Premier League Team Changes Name, Now Sounds Like American Franchise

Hull City doesn't want to be called boring old Hull City anymore. It's boring. What's a "city" anyway? Instead, say hello to Hull City Tigers.

English soccer teams don't have names, per se. Officially, it's just "Liverpool," "Manchester United," "Arsenal," etc. But they do have nicknames—the Reds, the Red Devils, the Gunners—and those are often used on second reference. Informally, Hull City have long been the Tigers. But Hull City's owner, who purchased the club three years ago, has officially renamed the team.

"Hull City is irrelevant," said Allam, whose significant investment rescued the club from financial calamity. "My dislike for the word 'City' is because it is common. City is also associated with Leicester, Bristol, Manchester and many other clubs. I don't like being like everyone else. I want the club to be special. It is about identity. City is a lousy identity. Hull City Association Football Club is so long. In Tigers, we have a really strong brand."

Fans are naturally not pleased with the change, citing a disrespect for history. But I say: Welcome, Tigers! Here in America we have many teams with names, a good 80 percent of them predatory cats of some kind. It's quite useful for distinguishing from the other teams in that city (we have other sports here!). It can often look great on a uniform. And you join a wonderful burgeoning soccer tradition, with the likes of the Western New York Flash, the Antigua Barracuda, and of course, the Seattle Xboxes.