The great name debate

What’s in a name? A lot according to my colleagues at It’s Called Football who today debated what we should call the cup competition involving Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Ben Knight, in his trademarked passionate way, argued for only (or mostly, anyway) using the informal “Voyageurs' Cup.” Ever the logical one, Ben Rycroft suggested that Canadian supporter’s need to show a little love to the sponsor’s and refer to the competition as the Nutrilite Canadian Championships. Both articulated their position as part of the It’s Called Football penalty sequence, with yours truly acting as the referee.

I took the easy way out and called the debate a draw and suggested that it should be the fans that make the decision on who won the debate.

But first, allow me to weigh in with my position.

I almost always refer to it as simply the Voyageurs' Cup. Although I don’t share Mr. Knight’s passionate dislike of all things corporate in sport (I call New York’s MLS team by its energy drink name), I do feel strongly about the history of this particular trophy and I feel that the CSA has not done enough to ensure that people new to the domestic game are aware of that wonderful history.

For those unaware, the Coles' Notes:

Years ago when no one in Canada seemed to care one iota about the club game, a small but dedicated group of fans at the Voyageur’s decided to take matters into their own hands. Sick of waiting for the CSA or the pro clubs to create a national cup, the fans organized a fund drive and bought the damn thing themselves.

Not stopping there, the Vs made outreaches to the pro clubs in Canada playing at the then A-League (now USL-1) level to get them to recognize the cup. With no budget to speak of, the cup was awarded to the teams that had the best record in league games involving two Canadian teams. Early on it was Montreal that was most enthusiastic about the project and they proudly accepted the cup and the unofficial title of Canadian champions that it carried.

And they accepted it again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. Montreal is the only club to have won it.

This type of grassroots initiative is rare in today’s overly controlled pro sports environment and it should be celebrated. Which is why I refer to the trophy by its name, the Voyageurs' Cup.

However, Mr. Rycroft does make a valuable point. We in Canada bitch and moan about the lack of corporate support for soccer. So it’s a bit silly that when there finally is a sponsor that so many of us go so far out of our way to not use the sponsor’s name. How can we expect more corporate money if there is no perceived benefit for those companies (through increased recognition and loyalty by soccer fans)?

Rycroft’s argument may not be as sexy as Knight’s, but it’s hard to disagree with the underlying logic.

However, this is my issue. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. The hardcore fans are almost vigilant about not using the word Nutrilite, whereas most of the mainstream media almost never calls the trophy by name. As a result, many newer fans only know the competition as the Nutrilite Canadian Championships and they don’t have the first clue what the name of the trophy is, nor its history.

I don’t have a problem with Nutrilite sponsoring the tournament. My issue is that I simply want the trophy’s history taught and respected. The Nutrilite Canadian Championships playing for the Voyageurs' Cup? That’s fine.

However, when it comes to a decision on how to use the name here or on It’s Called Football, I’m sticking to the Voyageurs' Cup (maybe using Nutrilite on a first reference). The reason is because as someone working outside of big, traditional media I feel that I have a responsibility to speak for the fans, And it’s my position that the hardcore fan wants this to be called the Voyageurs' Cup. There is little danger of the Toronto Star (for instance) to start using the trophy’s name when referring to the tournament (there is ample evidence to show that), so really it’s up to shows like ICF and bloggers like myself and Ben Knight to keep the trophy’s name out there. Nutrilite will do just fine with all the references it gets in the mainstream. I’m not sure the fringe needs to help spread the word.

That’s my opinion. What’s yours?