NWSL expansion team BOS Nation FC sorry for ‘transphobic’ rollout campaign
The National Women’s Soccer League expansion team in Boston apologized Wednesday for a “Too Many Balls” marketing campaign that drew harsh reactions from the transgender community and others.
A day after unveiling the slogan as part of the rollout of the BOS Nation FC team name, the organization posted on X that “we missed the mark” in attempting to “create a bold and vibrant brand launch campaign.”
“We fully acknowledge that the content of the campaign did not reflect the safe and welcoming environment we want to create for everyone,” the team said, “and we apologize to the LGBTQ+ community and to the trans community in particular for any pain caused we have caused .”
The new name, an anagram of the Bostonian who also played “boss,” was announced Tuesday along with a video celebrating the city’s professional sports history — largely accomplished by men — with the narrator saying, “Boston loves his balls ‘ and ‘there are too many balls in this town.
It concluded: “We are a BOS nation, where anything is possible. No balls needed,” with the exception, the video noted, of a soccer ball.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the community’s response,” Jennifer Epstein, one of the team owners, told the Associated Press. Actress and director Elizabeth Banks and Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman are also part of the all-female ownership group.
But what they got was not what they expected.
Among the comments was an Instagram post from Seattle midfielder Quinn, who identifies as transgender and non-binary, saying: “Feels transphobic. Yes.”
The team removed the video from its website and the website toomanyballs.com was a dead link on Wednesday. The PR firm that sent out the press release about the name rollout did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP.
“We are proud to be part of the most inclusive sporting league in the world and are committed to upholding the unifying values that define the NWSL and our club,” the team said. posted on X. “Thank you to everyone who held us accountable by calling on us to do better. We listen to you and we will do this together.”