I don't know why we want to revive old, defunct team names. In my opinion, let those old teams' history stay with them and create something new. I especially dislike "Steamer." Yes, it has history, but I agree with @SiberanThunderT. As a millennial, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear "Steamer" is something other than steamboats. I'd prefer leaving the "Steamer" moniker open for Cleveland's MLS team. Ultimately, I don't care what the name is. I just want a team.
Definitely has potential! "Spirit" sounds more like a WoSo team than a BroSo team to me, though, but that might just be from my knowledge base, knowing three "Spirit" WoSo teams (San Diego in WUSA, Tulsa in WPSL, and Washington in NWSL) but no "Spirit" BroSo teams (even at the PDL/NPSL level).
That ABA team never survived the merger. Like the Kentucky Colonels, they were not wanted by the NBA, so their owners were bought out. May as well also mention the St Louis Hawks, a great NBA team, that stopped in St Louis for a dozen years or so, on their way from Milwaukee to Atlanta. And of course, the St Louis Browns, who in the soldier depleted year of 1944, lost to the St Louis Cardinals in the WS.
To which I say I think we're fine just looking at original names or past soccer names without quoting defunct teams from completely different sports!
Here's an original name of a current SL team from a different sport: http://uschessleague.com/stlouis.php
I never realized that Stan Musial owned the Steamers for 4 years. They actually had pretty good numbers at the gate. At least for the indoor game....
Very well done, but they better run as far away as possible from the blue and gold combo. Those colors are being burnt across the metro area.
I was always a fan of the St. Louis Athletica name used in the WPS. Their first game at SIUE was the first pro soccer game I ever attended.
Same for me, on both counts. Sad day, though; as I got home and was going to open my apartment door, I dropped my keys and my Athletica keychain fob just shattered, I assume from the cold weather. I'm more than a little crushed.
After the Philadelphia MLS expansion team was announced in 2008, but before its name was chosen, the name Philadelphia Athletic was mentioned as one of the possibilities, as an homage to the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team, who moved away decades ago. The word at the time was that Lew Wolff, the owner of the now-Oakland Athletics (and the San Jose Earthquakes), was OK with the idea but that Major League Baseball was not. I'm guessing that MLB might object to the use of the name in St. Louis, also.
And if they object... So what? Unless they have a distinctly solid copyright infringement claim they can make, which I doubt because there's never been a "St. Louis Athletics" baseball team for the name to invoke, the MLS team could be whatever it wants. It's not like there aren't multiple Cardinals or Giants in pro sports already. That said, I don't like Athletic. For one, "Athletica Soccer Club" or "Athletic Sports Club" feels kinda redundant to me, even if literally it isn't. Second, we already had an "Athletic Club" by itself here already, and I don't think it would be enjoyed by many people to revive something too similar to that name. (Not to mention we had "Athletica" as well for the women, and though that has mostly positive associations, it still might also be a reason to avoid the name.)
You probably are right, and MLS could win a trial against MLB over the name. However, if MLB did object and MLS were faced with the need to go to court to win the right to use the name, I would think that MLS would simply use a different one, avoiding the legal fees and the hassle. One more reason, in addition to the ones you cite, why St. Louis Athletic would not be a good idea. In the case of Philadelphia Athletic(s), I think MLB did have a legitimate copyright claim.
Can't speak for everyone else, but I know my dad, who moved to KC in 1980 STILL hates the Cardinals for leaving St. Louis.
What would it matter? Their is no trademark for using the word "St. Louis Athletic SC". But there is a trademark on "Oakland Athletics". In the eyes for the court they are completely different.