Will the team name affect your support?

[AndrewW]

In light of what's going on with Houston's team name, I was curious what some opinions might be regarding Toronto's pending team name. I've seen on the V's board that some are quite attached to the name Blizzard (excuse me, I just puked in my mouth).

So here it is; will the eventual team name have an impact on your level of support for the team and to what level? Plus, what would it take for you to be "offended" in terms of a name?

My take is it would take a hell of a lot to get my dander up enough to not support the team. Being that I live well west of Toronto (I mean, WELL west) and will likely only make one trip a year to see a live game (man, we gotta do something about the cost of domestic flights in Canada), I probably will have less at stake then some of the GTA fans. Plus, having not been born, raised or resided in Toronto I probably would have little sense at what would be offensive in terms of a name.

Still, to me branding is an important part of anything and I really dig soccer swag thus would love for Toronto's name, colours etc to be impresive enough that I'll invest some dosh in various products. As well, the name may also help keep me as a Toronto supporter even should the geographically much closer Vancouver (and traditional team I support) get an MLS franchise eventually.

I guess what my rambling summarized means is the naming can be important, but the existance of the team (and hopefully soon its confirmation ;) ) is much more important in terms of my support.

Sorry for the length. Look forward to some responses.

[AshfieldK]

I bet Toronto State 51 wouldn't go over so well.

[SeanKeay]

They could call it, The Toronto Pansey's


i dont care... pro soccer is in torana and im going to support it....

I Just hope we are called The Toronto Alfs

http://www.nyfa.org/nyfacurrent/71404-Alf.jpg

[Captain Canuck]

It won't affect my support, but I'm not the best person to ask. A ridiculous sounding name like Athletico Toronto, Sparta Toronto or Toronto Juventus etc. etc. along the lines of "Real Salt Lake" could cause a lot of pre-existing Toronto-area soccer fans to take the MLS product less seriously. MLSE will always be challened to get many of the "Euro-snobs" out to the games on a regular basis, but there's no need to make it more difficult for themselves by choosing a faux-European name like Real Toronto.

I would support the team if they were called the Toronto Gordon Korman Appreciation Society with the stadium called "Bruno and Boots Stadium", but I'm not so sure I'm the fan MLSE needs to worry about in this respect.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Almost certainly not. There is only one name and colour scheme I could not support for deeply ingrained visceral reasons from the old country but I'm not going to reveal what it is because there is no chance of it happening anyway. :) Still think Blizzard is the way to go because it's a name already linked with major league level soccer in Toronto that people from all cultural backgrounds could unite behind given that it is generically Canadian themed and Toronto is after all a Canadian city. None of the suggestions I've seen so far even come close so I can understand why mlsintoronto mentioned Toronto FC in another thread. Houston 1836 was asking for trouble IMO and the people who suggested it probably knew exactly what they were doing in terms of cultural politics, unfortunately.

[RealGooner]

It won't affect my support, but I'm not the best person to ask. A ridiculous sounding name like Athletico Toronto, Sparta Toronto or Toronto Juventus etc. etc. along the lines of "Real Salt Lake" could cause a lot of pre-existing Toronto-area soccer fans to take the MLS product less seriously. MLSE will always be challened to get many of the "Euro-snobs" out to the games on a regular basis, but there's no need to make it more difficult for themselves by choosing a faux-European name like Real Toronto.

I would support the team if they were called the Toronto Gordon Korman Appreciation Society with the stadium called "Bruno and Boots Stadium", but I'm not so sure I'm the fan MLSE needs to worry about in this respect.

I say...
What Captain canuck said. Don't insult my intelligence with a silly name like Raging Rhinos, and don't insult me with Bayern Toronto either and I'm game.

[Andre v2.0]

Probably not. But if they do choose some kiddie-centric name with some fuzzy Mascot to help sell the 'product', then I'll think it's just a big fat grown up version of the Lynx. With money.

But in the end it won't matter. Unless they call it the Toronto Spyroketes. And they rip-off Fluminense's kit.

[AndyMead]

Toronto 1814

[piltdownman]

They could call it, The Toronto Pansey's


i dont care... pro soccer is in torana and im going to support it....


I overhear they are considering the name Tarana non-stop-goat-ass-buggering You still a supporter? ;)

[RealGooner]

I overhear they are considering the name Tarana non-stop-goat-ass-buggering You still a supporter? ;)

Chivas fans will be offended though. They will exert pressure on MLS sponsors who will in turn force Tarana to change the team name.

