Here’s your second interesting branding story of the day: Before playing a single game, the New England Chowdahheads (Frontier League) are changing their name to the New England Knockouts, as the team preps for a 2024 debut.
Chowderheads was the winner of the name-the-team contest held on social media, as the owner of the Brockton Rox (summer collegiate; Futures League) is adding a professional MLB Partner League club to the Campanelli Stadium mix. However, after feedback from regional fans, the decision was made to change from the colorful Chowderheads name to a new moniker tied to the city’s boxing history and legacy.
“Although our soon-to-be fans voted in favor of our team being called the Chowdahheads, we heard loud and clear from our partners and others from Boston, through Providence and all the way down to Hartford that we might be missing a key opportunity to name our team in honor of our Host City, Brockton’s storied history of producing some of the best boxing talent in the world,” said Nick Desrosiers, senior vice president and general manager, via press release. “Undefeated Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano, along with Marvelous Marvin Hagler who was trained by prolific Brockton boxing trainers Pat and Goody Petronelli, were synonymous with the sport during their respective careers and were proud to hail from Brockton. We would be remiss not to acknowledge that, so we chose a team name that salutes the city of Brockton and acknowledges its role in defining their careers and their dominance in the squared circle.”
The New England Knockouts will play their inaugural game on Friday, May 10, 2024, against the Ottawa Titans as professional baseball returns to Campanelli Stadium for the first time since 2011.
RELATED STORIES: New for 2024: New England Chowdahheads; Brockton to host pro, summer-collegiate teams in 2024