Picking Right Name For Philly MLS Team An Important Decision

The selection of a name for the new Philadelphia MLS franchise is a "big, important decision, and one that comes with certain constraints," according to Jeff Gammage of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. The team "can't pick a name that sounds remotely minor league -- that's death in Philadelphia," and they are "not going to choose an overused, collegiate-sounding name of a feline predator." Team CEO & co-Owner Nick Sakiewicz: "We're going to stay true to the sport and true to the traditions of the sport. That's the one must-have criteria." Sakiewicz "expects that several names will be put to a vote of fans in the summer." He added that options for the team's colors are "wide open," and fans "will be solicited about that, too, probably in the fall." Gammage wrote choosing a team name, colors and logo of a pro sports team is "alchemy upon which ride millions of dollars in sales and licensing. It's why branding consultants earn big money." MLS "still strives for legitimacy," and though the league has "sought that partly through names that echo storied foreign clubs, even the Americanized versions don't quite translate." Team names currently are chosen by the clubs with league approval, but Gammage notes the names of the original 10 MLS franchises were chosen by league officials with "help from team owner-investors and uniform sponsors." C.J. Sullivan, co-hosts of the online radio show "The Visitors Locker Room," said, "Naming a sports franchise is a lot like choosing a tattoo or wallpaper. You're always worried what it will look like in 50 years" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/10).

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