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What should Philadelphia’s team name be?

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With the MLS expansion team in Philadelphia just two years away I couldn’t help but wonder what good nickname would be for the club.

With the Seattle expansion team considering the awful name Emeral City Greens we can only hope that the people in Philadelphia come up with something better.

What shouldn’t Philly’s team be called? The Liberty Bells probably wouldn’t go over well. The Cheesesteaks probably wouldn’t either.

You make the call people. What should the MLS expansion team in Philly be called? Share your suggestions below.

Comments

  6. Ok two things. First the Seattle team is going to be called Emerald City Seattle FC. “The Greens” would be their nickname. Like how Coventry City is called the Sky Blues et al. Also what is this obsession with trying to name every team after a team in Europe? I mean, really, what’s the point? “I’m not European. I don’t plan on being European. So who cares if they’re socialists?” Ok I am technically European as I have an Irish passport, but last time I checked we call it soccer here, and anyone that was born here that insists on calling it football is a giant D-Bag.

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  10. Original: nickname before the city name!!!!! (like Red Bull New York, but much better)

    Alliance Philadelphia SC

    Athletic Philadelphia SA (Soccer Alliance)

    Independance PSC

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  12. How about the:
    Philly “has jade1mls as their fan for life until another team comes around”.

    Posted by: George | February 21, 2008 at 03:39 PM
    _________________________________________

    I thought Jade was a DC fan for life. Hahahahahaha.

    Reply

  16. Duke & Duke FC (Trading Places reference)
    Billy Ray Valentines FC(Trading Places reference)
    One Dollar FC – (Trading Places reference)
    Italian Stallion FC (Rocky)
    YO Adrian FC (Rocky)

    For Real – Philadelphia Stars & Stripes.

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  17. 1. Santa had it coming — he was drunk
    2. it was decades ago
    3. so little love for the old Atoms?
    4. that would be The MISS Patty LaLiberty Bells

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  18. Unless someone can think of something better, I think it should be the Atoms again. The Atoms return to Philadelphia. It’s a POWERFUL and EXPLOSIVE nickname with a lot of history!
    (The Philadelphia Protons?) (The Philadelphia Nucleus?)

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  19. I like Matt’s idea of Old City FC. It has that nice, english sound to it. If we want to develop of as a league we can’t have stupid names such as Red Bulls and Wizards. They work for like, American sports but soccer is an international sport and we need to have real names to get the respect we deserve

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  20. Independance FC is solid. It would be my pick. Or perhaps since the name Philadelphia has Greek roots: Phalanx Football Club, after the greek fightin formation.

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  21. Philadelphia Athletic sounds cool… And to all the non-soccer watchers, they would (maybe) understand that its the soccer/european version of the “Athletics” (Oakland) … Can’t wait for a great rivalry against them … too bad they’ll suck haha

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  24. Some of these name ideas are absolutely ridiculous. There has to be the word ‘Philadelphia’ in the team name so they can market it. I think something simple like FC Philadelphia would work and then they can have an unattached nickname like ‘the reds’ or ‘commodores’ or ‘the phillies’. None of these nicknames have to be official.

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  26. Personally, I cannot understand why the majority of Philadelphians approve of “Philadelphia Athletic(s)”. To me it screams, “we like baseball better than soccer.” But hey what do I know, I’m from the west coast. Call them whatever you guys want. I happened to like the Philadelphia Commodores, or Generals even.

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  27. Philadelphia Athletic – No other name is exceptable.

    Philadelphia Independece?? YUCK WNBA name. And we already have the terrible Revolution name. No more singular names! Traditional names only please. Doesn’t have to be poseur like Real Salt Lake. Just keep it real with the FC’s and an Athletic here and there.

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  29. How about just Philadelphia FC?

    It has history look it up on wikipedia.

    Bethlehem Steel FC the club that won the most US Open Cups to date (5) moved to Philadelphia and renamed/rebranded themselves Philadelphia FC.

    So there is your history.
    A nickname will evolve, no need to force one down everyones throats, even though that is the Madison Ave way of doing things. Soccer/Football should be different and set itself apart from other sports.

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  31. I think we might see
    Philadelphia 1776

    since they tried it with Houston and want a classic feel. Seems hard to beleive you could get more classic than that.

    But I love the Chester Molsters.

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  32. I thought you were going to Red Bulls practice today – anything to report? Michael Lewis is reporting that Doe will be released.

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  33. to be serious ‘Athletic’ is a good name, but the question of trademark and copyright infringement on the ‘Athletics’ does come into play especially given the A’s past history.
    Might be tough to swing that short of adding ‘club’ or something after ‘athletic’

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  34. I love the name Philadelphia Athletic(s), too, but those who think we’re going to get it must not realize that the Oakland A’s own that name, and are not likely to give it up. Trademark is a touchy thing, and MLB makes millions on Philadelphia A’s merchandise.

    My suggestion: Philadelphia Atoms. A well-loved team in the 1970s, and still well thought-of by older soccer fans. Not quite the history of “Sounders” or “Earthquakes,” but a good history nevertheless.

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  35. @Posted by: Scott Dunham | February 21, 2008 at 05:52 PM

    actually, not to be contrarian, but the Chicago Fire of 1872 is seen as the catalyst for the rapid industrialization of the city and the re-imagining of the city as it is today that lead up to the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893 that introduced the world the the promise and hope of Chicago and the US in general as it pertains to the ‘American dream’ as it is considered by most to be the most influential World’s Fair in history of the world.

    So we take quite a bit of pride in the Chicago Fire and respect the dead but also recognize that it was in fact the flames that cured the clay that was Chicago

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  37. I think Athletic is clearly the best choose, as it is a catchy name that combines the city’s history with classic soccer names.

    Independence however is lame and inoffensive enough that it is a likely choice. The name Philadelphia Independence just sounds minor league to me, like some bad WNBA team (New York Libery anyone?).

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  38. Mullet Monsters FC

    Camaro Kids United

    AC [[unintelligible writing in a vaguely Italian dialect]]

    I kid, Philly. Welcome to the league.

    I like ‘Emerald City’ for Seattle (if they dump the ‘greens’ part and just leave the name as ‘Emerald City’) It doesn’t sounds any more ‘horrible’ than Crystal Palace does or any other number of names around the world.

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  49. Ben Franklin FC

    Hadn’t thought of it before but other teams are named after people (i.e. Luis Angel Firpo). For Seattle I will be severeley dissapointed if its not Sounders or Emerald City FC

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