Introducing Seattle Sounders FC

The soccer fans of Seattle have spoken. The official name for the new MLS expansion franchise in Seattle is the Seattle Sounders FC.

The nickname Seattle Sounders FC beat out Seattle FC, Seattle Alliance and Seattle Republic, which were the three original choices in the club's write-in ballot.

What's my take? They could have done without the FC but you can bet the FC will become an afterthought. The MLS Seattle team WILL be known as the Sounders.

Like it? Love it? Hate it?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[Tony in Quakeland]

Chalk one up for the fans. Love the name

[Tim F.]

Better than the three proposed. Reason prevailed.

I liked Emerald City Sounders but I can see why they would want Seattle in the name of the team.

[rmiller16]

WOW I'm glad the fans got what they wanted. Great press conference so far.

[El Rey]

Notch one win for the fans!!!

[Nick]

I'm glad they kept the Sounders name. It's been around for a long time and the Sounders have done really well in the USL.

[Aljarov]

Fans have indeed spoken.

[Matt]

Good choice. Preserves a link with the history of soccer in Seattle and has a little character to it - unlike Seattle FC, for example.

[wendel]

thank you Seattle thank you! great choice! i was so scared when i was watching the unveiling but they made the best choice. sounders has a history and it was way better than republic or alliance and more creative than just seattle fc. i cant wait.

[PJhardy]

Chalk up another CRAP name in MLS.

Chivas should now be called the LA Goats.
FC Dallas should now go back to Dallas Burn.
And so on, and so on. Oh well, maybe Sounders will have some wonderful fluffy lime green mascot to put on all of its merchandise, you know.....just like all of the respected teams around the world, like Man. U, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barca, Real Madrid and so forth.

Crap name.

[JohnnyDub]

Absolutely the best choice. Combines the Seattle tradition and the international flavor. Responds to fans... and still remains classy.

Go Sounders!

[agy]

watching the presser now, joe roth has some pretty big ambitions that he's talking about. single handedly turning seattle into a world power? good luck

[Jim Steverson]

Yeah, the FC part is still too much Euro-wannabe, but Sounders is American soccer tradition. Great to see. At this point, the only truly ridiculous name in MLS is Real Salt Lake (Lago de Sal.)

[tedhill]

Yeah I agree that they could have done without the "FC" but nobody will say it when they refer to them anyway. People will just say the Seattle Sounders.

[nicholas s.]

I would have loved to have seen Emerald City FC. but I would have chosen this 2nd.

[el fur de ball]

I have despised the name Seattle Sounders for nearly 30 years. I'm glad that I will get to despise them for another 30 years. In all seriousness, I think this is great for the MLS and Seattle.

[AB]

Totally agree with PJhardy. What a stupid name. I realize that there's history behind the name Sounders, but come on. Thats something a U7 team names themselves. Fans don't always know whats best for marketing. Now they definitely wont get Thierry henry with a name like that.

[irishapple21]

Great choice. Seattle's fans should be proud.

[Onionsack]

This is a great victory for the tradition and preservation of the game in Seattle and the fans.

[Danny]

Being from the Pacific Northwest I was hoping they would go with "Pacific Northwest Rangers" or (PNC) for short. As it stands, I'll never cheer for the "Sounders" even though I'm not too far from Seattle. Looks like DC United is still my team.

[brentmcd]

great job seattle fans. congrats!

[sublicon]

Awesome victory for the fans. Excellent effort. The crest looks awesome. I have a feeling the Sounders are going to be the team that nobody can hate really . . everyone will look and go "aww, how cute" . .

[Paul]

"Now they definitely wont get Thierry henry with a name like that."

hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaahhhhaaaaa!!!!

Where to begin? Really your entire post is poorly thought out. This quote is just the money shot.

[Onionsack]

AB,

Google or youtube Sounders. The name is very specific to that region and has signifigance.

Henny wont come because they have the same name of the team guys like Redknapp and 66' world cup winners played for?...get a grip you dolt.

[Gabe]

This is great news for the seattle fans. I thought sounders was off the table, but they got it done.

[AdamAlfi]

I thought they'd be called the Drew Carrys...I wounder who the Redbulls are gonna lose in that expansion draft!

[Thierry Henry.]

Now i'm not coming!

[Chris]

Worst. Crest. Ever.

[kpugs]

I think this is awesome and I'm happy to be proven wrong. What are the other Sounders going to think of it I wonder?

