Boston’s new women’s soccer team apologizes to the LGBTQ and trans communities for the “Too Many Balls” campaign

BOSTON – One day later reveals its official franchise nameBoston’s new National Women’s Soccer League team apologizes for the “Too Many Balls” advertising campaign that accompanied its launch.

The BOS Nation Football Club shared the one-minute video on social media on Tuesday, which features a cameo appearance from the great New England Patriots Tom Brady.

Football video “Too Many Balls” criticized on social media

The video says Boston is a city of champions with a legacy full of “trophies, banners, rings and balls.”

“Boston loves its balls, but maybe there are too many balls in this city,” says a narrator before the new women’s team is introduced.

“We are BOS Nation, where everything is possible. No balls needed,” the video says.

Women’s football fans called the campaign “bizarre” and inappropriate on social media. There was also criticism that the message was hurtful to the transgender community.

“In a time when trans women are excluded from sport At any level, is “too many balls” really the slogan you want to use here?,” journalist Frankie de la Cretaz posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Name change petition

Fan Katya Engalichev criticized the advertising campaign. “I found the insinuation that the only difference between men’s and women’s sports is the amount of balls you can find to be degrading,” Engalichev said.

Engalichev started a petition that reached 1,500 signatures to also change the team’s name.

“I want to spend an excessive amount of money on merch, but I don’t want a t-shirt that says ‘BOS Nation’ or a t-shirt like they offered yesterday that says ‘too many balls,'” Engalichev said. “It’s uncreative. It’s unoriginal, it lacks identity, it’s boring.”

BOS Nation FC apologizes

BOS Nation Football Club said in a statement on Wednesday that “we missed the mark”.

From us to you. pic.twitter.com/ASHFHltb5n

— NWSL Boston (@NWSLBoston) October 16, 2024

“We fully recognize that the content of the campaign does not reflect the safe and welcoming environment we strive to create for everyone, and we apologize to the LGBTQ+ community, and particularly the trans community, for the harm we have caused caused,” the team said.

The team added that it was “proud to be part of the most comprehensive sports league in the world” and thanked those who “challenged us to do better.”

David Richard, CEO of Big Fish PR, said that while the team’s campaign is getting people talking, what matters is the comeback.

“Doing something from the beginning that might not necessarily be seen as inclusive is a challenge for them, but not insurmountable,” Richard said. “There is enough goodwill in what they do and what the brand stands for that they can turn things around and win the hearts and minds of a diverse range of fans.”