The Kansas City Wizards professional soccer team is now known as Sporting Kansas City. At the time the rebranding was announced, team officials scoffed at the suggestion that the franchise was trying to look and sound more European. "This, to us, is not European whatsoever," CEO Robb Heineman said, presumably before he donned a beret and drove home on the left side of the road.
While denied, the Eurofication of the team formerly known as the Wiz continues. The team recently let it slip that BBC correspondent Callum Williams will present, er, call Sporting KC games on television during the upcoming season.
Williams is based in Birmingham, England, according to his LinkedIn page. He's been covering football in South Yorkshire and London. He described himself as 19 years old and very determined on a blog last updated in 2009.
Earlier this week, Sporting KC announced a partnership with Livestrong, the cancer-fighting nonprofit founded by cycling maniac Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France -- France! -- a bunch of times.
Putting a British accent on the telecasts and the other nods to Europe seem a good strategy for Sporting KC. Interest in European teams and leagues is what's driving soccer's growth as a spectator sport in the United States. Sports Illustrated recently ran a long profile of José Mourinho, the manager of Real Madrid. We all have Facebook friends whose sports-related status updates are more likely to mention Tottenham Hotspur than the Chiefs.
So wear that man-purse proudly, Sporting Kansas City. Pegging your game to the euro will surely work better than waiting for a U.S.-born star to emerge in an under-14 tournament.
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I don't think it's that bad. The new stadium and the excitement from the general public is outweighing the ineptitude right now.
On behalf of level-headed Wizards fans out there who don't wear the emotions like a sash and tiara -- I want to apologize for most of the posters on this comment thread.
What a lot of these fans need to realize is that for us to become a BIG BOY fanbase, we need to learn to laugh at our selves sometimes.
The U.S. is not a soccer nation, and there's no shame in that. We may very well be one day and that would be great. But let's not dellude ourselves into believing that anyone who wants to poke fun at SKC, the MLS, the USSF, or the sport in general in this town in this country deserves a trip to the guillotine. Your comments do more to turn people off to the sport than any humorously-toned blog ever will.
Jesus Christ, buddy. Don't fall into that cliched overly-sensitive soccer fan trap. I'm a soccer fan. I'm a Wizards fan. And I thought this article was pretty funny. Let's just accept that we're all Kansas City hicks -- but at least we're TRYING to be continental...
It's not terribly written-it's the truth of what was written that upsets so many of the above posters. Ownership is just trying the latest idea to make the team interesting (since they can't sort out how to make the team good). It's right there with all the other marketing plans that failed. And I'm a soccer fan-former season ticket holder.
The Armstrong thing will fail badly, once he's indicted by the Feds. Just like when Enron was the name of the stadium in Houston ... except that the Astros didn't have reason to expect Enron was a criminal operation.
What a terribly written article! You should never write again in the city of KC if that's your opinion. Learn what soccer is first
you probably think that the Red Bulls is a good idea and very "american" don't you?
PLEASE, come out to a match once, because obviously you have never been. But don't dare bringing that BBQ or any american beer, we only drink wine and imports. ;)
Say what you will about how the name Sporting Kansas City sounds, however, the name has a purpose and describes a different ownership format. The ownership group is planning on bringing other sports under the same brand and ownership. In addition, it considers it's fans not just consumers but members of the club and brand. This membership includes benefits including free tickets to away games and discounts on sponsor's merchandise.
As for criticizing the decision to bring in a young, experienced, and knowledgeable announcer who comes from a reputable former employer (BBC). This is nothing more than xenophobia.
Finally, as another poster already commented on, Lance Armstrong is about as American as it gets, however, you obviously missed the whole point behind LiveStrongSportingPark. The point is not Lance Armstrong, it is about fighting cancer. I'm sorry, but if you don't think fighting cancer is American, I don't know what is.
In summary, if by eurofication you mean I get free tickets to away games, discounts on a bunch of merchandise, an extremely knowledgeable play by play announcer; all while fighting cancer, yeah I'm fine with that
Dang I read this article thinking someone from a newspaper that actually mattered wrote this....but then after I read the junior high level of intelligence and what appeared to be 2nd rate jabs I realized it was the pitch.
Maybe if the Pitch went and got "Eurofied" you would become relevant.
Haters gonna Hate.
Awesome, another article today that makes me rage my head off. Yes, the name is a bit Euro, but it's still much better than Real Salt Lake, hell, even the Wiz was worse than this. Callum has already talked to us diehards indirectly through tweets from our comments on the message board that a bunch of us post on. Swell guy who lives and breathes soccer.
Lance is about as American as it gets. He's had cancer, he's from Texas, he has a short hair cut and he's dated a chick with a wispy voice. I'm proud that his foundation is the title sponsor of our stadium for the fact that he's actually doing something for the world outside of bitching and moaning about how our local sports team is becoming Eurocentric. You're not the first, and you're certainly not the last.
wow...the complete ignorance that's in this post is a very good explanation as to why you're writing for the pitch...
But their new/best player is from Mexico. Last time I checked thats not in Europe.
Screw 'em. Whatever the owners know about their main business, it's clear they're clueless when it comes to running a sports team. They're an embarrassment to themselves, to soccer and to the city.
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