And AB, unfortunately I have to agree with these other guys. Have you ever watched a soccer game? Beckenbauer was the best player alive when he joined the USL and it's list of goofily-named teams.

Any nod to history is great in my opinion.

[Nick]

I really like Joe Roth. He has a lot of good ideas and seems to be really passionate for the sport.

[Scott]

Should be SC instead of FC. Or to follow the MLS' new marketing tagline, "Football, futbol, soccer," should be FC FC SC. To be consistent, are they going to rename the league "MLF"? Oh wait, that's too naughty.

This is "Real" and "United" redux. It's wholly made up and conseqently makes no sense. We need to relax and stop trying to pretend we're English or Spanish or anything other than who we are -- American soccer.

[nicholas s.]

@PJHardy

There are much worse names than the two examples you gave. "Burn" is a f'n verb, you cant be a verb. and Chivas USA makes complete sense given the clubs affiliation and origin.

Yes, there are bad names. Those names include Wizards, Real Salt Lake, Earthquakes, Revolution. It's the World's game, not the XFL.

@ AB

Yes, fans don't understand marketing, but marketers should understand fans. Letting fans choose would drive me professionally crazy, but as a fan i'd be ecstatic being given the choice to keep a name that has been around the city for so long.

Also, you have an equally deficient grasp on marketing if you think the name of the club is what will make or break Henry playing in Seattle.

[Rocco]

If Roth is talking about being a world power, I have a feeling that Henry is up their sleeve.

It makes too much sense. Lieweke through his brother knows how much $$ a guy with draw power like Beckham has. Henry has that same star power. Maybe not to the magnitude, but he's already doing Gillete commercials with Tiger Woods. Sign this guy.

[Pat]

Im actually impressed with MLS, I assumed that whether it won or not they would not go with Sounders and just say Seattle FC won.

[Beech]

And here we have the very first example of promotion. What's next, relegation? ;-)

[AB]

First I know plenty about football since I watch it/play it every chance I get. So you can throw that argument out the window. And I think most people that agree with the name are from Seattle (which by the way is a great town). I just don't think in my opinion that its a great name it sounds too childish. I realize the history behind it but it sounds like a minor league baseball team name. I just thought they should have gone in a different direction instead of the same name as the USL 1st division team that all ready exists there.

[tedmonds]

How can you not love the new name? It's got a history with the city, geographic relevance and will be familiar to anyone who's lived in Seattle. If I were to ask my non-soccer playing friends if they want to catch a Seattle Republic game, they'd probably have no idea what I was talking about.

[BarçaGirl]

I like the name but I agree Seattle Sounders would have been just fine. Even so, I like that new teams are being added and possibly many soccer-specific stadiums. MLS is heading in a great direction.

[Fuego Fanatico]

I like it!

[Don]

Great news! Now all we need is for the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps to return. The greatest rivalry in American football history awaits.

[Paul]

Frankly, having the nickname as part of the official team name is silly. Sounders should be the teams nickname, not part of the official name. Most every team in the world has a nickname, and its understood that it is the nickname, like "the red devils" or the "foxes" or the "shrimpers". Like Man U goes around the world saying they are Manchester United Red Devils. Right. Its Man U. And gads, imagine if Southend United's official name were the Southend Shrimpers. My God.

Nicknames should stay as nicknames. I have been encouraged by the fact that MLS teams have moved away from this typical main stream american sports idea of referring the offical team name as the city and nickname. And worse, puting the nickname on the front of their jersey. Seattle has gone the opposite route. There is no reason one cannot refer to Seattle as the "Sounders" but for official purposes it sounds better to just say Seattle FC, or hell just Seattle in the box score.

[Adam]

I like the FC, it helps set the league apart from other American sports. It means much more when the club is its own corporate entity though.

[Don]

Oops. Make that NORTH American football. I guess this is how rivalries start.

[Seisco]

If you think Sounders is a silly name than you're just being immature. Plenty of teams have wierd nicknames ie Bolton WANDERERS, Arsenal GUNNERS, Tottenham HOTSPURS. So I mean c'mon, if it represents the region and it not just another FC or Real than it's fine.

[A.S.]

Can't stand "FC" ("football" is a different sport here, in case they are not aware). But otherwise a very good choice.

[Fuego Fanatico]

If Henry is coming to MLS, I'd prefer to see him running around on real grass for most of his games. Also, since Henry is a fan of the NBA, Seattle may not be the best place to go with the Sonics' future somewhat tenuous.

