Freedom may be coming to Fútbol Miami MLS: Miami Freedom favored team name

When Jorge Mas said that we would hear news about the Miami MLS project soon, we were all hoping for it to be in the coming weeks after the announcement. We’re close to being four months away from the date that MLS declared Miami was officially getting a franchise and we’re starting to get some early clues as to how the franchise will honor the Magic City. While it’s nothing from the horse’s mouth, the connections are too big to ignore. Miami Freedom appears to be in the lead position.

Want to know more about Jorge Mas and the rest of the Miami Beckham United ownership group? Check out our story: The Men Behind Miami Beckham United: Who are the owners of Miami’s future MLS franchise?

On May 17, 2018 an application was made to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by a company using the name Miami Freedom LLC. In their application they requested to trademark the following phrases: Miami Freedom United, Miami Freedom FC, Miami Freedom, and Miami Freedom Football Club. What makes the matter even more relevant is the fact that when you search on the USPTO site for the term professional soccer these are the first four trademarks to appear.

While doing a little more digging on the matter, we noticed that the attorney of record is Thomas W. Brooke. Brooke is a trademark attorney for the Holland & Knight firm, the same firm that has connections to Beckham and the ownership group. The trademark request asks for a wide variety of coverage to include .mp3 players, mobile telephones, pre-recorded DVDs in the field of soccer, and video clips from soccer games via mobile communications. If that wasn’t enough smoke, the patent asks that printed media guides relation to a professional soccer team; souvenir soccer programs, t-shirts, fleece tops, hats, jerseys, and other items be prohibited from replication.

Additionally, on May 16, a corporation was formed in the state of Delaware by the name of MIAMI FREEDOM, LLC. It is common practice for companies to register in the state of Delaware for tax purposes.

Cultural connection

At first glance the name “Miami Freedom” seems to pay homage to the city being home to the countless exiles from the Caribbean and Latin America. You don’t need a Latin American history lesson to know that the Magic City has been a beacon of freedom to those looking for more opportunities or escaping the unrest of their home nations. It’s easy to relate the name and the ethnicity’s of the Mas brothers to assume the name may be a nod to the Cuban exile community in Miami. The Freedom Tower is one of Miami’s most enduring symbols and incorporating it into team branding surely must be at the front of the minds of the team. For the sake of argument, perhaps this gesture could prove to be short sighted in Miami’s melting pot culture where not every person is of Cuban descent.

It would not be the first time a soccer team in Miami went by the name of Freedom. The Miami Sharks of the American Soccer League (founded 1988) changed their name to the Miami Freedom and joined the American Professional Soccer League through 1992. The team then folded.

What would you have preferred the team name to be? Do you think Miami Freedom is a great choice? Share your thoughts with us on twitter @MagicCitySoccer and let us know how you feel about this first revelation of the Miami MLS project.