Are you ready for some futbol?

[Rover]

Originally Posted by Arelius

Ever heard of Hispanic Marketing? Its one of the fastest growing aspects of business here in the U.S. I laud Vergara’s business savvy and vision.

Big difference between "Hispanic Marketing" and purposefully exploiting ethnic identification to the exclusion of others. What if MLS teams were divied up by group? What if RSL had gone for, say, all LDS players with an exclusively LDS focus. No one else need apply. Would that go over very well? What about any other group identification? Race, religion, ethnicity? This is completely against the values of a multiethnic/multireligious society.

I welcome people from all backgrounds to join us in the stands and would hope that the team is open to players from all backgrounds as well. Eleven of twelve MLS teams take that approach. One does not, and that is regrettable.

Marketing your product to a wide range of groups is good business. Structuring your entire team around ethnic chauvinism is indisguised bigotry. This is something that never should have been introduced into American soccer. Whether it's good business is irrelevant when some very important ethical values are being cast aside. I only hope this is an anomaly, and a short-lived one.

Just my opinion.

[Arelius]

Originally Posted by Rover

Big difference between "Hispanic Marketing" and purposefully exploiting ethnic identification to the exclusion of others. What if MLS teams were divied up by group? What if RSL had gone for, say, all LDS players with an exclusively LDS focus. No one else need apply. Would that go over very well? What about any other group identification? Race, religion, ethnicity? This is completely against the values of a multiethnic/multireligious society.

I welcome people from all backgrounds to join us in the stands and would hope that the team is open to players from all backgrounds as well. Eleven of twelve MLS teams take that approach. One does not, and that is regrettable.

Marketing your product to a wide range of groups is good business. Structuring your entire team around ethnic chauvinism is indisguised bigotry. This is something that never should have been introduced into American soccer. Whether it's good business is irrelevant when some very important ethical values are being cast aside. I only hope this is an anomaly, and a short-lived one.

Just my opinion.

Well, if we take this argument to its extreme we would say that Checketts has no right to base RSL in Utah.

The people that have money make the decisions in this world. Vergara has money and he has decided that he wants an MLS team with a Mexican flavor.

If someone else with money wanted to field an LDS-only team, I would say he/she has every right.

You seem to forget that CD Chivas USA is an expansion of Chivas of Guadalajara (a team from Mexico). Its seems only natural that they would want to retain their original vision/mission, etc.

They are marketing their team to a certain socio-ethnic (expatriate) group, which by the way, happens to be growing rapidly. I’m sure the Hispanics (especially the Mexicans) in this country are very excited and pleased with what Vergara has done for them. I am too. I believe that it will enrich the MLS.

I also hope that Club America will jump on the bandwagon and introduce a team into the MLS next season. For that matter, I wish Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus, and other teams also would introduce their expansions into MLS.

…and Real Madrid – oh, I forgot, they already have! In Salt Lake City, Utah….

[Arelius]

Even if Vergara’s intention is to make a “Mexican” team within the MLS, its ain’t gonna happen. Over half of their roster’s nationality is non-Mexican.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by Arelius

Well, if we take this argument to its extreme we would say that Checketts has no right to base RSL in Utah.

The people that have money make the decisions in this world. Vergara has money and he has decided that he wants an MLS team with a Mexican flavor.

If someone else with money wanted to field an LDS-only team, I would say he/she has every right.

You seem to forget that CD Chivas USA is an expansion of Chivas of Guadalajara (a team from Mexico). Its seems only natural that they would want to retain their original vision/mission, etc.

They are marketing their team to a certain socio-ethnic (expatriate) group, which by the way, happens to be growing rapidly. I’m sure the Hispanics (especially the Mexicans) in this country are very excited pleased with what Vergara has done for them. I am too. I believe that it will enrich the MLS.

I also hope that Club America will jump on the bandwagon and introduce a team into the MLS next season. For that matter, I wish Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus, and other teams also would introduce their expansions into MLS.

…and Real Madrid – oh, I forgot, they already have! In Salt Lake City, Utah….

OK, well it looks like we won't agree on this. I think you're missing the larger point--there's no place for bigotry in our league. You don't seem to want to address that issue. I've presented the case as clearly as I can in this forum and if you don't buy it, that's up to you.

