MLS Rumors has done some excellent sleuthing and discovered the finalists for the name of the new Seattle MLS club. And, they are all luh-ame.
Today while continuing our long look into the MLS expansion name game, particularly Seattle's name, MLSR has learned that the Seattle expansion club name will be one of the following: Seattle FC, Seattle Alliance or Seattle Republic.
Seattle FC is passable but really is not accurate since all MLS clubs are owned by the same entity. The other two sound like either a neighborhood activist group or some sort of secessionist group. Many of the traditional American sports teams names are really bad (Raptors, Redskins, Heat, Real Salt Lake), but just because soccer is a niche sport that is highly popular in Europe doesn't mean it has to have a Euro-style club name. It comes across as incredibly snobbish and arrogant to a potentially receptive American audience. I'd suggest something like the Seattle Sucks or Seattle Circuit Boards. Or, just maybe, they could go with the Seattle Sounders, a name that has been around and has built up capital.
The club will let fans decide the club name through online voting.
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3 comments:
Raptors is a bad traditional American sports name? You mean like the Toronto Raptors? Like the Toronto,Canada Raptors?
Real Salt Lake seems to make this list, but only because its a newer club. Really most of the MLS names are neither good or authentic. Adding "FC" to a team name indicates futbol club, which is decidedly not American. We use the term soccer, not futbol here. "United" is also very much European, but for some reason we pick on "Real", which is at least a bit unique.
And while we are on the topic, please list the requirements of what does make a "good" American team name.
Wait, are they starting an alternative weekly newspaper or a fucking soccer team?
@realslfan:
you have a point about the Raptors, although I would argue that the NBA, while having a team in Canada, is truly an American league. plus, Canada isn't really a country...it's just a place where people say they will go when they are unhappy with the US gov't.
by traditional American name I mean something imposing sounding or relevant to the area in which the team is located. For example, the Bears, Raiders, Bulls or Patriots. Names like the Jazz or Lakers are alright except that the teams moved from the place that the name was derived.
"Real" is unique. I guess you've never heard of Real Madrid, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Real Zaragoza. It's unique to Spain and also has relevance to Spain because the royal family deigned its presence on the club or something like that. It has no relevance to the US.
Quite frankly, I like names that are relevant to the team's region. What I don't like is trying to be or sound like a "European" squad. It seems elitist, snobby, and off-putting.
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