New York Cosmos: Silence Is Golden

New York, NY - The one question I’ve been asked on a regular basis is what will my first New York Cosmos article of 2012 be about. Will it be a nostalgic piece? Will it be about the latest news? Will it be a statement from current Front Office staff.

It’s none of the above. My first New York Cosmos article of 2012 will be the end of the Cosmos as you know it.

The sooner we accept that the 2012 Cosmos organization is not the 2011 organization nor even the 70′s Cosmos, the easier it would be for us to hold them to our expectations of joining Major League Soccer.

After a boisterous beginning in 2011, the New York Cosmos simply self-imploded themselves into a state of silence. For an organization that once shone it’s logo throughout NYC like the Bat-Signal it’s now a flicker of it’s former self.

If it wasn’t for the organization’s occasional Tweet and Facebook comments along with their priced-reduced Umbro merchandise topped with their Supporters comments, the Cosmos would be as nonexistent as the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL).

Thanks to photos, interviews and videos, 2011 reminded us why many of us loved the Cosmos. While the Cosmos past was nice to reminisce about, it was the Cosmos Copa, BW Gottschee/Cosmos Academy and the Paul Scholes testimonial which provided us a glimpse of the future. With both the Academy and Copa beautifully entertaining us through their play, many of us believed that it was a matter of time before an announcement was made of a possible return.

Ironically, the only return many of us witnessed was the one of Paul Scholes himself. While BW Gottschee/Cosmos Academy is going on, the Cosmos Copa is no longer run by Spencer Dormitzer and Chris Noble. Not having both men involved with the Cosmos Copa is similar to replacing the Beatles with the Monkees. Interpret it as you want… I like both bands.

Legally the Cosmos Copa is owned by the Cosmos organization but us hardcore followers know the tournament was originated by both men. With a front office Management Team now reduced to three (as seen in NYCosmos.com), the only question that lingers is who’s running the New York Cosmos?

Giorgio Chinaglia? Pelé? Eric Cantona? Shep Messing?

I don’t know. After a year of exciting and inciting their Supporters, the Cosmos organization has taken a vow of silence. To be frank, that’s not a bad thing. By focusing (hopefully) on their goal of joining Major League Soccer, the end of 2012 should be a clear cut indication of whether the Cosmos will ever be revived or not.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again to the folks currently running the NY Cosmos… the only result that Cosmos supporters here in New York City as well as other parts of the world wants to hear in 2012 from the Cosmos is that they’ve officially joined MLS.

I’ll respect your organization’s silence as long as you don’t shower us with photos and videos of the past. Don’t show us photos of who’s wearing your merchandise… simply give a professional club. Agreed?

Anything else from your end is simply a filibuster…

Cesar Diaz is a freelance copywriter & journalist who specializes in soccer coverage. If there’s a soccer topic you believe that needs to be written about, please feel free to contact him. Easily accessible, you may contact him at [email protected] and @CoveringSoccer.