Henry to RBNJ to open Red Bull Park.

[KT]

40something responses and no Cosmofans have come out of the woodwork yet to turn the discussion back to them?

Congrats to Seattle's fans, who have the Sounders back. Cosmos ain't coming back, sorry.

[CM]

To AB and others: First, I'm a born and raised Seattlite. My first opinion about the name was that we should create a new tradition and have a new name. After thinking through it, there are no names that would work, as evidenced by the three choices on the ballot. We can't manufacture tradition and a history by naming ourselves after something in Europe. Instead, they did the right thing by leaning on the only soccer tradition that we have (a longer tradition than any of the other MLS cities) and naming it Sounders.

Think about it this way: it is the closest thing we will ever have to a promotion/relegation model in this country. If we had that model, the Sounders would have been in the MLS years ago with their multiple championships. And given the track record of how the team has been run under Hanauer, we would have been successful.

Kudos to Roth, Hanauer, Allen/Lieweke and Carey for delivering on their promise to bring democracy back to sports.

[irishapple21]

The naysayers on this board are so clueless. Haven't you heard of teams like "Blackburn Rovers", "Bolton Wanderers", "Rangers FC", "Queens Park Rangers", "Dublin Shamrock Rovers", etc? Why is "Seattle Sounders FC" any different?

[Paul]

I believe teams like Arsenal, Tottenham, and Bolton have an "FC" or some derivative in their official names, The term GUNNERS, WANDERERS and HOTSPUR (NOT PLURAL) are nicknames. If they were part of the official name, then by definition, they would not be nicknames.

For what its worth, I dont think Sounders is a silly name, but it doesnt belong, much like "the Revolution", or the "E-Quakes", in the official name. The nickname CAN and DOES represent the region, and thats fine.

[Trex]

Great results, great name. I actually like adding "FC" to the end while keeping the Sounders tradition.

[Bill]

The FC at the end of the name is not such a big deal. As a Fire fan, were referred to as the "Chicago Fire", while the official name is the "Chicago Fire Soccer Club"

[Nick]

Actually, Hotspur is part of the Official name for Tottenham: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C.

[ricecloudnine]

Adding the FC to Seattle Sounders was a way for the higher ups to save some face.

Also want to echo the Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers comments.

[Paul]

Um, I think Ranger's FC is really a Glasgow FC. Since there are two teams in Glasgow, I think they probably just opted to call them Celtic and Rangers. Probably worth checking the history.

In any case, it is true that some teams do utilize their nickname as part of their official team name, but I think this is the minority (certainly in europe). In MLS, it used to be the case that EVERY team (sans DC United) had their nickname as part of the official name. You'd otherwise have no idea what sport they were talking about if the Miami Fusion and New England Revolution were playing each other, even for the knowledgable soccer fan. But the same knowledgable fan wouldnt have any difficulty identifying the sport if it were DC United versus FC Dallas.

[drewcore]

Not a bad name, personally thing it should be SC and that Sounders should be a nickname, but it reminds one of Bolton Wanderers FC or Blackburn Rovers, so not bad. The crest however, is kinda lame, MLS needs to stop looking new-agey and cartoony, and go with a simple and refined crest that can stand the test of time, instead of one that looks lame and outdated in 5 years(most of the original MLS crests). One of my favorites actually is the Portland Timbers crest, or the first and the third one on this site http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=609249&page=3

[irishapple21]

Rangers are actually officially just "Rangers FC." They don't have Glasgow in the team name. People just call them "Glasgow Rangers" to avoid getting them confused with other teams with the same name. Glasgow Celtic are also just called "Celtic FC."

[Joe Quake]

Just a side note - the official name of the Oakland A's is "Oakland Athletics Baseball Club". I don't think the FC matters that much, but I like it nonetheless.

[Paul]

Just to further the point, of the 20 teams in the premiership, only 3 have the nickname in their official team name, Bolton, Blackburn, and was correctly pointed out by someone, also Tottenham.

Interestingly, how often is a team whose nickname is included in the official name either "Wanderers", "Rovers", or "Rangers"? I bet a lot.

[CD]

Don't care. Should I?

