Atlanta Silverbacks Retain Name; Launch Logo Design Contest

[Louis]

The NASL team are currently offering fans the chance to vote on what name to use. They appear to want to rename themselves to Atlanta Chiefs and have even used their own adaptation of the original Chiefs logo in the vote.

Atlanta Silverbacks logo on left, proposed(?) Atlanta Chiefs logo on right.

Original Atlanta Chiefs logo on this site:

http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=hhfg6jfmgybtafg7fse9qi2pf

Also, this is used on Wikipedia:

[TBGKon]

Probably a smart move. You've already had FC Tampa Bay become the Rowdies and Miami FC become the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

[Brave-Bird 08]

No. I love the Silverback name. It probably doesn't resonate with the new generation, though.

The reason the team is called the Silverbacks is because of Willy B, which was Atlanta's prized silverback gorilla it had in the zoo...which isn't far at all from where the team currently plays.

Great, city relevant name about to be replaced with a generic one. No, no ,no ,no nno

[Titanole]

Seems unneccesary. The Silverbacks have been around for over a decade and have a history with that name. Perhaps not that great a history, but a history nonetheless. I see this as similar to when the Vancouver 86ers changed after fourteen years to the Whitecaps. That one worked out pretty well, but I don't see the same passion for the game or the club like was in Vancouver.

I guess they just want to jump on the NASL nostalgia bandwagon like everyone else (Earthquakes, Sounders, Timbers, Whitecaps, Strikers, Rowdies, Cosmos).

[RedSox44]

Hate the name "Silverbacks", not to mention the Chiefs logo is way better, and resonates with the Braves.

[speedy]

I'd vote for Chiefs.

But where's the rowdy PC crowd demanding this doesn't happen? They should have showed up by now, right?

[Gothamite]

Probably a smart move. You've already had FC Tampa Bay become the Rowdies and Miami FC become the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Don't forget the Cosmos!

I'm an old NASL fan, but I think the Silverbacks identity is superior in every way. I'd be a shame if they changed.

So what's up with Atlanta that the Silverbacks are making this desperate cry for attention?

[Bleujayone]

I know the name and logo for the Chiefs has an established history in Atlanta sports, I'm just not feeling it for a revival. To be fair though, I can think of an alternative with some history in Atlanta too.

The Chiefs had renamed themselves as the Atlanta Apollos for 1973 to 1979. While I didn't like the obscure 1970's logo associated with it, I preferred the name Apollos over the Chiefs. I never like it when any team uses a nickname that's already been established by another team even if it's in another sport. When I hear 'Chiefs', I just automatically think of the NFL team in Kansas City. It's a brand within a brand. So while there are indeed teams out there that share nicknames and can get along just fine financially, I've always found an unnecessary marketing move. Apollos is something currently unused and I think has a nice Greek association given the name of the city. I also think the city's seal of the phoenix rising from the flames would make a good team logo given that it too is Greek in origin. I don't know, I guess it just sounds more "soccer-ish" to me. Silly line of reasoning I grant you.

[Gothamite]

No, I think you're right.

The Atlanta soccer club can choose their own identity or they could always be secondary to that other, more established, more successful, more famous club that had the name first. No contest, really.

I'm not sure I'm feeling "Apollos" - didn't much care for it when it was a finalist for the Houson NFL expansion team either - but if the logo and branding were strong enough I guess it could work.

[BrySmalls]

Probably a smart move. You've already had FC Tampa Bay become the Rowdies and Miami FC become the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Don't forget the Cosmos!

I'm an old NASL fan, but I think the Silverbacks identity is superior in every way. I'd be a shame if they changed.

So what's up with Atlanta that the Silverbacks are making this desperate cry for attention?

I assume slowly sewing the seeds for a future "promotion" into MLS.

[SCL]

If Chiefs was unique in sports like Sounders, Timbers, White Caps, Rowdies, Cosmos, or Strikers it would work.

[raysox]

Well they need a new logo no matter what. I like that the new NASL is working back to the old logos. Now we need Edmonton to pay me money and use this.

[fumbler]

Well they need a new logo no matter what. I like that the new NASL is working back to the old logos. Now we need Edmonton to pay me money and use this.

Or the one JimmyN64 made for my CPL team.

[SJAnfield]

Well they need a new logo no matter what. I like that the new NASL is working back to the old logos. Now we need Edmonton to pay me money and use this.

Or the one JimmyN64 made for my CPL team.

That's sexy

[Malpass]

Seems unnecessary, the Silverbacks name is wonderfully local, whereas Chiefs really isn't. When asked "did you see <insert news story here> about the Chiefs" would anyone really assume the soccer team was the topic, even in Atlanta?

As SCL has already pointed out rather well, Chiefs just doesn't have that uniqueness the likes of the Sounders can call upon. I wouldn't expect a Boston club to become 'Rovers', nor a Toronto team to be called 'City' for exactly that reason. That said at least a Boston Rovers and Toronto City are traditionalist names. Chiefs doesn't even have that.

+1 to the Apollos idea, would love to see a modern interpretation of the original crest.

You've already had FC Tampa Bay become the Rowdies

Is that really it though? It was my understanding that they wanted to be the Rowdies from the beginning and only went with FCTB because of a rights issue which was later resolved...

[-kj]

Consider that more seasons have been played under the Silverbacks name than were played by the Chiefs.

Please stop the "we're the NASL, just like the old one!" wankery. Please.

[GriffinM6]

I love the silverbacks name. It's unique, and ties in well with the city, like others said before. I'm one that likes unique nicknames, or underused ones, so Chiefs is just too dull for me. To be honest though, I voted for a different name, and submitted Copperheads.

[theSLVRBCK]

I whole-heatedly support the name Silverbacks.

[ATLJ]

No. I love the Silverback name. It probably doesn't resonate with the new generation, though.

The reason the team is called the Silverbacks is because of Willy B, which was Atlanta's prized silverback gorilla it had in the zoo...which isn't far at all from where the team currently plays.

Great, city relevant name about to be replaced with a generic one. No, no ,no ,no nno

The new generation? I enjoy soccer, I have Silverback season tickets, and I hate the name. It's beyond cheesy. So what, we had a gorilla in the zoo, they have gorillas in zoos all over the world. It has nothing to do with Atlanta. A play on Atlanta's founding date, the rising from the ashes after being burnt to the ground, Phoenix, the original name of the city, Terminus, or even just the name itself are all much more appealing names to me and actually have something to do with the city. I supposed any animal in the Atlanta Zoo could give reason for the soccer team to be named after it. To me it sounds like a 5 year old youth team's name. Again, I hate it, it's very lame.

Also, the Atlanta Zoo is near where the team currently plays? What drugs are you on?

[Gothamite]

Yeah, I don't think the Silverbacks name is terribly unique to, or singularly appropriate for, Atlanta.

But I love it anyway. It's unique and distinctive while conjuring up a solid image. Plus it's an actual dictionary word, which helps these days.

Seems a shame to abandon it in favor of an identity where they'll always be "that other" team using it.

But I still don't know - are they having attendance problems? Why rebrand at all?