Vancouver USL were the 86ers, who began two years after the NASL Caps died. The second Portland Timbers began as FC Portland, three years after the NASL death, but going dormant 11 years before the USL incarnation. Seattle also had an 11 year gap, from NASL to A-League. San Jose Earthquakes, by comparison, went quiet from 1988 to 2000, not counting several years as the Clash (which we do). It's a patchwork for us all.
FIRE do the same with Chicago Sting, at least we use to. In 1999 we had Chicago Sting jersey ' s (15 year anniversary of the 1984 championship) and in 2001 (20 year anniversary of the 1981 championship).
You cant ignore the lineage that continued on from the NASL Sounders to FC Seattle Storm. Look at the coaches. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Storm_(soccer)#Ownership_.26_Staff Tommy Jenkins, played for the Sounders Bruce Rioch, played for the Sounders Jimmy Gabriel, played for the Sounders Then you have players who played in numerous teams in Seattle. Like Chance Fry, Bernie James and Billy Crook who played for the NASL Sounders, FC Seattle Storm, and the USL/A-League Sounders. Then someone like Brian Schmetzer who played with NASL Sounders, FC Seattle Storm, and A-League Sounders then went on to manage the A-league/USL Sounders and is now the top assistant coach for the MLS Sounders. You have other players who played with two of the teams but not all three, like NASL Sounders and FC Seattle Storm or FC Seattle Storm and A-league/USL Sounders. You have the few players who continued on from USL to MLS. You have the same GM and owner in Adrian Hanauer. Numerous staff members, same training facilities. Play in the same stadium as before. You have the Henderson brothers. Chris played for the Storm before his college and MLS career. He is now the technical director for the Sounders. His brother Sean played for the A-league/USL Sounders. There are still numerous former Sounders around doing media for the current team as well. Radio, TV, etc. This is what I was referring to with respect to a lineage. There can be gaps where a team name doesn't exist, but you can still see a clear continuation of the personnel, tradition and history between teams.
To me, the "F" part of "FC" is the problem, not the "C". If the local population/fans/media call the sport "soccer" than "soccer club" or "SC" is fine. We use the term "club" for our sports teams in America; there's no problem with using the term "club" to describe an MLS team even if the setup is different than in Europe.
If clubs in the Netherlands can be FC rather than VC, and clubs in Italy can be FC rather than CC, clubs in the United States can be FC rather than SC. It's an internationally-understood abbreviation, and that's why it's used.
Nay, but not because we don't view 74 as our 'birth' year. It just is not necessary on our logo, at least IMHO.
But why is FC (or SC) even necessary? We're all well aware that the Sounders are a soccer team. Or the Whitecaps, etc. It seems so redundant. I mean, we don't say Chicago Cubs BC. (Excuse any ignorance - I'm a new MLS fan.)
The NFL's Cardinals have a very large banner in their stadium reading "Arizona Cardinals Football Club"
It's not necessary, hence the reason that not everybody does it. It is, however, a convenient branding element that is understood across cultures and languages. Label something "_______ FC" and it's obvious what it is, regardless of whether the blank is filled by the name of a world-famous city or some foreign language words that you can't even pronounce. We are aware. Is everybody aware? In the cases of Seattle/Portland/Vancouver, I believe that the FC was also added to create some distinction, however small, between the names of the new MLS franchises and their predecessor organizations.
Perhaps those of you who dislike MLS franchises using "FC" would like something sexier like the original name of the NFL's New York Giants, "New York National League Football Company, Inc." or their current official name, "New York Football Giants, Inc." Introducing Dallas Major League Soccer Company, Inc.! Oh the melodious chants and songs that will flow from the north end of the stadium now that we have a correct name!
The Cubs were founded as the Chicago Base Ball Club .... and the Chicago National League Ball Club is the earliest formed active professional sports club in north america.
You make some good points. In my opinion though, it just seems very inconsistent and sloppy. But as I mentioned before, I'm a new fan. I've never had any interest in Premier League, but I like Major League because I live in the U.S. Having an abbreviation of the sport as part of a team's branding is very unusual to me.
I guess that doesn't bother me because it's not a part of their branding. They are simply called the New York Giants. I suppose the Chicago Fire is similar. Their full name includes "Soccer Club", but they are branded as just the Chicago Fire. It all doesn't really matter I guess... just something I see as an oddity.
What exactly is the "tradition" that was carried over from the 1984 Seattle Sounders to the 1994 Sounders? The MLS Sounders may have the strongest connection to an NASL team of any of the current clubs (although Vancouver has a strong claim) - but there's a very clear discontinuity between the collapse of the 1984 Sounders and the creation of the 1994 USL Sounders. Any MLS or NASL2 team claiming an affiliation with a historic soccer team is doing it for marketing purposes. US soccer history is extraordinarily fragmented.
Welcome to Bigsoccer and MLS I agree that it's not necessary to have FC or even SC. It looks like the North American clubs who do it are trying to seem more legitimate by using that European model of naming. Just like the clubs who claim a long history even when none exists.
I don't hear most people refer to the Sounders as Sounders FC. Same thing with Portland or Vancouver. The only team you hear it from usually is FC Dallas, or any other team where the initials come first, even in Europe.
To quote the great Bill Shankly; I feel with the case of the Earthquakes and the PNW clubs, the last part of the triangle, the supporters, has been the bridge that has linked the NASL teams to the MLS teams. But, there are also other tentacles that have tied the two together. For instance, with SJ, you had Johnny Moore the NASL SJ player who became a MLS SJ General Manager. Crazy George leading the cheers at Spartan in the NASL days, and then making appearances at Buck Shaw. In Seattle, Adrian Hanauer supported the NASL Sounders as a kid and became a Sounder USL and MLS owner (and GM). Brian Schmetzer from NASL player to USL Coach to Asst. Coach. in MLS
Using FC is correct in the US since it falls under FOOTBALL which is a huge umbrella of sports: All are FOOTBALL- American, Aussie Rules, Assocations, Canadian, Gallic, Rugby (Union/League/7s)...etc
This whole subject drives me nuts as a Revs supporter. Foxborough is closer to Providence than Boston and about as far from Fall River and New Bedford -- in other words, it's on the northern edge of one of the deepest wells of soccer history in the country, on par with Kearney NJ and Bethlehem PA. You'd never know. If the club had any sense of *anything* the club badge would be the New England Lone Pine above 2 crossed muskets.