Empire really is. 1. It's specific to the region. "Empire State of South" which should also be a goal of the club is to figure out how this club would be an Atlanta club and also the south's team. Empire does this probably better than any name. 2. It's not a euro name... but it's an American soccer style name in the same mold as Crew, Galaxy, Union, Dynamo, Revolution, etc.. 3. It rolls off the tongue well. Asking random people, they all seemed to favor Empire because it sounded strong and simple. Homerun! Atlanta Empire FC.
I would be fine with that. I can tell you what an empire is, although as a fan I would want to call the individual players something along the lines of a mascot, which could still be done. But it's not some lame abstract name like Magic, Heat, Burn or Clash. WTF are those supposed to be? Empire isn't some traditional mascot, but people know what an empire is thanks to Rome and Star Wars.
Power rankings... A list of what I perceive to be the top 10 most popular team names 1. Locomotive -Appears to have the insight track as #1. But has yet to lock down the spot as the naysayers are coming out now that Locomotive is getting a lot of spotlight 2t. Firebirds -falling down the list. Very popular with some but some say the name is too corny. 2t. Legion -falling down the list. Very popular with some but some say it is not specific enough for Atlanta. 4. Phoenix -has risen dramatically but will struggle to rise to first due to confusion with the Arizona city. 5. Terminus -steady at #5. Terminus is very popular with some but very unpopular with others. 6. Empire -my sleeper pick. Up until now, Empire has not been a fan favorite, but when presented, it appears to be very popular. I believe will take over #1 spot soon. 7. FC -the most polarizing name available. Will be a hit for some but might very well keep others from attending. 8. Resurgens -a surprise for me as far as popularity. 9. Atlas -this may be generous but I have noticed that when presented, Atlas is a popular pick. 10. Athletic -athletic has not been a top choice but it is a name that gets consideration as a generic name that would work. Others receiving votes: Olympic, Inter, Apollo, Chiefs, Centennial, Alliance
My bet is that the picks will come between: Phoenix, Empire, and Locomotive. And people have to know that is unbiased because of how much I love Legion... But I think Legion will lose out because of the fan club, Terminus Legion. Phoenix will sneak in the top 3, and will be given a lot of consideration but ultimately lose out to the battle between Locomotive and Empire
I actually kinda surprised myself with how much I like "Resurgens." But it's definitely one where it'd have to go before the city name instead of after. Resurgens Atlanta sounds cool. Atlanta Resurgens sounds like you're trying to pluralize an English word that nobody knows (and in fact doesn't exist). It's probably in my top three, with Phoenix and Locomotive.
Perception based on frequency of times I've seen a name mentioned and in consideration with negative remarks about it. While it is my perception, I did try to stay as unbiased as possible. For what it's worth, I do not like Terminus, Firebirds, and Resurgens, and loathe FC. I haven't seen any polls worth anything.. So I am trying to get at least a perceived top ten and people can argue with who they think have been the most popular names discussed. Of note, Olympic and Chiefs were close cuts but didn't make the list because many have mentioned that the team name would be a legal issue. Although, I personally disagree with th reason, Dixie was knocked out of discussion because of people's complaints about racism (please no comments; I do not want to derail thread and am attempting to tread lightly).... I gladly welcome being challenged on the rankings and the validity of their placement. But I want to begin to have a visual of where these names rank up.
I'm really starting to like Empire. Not only is it very specific about Atlanta... But it is in the same mold as United and Wanderers. By calling the team, Empire, we are claiming that we are the team of the south and that Atlanta is its capital... And this is our Empire. There are some other good names, but this is a pretty big middle finger to the rest of the country to say that we are in your face and we have come to divide and conquer. Atlanta Empire FC "team of the south" Ps... There is a certain tingle when you hear: "who are you?" "we're the Empire"
I'm with you on this. It's clean and classic. Although , I think Blank would go with Atlanta Empire S.C. if anything since the Falcons are the football team.