[drewcore]

Not a bad name, personally thing it should be SC and that Sounders should be a nickname, but it reminds one of Bolton Wanderers FC or Blackburn Rovers, so not bad. The crest however, is kinda lame, MLS needs to stop looking new-agey and cartoony, and go with a simple and refined crest that can stand the test of time, instead of one that looks lame and outdated in 5 years(most of the original MLS crests). One of my favorites actually is the Portland Timbers crest, or the first and the third one on this site http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=609249&page=3

[irishapple21]

I think the point is that there are a lot of different ways to name soccer teams and as long as the name doesn't sound like something like the "San Jose Clash" and "Kansas City Wiz", it's really not a big deal.

[drewcore]

Not a bad name, personally thing it should be SC and that Sounders should be a nickname, but it reminds one of Bolton Wanderers FC or Blackburn Rovers, so not bad. The crest however, is kinda lame, MLS needs to stop looking new-agey and cartoony, and go with a simple and refined crest that can stand the test of time, instead of one that looks lame and outdated in 5 years(most of the original MLS crests). One of my favorites actually is the Portland Timbers crest, or the first and the third one on this site http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=609249&page=3

[Fireball]

I vote thumbs down because:
-I'm not from Seattle and Sounders sounds silly.
-The real Seattle Sounders have to change their name now, messing with where the real tradition really is.
-I'm against the drop the American nickname tradition because soccer/football is a global game, and I'd like MLS to be taken seriously globally, not just in America.

But what do I know? I will cheer for them because of Drew Carey.

[CD]

I wish Charleston would change their team name.

Charleston SC anyone?

[drewcore]

wow, sorry guys, it froze as i was submitting my post and i ended up doing it 3 teams. I'm officially done flooding the SBI board.

[Dominghosa]

Love every bit of that name. FC is a nice add. Sounders honors the past. FC honors the present and future.

[Haig]

"hey did the right thing by leaning on the only soccer tradition that we have (a longer tradition than any of the other MLS cities) and naming it Sounders. "

Nice to see Seattle fans, like Toronto fans, are already gazing at themselves in rapt admiration, with no reference at all to facts. Let the pissing contests begin.

The NASL Earthquakes started the same year as the NASL Sounders.

[PCFC]

I'm really happy about this one! I'm sick and tired of these "fake" Euro names. The name still has to represent America, and the league does as well. Seattle FC would have been tolerable, the rest were repulsive! Seattle Sounders is THE name!

I would've given up on the MLS if they named the team InterSeattle or something really stupid!

[JN]

I wrote in John O'Brien Wants Relegation/Promotion FC but I guess they went another way. Its a good name nonetheless.

[smorebs]

To the point that the USL Sounders will have to now change their name, they won't since they won't exist. The USL ownership is on board with the MLS franchise and it therefore bringing its history, some of its management, and the option of its players with it. Nice Choice by Seattle.

Did anyone else notice that in this case the Seattle was subordinate to Sounders in the Crest? It looks like they will be focusing on Sounders FC rather than the Seattle part.

[Paul]

Excuse me but the only option that was available for the Seattle name that you liked was the "fake" euro one, you know the Seattle FC. The point is that the other options like the Seattle Alliance were the "represent america" choices. Nice to paint yourself into a box.

[William Anderson]

Mistake. This was the name of the city's NASL franchise, so some of the comments hail the choice as a nod to "tradition." But, the NASL failed because it tried to "Americanize" the game, bring in aging European stars and expand too quickly. So, in bringing the Sounders name back, this is essentially a nod to a "tradition" of failure. MLS is never going to be as big as the 3 big vulgar American sports (football, basketball and baseball) and it should stop trying to compete on that level. Expand slowly. Model your league after the European football leagues ( and not the other American sports leagues). Get rid of stupid team nicknames, except as they are used secondarily and informally by the fans (i.e. Man U as the "Red Devil").

Go Ajax!!!

[B.A.]

Two issues:

1) Seattle Sounders (USL) will not necessarily go out of existence after this year. They may still move and act as an unofficial feeder/reserve club for Seattle Sounders FC.

2) Seattle Sounders FC is copyrightable, and the addition of the "FC" will help the club maximize long-term revenues.

[Camjam]

PERFECT!!.... I actually think tagging FC on the back separates it from the old club.

[Rudy]

Last I checked Seattle is in the United States. Here in the United states we put our "goofy" team names on the jerseys, no reason to change that because it doesn't seem right to some euro-snob.

[John]

to fuego fanatico,

they have basketball teams in the new york area? i didnt know that, but i usually only watch my pistons come playoff time.

