One of my pet peeves with MLS/MLS clubs is that too many of their decisions reveal the heavy hands of their “marketing” people rather than the steady hands of their “football” people. This results in all of the teams wearing the same brand and same few styles of uniforms, horrible team crests for the most part, “almost there” to “boring” team names, etc. This has improved somewhat over the years (remember the Burn and Clash and the uniforms they wore!?), but it still leaves a lot to be desired for this fan of traditional football imagery and nomenclature. But there is hope…
Seattle took the first step. Would I prefer that they were just Seattle F.C., and that their fans called them the “Sounders?” Yes, yes I would, but close enough- it’s straight forward and it harkens back to the game’s past in the Pacific Northwest. The uniform is generic (not their fault) and the colors are a bit garish, but for the most part, they “work.” And, obviously, their ownership and fan base seem to understand what a club is and what is expected of its supporters. Call me crazy, but I firmly believe that all of these things contribute to success on the field. As a coach I’ve always insisted that my players look smart, act like “professionals” before and after matches, play on a proper pitch (not something “leftover” from another sport), and generally look and feel the part of “footballers.”
Today, Philadelphia’s MLS franchise, took the next step forward. First, they unveiled the best crest yet in MLS. Why is it the best? First, because it is well-designed, and second, because the design actually means something! To wit-
“Union references the original Thirteen Colonies…the club‟s colors are navy blue and gold, symbolizing the uniforms of the American Continental Army, accented by the lighter shade of blue found in the Philadelphia Flag. The primary symbol of a rattlesnake is derived from Ben Franklin‟s political cartoons…the rattlesnake was utilized to emphasize the necessity of colonial unity and serve as a reminder of the danger of disunity…Complementing the rattlesnake, thirteen stars are displayed along the base of the crest as another nod to the Thirteen Colonies of the Union. The crest‟s interior shield represents Philadelphia‟s Coat of Arms…”Jungite aut Perite‟, a Latin translation of “Join or Die,” is featured in the club‟s secondary logo.” (From the team’s press release)
It does not appear that the club’s uniforms have been released yet, but so far, so good. As far as I can see, they made only one mistake- they called the team “Philadelphia Union,” not “Union Philadelphia.” There are two reasons that this is problematic. First, and most obviously, it’s going to lead to thick-headed media types all over the SEPTA map to call the team “The Unions.” Ugh. Second, “Union Philadelphia” brings to mind clubs with similar names: Union de Santa Fe (Argentina), Union Espanola (Chile), Union Magdelena (Colombia), Union Salamanca and Union Las Palmas (Spain), to name only a few.
Let’s hope that Portland and Vancouver keep things moving in the right direction in 2011…
I love the crest and the second logo, and even the colors. Not a fan of the “Union” name (I preferred City), but I really, really like how they’ve leveraged that name in the team identity and their created “backstory”, so I’ll credit them for making what was probably the right decision. As for “Unions”, that will happen for a few weeks, but I’m sure the club’s media director will hammer that out of existence quickly, or will lose his/her job.
My favorite memory of the Dynamo being created – the radio station that had the rights to their games ran one of their first commercials announcing coverage of an upcoming game against “the Real* Salt Lake” (*pronounced reel). It got run a few times, and then disappeared forever…
“City” was my first choice as well, and I’m with you: if you’re going to be “Union”, be “Union Philadelphia” not Philadelphia Union. Oh well.
Well, as a soon-to-be newly minted season ticket holder of the Union (just Union, like how it’s just “Spurs” and not “the Spurs”? I don’t know) I can say that I LOVE that crest.
I didn’t vote for that name, though. It was actually my last choice of the four presented, so naturally, it was the one that was chosen.
“Union Philadelphia” would be better, but with Seattle’s choice of club title and crest, this makes for two MLS teams that got it as close to right as I expected.
What were the other choices for the Philly name?
Since way back my biggest gripe with MLS has been the branding of not only the clubs, but the league as a whole. The league logo is all sorts of fucking terrible, and the team names are generic, focus-grouped, and completely lame. I recognize the need to maintain an image due to the franchising of the league, still there must be some originality to team names/crests, while also maintaining the authenticity found in European crests, etc. Galaxy, Earthquakes, Crew, Wizards? Jesus. Change them now.
I think that the MLS is trying to make the sport appeal to the American sports crowd, and for the most part we expect team names. To find naming conventions similar to European soccer teams, you’d really want to follow the NCAA’s example, where the teams are called one thing officially and another thing casually (“Ohio State” fans and “Buckeye” fans are the same, for example).
The problem is that that situation developed organically over time, and it probably took awhile for the names to grab hold. We forget that gridiron football wasn’t always the huge industry it is now; it used to be very similar to the early days of European football in how the players were paid, where they were from, and the breakdown of teams. Over time, that’s changed, and some of the smaller leagues have merged, teams have dropped out, etc; the NFL is a finished product, though, just like the EPL or La Liga.
MLS isn’t a finished product, but they’re expected to compete for viewers, advertising dollars, and fans with much more established and more successful products. Because of that there’s the idea that there isn’t any time to allow for natural, organic fan growth or team recognition, and the league tends to fall back on gimmicks; naming a team is one way to get fans to associate with it, so they do what they have to do in order to make it more accessible to new fans. And, really, when MLS has such low exposure, you want to eliminate any barriers a fan may have. The worst case scenario for MLS isn’t “Unions”; it’s an idiot fan asking someone else if they’re a Philadelphia fan or a Union fan.
Personally, I think Philadelphia United was a better choice. I’m also curious as to how well Seattle will support the Sounders NEXT year when they don’t have their marches televised on ESPN.
What it ultimately comes down to, though, is this: you can’t manufacture legitimate fan support. No matter how hard the MLS tries, they’re ultimately better off concentrating on improving the quality of play and letting fans find the sport and becoming loyal.
Agreed. The quality of play drives everything else. To that there is no argument. However, the team names are so . . . Mickey Mouse . . . I can’t help but think the perception of the league is diminished.
It probably is internationally…but then again, it’s not like the teams are really respected internationally anyways.
You can’t scare me…I’m stickin to the Union.
-Woody Guthrie