New women’s soccer team apologizes to trans athletes for “too many balls” campaign

Boston’s brand new National Women’s Soccer League franchise has already found itself in hot water over an ad that many found offensive to transgender athletes.

BOS Nation Football Club announced its name and logo Tuesday morning. That same day, the organization shared an ad about how Boston athletics has “Too Many Balls”, along with a video clips of famous male Boston athletes holding footballs, basketballs, and hockey pucks.

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“This is how we stand up against these radicals!” she wrote just as the university announced that it is not, in fact, standing up against anything.

“Old balls, new balls, steel balls, cold balls, even goat balls,” the voiceover states.

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“Boston loves its balls,” the ad continues, “but maybe there are too many balls in this town.”

The ad then declares it’s time to “add a new chapter” to the city’s legacy, and shows clips of women soccer players to introduce the new franchise. “Anything is possible, no balls necessary,” the ad concludes.

The organization removed the ad from its social media, but others preserved it.

After Boston Nation Football Club, the newest team in the National Women’s Soccer League, released a video titled “Too Many Balls”, they scrapped the campaign and apologized to the trans community for not being inclusive enough…

This is so utterly ridiculous, you just have to… pic.twitter.com/yMriEPo0aW

— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) October 16, 2024

The ad was severely criticized on social media, with users slamming basically everything about it, including its transphobia, immaturity, and lack of acknowledgment for Boston’s other women’s sports teams.

“Conflating gender with genitalia and reducing athletes to their genitalia is something trans rights advocates have been begging people to stop doing for decades now!” wrote Autostraddle cofounder Riese. “It’s cis-normative and sexist and juvenile. At a time when many athletic leagues are excluding and accepting participants based solely on physical markers like genitalia, and legislation against trans inclusion in sports is taking off across the country, this is an irresponsible message to promote.”

Beyond everything else, the blatant gender essentialism happening here really sucks. I'm super disappointed.

— T.L. Pavlich (@tlpavlich) October 15, 2024

Incredible work featuring Angel City highlights a bunch in your introductory video, while not even mentioning @PWHL_Boston—your city’s own women’s hockey team.

I don’t even like Boston sports teams and I knew to include them.

— Sam Vuchenich (@samvuchenich) October 15, 2024

Is the marketing company made up of 14 year old boys?

— Heayto (@wosoh12) October 15, 2024

this is why at least one gen z kid should be involved in every branding decision

— Zach Holman (@holman) October 15, 2024

I’m not even going to touch the name, you’ve been dragged enough for it. You’re completely ignoring other women’s teams in Boston: @PWHL_Boston @GoRenegades, and @BeantownRFC. @NWSLBoston you should be working WITH these teams, not ignoring them.

— Jess Geilfuss, M.S. (she/her)🏳️‍🌈🇺🇸 (@jessjacks) October 15, 2024

So, let me get this right… you want fans of women's sports to get excited about your new team and you lean hard into a middle school type joke while also dissing all the great teams you have in the area and completely disregarding your women's hockey team altogether? Major L

— Leslie Battjes (@maizenblue94) October 15, 2024

The league released a statement apologizing.

“While we had hoped to create a bold and buzzworthy brand launch campaign, we missed the mark,” it said. “We fully acknowledge that the content of the campaign did not reflect the safe and welcoming environment we strive to create for all, and we apologize to the LGBTQ+ community and to the trans community in particular for the hurt we caused.”

The team touted its pride for being part of “the most inclusive sports league in the world” and emphasized its commitment to upholding those values.

“Thank you to all who have held us accountable by calling for us to do better,” the statement concluded. “We hear you and we will, together.”

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

— NWSL Boston (@NWSLBoston) October 16, 2024

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