Henry to the Motor City Marauders! LOL

[scott47a]

A great day for Seattle soccer fans and for the belief that there is a tradition in soccer in this nation that predates the MLS.

This is the name that Seattle-area fans wanted, with the exception of a couple of outliers who aren't really soccer fans anyway (who would refuse to go to a game because of the team name?)

Our area loves the sport and will love the Sounders in a way unmatched in the history of the MLS in the U.S.

I'm extremely excited that this franchise continues to do things right.

[Paul]

Although I don't necessarily agree with the socalled "euro snobs" out there, I have to agree that "americanizing the sport" (who can forget the counting backwards clock, or the shootout) are just not going to work here in United States. Trying to attract the "white, middle class american sports fan" has not worked, and will not ever work until MLS has a serious TV contract, which means MLS will have to have sold out, week-in week-out stadiums.

But you cant have sold out games without a fan base. So the dilemma ensues. But guess what, there are more than enough "fans" in this country of immigrants who are knowledgable about soccer, but don't go to MLS games. Why is that? There are several reasons of which we could go on ad nauseum, but a simple a relevant one here is, stop trying to "americanize" the game. Its NOT an american game.Its the worlds game. So as far as I am concerned, getting as far away as possible from the traditional american norm such as "puting stupid nicknames on the front of ones jersey" is fine with me. As far as I am concerned, the only thing that belongs on the front of the jersey is the teams crest, and potentially any sponsor who is paying good money to support your team.

signed,

Born and raised in America.

[silente]

This is the best result Seattle fans could have hoped for; good for them.

For those who say we should call the clubs SC instead of FC I'm inclined to agree, but it's really no big deal.

For those whining about the presence of any initials after the name Sounders (FC/SC or whatever), you have to understand the issues involved with the old name. I don't know where I read this but I had heard that there was a problem with the Sounders name in that the previous owners of the name had not defended their copyright, thereby allowing the name to slip into the public domain. I think it would be unreasonable to expect MLS to use a name they could not copyright. I'm no expert in intellectual property rights but I suspect that adding the FC to the name allows MLS to create a new copyright, which they can then protect. A win-win.

[David]

I'm content with the name. the sounders fans and seattlelites got what they wanted. Although there seems to be more emphasis put on "Sounders" than "Seattle".

I actually would've preferred just Seattle FC and have "The Sounders" as the nickname like many european clubs. although i like the colors, i thought the crest design could've been better. i actually like designs made by bloggers.

but the name is set and Seattle Sounders FC it will be. can't wait till the start of the '09 season and hopefully Seattle finds some quality players as well as promoting some of their good usl players.

[Seattlite]

It is a great and beautiful thing when fans have input and are listened to.
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/134951.asp

[JB]

Paul--difference in laws between US and EU. In the U.S. you can't have an unofficial team nickname because of laws regarding team merchandising and trademark infringement. Under U.S. law if the nickname isn't trademarked anybody can use it. So your example of European clubs not using their nickname in an official capacity isn't applicable. In U.S. law the nickname has to be protected or the team and league won't be able to make money off of it.

[Evan]

I'm happy the Seattle fans got what they wanted. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the name, but I can live with it. A cheesy name for a team with trendy colors playing in oversized NFL stadium. That sounds familiar. Does Colorado Rapids or NY/NJ MetroStars ring a bell? I wouldn't be surprised if this team is called Seattle FC and playing in a new SSS in 10 years. Seattle fans got their name and are confident that Quest field will be great. I really hope they are right.

[Paul]

JB - Good to know.

The question then I wonder is can you not separately trademark your nickname versus your team name, like e.g. "FC Dallas", and "Hoops".

[Chase]

I don't mind the name, and it was certainly a great move to not alienate fans before the club had even played their first game, not sure what I think about the crest, have to see what their uniforms end up amounting to before I make a final judgement...

[smokeminside]

For the life of me, I don't know why Seattle Grooms wasn't the winner.

[Keith G.]

Every team is going to have its name, like they do over in Europe, so just get over it. I dont know why they have the Sounders when they have the exact team name already with the USL. They should have just taken that team out of the USL and had them go to the MLS. I also agree with the FC being dumb. As much as I say we should call the sport football, and the American football should change the name of their sport, untill that happens the teams should just go with the SC.

[Hoolian]

They have a minor league crest to go with their minor league name. Seattle must be full of idiots.

