Second Chances Matter

      It is worth revisiting the Boston Legacy, the upcoming NWSL team that will start play in Boston next year. They got a second bite at the apple and did a much better job. Dealing with both the logo and the Team Name. It is worth giving people and organizations second chances. They might not make it work, but they deserve the opportunity.

      Originally they released a terrible team name and a boring logo. It was bad. Really bad. But

      The logo was so spot on that I got the local refence immediately. When I ripped the original idea I said that you have make your team regional or very local. A reference to the Swan Boats is winning local reference. It is one of those tourist things that the locals also love. I get the Angel FC and Minnesota United complaints. But the local ties to this far exceed any “rip-off” complaints. The logo been clean and just having the city name is another win. The Legacy is implied. It is there and we all know it. They nailed the logo.

      The team name is not ideal, BUT it is not City/State Name United/FC. So I will take this as a win. It is different. It would not be my first choice, but it wasn’t their first choice either. It is unique. No one was a team name like it. So they get credit for trying to play it both ways and not truly failing at either. They get a non-totemic name, but also avoid the Euro-clone naming trap. I have to give them a win on the name as well.

      Back to the logo though. The team gave themselves a mascot, and a totem, whether they like it or not. They will be called the Swans and I think allowing the fans to have this is as a nickname. This is very European, and gives your new fans a chance to build something alongside what you are building with a new franchise. This may or may not have been a deliberate choice, and I love that ambiguity. Swans are also tough animals you do not want to pick a fight with. Beautiful, strong, and loyal. What a great animal to pick for your team’s “mascot”.

      I am still a bit annoyed about the stadium stuff. Playing in Foxborough is going to suck for them. Hopefully, with Mayor’s Wu landslide re-election the White stadium renovations will be complete and they can move there for the ‘27 season. Having a soccer stadium in town for the team is going to be so important. And I hope that playing in Foxborough gives them an in to the stadium in Everett if they grown their fanbase fast enough to justify such a move. Regardless, I am excited.

      I did reward their good choices by voting with my wallet. I bought a hat, a t-shirt, and a scarf the first day they were on sale. I put my money where my mouth was. They got a second chance and crushed it. I am excited for the NWSL team Boston Legacy to start playing next year.