Samantha Mewis gave her thoughts on the botched NWSL Boston team name launch

"I think this is a great opportunity for the club, and for all of us, to learn and grow and try again, which — as I've said before — I hope we are all given the grace to do when we make a mistake."

Samantha Mewis celebrates after scoring for the U.S. national team during a game in 2021. AP Photo/David J. Phillip

October 17, 2024

3 minutes to read

Samantha Mewis talked about bumpy NWSL Boston name launch: When Boston soccer fans think of prominent local figures, few garner more respect than former U.S. women’s national team midfielder Samantha Mewis.

Mewis, who retired earlier in 2024, is a Mass. native, and former World Cup winner. She’s now the editor in chief of “The Women’s Game” (which provides coverage of women’s soccer), and decided to weigh in on the recent botched name launch campaign from the NWSL Boston expansion team, set to be known as BOS Nation FC.

The advertising rollout campaign for BOS Nation was criticized from several standpoints, eventually triggering an official apology from the club. The “Too Many Balls” advertising was slogan drew a negative response from fans, and has already been discarded.

Mewis, speaking on a recent podcast episode, shared her thoughts on the matter.

“What I’ll say on this is it felt like an old iteration of women’s sports to me, from a time when we were fighting against men’s sports, or from a time when we were trying to demand a season at a table full of men,” Mewis said. “To me, it feels like women’s sports are past that. Women’s sports, and women’s sports fans have our own table now, and we don’t need to center men’s sports in our conversations anymore.”

“I do believe that intentions matter, and I also believe in second chances when there is accountability and growth, and with that said I hope that the club takes feedback from people close to the city and from the fans,” she added.

Noting her ties to the area, Mewis advocated for a more open dialogue between fans and club management.

Ultimately, Mewis (not unlike some of the fan responses) indicated an overriding hope that the local team establishes itself, even amid short-term disappointment.

“I’m from Massachusetts, so I am of course rooting for the club to succeed despite the rocky start,” said Mewis. “I genuinely want the NWSL to grow successfully with great cities like Boston as an important part of it. So I think this is a great opportunity for the club, and for all of us, to learn and grow and try again, which — as I’ve said before — I hope we are all given the grace to do when we make a mistake.”

"I hope that the club takes feedback from the people close to the city and from the fans." 👏@sammymewy weighs in on Boston's NWSL team launch campaign and their response to the backlash. pic.twitter.com/jXbso4ZjoH
— The Women's Game (@WomensGameMIB) October 16, 2024

Scores and schedules:

The Bruins defeated the Avalanche 5-3 in Colorado on Wednesday night.

Tonight, Boston College football will be on the road to play Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m.

More from Boston.com:

Former Celtic retires: Aron Baynes, who played for the Celtics for two seasons, is retiring from professional basketball.

The boy from Mareeba! Representing you for your entire career has been the honor of a lifetime. You embody everything we teach young athletes about professionalism, dedication and playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not on the back.

Love you Azza! All the very best… pic.twitter.com/bejepCQA2t
— Daniel Moldovan (@AgentMoldovan) October 16, 2024

On this day: In 2004, the tide turned in one of the most dramatic moments of the MLB postseason. Dave Roberts, pinch-running for Kevin Millar, stole second base — sliding in fractionally ahead of Derek Jeter’s tag — to get into scoring position. It meant that Bill Mueller’s ensuing base hit tied the game, changing the course of the series (and history).

Daily highlight: Sabrina Ionescu drilled a clutch deep three to give the Liberty the lead (and eventually the win) in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals against the Lynx on Wednesday. New York leads 2-1 in the best-of-five series.