Team Investment, League Growth Link Big Names To RBNY

By: Dave Martinez | February 16th, 2010

raul ESPN got everyone excited last week, doubling down on the Spanish media report that Real Madrids all time goalscorer, Raul, was heading to the states to join your New York Red Bulls. I received e-mails, voice mails, text messages, tweets, facebook links – you name the media and someone used it to contact me.

And then Michael Lewis of BAS came along and doused cold water on the affair, deading the rumor in it’s tracks.

But it got me to thinking. What the hell is going on here and why exactly has this offseason been plagued with so many wild stories?

From Raul to Maldini, Figo to Henry and back, this particular offseason has had more stars connected with the team than the remix of “We Are The World.” Even Oka Nikolov, who was reportedly in talks with the Bulls and FC Dallas, was considered a lifer for his club, and news of an impending transfer came as a shock to their footballing community.

Why is this happening? I think the answer is multifold. Red Bull Arena may be a good starting point. If you haven’t seen the progress that has been made at the new Mecca of East Coast Soccer, check out Nate’s work over at ASN. He had a guided tour with Carlos Mendes, and let me tell you – the pictures are absolutely breathtaking. RBA is making waves across the footballing world. Whenever ownership decides to put money where their mouth is, in the capital of the world no less, the possibility of a transfer becomes more palpable, even to the Galacticos of our day and age. And the accompanying ad campaign, which kicked off earlier this month, continues to shine a bright light on this long awaited moment.

henry All of this excitement has caused quite a stir. And like chum in a shark tank, player agents swarm in packs when they smell money in the water. Red Bull Arena is a clear flashing of the green, and the current CBA talks, rumored to include an extra slot for a designated player, creates a strong leverage in negotiations for agents to play off of. So when you are looking at a football living legend like a Thierry Henry or Raul, what better bargaining chip can exist than a team in the media mecca of the universe with a growing purse in an ever shrinking economy? Not many, and that is the appeal to New York and MLS.

Now, I am not saying Henry to the Bulls will not happen, since he himself has spoken very freely of his desire to play out the rest of his career in the States. Nor am I saying that all of the rumors are unsubstantiated. Take the Paolo Maldini rumors for instance. Maldini had nothing to gain in linking his name to the Bulls, so who’s to say the Bulls did not reach out and show some interest and got flat out rejected? It could have very well happened. Or maybe it was just the Italian media doing what they do best; perpetrating juicy rumors.

But validity aside, I find these transfer rumors to be a rather flattering take of how far this club and this league have come over the years. The past two seasons, Americans abroad have made a great name for MLS, culminating in the stellar performances of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore in the Prem this season. Even smaller scale players, like a Michael Bradley or Brad Guzan, have represented both country and league well overseas, creating a more enticing environment for European clubs to explore the States. Their play has piqued curiousity in American football and with it, the interest in playing Stateside.

The effect is already being felt. Here is a hypothetical to prove the point. Bottom dwelling Portsmouth plays in the Prem, the Worlds most respected league. Yet people would never in a million years connect them with a star transfer like a Thierry Henry or Raul. In fact, the mere mention of said player and said bottom dweller in the same sentence would likely produce more laughter and cynicism than weight and substance. Yet somehow this minnow in the American ponds can command stronger credence as a candidate for a World Class player than the bigger fish in the vast Prem ocean. All of this done without a brand player, in a relatively young league, and on a team that is named after an energy drink! If that does not signal progress for the American game and the league in general, nothing does.

george_weah Now, back when David Beckham was taken on by the LA Galaxy, similar rumors became a common place affair for the West Coast flagship. Edgar Davids, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo – you name the star, they were linked to the team. But the difference between now and then is that they were solely based on the presence of Golden Balls. What is impressive about the Bulls rumors today is that it hasn’t been caused by one multimedia superstar, or some overblown gimmick; it has been built upon the growth of the league and the teams investment into their product.

Red Bull definitely has the soccer world buzzing. So expect more of this nonsense heading into the 2010 season, and look at it all through the eyes of a skeptic. The mere fact that it took me almost an entire week to address the Raul rumors should speak volumes on my stance. Be hopeful, be positive, but don’t be a sucker. And who knows – maybe when this is all said and done, George Weah will finally pack his bags for a move to New York.

Ya. I said it.

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