New Boston women's soccer team apologizes to LGBTQ, trans community for "Too Many Balls" campaign - CBS Boston

By Neal Riley

Updated on: October 16, 2024 / 1:59 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON - One day after unveiling its official franchise name, Boston's new National Women's Soccer League team is apologizing for its "Too Many Balls" promotional campaign that accompanied the rollout.

The BOS Nation Football Club shared the minute-long video on social media Tuesday that featured a cameo from New England Patriots great Tom Brady.

The video says that Boston is a city of champions, with a legacy filled with "trophies, banners, rings and balls."

"Boston loves its balls, but maybe there are too many balls in this town," a narrator says, before the new women's team is introduced.

"We are BOS Nation, where anything is possible. No balls necessary," the video says.

Women's soccer fans on social media slammed the campaign as "bizarre" and inappropriate. There was also criticism that the message was hurtful toward the transgender community.

"At a time when trans women are being excluded from sport at every level, is "too many balls" really the tagline you want to go with here?" journalist Frankie de la Cretaz posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

BOS Nation Football Club said in a statement on Wednesday that "we missed the mark."

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

"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 said.

The team added it's "proud to be part of the most inclusive sports league in the world" and thanked those who were "calling for us to do better."

Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.

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