AIDS is not a viable marketing strategy for sports teams
In the USA our big soccer/football league is called Major League Soccer, or MLS. In this league there is a team called Chivas USA who are best known for being the Los Angeles team that Beckham did NOT play for. They are also the "little brother" team to the very popular Mexican team Club Deportivo Guadalajara (who's nickname is Chivas, or goats in Spanish). Both teams are owned by the same man.

However, Chivas USA is nowhere near as popular as it's big brother team. Lately it's been averaging 6000 or so per game (the much loved Seattle Sounders average 30000 or more a game). The folks over at Big Soccer have been discussing the reason for the team's low attendance.

A few posts in a user named djkas14 comes in and enlightens the plebian fans as to the true problem with Chivas USA. (Unfortunately, djkas14 was banned like so many prophets before him, and his posts were deleted at the same time. However, he was quoted quite a bit so his words are still present to enlighten us all.)



Is it just me or does everyone in Major League Soccer and the Chivas organization not understand the major marketing challenge here? You can't sell jerseys to an English speaking country with a team name having the letters cHIVas right in the middle. In Spanish speaking countries the virus that causes AIDS (or SIDA) abbreviates to VIH and the word chivas means "goat". The only thing (subliminally or not) that a non Spanish speaking US consumer will pick up on from the word Chivas is HIV when you see it in writing. It's absolutely absurd to continue this futile branding exercise. There are MANY problems with this club's ability to attract American viewership but obviously this is by far the one most overlooked.

Yes, the true problem is that its name causes people to associate the team with a horrible and deadly disease!

Reaction to this is mostly disbelief and sarcasm:

Stltim: Just like when I see the word HIVe all I can think of is AIDS. Obviously this is the same reason the Oakland rAIDerS draw such bad crowds. This might seriously be the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. The only thing (subliminally or not) that a non Spanish speaking US consumer will pick up on from the word Chivas is "o, that sounds Mexicany".

Chudbeagle: I will no longer watch Whitecaps games because clearly they support gun violence as in "I'm gonna put a CAP in your ass". I will no longer go to Union games due to the fact that Union is one of Yes's worst albums and they are insulting me by promoting it.

I shall never watch another Fire match because they are promoting arson. I am on a low sodium diet so the hell with Real Salt Lake. San Jose clearly is making fun of natural disasters so I'm done with them too.

Djkas14 is stunned by the board's cynicism and lack of manners:

Make all the jokes you want but the fact is this issue with the letters HIV affects the marketing of the team in a negative way. Are you really trying to wear a hat or jersey that has the name of the virus that causes AIDS emblazoned on the front?

You can ridicule me all you want but it doesn't change the fact that there's still a team with "HIV" as the main part of their name.

He also doesn't understand why people think he is a troll:

[I'm] Dead serious. So if you're a 16 year old kid from Los Angeles whether anglo or hispanic in origin are you really going to elect to wear merchandise that features "HIV" prominently as part of the logo of your local team? Are you certain that this doesn't affect people's perception of the brand? What makes you so confident that is doesn't?

But don't worry, it's okay that they don't believe him since everyone knows that any American soccer/football league is far inferior to European football. (He's an American fan of Manchester United for what it's worth.)

Oh I'm sorry I don't like watching league 2 level soccer let me know how minor league baseball and the turkish basketball league are doing when you get a chance thanks.

Keep telling yourself that joker. I watch sports at their highest level whether they are soccer, football, baseball, basketball or hockey whichever. Maybe the problem the league and the rest of you MLS lovers across America have is that you don't understand that in NYC we would rather watch Real Madrid vs. Man United than NJ Red Bulls vs. Chester Union. This is why all my friends here in NY like soccer and none of them give a rats ass about MLS. Not into inferior products round these parts.

Superdave awesomely sums up the reaction with this post:

You'd rather masturbate to a 10 than make love to an 8.

And of course, djkas14, is also an expert on other sports as well:

I know down in North Carolina you THINK college basketball is something people care about but I hate to break it to you that NOBODY except the transplants cares about that stuff here in NY. Even with Syracuse in the final four.

If no one cares about college basketball then why have March Madness posts been filling my Facebook feed for the past month?

Sadly, djkas14 is, like so many great sages, silenced and the thread peters out shortly thereafter. It does end on a bit of a high note with a Monty Python reference and this wonderful picture.



So there you have it. A short and silly wank to start off your week.

ETA: I'll probably be making minor spelling / grammar and formatting corrections for the next few hours.

ETA 2: We've been spotted!. And Darkwing387 wants a plaque to commemorate this event if possible.