A Load of What?

This morning Michael Lewis reported that AEG/MLS HQ has received a call from the Austrian owners of Red Bull Energy drink who seem to want to buy the MetroStars. Last year, Red Bull acquired the former Austrian club team SV Wüstenrot Salzburg and rebranded them as Red Bull Salzburg, to the dismay of the team's hard core fandom. Lewis' report noted that the Bullies wanted to purchase and possibly rebrand the team before the 2006 season opener, in 30 days.

My first reaction to this bit of news was a Lil' Jon-style "Whattt?" Would of a lot of folks in the tri-state area cry in their milk if the team was re-branded? Perhaps a thousand or two at most. After all, it's not that the Superclub on the Passaic has done a superb job of brand-building since its inception. There are even some snapperheads calling for the team to buy out Pepe Pinton and resurrect the Cosmos name. However, a club named after an energy drink (Red Bull Jersey?) doesn't exactly roll of the tongue, either. Metro has had only two shirt sponsors in the club's decade on the pitch: Fujifilm and New York Life, and I'd much rather see Red Bull market their bevvies in that manner before re-naming the team. I have no idea how much cash the Austrians are dangling in front of AEG to take the Metro off their hands, but I can't imagine Uncle Phil would let go of the New York market so easily. Perhaps we should tell the Osterreichers that MLS is no cash cow. Sorry.

Your Weekend TV Listings:

SATURDAY, March 4
7:30am: ENG: West Brom – Chelsea, FSC
10:00am: GER: Bayern Leverkusen-Werder Bremen, FSC
Noon: ENG: Liverpool-Charlton, FSC
Noon: ITA: AC Milan-Empoli, GOL
2:00pm: ESP: Villareal-Alaves, GOL
2:00pm: INT’L: Italy-Germany, TELEM
3:00pm: ENG: Newcastle-Bolton, FSC
4:00pm: ESP: Barcelona-Dep. Coruna, GOL
4:00pm: INT’L: Netherlands-Ecuador, TELEM
6:00pm: ITA: Sampdoria-Juventus, GOL
6:00pm: MEX: Monterrey-Atlante, GALA
8:00pm: COL: America-Millonarious, GOL
8:00pm: MEX: Necaxa-Chivas, TELEF
10:00pm: INT’L: Italy-Germany, GOL
Midnight: BRA: Portuguesa Santista-Portugesa, GOL

SUNDAY, March 5
9:00am: ITA: Fiorentina-Siena, GOL
9:00am: ITA: Lecce-Palermo, FSC
11:00am: ESP: Celta de Vigo-Osasuna, GOL
1:00pm: ECU: Dep. Quito-El Nacional, GOL
1:00pm: ENG: Man. City-Sunderland, FSC
1:00pm: INT’L: Croatia-Argentina, TELEM
1:00pm: MEX: San Luis-Santos, UNI
3:00pm: ESP: Malaga-Valencia, GOL
3:00pm: FRA: Paris SG-Marseille, FSC
4:00pm: INT’L: Wales-Paraguay, TELEM
5:00pm: MEX: Club America-UAG, GALA
5:30pm: COL: Tolima-Atl. Nacional, GOL
7:30pm: ITA: Roma-Inter Milan, GOL
9:30pm: BRA: Santos-Palmeiras, GOL
10:00pm: MEX: Atlas-Toluca, GALA
11:00pm: ARG: Racing-Boca Juniors, FSC