I get it. It without a doubt is the most boring name they could have gone with, but it's also the safest name they could have gone with. Whether we like it or not, it clearly seems like this is the route most new MLS franchises are taking. And I agree with those that argue it was pointless to do some big buildup only to choose the most boring name there was. I do think the team was put in a bad spot due to the pandemic. Teams like to look at as their brand reveal as one of their best opportunities to generate initial excitement. Due to COVID, the team couldn't really do any public community events to unveil the team name. So perhaps the big social media buildup was still a way to generate buzz and excitement. Of course, my sample size is small, but I never talked to anyone who was overly enthusiastic about Charlotte Gliders, Charlotte Crown, Charlotte Monarchs, etc. Whether we like it or not, most of the supporters that will begin following the team got into soccer by following European teams. Personally I was a Liverpool supporter. When you spend years watching "Liverpool FC" play "Manchester United" you grow accustomed to those sorts of names for soccer clubs. I think that's why so many, including myself, felt so comfortable with a simple name like Charlotte FC. Personally, I was cheering for any of Charlotte FC, Charlotte Athletic FC, or Charlotte Town FC. The main point I am getting at is that I think they would have gotten criticized even more heavily if the had gone with one of the options that was more American sounding. Truly, it does suck that this reveal wasn't able to bring in someone like you. You are one of the best users on this website, and for years you're one of the ones that has kept me coming around because you are deeply insightful into the USMNT player pool. You would be a huge asset to the fanbase. I still hope the club does something to win over your allegiances.
Thanks for the kind words and great insight. And, I get your point. I add that I do think this is just the direction of MLS. For the most part, we had to all just accept it. Personally, I have always enjoyed the sport of soccer because I enjoyed playing so much as a kid. Not because I was a fan of this *best I can say it* political push to one side of the spectrum. It was just a game. And it was a great unifier. More and more, it seems though it’s about catering to one side of the fan base. Back in the day, these were called “Eurosnobs”, and yet, it seems like the fan groups who believed in American exceptionalism have been more or less left into the dust. Nevertheless, any casual observer can witness that today, MLS is radically on one side of the political spectrum. For me, that’s always been a turnoff for the sport. Maybe it’s because I’ve always heard the jabs about soccer being a “commie sport” and tried to defend against that - saying it’s just a sport. For me, sports was an outlet from politics. But all things have become so polarized in our society that they tend to be seen as either extremely one way or the other. In this case, it seems Charlotte is making their statement on what side they’re on. Maybe that’s good? For many, I imagine so. But for people like me, who don’t buy into that cup of the, it’s a point of disgust. To me, the middle ground is a name, like Athletic, because it tailors to both audiences. Or, even, a name like Crown, which sounds like it would fit in with the soccer naming convention, without going overboard, such as Gliders. In a sense, it’s either originality versus status quo. Personally, I wanted something with some originality. More so, I wanted to just see a different type of brand in this league... something that says this team’s culture is different than that team’s culture. More importantly, I wanted something that would be good enough to not just be someone’s wannabe little brother by overseas fans. But in the end, it is about fulfilling that status quo. It is what it is. I’d say for me, one of the fans who lives smack between two clubs, and who can easily sway on either side of the fence... I went through this with Atlanta, and I ended up supporting them. They made a lot of other right moves, mainly everything done on the field and in the stands, and even though I think Five Stripes is a dorky nickname, it’s still a nickname that I can call them. So, if Charlotte does those right things, and the world returns back to normal - hopefully, I will continue to hedge my loyalty between the two teams, with a slight favoritism towards Atlanta at the moment. Now, my daughter has no interest in attending games, but if I ever found myself in a position where I had another child, and he/she wanted to go to the games, that would probably swing me towards Charlotte, since I’m much more likely to travel to Charlotte than Atlanta. Where I’m at now, I’ll probably go to about 2 games a season to each and watch the rest at my home. I might buy both merchandise. And I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if I ever catch myself rooting more for Charlotte than for Atlanta.
In the short way of saying that, I was kind of hoping for a friendly version of something like the Rangers/Celtic divide here in SC. Some fans would choose Atlanta because it’s the big, sexy global city that has its Latin flavor and it’s big name signings. And I was hoping Charlotte would be seen as more the homegrown, more regionally oriented, we play our kids, and we are proud to be different.