesting thing I heard on the radio.....some report was released with a study on the NBA and what colleges players were coming from. #1 college with NBA players = Duke. Very surprising considering the everyone says they do not produce any good pros (which still may be partially true). And to squash the people that say well they are all bench players, Duke has the highest salaries NBA players as well (average anyway, not the actual highest paid players).
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6 comments:
as with you i have no idea about the logistics, but it sounds like an awesome idea. id also follow them pretty hardcore. the fact that some US players are already on club teams seems like a big hurdle, along with all of the other issues that i cant even think of, but it would be cool
i would even like the idea of a team based in the US, but with international players. probably with the bulk being american. i'm sure the team would have a pretty big following if they were able to play in one of the better leagues
Hey Prime, we posted 1 minute apart, that shit is crazy.
On your idea it could work. I mean basically the team would have to based out of an English city so you'd have to find somewhere that would take another team (as even the smallest towns have teams that compete in some level in england). And then you'd need to sink some cash into, but it might be possible.
In the other sport I follow closely, Formula 1, they are trying a similar thing. They got this new team that is going to be in it next year call US F1. Its co-ran by a american and british guy but the bulk of the crew will be american, the car is being built and tested in North Carolina, and all the drivers will be american. This will be a good test to see if this increases the amount of support Americans give F1 as it (like soccer) is hugely popular overseas but not so much here.
obviously a complete hypotehtical, but could a rich owner buy a team (even a chump team) and just pour enough money to buy out or whatever you need to do to the exisiting players and bring in all new players? not sure how player contracts work for soccer but I mean, take an owner like Mark Cuban, I'm sure he could easily afford to buy players out or whatever would be necessary to re-vamp the whole team
There are no rules in place that prohibit you from doing it. You'd have to sell those players and so you'll need to get some buyers lined up for them, you'd want to try and make as much money as possible on them to finance your new team but you may take a hit on them. But taking over a chump team (especially in these economic times) would not be hard, you may get backlash from the fans though.
Now welcoming new owner, Steve Poorman..
Boski: "FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS. THE TEAM NAME IS NO LONGER SOUTHHAMPTON. THE TEAM NAME IS DEGENERATION X.
YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL US WHAT TO DO? YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL US WHAT TO WEAR? YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE BETTER? WELL YOU BETTER GET READY. BOW TO THE MASTERS, BREAK IT DOWN."
As boski then Triple-H spits water everywhere.
wow i took that far
Degenerate into something fool
We just got tired of doin' what ya told us to do
That's tha breaks boy, Yeahhhh
Ah, That's tha breaks little man, Break it down
DEGENERATION X..
DEGENERATION X..
I'd come out every game:
For the thousands in attendance
and the millions watching at home around the world....
Ladies and Gentlemen....
LLLLLEEEEETTTSSS GET READY TO
SUCK IT!!!!!
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