MLS In Minnesota Is Great, But They Have To Change The Name Of The Team

With lengthy breaks in the middle.

 

Um, D.C. United is just the name of the team and the team's nickname is "the Black and Red." Similarly, Manchester United is just the name of the team and the team nickname is "the Red Devils." Likewise, West Ham(mersmith) United is the name of the team and the team nickname is "the Hammers."

 

Got it.

 

Aside from our TV announcer Dave Johnson "Black and Red" is nearly never used. Nicknames are a euro practice that probably will not take hold in the U.S., at least in terms of use by the media. As for the Pacific Northwest teams' names dating to 1974, the only way to obtain an iconic name is to pick something that probably seems stupid at the time and hang on to it for a while.

It would be interesting to focus group team names with the more casual fans that we need if TV rating are ever to significantly improve. Maybe they would be fine with endless matchups between teams named "FC" and "United." But those unique (if a little goofy) Cascadia names, along with rabidly enthusiastic game day fans, seem result in pretty strong branding.

 

I love "Sounders", "Whitecaps" and "Timbers". I'm not keen on most of the other Americanized names but I wish they'd stop aping British ones.

 

Vikes, Pack, Da Bears, Brownies, Stillers, G-Men, Pats, Hawks, Skins, Iggles, Jags, Phins/Fins, Bucs, Boys, Bolts, and Niners.

Or the Bronx Bombers. Or the Tribe. Then you have the nicknames that become names. The Phillies, the Pirates, the Sixers, the Knicks, the Sonics, etc.

Sure, they're variations of the non-city/club part of the name, but they are widely used and widely known. Nobody who hears 'Vikes' when discussing sports is going to question which team you're talking about. Or, colloquially, the Twinkies referencing the Twins.

American clubs have tried to institutionalize the nickname into the name. But that just derives even further nicknames by fans and media. Especially when the names are long. Even some of the names are shortened before they start. Rays and T-Wolves, or D-Backs, or Mets (Metropolitans) or Cosmos (Cosmopolitans). Some official, some just spawned by the fans immediately.

 

That would be a surprise to many supporters of D.C. United; namely, the Black and Red United website, the Screaming Eagles and many others. Our local newspaper of record, the Washington Post, when it carries MLS standings, refers to teams with traditional team names simply by the geographic name of the cities in which they are located and teams with Euro-centric names appropriately as D.C. United, Sporting K.C., Real Salt Lake, Toronto F.C., Orlando City S.C., New York City F.C.,and F.C. Dallas.

There is no confusion and, frankly, it doesn't make much difference to fans.

 

Maybe they should change the names of New York City, Kansas City and Salt Lake City so people don't get them confused.

 

Every team should be called either Bulldogs or Tigers. See: easy.

 

It's pretty pointless to argue with other DCU fans who are fine with two MLS expansion teams also named United. It just seems strange that at a time when branding is considered so important in pro sports, the position is advanced that names don't matter. And colors, logos, etc. are also in themselves meaningless. But together they comprise an identity that should be somewhat distinctive. I suppose the Atlanta and Minnesota owners know what they are doing. I've always thought "United" was a decent enough name, but remain perplexed as to why two new owners find it irresistible.

 

Probably because it has something to do with tradition. That's why Kevin Payne rejected the Nike skateboard-kid inspired name "Washington Spies" and insisted on simple, tradition-infused colors and uniforms.

 

I have to admit, this post is more entertaining than anything I've posted recently. And it got me to look up something I've been meaning to for a long time. When I was a kid the Washington Senators were still in DC, and I remember they were often called the Nats. Why? I knew that the Senators moved to Minnesota for the 1961 season and became the Minnesota Twins, and shortly after were replaced with a new Senators team. What I didn't know was that although commonly known as the Senators, the team was officially the Washington Nationals from 1905 to 1956, although few persons used that name, except as part of the nickname "Nats", which was often applied to the team right up until they moved to Texas. That's a name/nickname story that rivals anything from the euro leagues.

Imagine any team voluntarily using the name "Senators" these days....

 

You mean like the Ottawa Senators (NHL)? Or Binghamton Senators (AHL)? Or Harrisburg Senators (AA baseball)?

 

Why would you say West Ham(mersmith) United?

West Ham has nothing whatsoever to do with Hammersmith (in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham) in West London.
West Ham is named after the West Ham neighborhood in London Borough of Newham in East London.

Hammersmith and West Ham are well over an hour apart from each other on opposite ends of London.

 

Since West Ham Uniteds' nickname is "the Hammers" I assumed that the two were related. Perhaps, WHU started out in Hammersmith and moved across town. Otherwise, how did they get the nickname?

 

They were founded as Thames Ironworks and play in East Ham. They're known as The Irons and The Hammers.


Oh and the castle is for Old Castle Swifts, a predecessor of the Thames Ironworks, which was named for the Castle-Union shipping company.

 

Not me! I wouldn't mind if those miserable bastards froze to death!

 

I always like seeing how Europeans chant at basketball and hockey matches every bit as much as they do footie. Imagine FC Porto fans chanting at competitive fishing.......

I'm just surprised not to see that this entire highlight wasn't Barca players taking phantom charges the entire time...

 

Can't believe DC didn't bring back "Diplomats" aka "Dips" from the early 70s NASL days.

Always loved listening to Mississippi State v Georgia games on the radio. State's announcer Jack Cristil would clarify things near the beginning of his broadcast, "When I'm speaking of Mississippi State, I'll refer to them as 'State' or 'the Bulldogs'. When I'm speaking of Georgia, I'll use 'Georgia' or maybe 'the red clay Bulldogs'."

 

MLS didn't want anything to do with NASL when it was formed and by the time the stink of NASL had worn off MLS, DC United was already associated with a successful MLS club, so the switch to the NASL name wasn't necessary.

 

Should have used a sarcasm font. I was a Diplomats fan, but "Dips" was a pretty horrible nickname. Even worse when they put "DIPS" on their jerseys.

 

There's been a Minnesota Lightning and a Minnesota Thunder, how about The Minnesota Clap?

 

Can't wait to see their rivalry trophy with the Dallas Burn

 

Even better if FC Dallas changes their name to Soccer Team Dallas.