A House Divided Can Not Stand, But an Amoeba Divided is, Um... Two Amoebas

What is becoming more fascinating about the New Jersey Red Bull story is the strange divide that seems to have shown up in MLS fandom. Some days I feel like the Soccer Blog arena, and soccer fandom as a whole, is one giant echo chamber (we like single tables, the supporter's shield, promotion and relegation, and other stuff that isn't going to happen, etc...). The New Jersey Red Bull story nicely disproves of that idea. As I write this, there are 12 comments on my previous thoughts, which is an extraordinary amount for around here. And even more remarkable is the fact that MLS fandom is splitting on this issue, and fairly passionately at that.

Mr. Fish is unsettled by the idea. We Call Him "Free Beer" Joe also hates the idea. Maradawga, a friend of the Metros and New York resident, likes it. As do I, a DC United fan. Mike H. is... ambivalent. But it is an EXTREME sort of ambivalence. Very, very interesting. Anyways, go read other people's opinions. At this point, I stand by my original feeling: That this name change is not that huge a deal to the rest of MLS and that we shouldn't really feel strongly one way or the other about it (in other words, I may think it's stupid, but I don't view it as a travesty or suicidal.) New Jersey fans can, of course, make as big a deal as they want to about this. If it was my team, I'd probably be out rioting in the streets. As I've stated already, I think DC United's brand is too valuable a resource that any smart capitalist wouldn't rebrand the team. So I'm not yet convinced that this represents a "Grave Threat To Our MLS Way of Life" or that "There is a spectre haunting the Eastern Conference: the spectre of high energy supplement drinks." Of course, I've been known to be convinced otherwise.

Update: The Belly comes out in favor of the idea, and the Kin of Fish looks at the impending regime change and feels sick.