MLS and Americanized Team Names vs. Int'l Leagues and Team names

http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/changing-the-team-names.2007827/

 

Ah yes, the whole "A 20 year name doesn't have history like the European names do!" discussion is back. I'm sure the European fans had similar debates in 1915...

 

YAWN

 

I just found out what guacamole means , Guaca = Avocado and Mole = Sauce, so.... avocado sauce.

 

Ah yes another person who thinks american soccer teams shouldn't use american sports names. Let's face it euro names are boring and dull. It won't make the teams seem any more legit or real then they already are. Teams that use euro knock of names just seem like they put no effort in naming the team.

 

Fargo Wednesday. Love it.

 

really? never thought of that, some call avocados "aguacates" also but very interesting.

 

I'll bite. Having spent a few years in automotive marketing, the value of a name and its reputation are drilled into my mind. Cadillac Escalade means something. Honda Accord, Ford Mustang, Toyota Corolla. The nameplates have meaning even if the car has been completely redesigned. Names are retained unless the public perception is overwhelmingly negative. Purchasing a car is quite different from buying a soccer team's tickets or merchandise, but they are both emotionally charged in ways grocery shopping isn't.

Four of the original ten MLS teams have changed names and each had substantial reasons. New York/New Jersey MetroStars and Kansas City Wiz were the worst of the ten, and it made sense that KC switched to 'Wizards' after the inaugural season. That was certainly a good time to do so, and the MetroStars dropping NY/NJ after two seasons made sense in the same way. I don't know how many people agree, but I abstractly prefer 'Red Bulls' to MetroStars. Even so, the name change was part of a broader identity change following the team's sale to the current owners.

Nike preferred 'Clash,' but the 'Earthquakes' name still had a lot of brand equity in the market; fourteen years was a long time for an American soccer team to exist pre-MLS. After four years of suck both on and off the field, going back to an established name made sense. Today, that name has been used for a total of over thirty seasons. It's value is blue sky, but definitely real.

Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas rebranded in concert with moving into a new location as well as years of poor play. For SKC, it also was part of new ownership. The name change was like Chevrolet abandoning 'Aveo' for 'Sonic.' The new names are bland, but public sentiment about the teams had become so poor the names were synonymous with below-average performance and poor fan experience that it actively worked against the clubs.

Houston changed names faster than SKC, before playing a game. 'Houston 1836' generated negative emotions from some Mexican-Americans, and even though I like it and think it could have outgrown that impression over time, it was an obstacle the team didn't need to make for itself. Instead, team management wisely chose a name that did not create negative impressions among potential fans, and like San Jose, had history in the market.

And finally, a team which hasn't changed its name. Real Salt Lake. It was a terrible name. Probably the third or fourth worst name MLS has seen in its 20 seasons, and that's a low bar. Dave Checketts sought public input about the name, and his favorite was repeatedly the least-liked of the bunch. Nevertheless, he was the one with the money, so he chose it anyway. We wanted soccer in Utah, and a name was a price fans were eager to pay. After several poor years, the team went on a run late in '09 to win the Cup, and has since outperformed most of the league. Each season, our squad is better than teams in bigger cities with larger payrolls. The abstraction is still as bad as it was in '04, but that's no longer the primary concern. Now we like the name just fine, because RSL matters.

And now I'm hungry for ahuacatl molli...

 

That "something" that tells you it's time to trash Americanized MLS team names is the voice in your head, and nothing else.

New England FC 96 and L.A. FC 96 are horrible, horrible names...for anything.

The new league logo is just friggin' awful.

 

I don't understand why you think we have to use foreign style nicknames because it is the 21st century? Most of these FC, City etc. names from overseas, especially Britain, were naming conventions from the 19th century. This whole concept of applying a generic name and to let the nickname grow organically from the fans is from a time when branding, merchandising and marketing of Association Football/soccer was not an issue since most of these teams were social organizations or company formed squads.

Also people tend to forget, that overseas they have teams like Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Stuttgarter Kickers. Most recently the Milton Keynes Dons came in to existence. And look at the J-League or A-League, they also use American style nicknames etc. Kashima Antlers, Wellington Phoenix, Urawa Red Diamonds, Western Sydney Wanderers etc.

 

I also don't like the Real Salt Lake name but they won an MLS Cup with that name and it has a good association with attractive soccer. However, I wish they would adopt and official nickname. I like the Monarchs, which is the name of the USL team. They could go for RSL Monarchs. Just a thought.

 

I like the mix that MLS currently has. It says to the world that this is an American league, but it also makes a statement here at home that this is still a part of the World's game. But ultimately I want teams and cities to settle on their own names and for everyone else to butt the fvck out.

 

To be fair lots of the European teams do have nicknames just not are all official ones. Manchester United (Red Devils), Chelsea (Renties, Plastics) Manchester City (Citeh who play at the Emptihad) Arsenal (Gunners, Gooners) Liverpool (Red, Scouse), Everton (Blue, Scouse, Toffees), Queens Park (Rangers), Sunderland (Black Cats), Tottenham (Hot Spurs), West Ham (Hammers) and so forth.

 

can we just call Real SL RSL and never mention Real? with time people wont even know what R stands for hopefully, like PSV Heindhoven, someone knows what PSV stands for? I know dutch guys that have no clue.

 

You can't build a tradition when you change the names every 15 years.

 

For the record: that's what we do

 

Heindhoven? Ask an average Dutchman what the "Heindhoven" is. You'll likely get a set of roll-eyes.

In any case, the Europeans actually like the US team naming system just fine. Most of that "like" comes from the NHL, where the Detroit Red Wings sound much cooler than Krylya Sovetov. Others pick it up from the NBA, as it's also a globalized sport unlike the MLB and the NFL.

As speaking of Krylya Sovetov - they don't mind copying the NHL.

 

PSV: Philips Sport Vereniging (translation: Philips Sport Association)

It was originally a club of employees of Philips, the Dutch company

PSV Eindhoven (not Heindhoven).

Eindhoven is the fifth largest city in the Netherlands.

Your "dutch guys" are not very bright and/or do not have access to 123football.com or Wikipedia or the PSV website.

 

Clearly, we need more European-style names like Go Ahead Eagles and Sheffield Wednesday.

 

I thought it was Paris Saint Vermain.

 

I'm still hoping a new team picks Grampas 8.