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Boston women's soccer team fumbles debut with transphobic 'Too Many Balls' ad
Nonbinary soccer star Quinn has called out the NWSL's Bos Nation for its transphobic launch ad.
Women's soccer is coming back to Boston! Unfortunately, though, fans are having several issues with the new team's rollout...
The National Women's Soccer League announced that a new team will be starting up in Boston for the 2026 season, and while sports fans were expecting to be excited, the launch instead left them scratching and shaking their heads.
The first is the name, Bos Nation, which is an anagram of "Bostonian," but hasn't inspired much excitement, and instead is being criticized for lack of creativity, lack of meaning, and (quite frankly) lack of coolness. Fans across the country, including in Boston itself, have called out the name, saying they were hoping for something that better represents the town and community.
The major complaints come from the launch ad the team recently released, introducing the new franchise in a commercial focused on how sports has "Too Many Balls."
The ad claimed that while Boston is a great sports town, its sports have "too many balls," meaning that they are all played by cis men who have testicles.
"Old balls, new balls. Steel balls. Cold balls. Even GOAT balls," the ad says. "Yeah, Boston loves its balls. But maybe, there are too many balls in this town."
Some fans have been angry that an ad for women's soccer focuses so heavily on men, especially when Boston is home to several women's teams like the Boston Fleet, Boston Renegades, and former teams like the Boston Storm, Boston Breakers, and Boston Pride.
But many other fans are incensed that the inclusive league that values itself on diversity, equity, and progressiveness would launch a new team with an ad that equates bodies with gender.
Several postings of the "Too Many Balls" video have been taken down across social media, but the controversy isn't going away.
According to screenshots by fans, Quinn, the first out nonbinary player in the NWSL, commented on the ad on Instagram saying that it "feels transphobic." That post has now been deleted.
And it didn't end there.
It seems as though Quinn's initial message was "hidden by Instagram," so they commented again.
"Love how my comment was 'hidden by Instagram' – calling out transphobia shouldn't be hidden! This doesn't represent the league and it is such poor messaging."
Trans and nonbinary writer T.L. Pavlich also spoke out against the ad campaign by protesting at the Bos Nation launch party, where they held a sign that said "No home for transphobia."
"To quote @NWSLBoston 'Unified not only by our similarities, but also our differences. Brought together by our love for the beautiful game.' So include us all," they wrote on Twitter.
"I'm sure there are people who think I'm silly or dramatic or a troublemaker for this, but we are in a time when trans people, trans athletes, are facing so much hate and harassment. Microaggressions like this, left unchecked, grow into things much worse."
I personally am a season ticket holder with Angel City FC, the NWSL team here in Los Angeles. I am also a trans woman. NWSL games have been the first professional sports events I have ever gone to where I don't just feel accepted and welcomed as a trans woman, but celebrated.
Fans in the stadium wave Pride flags and trans flags, carry signs that say "protect trans kids," and teams sell officially licensed merch celebrating trans fans and soccer lovers.
Bos Nation's launch ad is a huge misstep for a league that has been pushing women's sports forward and including trans people along the way.
Bos Nation has now commented on the ad campaign, apologizing for "the hurt we caused."
In a new statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) this morning, Bos Nation Football Club wrote, "We we had hoped to create a bold and buzzworthy brand launch campaign, we missed the mark. 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."
"We are proud to be part of the most inclusive sports league in the world and are committed to upholding the unifying values that define the NWSL and our club," the statement continues. "Thank you to all who have held us accountable by calling for us to do better. We hear you and we will, together."
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