[jbeall]

The Toronto Akyroyds?

(sp?)

:D

[Andre v2.0]

The Toronto Akyroyds?

(sp?)

:D

Aykroyd's from Ottawa. Or at least he's born there.

[northboys]

I don't think the name will change much for me personally. I think the biggest concern is colours/logo for me. Not in my support per se, but more towards buying team merch.

The only piece of Lynx merch that I own is a single jersey, mainly because outside of games, I would never wear the stuff.

That being said, I'll still own a jersey and seasons even if they wear purple, brown and pink striped shirts with a team called the Toronto NAMBLA's and a logo which could have been drawn by a five year old.















Well, okay, maybe not Toronto NAMBLA's ;)

[RealGooner]

I don't think the name will change much for me personally. I think the biggest concern is colours/logo for me. Not in my support per se, but more towards buying team merch.

The only piece of Lynx merch that I own is a single jersey, mainly because outside of games, I would never wear the stuff.

That being said, I'll still own a jersey and seasons even if they wear purple, brown and pink striped shirts with a team called the Toronto NAMBLA's and a logo which could have been drawn by a five year old.















Well, okay, maybe not Toronto NAMBLA's ;)

I hope not!

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

The team name is also being discussed on the TD/OSL board for what it's worth:-

http://www.osl-td.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=5180

[BoyWithTheArabStrap]

I won’t support anything “cartoonish”. Something traditional. My vote is Toronto City FC!

BoyWithTheArabStrap

[Toronto Red]

I won’t support anything “cartoonish”. Something traditional. My vote is Toronto City FC!

BoyWithTheArabStrap


CITY!!!!, CITY!!!! :) :)

Imagine driving home from work on a Wednesday , and the FAN 590 is saying, "get yourself down to see City tonite at the EX, going for first in the East against United. Kick off is at 7:30."

Cool!

(has to be SC though, even though I'd love FC to be used)

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Wouldn't be that bad as long as people didn't start using phoney Manchester accents and saying Cit-eh instead like they do over in England sometimes. Can quickly get really irritating to listen to. I'd also be concerned that some people from non-British backgrounds might feel slightly excluded. There is often an undercurrent of resentment within certain ethnic communities to the level of influence that first generation British immigrants have within Canadian soccer in my experience.

I wonder if Steve Stavro still owns the rights to the name given that he used it back in the ECPSL era in the 60s:-

http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/ecpsl.html

Sir Stanley Matthews played for Toronto City for what it's worth:-

http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesColumnists/gross_aug27.html

[Blizzard]

Wouldn't be that bad as long as people didn't start using phoney Manchester accents and saying Cit-eh instead like they do over in England sometimes. Can quickly get really irritating to listen to. I'd also be concerned that some people from non-British backgrounds might feel slightly excluded. There is often an undercurrent of resentment within certain ethnic communities to the level of influence that first generation British immigrants have within Canadian soccer in my experience.

I wonder if Steve Stavro still owns the rights to the name given that he used it back in the ECPSL era in the 60s:-

http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/ecpsl.html

Sir Stanley Matthews played for Toronto City for what it's worth:-

http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesColumnists/gross_aug27.html

.... and Harold Ballard was league commissioner while George Gross was GM of City.

I hear what you're saying re. the potential resentment of British influence that could lead to alienation of certain communties before things even get started.

That brings us back to a totally neutral word such ... perhaps ... dare I say it ... "BLIZZARD" or something like "Internationals". I really don't mind "Internationals" as much as I am (obviously) attached to "Blizzard".

As I've said before, "as long as it works". Let's not blow this.

[Toronto Red]

yeh, your probably both right, I have to stop relating footy here to back home, I also lived in Manchester for two years before coming over here.

To the point of this thread, I have been on record saying that I would not like to have to support a United or inter or AC or sporting and so on and here I am boosting a name like city. Think how many Man U fans (from wherever) would not want to support a team called city. It could be significant!!

Why don't we try to get really creative then, seriously. We have seen a lot of ideas on these pages but how many have been really thought long and hard about.

Since the colour blue is overwhelmingly popular, and to get a neutral mix of tradition, the "Toronto Blues" comes back to mind. Hasn't been too popular though!

Looking at some of the history of Toronto it is quite difficult to come up with a good name.

Toronto Traders - Relationship to the ports and the Fur Trading.
Toronto Lyon - Our first mayor was William Lyon Mackenzie!
or Toronto Lions, loosely taken from above Lyon.

Sorry guys, but I can't see Blizzard working today with DQ!!:o