I'm fully aware of Guadalajara's standing in Mexico, and I didn't even bother to go into how ridiculous it is for an American First Division to form a farm team for a foreign club, wherever they're from. The problems with this deal are endless. The situation is not good, but we're stuck with it. As I said, I hope this is just an anomaly.

[Arelius]

Originally Posted by Rover

OK, well it looks like we won't agree on this. I think you're missing the larger point--there's no place for bigotry in our league. You don't seem to want to address that issue. I've presented the case as clearly as I can in this forum and if you don't buy it, that's up to you.

I'm fully aware of Guadalajara's standing in Mexico, and I didn't even bother to go into how ridiculous it is for an American First Division to form a farm team for a foreign club, wherever they're from. The problems with this deal are endless. The situation is not good, but we're stuck with it. As I said, I hope this is just an anomaly.

The issue is that you are assuming bigotry. I don’t think it exists. Just because the owner is Mexican doesn’t mean he’s a bigot. Just because he wants to market his team to the Hispanics in this country doesn’t mean he’s a bigot. If we are such a "multi-ethnic, multi-religious" country, why can’t there be room for this kind of team? Why should our league be homogenous? Why can’t there be teams catering/marketing to special social/ethnic groups? That is what marketing is all about. Marketing to a social/ethnic group doesn’t equate to bigotry.

Now, if you can prove the existence of bigotry, then that is another matter. But until then, I will celebrate the diversity that Chivas adds to our league and laud their efforts to provide a product to the Hispanics in this country – something MLS hasn’t been able to do up til now.

[Arelius]

[QUOTE=Rover]I didn't even bother to go into how ridiculous it is for an American First Division to form a farm team for a foreign club, wherever they're from. QUOTE]

It makes all the business sense in the world, if that team is striving to become a “global” brand.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by Arelius

The issue is that you are assuming bigotry. I don’t think it exists. Just because the owner is Mexican doesn’t mean he’s a bigot. Just because he wants to market his team to the Hispanics in this country doesn’t mean he’s a bigot. If we are such a "multi-ethnic, multi-religious" country, why can’t there be room for this kind of team? Why should our league be homogenous? Why can’t there be teams catering/marketing to special social/ethnic groups? That is what marketing is all about. Marketing to a social/ethnic group doesn’t equate to bigotry.

Now, if you can prove the existence of bigotry, then that is another matter. But until then, I will celebrate the diversity that Chivas adds to our league and laud their efforts to provide a product to the Hispanics in this country – something MLS hasn’t been able to do up til now.

If you can't see it, I can't help you. If not bigotry, then clearly chauvinism.

Nowhere do I say this is about the owner being Mexican. It's not about that. If anything, the CDG people are the one's who've made a big deal out of their ethnic preferences. I don't care where they're from or what ethnic group they're exploiting or excluding--it's wrong.

We have plenty of diversity in MLS, and we got it the right way. MLS teams hire the best players they can for the money they can spend, regardless of where they're from. We don't need Guadalajara to give us diversity. If anything, they could use some diversity.

You won't find me celebrating a team based on exclusion.

[Rover]

[QUOTE=Arelius]

Originally Posted by Rover

I didn't even bother to go into how ridiculous it is for an American First Division to form a farm team for a foreign club, wherever they're from. QUOTE]

It makes all the business sense in the world, if that team is striving to become a “global” brand.

Global brand? How does becoming a subsidiary of another league do anything for MLS's global brand? If we added a farm team to the Mexican first division, we'd be spreading the brand. All we've done with this deal is make ourselves look second rate.

[Arelius]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arelius[QUOTE=Rover]I didn't even bother to go into how ridiculous it is for an American First Division to form a farm team for a foreign club, wherever they're from. QUOTE]

It makes all the business sense in the world, if that team is striving to become a “global” brand.



Rover: "Global brand? How does becoming a subsidiary of another league do anything for MLS's global brand? If we added a farm team to the Mexican first division, we'd be spreading the brand. All we've done with this deal is make ourselves look second rate."


I'm not speaking about the MLS. I am speaking from the perspective of Chivas. Perhaps that’s something you should try – to look at things from Chivas’ perspective.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by Arelius

I'm not speaking about the MLS. I am speaking from the perspective of Chivas.

OK, well that's where we're differing. I couldn't care less about CDG. My focus is what's best for RSL, MLS, and American soccer.

Good on you for sticking to your guns. We're just going to disagree on this issue.

GO RSL!