# My soccer team appears to have picked up a nickname (and it sucks) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-soccer-fifa\ **Created:** [August 4, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700 "2025-08-04T18:20:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/21 "2025-08-04T20:49:29Z")
If the league already has Loons and Lions, how 'bout the Loins? In northern Minnesota, I have heard the call of the loon. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/22 "2025-08-04T21:07:59Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > A nickname contest could have provided guidance to something more acceptable to team and fans. Or it could have resulted in “Kicky McFootyface.” Fandom is a crap shoot. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/23 "2025-08-04T21:12:49Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Or the Riblets. I could get behind that. I live in the Seattle area so I’m obligated to be a Sounder fan, but I’d still root for the Riblets. I love that. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/24 "2025-08-04T21:19:18Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Or it could have resulted in “Kicky McFootyface.” Fandom is a crap shoot. True, but it’s their contest, they could control the outcome. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/25 "2025-08-04T21:21:45Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Well it appears that I may have misunderstood when I heard the announcer use the term “Loons,” Maybe the announcer said “Loui-ans” and it sounded like ‘loons’? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/26 "2025-08-04T21:28:00Z")
But that’s the nature of football (I refuse to call it soccer on religious grounds) team nicknames, they are often even derogatory (created by the team rivals, sometimes) and then taken and used by the fans as a way to deny the other teams the satisfaction of getting angry about them. So, “The loons” is not so bad, though it still seems to be lacking a narrative to explain it, without it doesn’t look so organic. My own team has 2 nicknames, one derogatory. The non-derogatory is “The millionaires” assigned because it was one of the first teams to spend a lot of money purchasing players. The derogatory one is “The chickens” (!) (see, “The loons” is not so bad 😃 ), assigned (or so the legend tells) because they were winning a game 3 - 0 and ended up losing 4-3. As you can see, the derogatory name has been embraced: [![](https://assets.ejecentral.com.mx/dims4/default/b47e3b7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/945x945+0+0/resize/1440x1440!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk3-prod-ejecentral.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fed%2F6d%2Fcbab62394806b2f1d2d1858c9f6c%2Fduaxcnzucaaknvc.jpg) ](https://assets.ejecentral.com.mx/dims4/default/b47e3b7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/945x945+0+0/resize/1440x1440!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk3-prod-ejecentral.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fed%2F6d%2Fcbab62394806b2f1d2d1858c9f6c%2Fduaxcnzucaaknvc.jpg) You can do something like that with “The loons”. Our classic rival has “Xeneizes” which means “Genoese” in Genoese dialect (assigned because some (most?) of the team founders where from Genoa) and “Bosteros” (something like “Horse/Cow Shit Collector”) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/27 "2025-08-04T23:12:36Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I’d push for something BBQ-related. Like the Briskets. I mean, there’s a city a few hours west with better BBQ and a better soccer team…😉 Maybe they could go with something that features their “pizza”. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/28 "2025-08-04T23:38:20Z")
The Provels? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/29 "2025-08-05T00:16:39Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I mean, there’s a city a few hours west with better BBQ Tread lightly, that kind of talk can get you punched in the nose in St. Louis. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/30 "2025-08-05T00:17:22Z")
The Toasted Ravilois. ok, so ravioli is already a plural, but let’s not quibble. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/31 "2025-08-05T02:45:08Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Strange they’re moving forward with this since it’s so tied to Minnesota United already. I agree it’s a bit odd, but aren’t there multiple English clubs with the same nickname? A quick Wikipedia check shows both Bolton and Wolverhampton going by “Wanderers”, although the latter also (or largely?) goes by “Wolves” as well. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/32 "2025-08-05T03:05:07Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > I agree it’s a bit odd, but aren’t there multiple English clubs with the same nickname? For decades, after the merger of two rival leagues, there were two teams in the Canadian Football League (a league with only nine teams) which had nearly identical official nicknames: the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Ottawa Rough Riders. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/33 "2025-08-05T03:19:14Z")
Ravioli Boyz was a “jokey” nickname when the team was first awarded. You can still find merchandise with that name on it. > **[Ravioli Boyz Collection](https://stlcitygo.com/collections/ravioli-boyz-collection)** > > The official retail website of St. Louis CITY SC. Join us as we continue to bring you the latest in STL CITY Go merchandise for the new season! ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/34 "2025-08-05T03:57:14Z")
Kinda like the NCSU Wolfpack and the University of Nevada-Reno Wolf Pack, to cite an NCAA example. Of course, the number of college teams with the same mascots is legion. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/35 "2025-08-05T05:33:16Z")
Bolton are also known as ‘The Trotters’. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/36 "2025-08-05T05:54:25Z")
Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/37 "2025-08-06T22:11:21Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > Maybe the announcer said “Loui-ans” and it sounded like ‘loons’? They aren’t booing, they’re saying Loooooou! A genuine St. Louis thing that dates back 50 years, to Cardinal fans explaining to out-of-towners why the crowd seemed to be booin future Hall of Famer Lou Brock. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/38 "2025-08-06T22:19:05Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > I’m surprised the team didn’t have a naming contest. They could have been selected by John Oliver to be given a new name, but then they’d be **[the Moon Mammoths](https://seawolves.milbstore.com/collections/moon-mammoths)**! 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/39 "2025-08-06T23:00:27Z")
Loon Mammoths ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700/40 "2025-08-08T12:47:35Z")
Moon Mammoths is a totally kick-ass name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-soccer-team-appears-to-have-picked-up-a-nickname-and-it-sucks/1021700.md?page=3)