The Name Game

I wasn't planning on posting anything tonight, but...

So, the Seattle franchise which will begin playing in MLS next year announced its team name today: Seattle Sounders F.C.

This is both good and bad news.

The good news is that this is what the team's name should have been from the beginning.* It has a history going back over 30 years and it has had popular support since people began lobbying for an MLS team in Seattle. The franchise/league's opposition was to it was that there was already a lower level team of the same name and they didn't people to be reminded of this "lesser" team. The fans didn't care.

The bad news? The bad news is that it took a naming campaign to make it happen, and even then, voters had to write in this choice because the ones offered by the franchise/league were so appallingly bland ("Alliance," "Republic," et al.).

Why make an issue of this? Because it is a modern sports development that has always bothered me. In the past- in both the United States and Europe- team names either came about organically or had some sort of local significance. Perhaps the team name came from its owners ("Bayer Leverkusen" being named after the drug company), reflected the local population ("Boston Celtics"), or reflected the occupations of the players/fans (those who worked at the "Arsenal"). And team "nicknames" resulted from a consensus among the fans- For example, Ayr United became "The Honest Men" after a line from the poet Robert Burns, a local lad.

In modern sports- in the United States especially- team names are generally determined by focus groups and meant to appeal to the most people possible, or to put it more truthfully, to not offend anybody. Using MLS as my example I'll run through the list of what is/was, and what should be. And while I'm at it, a little uniform critique too!

CD Chivas USA: No complaints here. A team name and uniform that pays homage to it's Mexican heritage, and team nicknames that are either fan-created or reflect the team's connection to its parent club.

Chicago Fire: Given the logo- which I like- supporters probably would have chosen the same "nickname," or at least a similar one. However, had the team's name/logo been less "loaded," many other names could have emerged given all of the city's various sobriquets ("City of Big Shoulders," "Windy City," "Second City."

Colorado Rapids: Bland, bland, bland. This one just smacks of lack of effort and imagination. Is it any wonder that the same can be said of the team to this point in its history? They probably should have gone ahead and changed their name to "Arsenal" when they formalized their relationship with the English club of the same name.

Columbus Crew: Probably my least favorite of them all. Horrible crest, horrible nickname, dodgy uniform colors. Supposedly the team name reflects the "blue collar nature" of the city- nothing like a nickname that could fit just about any other city anywhere!

D.C. United: One of the only teams to get it right from the beginning. A traditional name, no prepackaged "nickname," if memory serves, and no ugly uniforms in a league filled with them. Is it a coincidence that they've been one of the more successful franchises?

F.C. Dallas: The name and new traditional looking uniform are a massive improvement over the criminally bad uniforms and name- "Dallas Burn"- they began with.

Houston Dynamo: I can't complain about this one. After relocating from San Jose, they chose the name "Houston 1836," which, while creative, did offend a major part of their potential fan-bas (Mexican Americans). The second choice, and current name, not only reflects Houston's ties to the energy industry, previous Houston soccer teams, and is traditional (Dinamo Moscow).

Kansas City Wiz/Wizards: Only a slightly better logo than the Crew keeps this from being the worst of the group. I could almost stomach the the "Wizards" nickname if it had been given by the fans and not the choice of the club/league, but, of course, the team wanted to inspire the fans with the Frank Baum story/movie- what?!

Los Angeles Galaxy: Again, another team that should have chosen a more traditional name (L.A.F.C. or something similar) and allowed their fan base to create the nickname- "Stars," "Entertainers," or another name that reflected this or another aspect of the city's history.

Miami Fusion: I assume that the name was selected to "include" Miami's diverse population, and while that is admirable (I prefer "including" to "trying not to exclude"), it is also boring and it should have been no surprise when this team went out of business. Maybe something that reflected that Latin culture of the city would have been better- "Sporting Miami" perhaps?

New England Revolution: This is my team, but the best I can say about the name is that it's "okay," and about the uniforms, they're "okay" too. Neither is great. Clearly, the name of the club had to includ the whole region (N.E.F.C., N.E. United, etc.) and the nickname- if one had to be given- was going to be something historical, so one can't complain too much. HOWEVER, given the history of the area, the vibrant ethnic communities that still exist, and the natural beauty, I can't help but think we could have done better. And red, white, and blue as colors? A little predictable, but it relfects the Kraft's ownership of the N.E. Patriots as well.

NY/NJ MetroStars/Red Bull New York: Original name- blah. Original uniform- yawn. Since being purchased and rebranded by Red Bull, they look a great deal more legitimate.

Phildelphia TBAs: Given the amount of effort that groups like the Sons of Ben have put into getting their city a franchise in 2010 I hope that they will not be given an albatross of a team name. My suggestion, adopt the logo the Sons of Ben have created for themselves as the team's logo, and give the team a traditional name, something along the lines of Liberty F.C.

Real Salt Lake: The only good thing about this team's name connection with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid. The uniforms make the team look like they might be sponsored by a fast food chain.

San Jose Clash/Earthquakes: First team name- garbage. Second team name- reminds people of a natural disaster causing event...might not be a great idea. Original uniforms- atrocious. New uniforms- generic. I would have gone for NoCal F.C./United.

Seattle Sounders F.C.: See above.

Tampa Bay Mutiny: Basically a disaster from start to finish. The logo (some sort of stylized ray?) and nickname have no logical connection, and the team should have either been called "The Rowdies" from the beginning, or Tampa Bay F.C. and let the people call them "The Rowdies" on their own. And the Rowdies had better uniforms. Good riddance.

Toronto F.C.: Another team that appears to be doing it right. A normal team name, no team-created nickname, good uniforms, a full stadium even with a bad team, and great travelling support.

*Actually, it should be "Seattle F.C." and people would naturally refer to them as "The Sounders."