Sports team's names and their brands, the anomoly

I've always found it kind of funny that the Utah Jazz were named the Utah Jazz... I mean you should see the Jazz scene here in Utah, it's almost non existent but regardless the legacy name has stuck and now we even have an old school uniform to admire while we talk about a team that has absolutely no tie to the city by way of name.

In looking at some of the names of various teams across the country I have to compliment some and rebuke others. I've categorized these teams into a couple of categories, here we go:

Very fitting:

Houston Texans: the name says it all, even the Oilers were fitting at the time.

Dallas Cowboys: What is it with Texas getting it right with the names?

Boston Celtics: You can't deny the Irish heritage in the area (although, Celtic? Why not Fighting Irish?... oh wait, that's Notre Dame)

Miami Heat: It's hot, the flaming ball, the Latin influence, it fits.

Colorado Rockies: Well, you are in Colorado and there are the Rockies.

New England Patriots: (note, I'm a total Boston area homer but this one does make sense) It's where it all began folks

Boston Red Sox: I'm putting them here because I love em... not sure where they got the spelling but the name came from the uniform color back in the day. They wore red socks to distinguish their team.

New York/San Francisco Giants: Seeing as they are both world champions within the last 4 years and honestly, the name is fitting for a good team, plus it's just a mascot. Have you ever really seen a Giant? Besides Barry Bonds head, didn't think so.

New Orleans Saints: Nailed it.

Milwaukee Brewers: Beer drinkers around the world would agree with this one. (On a side not, do you know some of the beers that come from that area? Pabst, Blatz, Schlitz, and of course Milwaukee's Best, the names alone are enough to make one laugh.)

Well, they are transplants Group:

Utah Jazz: See above (the Jazz came from when they were in New Orleans)

Los Angles Lakers: I hate the Lakers... oh wait, um, well they started off in Minnesota, the land of a thousand lakes.

St. Louis Rams: How many rams have you seen in the midwest lately? Even when they were in L.A. still didn't make sense.

L.A. Clippers: You know, it kind of makes sense... but who wants to be named after a boat?

Memphis Grizzlies: I still find it shocking that there is an NBA team in Memphis but after being booed out of Vancouver a team had to fall somewhere, why not one of the dirtiest stuffiest places to live?

A huge whiff group:

OKC Thunder: Who in their right mind thought it would be a good idea to name their team after a force of nature... or rather a byproduct of nature. Still can't figure the Sonics out.

Chicago Bears: In their defense, the name was given when mascots were the only things people were thinking about. Chicago has historically had zero ties with any kind of bear.

Miami Dolphins: I get it, the ocean but seriously, a dolphin?

Montreal Expos: This is why they are no longer in Montreal and they no longer have this name.

New York Yankees: I just thought I'd put them here because I feel like the whole franchise is a whiff... even though the name does make sense.

San Diego Chargers: The Super Chargers? I guess the alternative would be the Sand Diego Perfect Weather's... meh, maybe the Chargers was the right call after all.

The good fix group:

Texas Rangers: from senators to the Dallas area, the name was a great change.

Washington Nationals: Expos... lame, Nationals... good.

Charlotte Bobcats: I can buy this, there probably are bobcats around the area somewhere, but what I don't get is why they didn't pick a stranger animal like a Puma or Liger? They chose a little sissy girl kitty.

Okay, lessons learned from all of this: First of all, it doesn't really matter what you name your sports team. You can make anything look great (See the Oregon Duck Vader outfit and it was still a duck!). Second, people don't care because sports are king in the U.S. , it's our way of modern day combat, competition etc... if we fail at sports we fail at life, if our team fails we fail (that's what they would have you believe). Last, the branding really doesn't take place in the name, this is completely contrary to any other product in the world. There are slight things you can do but when the Utah Jazz can get as much equity out of that name as they have and there is no Jazz even on the radios in Utah, you know that it's a different ball game.