Schwartz: Cosmos Are Ready To Rocco And Roll In Brooklyn

By Peter Schwartz
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If one was to write the story of the 2016 New York Cosmos, an appropriate title would be "The Best of Times and the Worst of Times."

On the field, it was the best with the Cosmos winning their second straight North American Soccer League championship and third in the four years since their reboot in 2013.

The worst was the financial crisis the team was in with the staff missing paychecks and many employees ultimately being let go. The Cosmos were on the verge of folding for the second time in franchise history. At the same time, the NASL was in danger of closing up shop as well with Minnesota moving up to Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League luring away the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Ottawa Fury FC.

The most storied franchise in American soccer history and the league with second division status in the United States needed a savior. Enter Rocco Commisso, a former star player at Columbia University and the founder, chairman and CEO of Mediacom Communications Corporation, the nation's fifth-largest cable television company.

MORE: New York Cosmos Announce New Majority Owner

On Jan. 10, Commisso closed on a deal to purchase a majority ownership stake and become the Cosmos' new chairman.

"Soccer has meant so much to me," Commisso told WFAN.com. "The Cosmos had a legacy, a worldwide reputation, and a unique brand name in American soccer and around the New York City area that I just could not let disappear."

When Commisso bought the team, there was a lot of work to do. He retained COO Erik Stover along with head coach and sporting director Giovanni Savarese, who began the difficult process of rebuilding the roster since all but three players had been released by the old ownership group.

Savarese quickly went to work in bringing back many of the championship team's core players, like captain Carlos Mendes, goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer, and defender Ayoze.

The soccer side of the Cosmos has never been a problem, but the business side of the franchise over the last four years has been a different story, with the team hemorrhaging tens of millions of dollars.

"Frankly, the club was in worse shape than I thought in all respects," Commisso said. "The liabilities were greater and the potential to generate losses in the future even more. From a staffing perspective, we had just a few people that were still working. I needed to reassure everyone, pay off our bills, and rehire the critical people in our organization."

Other items on Commisso's lengthy to-do list include securing sponsorships, uniforms, equipment, merchandise, a local television contract and helping the league recruit more teams for 2018. The NASL currently has eight teams, but the hope is that it could expand to 12 teams for next season.

Commisso's involvement with the Cosmos was vital for the present and future of the NASL, which is why many around the league call him their savior.

"If I did not come in, I'm not sure that the NASL would have survived," Commisso said.

One item that Commisso has already checked off his list is finding a new home. The Cosmos were not welcomed back to Hofstra University on Long Island, but even if Hofstra was an option, Commisso said his heart was set on moving the team to somewhere within the five boroughs. Recently, a deal was announced that will have the Cosmos playing home games at MCU Park in Brooklyn.

"I think it's phenomenal that we are bringing the Cosmos back within New York City after a 41-year absence," Commisso said. "And MCU Park is a true stadium experience which will be cherished by our fans."

With 16 home dates and the potential for additional playoff and U.S. Open Cup matches, the Cosmos are expected to bring over 100,000 fans to Coney Island this year. There will be amenities that Cosmos fans didn't have at Hofstra, like real stadium seats, better food and beverage items and the ability to watch replays on the video screen.

The Cosmos are already familiar with the ballpark having played two games there during the 2015 season. Playing on the existing field used by the Brooklyn Cyclones or using a temporary field are just two of the options the Cosmos are exploring.

"We're looking at all the alternatives available to us right now, including putting down a removable soccer turf on top of the baseball field," Commisso said.

Not only do the Cosmos have a new place to play, they also have a 2017 schedule that features the home opener on Saturday, April 1 at 7 p.m. against Miami FC.

The team recently started selling season tickets, something that would generally commence near the end of a previous season. But with the future of the franchise in doubt, the Cosmos got a late start in that process.

"I think we're going to be okay, frankly," Commisso said. "As I told everyone, two of my top priorities are to field a competitive team and make sure that we have people in the stands."

Commisso and the Cosmos are hoping that the move to Brooklyn will be good for business. With roughly 5.5 million people living in Brooklyn and nearby Queens and Staten Island, the Cosmos will have a large pool of new fans to combine with those who will make the trip from Long Island and Manhattan.

"I can tell you with 99.9 percent certainty that we're going to average more than 3,000 per game," Commisso said. "Whether it's going to be 7,000 I don't know but I am confident we will get better attendance results than last year."

Commisso said he is committed to fielding a strong club from top to bottom. The team's youth academy will continue to operate and the Cosmos will also continue to field a B team. He said he would also like to help grow soccer in America and bring the sport's biggest stage back to the United States.

"Getting the World Cup here in 2026," Commisso said. "That's a top priority for me."

But first thing's first and that's continuing the winning tradition that was started by the likes of Pele, Giorgio Chinaglia, and Franz Beckenbauer, and has continued with players like Raul, Marcos Senna, and the current group of players that will try and defend another title.

With new and committed ownership in place, the Cosmos will have the wherewithal to add more championship stars to their résumé.

"We have the financial resources to make sure that the Cosmos stay alive and succeed," Commisso said. "We have won eight championships. No other professional soccer team in America has come close to wearing the eight stars. Hopefully there's more to come."

Discussing more championships was something that the Cosmos' staff, coaches, and players didn't think was possible a little over a month ago. The franchise was on life support and in need of a knight in shining armor to save the day. Prayers from all over Cosmos Country were answered with the sale of the team to Commisso, who has brought the team from near death to the start of a new season with a telling message for the fans.

"A month ago, we were in hell," Commisso said. "We're not in heaven yet, but somewhere in-between."

But since we're talking about the Cosmos, heaven may just be around the corner.

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