Transitioning from one level to another is going to present challenges for any club. But when your brand has attracted outspoken fans with high expectations, any missteps are going to be called out loudly. When Detroit City made the jump to USLC, many wondered if NGS would continue to hold the club accountable while remaining loyal to the club it supports.

Last week, while the team and its fans celebrated the release of the new 2022 kits, there was an undercurrent on social media that was highlighting the new sleeve sponsor, Bang. One such post from Twitter: “DCFC got sponsored by Bang, isn't that shit Trump juice?” While some posts were outside the DCFC fanbase, most were from noted fans of the club, pointing out the political leanings of the energy drink’s ownership and how it was incongruous with the club’s own outspoken support of many social causes.

For those unaware, Bang is an energy drink in the Monster/Red Bull category. Owned by Vital Pharmaceuticals, Bang energy drink has quickly grown to be a major player, holding close to 10% of the current energy drink market. Vital Pharmaceuticals was indeed a big contributor to the Trump campaign, as was the CEO and Bang energy drink founder Jack Owoc. Does that make Bang “Trump juice?” That’s your call.

The Bang sponsorship can be seen on the right sleeve.

What was certain was that Detroit City fans were unhappy with the club’s new sponsor. Outspoken social media personality Taco penned a very eloquent and effective statement/letter and shared it online. It closed with: “Being blindsided by a sponsor is one thing; this was an unforced error. I would like DCFC to review and improve the vetting of potential sponsors; if it’s too late to fix this for 2022, let’s use this as a chance to grow and make sure it’s never an issue again going forward. What we have built as a community is going to be attractive to many companies that would like to use it to repair their own image. As we continue to grow into a club that will be passed down for generations, it only becomes more important that our goodwill is not spent on those who would work against our own values.”

And, to their credit, Detroit City responded. Within 24 hours, Detroit City released this statement via social media.

“After feedback and deliberation, Detroit City FC and Bang Energy have mutually agreed not to pursue a partnership for the 2022 season. To foster a deeper understanding of our outreach strategy, DCFC looks forward to opening up a discussion at the next owner's meeting on the topic of partnerships. As an organization, DCFC has always valued financial sustainability, and our sponsorship portfolio is an essential aspect of that. Of equal importance is the esteem of our fans and supporters in our community and around the world.”

A club responding to its fanbase, a novel concept in American professional soccer. Just recently, after multiple claims of sexual abuse against previous training staff in Portland, another outspoken supporter’s group—the Timbers Army—have been almost entirely ignored by the ownership of the club. This has led to widespread protest among the ranks of Timber’s fans, most recently on display when the home opener at Providence Park did not sell out for the first time in recent memory. The Portland supporter group encouraged boycotting concessions in the park and donated tifo funds to charity organizations. Detroit City’s supporter group, NGS, was quick to highlight and condemn the Bang sponsorship on social media and the club swiftly acted. Detroit City’s response was an important admission, on the part of ownership, that fan perspective is vital to the club’s success.

Sean Mann, DCFC founder and co-owner, spoke with Protagonist regarding the matter and though he was “not at liberty to relay specifics related to the [Bang] deal or separation” there was a clear acceptance of responsibility and lesson learning. “Looking forward, the onus is on us to continue developing corporate partnerships that work for all parties, in particular the community around the club, to ensure the financial viability of as an organization.” It’s refreshing to see a club step up and own its mistakes and attempt to correct them. Hopefully more clubs can learn from this example.

- Dan Vaughn