04/20/24
November 08, 2004
Introducing Utah's team: Real Salt Lake: Did we cover this already? I remember discussing that Dallas is changing its name to FC Dallas and we pretty much agreed that it was a welcome change. But Real Salt Lake!? Now I'm pretty sure that Real means Royal in Spanish, and I don't know what the particular reason for calling Real Madrid, ROYAL Madrid is...maybe someone can inform us about the naming of all those Real teams in Spain. And don't forget about Club Deportivo Chivas USA...uh, is the USA at the end necessary?
posted by StarFucker to soccer at 09:51 AM - 16 comments
Great questions Ufez... I don't have any answers though. Anyone?
posted by StarFucker at 12:01 PM on November 08, 2004
One, define "Properly." Perhaps their goal is to make sure any competing team in the city would have to call themselves "Fake Salt Lake," which while highly improbable would be pretty funny if it happened. I have no idea how they'll handle the Chivas exception. A lot of those players would be unfairly stuck on the one team because of quotas, which could give them an unfair advantage in negotiations. Not that there's a ton of player movement, but still, it's a consideration. The league will have to tread lightly there.
posted by chicobangs at 02:10 PM on November 08, 2004
The great thing about Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas is that you know immediately what sport they're playing. The Dallas Burn could have been a minor-league hockey team, NBA development league team, women's fast-pitch softball club, or chlamydia symptom. I think these names and the faux international football jerseys I saw recently at Wal-Mart in Florida represent a turning point for the sport in the U.S. This is becoming the fifth major pro sport in the U.S. (or the sixth if you're already including NASCAR, or the fourth if you're already excluding hockey, or the fifth if you're already including NASCAR while still including hockey, to say nothing of women's tennis).
posted by rcade at 02:53 PM on November 08, 2004
Real is kinda stupid. Was Joseph Smith a Spanish monarch now? FC Dallas is cool and international and works. Real for no apparent reason is just silly. Does anyone in Utah even speak Spanish? All I can think of is what does SLC have to do with Madrid?
posted by pivo at 03:33 PM on November 08, 2004
Of course, as I hit submit I realize that this is the same city that kept the name Jazz for their hoops squad. Charlie Parker at the Tabernacle is a classic album!
posted by pivo at 03:39 PM on November 08, 2004
"Does anyone in Utah even speak Spanish?" Sure, we have lots of people who speak Spanish, but, like the rest of us, they probably don't give a rat's ass about soccer either.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 03:53 PM on November 08, 2004
Crash, that article gives more support than you apparently think is warranted for the Real name. In most other markets, at least most markets with a reasonable Hispanic population they are a big target demo for MLS. And 15% of the state's population is big enough when they only need to average 10-12,000 attendance at best in the first couple of seasons and I'd bet most of it is concentrated in or near SLC. Plus rcade's comments about distinctive names. So choosing Real makes a little more sense to me now. On the LA squad: The common reference I see is CD Chivas USA and so, yes, the USA tag is probably useful since the Mexican side is called CD Chivas. And, contrary to previous comments, they are not getting a waiver of the foreign player limit.
posted by billsaysthis at 04:58 PM on November 08, 2004
You Asked about the Whole "real" thing in spanish? it is similar to calling a team the "Kings" or "Royals" in English. and I agree with looking for distiguisable names, after all who in thier right mind would name a team the "Knickerbockers" Anymore!
posted by Slccproducer at 05:29 PM on November 08, 2004
who in thier right mind would name a team the "Knickerbockers" Anymore! The Salt Lake Hiphuggers? Salt Lake Low-Slung Jeans? btw, Real Salt Lake sounds Real Stupid to me. I mean, they coulda been the Salt Licks, or the Salt Kicks, or Salt Lake United. I mean, I don't think even teams in Central/South America use Real in their names. Someone in marketing probably wants to piggyback on the most "visible" soccer team brand in the world. They coulda gone Man Utd. but I guess DC Utd's already done it, and Salt Lake Utd doesn't quite have a ring to it. But Real Salt Lake is wow ... weak. How about Salt Lake Studs?! Man, that's sport-appropriate (studs = cleats) and the double-entendre would get some attention in Mormon-land!
posted by worldcup2002 at 06:37 PM on November 08, 2004
btw, I'm pleased to announce this was the fourth consecutive SpoFi soccer post. The tide is turning. Soccer/Futbol roolz!
posted by worldcup2002 at 06:41 PM on November 08, 2004
Stormin' Mormons...now that is a good name... so in Spain is a quarter pounder w/ cheese called "real con queso?"
posted by chris2sy at 07:15 PM on November 08, 2004
Both new franchises have pretty silly names. Club Deportivo de Los Angeles Chivas would have been fine. Real Salt Lake has, I'm afraid, no redeeming qualities at all. If they wanted to go traditional football then Salt Lake City would have been fine.
posted by salmacis at 12:16 PM on November 09, 2004
Thats the best one i've heard salmacis...
posted by StarFucker at 02:57 PM on November 09, 2004
Which one?
posted by salmacis at 05:41 PM on November 09, 2004
I'm guessing Salt Lake City.
posted by worldcup2002 at 05:51 PM on November 09, 2004
So what percentage of the populace is going to pronounce Real properly? Also, since we're MLS-ing, two quick questions for anyone that knows: 1)when RSL and Chivas join the league, is one of the Western Conf teams moving to the East? Is it going to be KC? 2) Chivas is getting an exception on the max foreign players policy, right? They're going to field an all Mexican team? How is that going to impact the number of foreign born players the other teams are allowed?