Let me be up front: I respect and appreciate a lot of the history and impact of the New York Cosmos soccer team.
That said....
I really dont want to see them reborn into a MLS team. Reboots/Remakes/relaunches rarely work. This team has had a lot of great memories for some in this area, but it also has a lot of baggage that comes with the brand. I remember when MLS tried to get the Cosmos name, but the owner of the name tried to extort a ton of cash from MLS. Honestly, MLS not falling for it was the best thing they did. It made them build a team in the area from the ground up. It's more organic, and I think has more value than going all in on an albatross like the Cosmos.
I say albatross because the "fans" and "supporters" of the Cosmos, who these zealots have a real creepy cult-like feeling, have always had the attitude of "US soccer NEEDS the Cosmos, New York and US soccer can't survive without the Cosmos". If MLS did do the cheap way and got the name, sure they may have gotten the cheap pop in the stands and some coin. But those who woulld have came in to watch would have wanted and expected the Peles, Beckenbauers, Chinaglias to be on the team. This is something MLS would not have done in 96, and all those "fans" would have left in disgust and probably try to kill MLS in the NYC area. I am goddamn proud that I am an OG supporter of the Metrostars/Red Bulls team. I don't think I would feel nearly as much pride if this was the Cosmos. I certainly wouldn't have drank the Kool-aid the Cosmos fans have drank to think the Cosmos are needed so bad, they ignore all the hard work anyone associated with soccer in the US-team owners, fans, anyone who's given a damn about the sport-since the Cosmos and NASL died in 1984.
Now, some people want to resurrect the team, but it's not for the right reasons. They also aren't "building" anything. They have bought several youth adacamies that they slapped the Cosmos logo on, they have brought in some marginal soccer execs to figure out what next to latch the logo and name on. They recently had a conference where they said they wanted to buy a PDL (a semi-pro league where many college players play in during the summertime) team rather than doing the balsy and honorable thing and starting a team from scratch-once again, riding the coattails of others and assuming the name will get them riches. Eventually they want a top-level team, preferably the 20th franchise in MLS. I really hope that doesn't happen, and that franchaise goes elsewhere (like the southeast), but if the Cosmos owners dont get the MLS team, the new second division USL team FC New York may be bought and rebranded by these parasites.
I have a problem when some try to dig up the past and not respect the dead, which in a way this is. The bar will be so high from the zealots that carry a torch for the Cosmos, I fear that it will not be reached and can cause problems for soccer in the NYC area. I just have a feeling of evil from all I read and hear from the Cosmos. THeir loyalty to a dead franchise really is frightening and it is something MLS/soccer doesn't need.
Read and/or see "Once in a Lifetime: THe Incredible Story of the New York Cosmos", and youll see what these zealots want and expect, and what MLS spend damn near 20 years to avoid, one team bigger than the league that who's greed and selfishness ultimately set soccer back in this country for years.
Again, I respect and appreciate the past that is the NY Cosmos, but I rather move forward with the Red Bulls, and I think opening a potential Pandora's Box could be disasterous.