Between the foolish crest, which was made worse by a pointess official explaination, and the painful rollout on Tuesday, Austin FC is off to a lame begin. What’s misplaced is that they are lacking an important and completely natural alternative.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
January 15, 2019
9:30 AM
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AUSTIN FC was formally introduced because the twenty seventh group of Main League Soccer at an occasion within the Texas Capital on Tuesday. Whereas there was an enthusiastic response amongst these in attendance, the response amongst followers of different groups within the league was combined – to be beneficiant to the latest group.
There was loads of good purpose for followers making enjoyable of Austin FC’s (or Treecourt FC’s) method – which appeared painfully pressured and bizarre at instances. Tom Petty might be rolling in his grave seeing this.
#AustinFC No. No, no, no, no, no. pic.twitter.com/w9UMKwozve
— Away Days Chris (@CasuallyUltra) January 15, 2019
There isn’t a doubt that Anthony Precourt isn’t a well-liked determine after serving because the villain within the Save the Crew motion. The issue for Precourt is that the Save the Crew motion prolonged past simply the Columbus fanbase however all the way in which to most long-time followers of the league who appreciated the significance of the Crew group to the historical past of MLS.
However Precourt goes to get the group in Austin that he needed. The truth, nevertheless, is that the feelings surrounding Austin FC could be very, very completely different than different enlargement groups. Most followers usually need all enlargement groups to succeed, be an asset to the league, and a optimistic automobile for rising the game in the US.
The chilly fact, that must be acknowledged, is that with Austin FC, a big group of followers throughout the league need Austin to battle and fail. Precourt is simply not seen in a good mild in American soccer and that’s in all probability by no means going to alter.
This begs the query how is Precourt and Austin FC going to deal with this?
My humble suggestion is to ditch any form of pressured and phony ambiance (like cringeworthy chant hymnal distributed on Tuesday). Don’t attempt to be like different soccer groups all through the league or attempt to emulate the European groups which are commonest on tv.
Imagine it or not, the ugly nature of the membership’s basis truly offers Austin a very good alternative and a method to get off to a singular and natural begin.
What Austin FC and its followers ought to do is embrace being the dangerous man. In England, Millwall has the “no one likes us and we don’t care” slogan and Austin should try to follow suit. What is cool for Austin FC, is that they don’t have to create a fake bad guy image or pretend nobody likes them. Fate has given them the natural role of being perfect bad guys and it IS true that nobody likes them.
In an age where we American teams are looking for authenticity, Austin actually has a rare avenue to be authentic. Sadly, they ran away from that on Tuesday with a ridiculously phony rollout.
But that was just a bad first step. There’s plenty of time to seize the moment.
So what’s my suggestion for Precourt and Austin FC? Embrace being the dangerous man. American soccer may use extra real villains. Run with the thought of being the Darth Vader or Hans Gruber of American soccer. Relish the very fact the group was based on an tried theft of beloved founding member of the league. Take pleasure in being the Grinch that attempted to Steal the Crew. Mock the struggles of the opposite two groups in Texas. Brag about how your group minimize in line forward of all the opposite enlargement candidates. Ditch the lame reasoning behind the tree within the brand (above) and make the tree a gallows tree.
Somebody needs to be the league’s dangerous man and Austin has every thing going for it to be that group. Groups that have been thought of villians have an importnat historical past in American sports activities: Oakland Raiders of the 1970’s, the Broad Avenue Bullies-era Philadelphia Flyers, the 1986 New York Mets, the late 80’s Detroit Pistons, early 1990’s UNLV basketball, spygate New England Patriots. Folks bear in mind these groups ceaselessly and, in the long run, that is fairly cool and followers have enjoyable supporting villians.
Austin FC’s basis is unpopular however embracing that idea of being the league’s dangerous man would in all probability acquire extra traction than distancing itself from it or attempting to go along with something we noticed on Tuesday.
