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One of the things that makes SB Nation such a fantastic place is the community we strive to establish. A big part of creating that community feel is getting to know one another, and finding out how we all ended up supporting the New York Cosmos. With that in mind, it's probably a good idea for me to tell you a little about myself, and how exactly I ended up writing about the club.
I grew up about half way between Buffalo and Rochester, New York, and have been around long enough that I can clearly recall turning on my television (back in the days of rabbit ears) to watch the New York Cosmos play. I'm not quite old enough to recall watching Pele, but my first soccer shirt was of my childhood favorite, Franz Beckenbauer. Not only was he a fantastic player, but as a young child of German descent, it was easy for the best German player alive to immediately become a favorite. Somewhere in my parents house, I still have a #6 shirt which I've long since outgrown*.
*Also in my parents house is a Bugs Bunny hand puppet wearing his Cosmos shirt. I wish I could find that, as a bit of velcro would make that into a wonderful new cover for my 3 wood.
Unfortunately, the NASL went under in 1984, and soccer fans in the US were subject to some dark times. For myself as a fan, that meant spending more time enjoying the New York Mets, Buffalo Sabres, and Buffalo Bills.
A decade later, MLS arrived to change the soccer landscape in the United States. Many NASL fans that had been craving a soccer club to follow immediately latched on to a club, but I had a hard time connecting with the MetroStars. Instead, I wound up following the Rochester Rhinos cinderella run in 1999, and enjoyed their U.S. Open Cup victory about as much as I've ever enjoyed a game.
A funny thing happened as the Rhinos renewed my love for the sport, the internet made it possible to actually follow the game in Europe. It was nowhere near as easy as it is today, but it was possible, and I found it quite enjoyable.
Two players immediately became favorites, as Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Di Matteo were two of the most likeable characters in the game. As I moved away from Western New York, I began following Chelsea closely. Shortly after SB Nation launched their Chelsea community, I began to write about the club.
In August of 2010, the Cosmos shocked the soccer world and announced that they were coming back. It took me almost 3 seconds after I heard the news to decide that SB Nation would be better off with a place to discuss the club, and almost immediately began bothering the editors to create a site. Until the club actually made a comeback though, it was just never a project that was on the front burner.
In July of 2013, I finally got the approval to push forward with a community. Logistically, launching before the fall season last year became impossible, but we pushed hard to make it happen before the 2014 season kicked off. Finally, the Cosmos have their home on SB Nation.
Twice a Cosmo is the first community dedicated to a non-MLS side playing in the United States. I'll be quite upset if it's the last. Anyone who attended a match at Hofstra last season knows exactly how passionate this fanbase is, and I fully expect that to begin to show at Twice a Cosmo soon. I want this community to be such a hit that SB Nation decides that the NASL need more coverage, and goes seeking passionate fans in places like Tampa and San Antonio. We're a test case of sorts, but like the club we're all cheering for, I really expect this community to be great.
With all of that said, welcome to Twice a Cosmo. Please take the time to register, and introduce yourself in the comments. If you really want to take some time and let us know more about yourself, write a FanPost telling us as much as you'd like to share. This place is going to be great, and it's going to be great because of you.
