Philadelphia Union: The First Round Pick Comes Out of Necessity

The Sons of Ben were out in full force at the Baltimore Convention Center for the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft on Thursday January 13th. At some points during the event, they even drowned out some of ESPN’s commentary. All of the hype lead to, for the Union, what was both a successful, and yet still a little disappointing draft.  As a little background for people who don’t know, the Generation Adidas project is a joint effort between the organizations of US Soccer, MLS and Adidas, to give young players the opportunity to play at higher levels with some amount of security.  If selected for the G.A. team, the player will not affect the team salary cap and they are protected from any expansion drafts.  This make very tempting incentives for teams to pick up the players.  To help the player even more, if their professional career does not pan out, they are given scholarship money to go back and finish school. (By signing a professional contract, a person is no longer eligible to play in the NCAA, and therefore can be awarded no athletic scholarships.)    With the fifth overall pick, there were a lot of options for the team, though none discussed ...

Philadelphia Union Announces New Team Sponsor

The Philadelphia Union announced a new four-year, $12 million contract with the international baked goods company Bimbo. This is the first company logo to ever be featured on the front of both the home and away Philadelphia Union Jerseys.  Background: Bimbo Bakeries USA got it's start in 1984 when the Brand Grupo Bimbo extended its sales market to California and Texas, buying dozens of local bakeries along the way.  Since then, Bimbo has acquired numerous other brands such as Thomas', Entenmann's, Boboli, and Stroehman Bakeries.  The company has also been linked to recent rumors with the financially strapped Tastykake Brand. The brand of Bimbo goods is setting 2011 as the major  start to their sales in the United States. The Philadelphia Union is the fifth soccer team to earn the jersey sponsorship from the group. Three teams in Mexico (Chivas, Club America, Monterrey) and one team in Costa Rica (Saprissa) already carry the brand on the front of their jerseys.      Pros: There are a great deal of positives that come with this deal that many fans have overlooked. A major partnership like the one with Bimbo will allow the team extra financial stability, which is essential for a ...