On Thursday the new MLS franchise in Seatown will allow The People to vote on-line on which of three names will be used for the team that kicks off in 2009. The media has hinted what the proposed choices will be based on copyright submissions.I shouldn't be surprised that all three options aren't that great but I am. Here's what it looks like we'll get to pick from:
1. SEATTLE FC
FC as in Football Club as is done in the UK where teams don't have official names in their titles. The Football Club in Seattle is called the Seahawks, Drew. Try again. It is a soccer club and you will be charged with treason. Maybe Seattle FU might be better for the pencil pushers in the marketing department and their focus groups.
2. SEATTLE REPUBLIC
No. Sounds like a coffee shop slash clothing store somehow or some liberal breakaway city-state proposed by Dan Savage. I don't know how they came up with this one. My Seattle Sasquatches idea beats this one with one hairy arm behind its back. The Sonics mascot could make an easy transition and not have shave his body and to go to Oklahoma. I also like Seawolves, Sounders, Sockeye, Savages (Dan again), or Hasselbecks.
3. SEATTLE ALLIANCE
Even worse than Republic. Alliance? An alliance with who? The Romulans? Are they combining teams with the Sounders? No. A Seattle P-I story says this is commonly used in youth league but as I recall this is a professional franchise made up of adults who weren't good at baseball as kids.
Seattle FC was leading a poll on the Seattle Times website and would at least allow the flexibility for a team name and mascot to Darwin its way to sticking with the team. I'm willing to bet they plaster some tacky corporate sponsor name across the front of the jerseys like their eurotrash cousins do. If Starbucks gets that contract I'm canceling my tickets.
FYI: On April 16th at 8pm China and Mexico will play at Qwest Field. The winning country will get to make all the new Seattle FC/Republic/Alliance jerseys.
