City Name?

[nuss18]

i dont see any reason why the city name should be include in the team name. I may be ignorant to many valid reasons, so please fill me in. I like Forest City, and whoever said the orange and white home kit and the all dark green away kit, you should be named president, i love your idea

[MLS3]

Originally posted by nuss18
i dont see any reason why the city name should be include in the team name. I may be ignorant to many valid reasons, so please fill me in. I like Forest City, and whoever said the orange and white home kit and the all dark green away kit, you should be named president, i love your idea

Because this is america? and cities are represented...

[Stilger]

You always put the teams home city in the name to show respect for your fans and demonstrate that this is the area you are representing. This is why fans sometimes complain when teams are named Florida, Arizona, Golden State etc.

I really don't know how the European tradition started, but it needs to stay over there.

[USKiwi]

How many European teams don't have their location in their name? TNS, from Wales, is the only one I can think of, and that's a recent name change.

[Crewmudgeon]

So when Stein gets his stadium in Summit Co. the team should be called the Akron . . . ?

[Dave Brull]

Well, the whole Akron/Rubber connection opens up a slew of before unthought of names.

[Stilger]

Originally posted by Crewmudgeon
So when Stein gets his stadium in Summit Co. the team should be called the Akron . . . ?

They should be named for the metro area they are from. So if Akron is part of the Cleveland MA then they should be Cleveland. Otherwise the Akron Whatevers. JMO

[MiamiAce]

All I know is that the team should have Brown and Orange as their colors. That will really get the people of Cleveland to support the team.

As for the name: Cleveland Cleavage.
Miami had an arena football team called Miami Hooters. Actually... I don't think it worked out so well, so nevermind. Well just as long as the name is NOT so cartoonish nor redundant like some of those new NBA and NHL teams. (ie: Bobcats, Coyotes, other large cats and birds, natural disasters). Please none of that again.

How about Cleveland Clan? It would make for an ultra-rivalry with Columbus Crew. Other suggestion that relate to the city: Cleveland Highlanders, Cleveland Tribe, Cleveland Northeasters.

[Crewmudgeon]

Originally posted by MiamiAce
How about Cleveland Clan?

Welcome to Big Soccer, check your brain at the door!

[Joe Stoker]

LOL! I trust Miami Ace's suggestion (Clan) is in pure innocence, since most of us around Akron & Cleveland are aware of a different sort of Klan that operated out of the Lodi OH area (home of the Grand Kleegle Himself) for generations. It's a matter of semantics, of course, but, I must agree... I don't think 'Clan' would go over too well with the locals. Nice try, though, Ace.

Back to nuss 18's original statement questioning the reason for city names for US teams. I suspect, in smaller countries a great number of their pro teams are all located in the few major cities that country has... such as the multiplicity of teams in and around London. Thus the distinctive names such as Arsenal, Crystal Palace, et al. This, in comparison to the geographic size and greater number of major cities of the US. Until pro soccer's popularity is such here that there are multiple pro teams in LA, NY, or anywhere else in the US, I would suppose team owners would prefer the city name included for media and marketing purposes among the uninitiated. The Syracuse A-League outfit has something plausible along your line of thinking, though. Although they are known among the mainstream press and general public as the Salty Dogs, their official monicker is "Syracuse F.C.".
Likewise, it's been mentioned here that "Forest City F.C." (or "S.C.") would be a fine official name for a Cleveland team, but like Syracuse, they would adopt an American-user-friendly nickname such as Cleveland Stokers or Bulldogs. Twice the marketing potential: You'd certainly want a "Stoker" t-shirt as well as a "Cleveland F.C." golf shirt or blazer, now, wouldn't you?

[MiamiAce]

Whats the deal with "Forest City"? Can someone enlighten me please. For someone like myself who's never been anywhere in Ohio, it appears to me that this would be referenced for a town that has pure forest regions around town... so is this the case? I don't know what to really think of it: 1) in some ways, I like it because its unique and it sounds prestigious, but 2) its not definitive and could lack contructive placement for one who is just converting to the MLS. For example, I remember when I first started watching EPL when I was younger, I had no idea what to make of the team names without reference to a city. In effect, it indirectly made me not interested in learning about those teams because I didn't know who the team was representing. Obviously after much time researching, I was able to understand that ie: Everton was an old small suburb of Liverpool, Arsenal is representing north London, Chelsea and Fulham are small west London sections, etc. But even so, as a youngster who was use to American pro teams' names, it was weird. But regardless, I would say go for it. The MLS could definitely use some variation in team names to stand out then all these lacrosse, NHL, NBA, WNBA, MISL, an all the other cartoonish pre-formatted team name leagues.

Anyways, I have no idea what clan you guys are talking about when I mentioned the name suggestion. KKK, Masonry, whatever, it doesn't matter. What about my other suggestion: Cleveland Highlanders (I like this one), Cleveland Tribe? Cleveland Bulldogs sounds too similar to the Browns, but then again Tribe sounds too close to Cleveland Indians. And 'stoker' doesn't appeal at all to me. I seriously doubt the average person will even know what it means.

[Joe Stoker]

Ace, the average Clevelander with some sense of local history would relate "Stokers" to the city's significance as both a major shipping/shipbuilding and railroad center. Steam was what made things move for the better part of two centuries, and somebody had to "stoke" those engines, furnaces, and boilers.

