Editor's note: The President of the Minnesota United FC, Nick Rogers, responded to this post and his comments are below.
About a month ago, the Minnesota Stars* decided that it was
time to re-brand themselves after the then-league-owned team was purchased by
former UnitedHealth CEO, William McGuire.
Like naming a child, choosing a name for a professional sports team is a
rare occurrence that provides the owners/parents the opportunity to provide the
team/child with the opportunity to be successful while also acknowledging
familiar surroundings and family ties. The
Tampa Bay Devil Rays recently determined that supporting the underworld’s
patriarch was not good for business and decided to drop “Devil” from the team’s
moniker. The New Orleans Hornets, after
moving from Charlotte to New Orleans (and then to and from Oklahoma), will
begin anew as the Pelicans next season.**