Tuesday was supposed to be a celebratory night for the NWSL’s newest expansion team, but less than 24 hours after a packed event in downtown Boston to unveil BOS Nation’s team name and colors, the club issued an apology for the negative impact of the publicity campaign.
Five hundred fans had RSVP’d for the event at the Dick’s House of Sport store, with notable figures like Boston’s mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts lieutenant governor Kim Driscoll, former USMNT and New England Revolution player Charlie Davies, and former USWNT and Boston Breakers players Lauren Holiday and Kristine Lilly in attendance. Former USA Hockey and Boston Blades player Angela Ruggiero also made an appearance. Local vendors provided food and drinks, and muralist Laura DeDonato was present to paint a live mural during the party, having originally coined the name “Boston Breakers” during the WUSA era.
Despite the festive launch party, there was one glaring issue: fans were not happy with the team’s name and the use of a “Balls Balls Balls” video campaign created by local creative ad agency Colossus. The controversial ad on Instagram featured the caption, “Thanks to our brave clients for being boldly provocative with this launch.”
The Colossus ad had comments disabled, unlike other posts, likely due to the negative feedback it garnered. Seattle Reign midfielder Quinn, who is trans and nonbinary, expressed their concerns on the team’s Instagram video, labeling it as “transphobic.” They later mentioned that their original comment was “hidden by Instagram.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the launch event (Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
While Wu, Davies, and team owners praised the team as a community asset and a force for positive change through sports, a protestor held up a sign at the back of the event that read, “NO ROOM FOR TRANSPHOBIA.”
The protestor, known as Theo from Dorchester, Mass., later explained that the sign was in response to the team’s “Balls” ad.
“I believe there were many aspects of the launch that could have been handled better, but I strongly feel that the (Balls) video was particularly short-sighted,” they stated. “It would have been better if they had sought feedback from a diverse group of people because the ad relied on gender essentialism by referring to balls as men’s genitals. This type of language is offensive and hurtful as there are men without balls and women with balls. It was unnecessary and insensitive.
“As a trans individual, I have been eagerly awaiting the return of a team since the Breakers disbanded. I was thrilled about this new team and participated in every event leading up to this point. As a trans person, it was deeply hurtful to see the rollout tainted by senseless transphobia. This could have been avoided entirely.”
“We understand that the content of the campaign did not align with the inclusive environment we aim to foster for everyone, and we extend our apologies to the LGBTQ+ community, and particularly to the trans community, for any harm caused,” the team stated in a release on Wednesday.
GO DEEPER
Boston NWSL club misses the mark with BOS Nation FC and marketing campaign
As of Wednesday morning, the toomanyballs.com website appears to be offline.
Theo wasn’t the only fan who found the ad offensive at the event.
Liam, from Roxbury, Mass., expressed disappointment, saying, “As a transgender individual, I’m disheartened to witness the emphasis on balls as a defining factor for women. It’s disheartening to see a team that advocates for diversity and inclusion immediately suggest that anyone with balls isn’t a part of the women’s soccer community.”
The team’s name also sparked intense reactions, evidenced by the flood of negative comments across social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram following the launch.
“It’s not a name I would have chosen,” admitted a fan named Anthony from Billerica, Massachusetts. “I don’t believe it will resonate well with many Boston residents, especially based on the feedback from videos and comments. It could definitely use some improvement. Perhaps involving Boston residents in the decision-making process could be beneficial. It’s not the worst name, but it’s not the best.”
Liam added, “I’m a bit uneasy about it. It’s easy to interpret a nationalist undertone… Are we all going to be referred to as the nationalists among their supporters? I’m not particularly fond of that idea.”
“If Sandra (Herrera) hadn’t broken the news, whom I respect as a reporter, I would have assumed it was a joke. It’s embarrassing,” Theo remarked.
The criticisms voiced at the event appeared to be coming from a constructive standpoint rather than an attack. Theo sported an NWSL Boston hat featuring the team’s placeholder logo that they had purchased before the team unveiled its name and ad campaign, showing their eagerness for the NWSL’s return as a dedicated Breakers fan.
Liam shared a similar sentiment, draped in a team scarf — he wasn’t there solely to criticize the team but rather to seek ways for improvement as a long-time soccer fan in Boston.
“I’ve had an interest in the local soccer community since around 2013 when I first moved here,” he explained. “My partner at the time introduced me to the Revolution (the local MLS team), and from there, I got involved with the Breakers. I’ve been on the sidelines of the soccer scene for some time, and now that it’s here in my backyard, I’m eager to be part of it.”
Other fans echoed similar sentiments, even advocating for patience in the process.
“I think the name could use a little more thought,” Natasha from Worcester, Mass., suggested. “But people should understand that these decisions go through stages, and adjustments can be made if necessary. If the name doesn’t resonate, they can always change it.”
“The name reveal was quite intriguing. That’s my honest take on it. But I’ve always shown support for anything related to Boston,” a fan named DJ Whysham from Dorchester expressed.
“I believe there’s still time for the team to reconsider and try a different approach, given the negative initial response from fans,” Liam recommended.
It was evident that the feedback from the event attendees stemmed from a genuine desire to see BOS Nation thrive. While the online reaction was predominantly negative, the local fans, who make up the team’s core fanbase, were genuinely invested.
There is still room for Boston to grow and evolve in multiple aspects.
The fans at the launch event were prepared to support positive changes and rally behind a team they could call their own.
(Top photo: Steph Yang/The Athletic)