As luck would have it, when Cleveland was in the United Soccer Association in '67, they were represented by Stoke City Potters of England. They did us proud that summer. The following year, upon entering the NASL, Cleveland signed on Stoke keeper Paul Shardlow. He wound up among the league leaders and logged more minutes in doing so than about any other keeper that year. Sadly, Shardlow collapsed and died on the Stoke practise field in early 1969.

Cleveland has always carried the title "The Forest City" since the place was founded. Ohio was thick with forests two centuries ago. The area Metropark system has preserved what is referred to as "the Emerald Necklace" of forest areas surrounding Cleveland's southern borders. I'm beginning to sound like a Visitor's Bureau employee.

Cleveland's earliest major league baseball teams were named "Forest Cities", as in Forest City Club of Cleveland. So there would indeed be a neat & significant corporate title for a new soccer team. "Foresters" was one of the finalists among nicknames for the present NBA Cavaliers.

This isn't a great place to discuss NE Ohio's ties to the KKK (strong until the Depression), but I will say that the majority of the Scottish Clans turned south at Pittsburgh when settling, and never made it to Cleveland. "Highlanders" sounds good should High Point or Hendersonville NC ever get a team, don'tcha think? Unless you see it spelled, "Clan" will either get you a snicker or a brick through your windshield anywhere north or west of Florida.

Crewmudgeon is big on "Bulldogs", which has much sporting significance around here. Both the Canton Bulldogs and Cleveland Bulldogs won NFL championships 'way back when. If the Browns would buy into an MLS franchise (once the current comedy closes), "Bulldogs" decked in brown & orange stripes would IMO be a natural.

There's your enlightenment on the subjects. Appreciated your sharing the EPL name origins. That's what makes this place fun. Always something new to learn from soccer's rich history and things related.

[BulaJacket]

Originally posted by MiamiAce
.....but 2) its not definitive and could lack contructive placement for one who is just converting to the MLS. For example, I remember when I first started watching EPL when I was younger, I had no idea what to make of the team names without reference to a city. In effect, it indirectly made me not interested in learning about those teams because I didn't know who the team was representing. Obviously after much time researching, I was able to understand that ie: Everton was an old small suburb of Liverpool, Arsenal is representing north London, Chelsea and Fulham are small west London sections, etc. But even so, as a youngster who was use to American pro teams' names, it was weird.
.....
ok, I really do not agree with some of your posts on this board (Cleveland) and I'll address another one of your posts in a sec, but this is an excellent post and one that should be referenced when debating the SanDiego/Chivas/USA/MLS naming arguments. It is exact in my sentiments for attracting newcomers to soccer, especially since I, myself, wasn't a huge soccer fan until a few years ago.

[Stilger]

Originally posted by MiamiAce
Whats the deal with "Forest City"? Can someone enlighten me please. For someone like myself who's never been anywhere in Ohio, it appears to me that this would be referenced for a town that has pure forest regions around town... so is this the case? I don't know what to really think of it: 1) in some ways, I like it because its unique and it sounds prestigious,*snip good post*

But even so, as a youngster who was use to American pro teams' names, it was weird. But regardless, I would say go for it. The MLS could definitely use some variation in team names to stand out then all these lacrosse, NHL, NBA, WNBA, MISL, an all the other cartoonish pre-formatted team name leagues.

I was about to reply to your post in another thread but didn't because my statement would have been rude. I'm glad I didn't, because this post makes it clear I didn't understand where you were coming from and I would have made an ass of myself.

To sum up what I was going to say, but nicely, "prestigious" is a subjective term. I don't consider names like Manchester United prestigious, I think they ring like bad college names (USC, Notre Dame etc) that lack any real character. I do think names like "Cityname" Yankees, Dodgers, Raiders and Lions are prestigious because, along with their history, they create a positive identity that generic sounding names like LA City FC would just lack. But as I said, this is all subjective.

Originally posted by MiamiAce

What about my other suggestion: Cleveland Highlanders (I like this one), Cleveland Tribe? Cleveland Bulldogs sounds too similar to the Browns, but then again Tribe sounds too close to Cleveland Indians. And 'stoker' doesn't appeal at all to me. I seriously doubt the average person will even know what it means.

We agree fully here. If it were me the team would be called the Bulldogs and the debate would stop now, but I also like Highlanders (even if there is no local connection). Names like stokers and steamers just sound really odd and bush league to me.

[BulaJacket]

Originally posted by Stilger
To some up what I was going to say, but nicely, "prestigious" is a subjective term. I don't consider names like Manchester United prestigious, I think they ring like bad college names (USC, Notre Dame etc) that lack any real character. I do think names like "Cityname" Yankees, Dodgers, Raiders and Lions are prestigious because, along with their history, they create a positive identity that generic sounding names like LA City FC would just lack. But as I said, this is all subjective.

Another excellent point in regards to "CityName Moniker" format, although I do think College/European names come with their own brand/level of "prestige." But as you said, it is subjective. And to be "one of those people," it is the American way, and MLS wants to become American mainstream

We agree fully here. If it were me the team would be called the Bulldogs and the debate would stop now, but I also like Highlanders (even if there is no local connection). Names like stokers and steamers just sound really odd and bush league to me.

Another point on the Bulldogs, MiamiAce: the instant connection that non-soccer fanatic Clevelanders could have to this name with the right colorset can't be understated IMO. The Browns are THE team in the area.

OT: excellent post Joe.