[SJQuakesfan81]

Great name, great badge. Go Sounders! May you finish as high as second (to the Earthquakes) each and every season!

[Fuzzyforeigner]

wow people criticizing the name are just funny to me.

The most important step that was taken today was the step towards democracy in sports. Fans did in effect change this club already.

I hope for a even deeper relationship with the Sounders front office. Join our ranks at www.weareecs.com

[Bob]

Pardon my ignorance, but what's a Sounder?

Also I agree with the comment that Real Salt Lake sounds ridiculous.

[PJhardy]

The name makes no sense to me for several reasons:

1. People that support Sounders say it's "traditional". Okay, a whole 30 years makes it traditional? Someone actually is trying to compare it to the teams in England like Tottenham who have been around since the late 1800's. Now that's traditional.

2. What kind of tradition is naming a team that was part of every defunct league in the history of the US? Except of course the USL, which is minor league soccer.

3. The owners were talking about making it a "global" brand, yet were emphasizing the local ties the name has with the area. Uh, yeah, that's a good way to kick off your world domination of brand names.

4. Should we just dump all traditional names and have minor league baseball names? You know, for the people that want to talk about marketing, that's what bush league baseball does......Montgomery Biscuits, Lansing Lugnuts, Columbus Catfish...they sell a lot of t-shirts.

But it doesn't surprise me that people can't seam to get this right. Our national team has their badge drawn up by a graphics firm stuck in the 80's and can't even decide on a general idea for uniforms. (I think we should go with all black since most other countries already use red, white, and blue, and they would look intimidating).

I am glad though that MLS is expanding, and I'm glad they went with the green in their colors to differentiate themselves within the league.

[brant]

Anyone complaining about the "Sounders" nickname need only look to Europe. After all, the Tykes, Cottagers, Magpies, Citizens, Trotters, Toffees, Latics, Potato Beetles, Red Hose, Brief Ones, and Young WIlders are all sooooooo much cooler and likely to bring in American fans.

[brant]

To follow up my previous comment - those long-held traditional nicknames developed over years and years and years. Seattle doesn't have years and years. They've got year, singular. Do you *really* think you can do better developing a name without sounding like some cheesy Euro-ripoff (paging Salt Lake!)

[RCA]

PJ, seriously, what is your idea for the name? If the MLS can't be different in naming, but can't copy Euro teams word for word, what can they possibly name their teams? Sounders will make the fans happy, and honestly, it doesn't sound that outrageous. When I look at transfer lists for the premiership, seeing that a player came from LA Galaxy (or the like) doesn't strike me as that much more outrageous than seeing one that came from Racing Santander, Heart of Midlothian, or Energie Cottbus.

Simply put, our names should reflect our country and culture. If we keep desperately trying to make our league like every other one, it's going just be a wanna-be league forever. Sure, our names are a mishmash of differing ideas, but really, isn't that pretty representative of the culture of the US?

I personally think the name is great, and the staff at Seattle are doing an incredible job.

[Hans Hoffmann]

My first sports event was the Sounders vs Philadelphia Atoms in 1974 - as a local it is good to see we stuck with tradition

[MasterShake]

I think FC was more of a legal thing. Isnt Seattle Sounders a USL team? Shouldnt there be some distinction between that and the MLS side, thats probably why the added the "FC" there and not for any other particular reason.

[Larry Y]

Now the mascot must be the Geoduck.

[Nick]

irishapple21: I'm with you. This name isn't out of the ordinary, even when compared to English Teams.

Paul: Not true. Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers, etc. all have those terms in the official club name...but these aren't even necessarily the team's nickname. Bolton's nickname is the Trotters and QPR's nickname is the Hoops.

I don't know why everyone is so set on the English or European method of naming teams. There are countless ways of naming teams from countries all over the world. They don't always have to be simply the name of a city, county, etc. Seems kind of boring if every MLS team followed that model.

Examples from other countries: Hearts of Oak, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Tigres UANL, Once Caldas, Ajax Amsterdam, Sparta Rotterdam, Young Boys Wankdorf. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

[Justin O]

Why does anyone even care about the "FC"? It's like the "Coporation" in "Microsoft Corporation" of the "Inc" in other businesses. It hardly matters.

It's like when watching FC Dallas or Toronto FC on TV. Annoucers tend to say the FC almost as if it was a nickname. If they're trying to sound European, they're failing. You don't hear Liverpool FC incessantly referred to as "Liverpool FC". They're just Liverpool.