Atlanta United FC

[BrunswickDawg]

To break the boredom of OM summer hilarity, or "obsession" as those on Bafoom call it, how about this for all you futbol guys on here -
http://m.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/07/07/mls-expansion-team-atlanta-united-fc-unveil-logo-club-colors-and-new-hashtag

I'll admit - having an Atlanta MLS team excited me enough to start following. I like the United as a name - and the logo/branding. While United is a little generic, for Atlanta, it is a nice call back to the city's status/history as a leader. With Blank owning the team and having them play in the new dome, the colors/branding make sense so the stadium can be themed for both teams (Turner did this with Hawks/Flames & Braves/Chiefs).

Going forward, I hope they connect some to Atlanta's great soccer history. How many people know that Atlanta's first Champion were the NASL Chiefs in 1968? Those same Chiefs won two of the first games against international teams by beating Man City.

I grew up in the "first wave" of youth soccer in Metro Atl. When the Chiefs were re-established in 1979, they did a great job of holding clinics, etc to get the youth game going. I'll always be a Chiefs fan from that and going to indoor games at the Omni. I hope Blank and the United can build on that.

[Statefan]

Love the "southern expansion" strategy that MLS is taking, and I think Atlanta is a logical choice for sure. I will say that I hate how generic "Atlanta United FC" is though

Also, I have to wonder 1) What is fan support going to be like? 2) Can they pull a really good European player for their expansion year (NYC - Villa, Orland - Kaka) that would be willing to live in Atlanta?

[Outside Dawg]

With Blank owning the team and having them play in the new dome, the colors/branding make sense so the stadium can be themed for both teams (Turner did this with Hawks/Flames & Braves/Chiefs).

This has always seemed like a good strategy to me...keeping one professional color scheme in a city at least makes it easier on the average fan when buying apparel. Also, Im a big fan of MLS, and southern expansion of the league. As a Memphis resident, Im still hoping for a St. Louis or Nashville expansion... Memphis unfortunately is too much to ask.

[BrunswickDawg]

Well, they have a 7,000 member supporter club and already have 21,000 season tickets commited - so support is there.

AJC goes more in depth about the branding http://m.ajc.com/news/sports/pro-sports/atlanta-united-fc-unveils-new-logo/nms9S/

After reading it, I like United more.

[Prediction? Pain.]

I think it's great that Atlanta's getting an MLS team. I'm fairly new to the sport, and one of the things that has driven my increasing interest in it is watching it live. I'm in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and have been lucky enough to follow one the best (if not the best) fourth-tier teams in the country. (For more on the United States' soccer "pyramid" of leagues, see this (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_soccer_league_system).) Even at the fourth-tier level, Chattanooga FC has been a huge draw to fans -- averaged over 4,000 per game in 2013 and 3,000 per game last season, including almost 9,000 for a playoff game against Sacramento, which was a league record. (For comparison's sake, the MLS team with the lowest average attendance is Chivas USA, which draws around 7,000 per game.) It helps that the team is so consistently good, of course, but the community has really embraced the sport.

In a market like Atlanta, I imagine (or hope) that an MLS team will do just as well.

[smootness]

I think the team will have plenty of support in Atlanta, and if Kaka is willing to live in Orlando, I don't know why Atlanta would have an issue with that. It all comes down to money for those guys.

I will say that I hate the name, like the colors, and love the logo. The name is utter garbage.

[Tbonewannabe]

I am recent convert to watching soccer. Living in Atlanta I am very interested in going to a MLS game. I like the colors logo and name. It seems like the people who don't like the name have more previous interest in the sport. Is there any particular reason to not like it being Atlanta United FC?

[BrunswickDawg]

I am recent convert to watching soccer. Living in Atlanta I am very interested in going to a MLS game. I like the colors logo and name. It seems like the people who don't like the name have more previous interest in the sport. Is there any particular reason to not like it being Atlanta United FC?
I think many see it as a Man U knock off. I admit it isn't terribly creative - but would you rather end up with something like Scorchers with a General Sherman mascot?? Because that tends to be what happens when marketing "creatives" try to get cute.

[dickiedawg]

People just think it's too generic. Maybe it is. I don't have a problem with it.

The team will develop a nickname apart from United (Hopefully it won't be Reds...) and people will use that.

[smootness]

I think many see it as a Man U knock off. I admit it isn't terribly creative - but would you rather end up with something like Scorchers with a General Sherman mascot?? Because that tends to be what happens when marketing "creatives" try to get cute.

It's not just a Man U knock off; it's also a DC United knock off, which is way worse. The 'United' name means something for the teams in England - the teams are literally the uniting of several other teams. It meant nothing in DC, they just used it as a rip-off of Man U. Dumb, but whatever.

But now we're going to be the second meaningless United team in MLS? At least come out and say we did it just to copy everybody else. They came out and said the city will unite behind the team...that's real dumb.

Atlanta FC or Atlanta SC would have been way better. Even Atlanta Legion would have been better. It's not like the only two options are copying everybody else or calling them the Sorcerers.

[Statefan]

I am recent convert to watching soccer. Living in Atlanta I am very interested in going to a MLS game. I like the colors logo and name. It seems like the people who don't like the name have more previous interest in the sport. Is there any particular reason to not like it being Atlanta United FC?

Just that it is super generic, and it came after the news that Minnesota's lower tier team is joining MLS and is called Minnesota United. Names like Seattle Sounders, Columbus Crew, Portland Timbers, Chicago Fire, etc are much better in my opinion

And good point about the money leading to a superstar -- I'm thinking Johansson in a couple of years would be a solid guy to spend a DP spot on as he is a likeable USMNTer that people could cheer for

[BrunswickDawg]

At least they didn't go with "City" like Orlando. That is beyond terrible. I agree with your point though. Most Premier teams nicknames came more organically - or had a reason like United or City. Too bad Chiefs is taboo now, because I would have loved to see these kits back out on the pitch.
http://content.sportslogos.net/logos/52/1417/full/ey7hdf5xcnegjlmjz8k7dcmhx.gif

[dawgs]

Portland Timbers games are a blast. Best pro sports atmosphere I've experienced.

As for finding a washed up former euro star, mls will make salary cap exceptions, especially for a new franchise wanting someone to plaster on billboards and commercials, but by the time they come over here their skill level is pretty mediocre. Probably better off finding, developing, and playing a young central or South American kid.

MLS might get there one day, but they're still not able to pull world class stars in their prime.

[smootness]

Names like Sounders and Timbers are great, IMO. They're original, relevant, and make sense in America without being lame or going overboard. Obviously the Wizards was a bad name, but I think that's a bad name in basketball, too.

IMO, names like United, Real, Sporting, Chivas, etc. are far more lame than Sounders/Timbers. It would be like England getting an American football league and calling themselves the London Broncos or Manchester Dolphins. Or a Spanish basketball team being the Barcelona Knicks. Everyone would laugh at that.

I don't understand why we feel like we have to Europeanize our soccer team names to have more credibility. Those teams are called that for a reason; it means something there. It just sounds dumb here.

But my rant is over.