I think Atlanta Empire is along the lines of Union, Crew, Impact, Galaxy, United. Stress on unity or power, no clear brand. It doesn't really stand out, imo. I'm not a big fan of such names. I would prefer a clear strong brand that stands out compared to other MLS brands. But it wouldn't be a controversial name, like Atlanta Phoenix (because of AZ connection) or Atlanta Locomotive (because of Soviet connection) would be. Few people would hate it, I think the vast majority would either like it or would be neutral like me. So I could see it happening. I'm not sure how they plan to choose a name exactly, but I suspect it won't be a simple popularity contest among people who already care. They will study what the average Joe on the street thinks about it. Some of these options will receive a lot of negative first impressions, and that will be their downfall. For instance, I love Atlanta Phoenix right now after some getting used to, but it took me a while. Atlanta Empire is like trevor_daniles says, 'clean', and that might be the deciding advantage in the process.
You want a name that rolls off the tongue easy, that's catchy, and that makes sense. Atlanta should follow the lead of Seattle (Sounders) and Portland (Timbers). Names that are centric to the city, and that are simplistic in nature. Not some fancy European name, or some cryptic name that will take all day to explain the meaning. Keep it simple. 1. Locomotive - makes sense, but it sounds corny. It's not a formidable name. 2. Firebirds - makes sense too. But it won't work, because of the Chicago Fire MLS team. 3. Legion - I agree it sounds good. Atlanta Legion rolls off the tongue, but it has no ties to Atlanta. 4. Phoenix - Spell it "Phenix", and it might work. Otherwise people will be thinking about Phoenix, AZ. 5. Terminus - you can't have a nickname where it takes a half hour to explain what it means. 6. Empire - naming a team "Empire" is like dooming it to fail. It's a running joke if the team sucks. 7. FC - too European. 8. Resurgens - it makes sense, but again you'll have to explain to people what it means. Even to some Atlantans. 9. Atlas - that name is taken. 10. Athletic - too European. 11. Chiefs - Indian names are losing popularity. Plus there's already the Kansas City Chiefs. Here are my ideas: Atlanta Blaze - references the burning of Atlanta. Could also reference a phoenix. Atlanta Phenix - don't spell it with an "o", because you don't want confusion with Phoenix, AZ Atlanta Surge - references the "resurgens" motto, and surge means "to rise". Ala like a Phoenix. This could also reference taking flight.
No thanks. Surge was what I drank in middle school that was probably crack... blaze is terrible.,. Phenix is poor branding. Those names sound like Wiz, Clash, and burn
'Atlanta Hearts' is my new crush. It's simple, short, memorable. It's easy to build a distinctive brand and logo around it, it would stand out in MLS. The name wouldn't have to be explained to fans, but at the same time it's easy to see symbolic meaning. Atlanta's role in the South, team values (heart, effort). I guess some fans might not like the Heart of Midlothian connection. It's maybe not cool to use the same name as a mediocre Euro club, especially one that's received a lot of negative press lately. But I think most fans don't know about those Hearts and will never make that connection. And considering where Scottish football is going (and Hearts in particular), I think the Atlanta Hearts would almost instantly become the biggest, strongest and best known Hearts club and they would own that brand.
Congrats on winning Worst Idea April 2014. There were some really crappy ideas out there, but you pulled out the victory. Your prize is that you will be forced to root for the Austin Aztex.
Atlanta Feniks? http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feniks Atlanta Phönix? http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phönix_(Mythologie) Atlanta Főnix? http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Főnix Atlanta ಫೀನಿಕ್ಸ್ ಪಕ್ಷಿ? http://kn.wikipedia.org/wiki/ಫೀನಿಕ್ಸ್_ಪಕ್ಷಿ
I'd take Atlanta Surge... Or booger eaters... Over Atlanta FC. Still, Legion, Locomotive, Phoenix, and Empire are my favorites. I'd be ok with any of those names. And, yes, I'd root for the Firebirds, but I would have wished for a different name. That meaning that there is not going to be a name that every fan loves. But like Blank said, hopefully more than one person can agree on it.
I'd take Atlanta FC over Firebirds, Resurgens, Resurgence, over a lot of names. People would mostly just refer to the team as Atlanta. That's better than a bad name, imo. I'd prefer a good name, though.
I'm still shamelessly promoting the name based on the airport code, later made famous in many a popular song: ATL Soccer Club. The badge can feature an irritated bird rising out of the flames, with motto "Resurgens" in flowing script at the bottom, etc.