Back by popular demand here is round two of Sport’s teams and their names and the branding that goes with it. Basically I’m just going to pick out a few names that make sense and well, if like their mascot. As everyone knows, I am a Boston area homer and will try to avoid too much about them but if needs be I’ll let you know. On to the groupings:
The “wow, I don’t know why I should be intimidated group”.
The Steelers, ok, Steel town, I get that but I am so far from being intimidated by a greasy steel worker especially from a city that is dead that I actually laugh when I see the pride these people have in the name. (again, goes to show, names don’t mean anything, and I hate the Steelers)
The Ravens, (I got the first two from the Sunday night match up) I don’t know what to think of this ugly scavenger bird. I know it has to do with the old/Catholic/legacy thing going on in Baltimore or maybe they just thought, “hey, we have the Orioles, what’s another black bird that doesn’t strike fear in anyone’s heart?”
Cleveland Browns (I swear I’m not picking on the AFC North… they just have some lame names is all). Ok, the debate is on, do they have the name because A- Paul Brown used to coach them? Or B- Because of the uniforms they first issued and it just stuck? I like the unis, but when I hear Browns… I don’t shake in my shoes.
The PC (politically correct) group… Lame that we have to do it and these guys don’t care!:
Washington Redskins, well, could you imagine The Whiteskins? The Blackskins? The Yellowskins? I can’t but for some reason in the most political place in the world the Skins have managed to keep their name. Good for them. (Another side note, I grew up on a Native American Indian Reservation, I’m not a native but I have many friends who are and funny thing, they call each other Skins). I love the logo but how they have gotten away with it for this long I’ll never know, but more power to them!
Kansas City Chiefs, See above, still, Arrow Head Stadium, an arrowhead on the logo… I like it and certainly there was a large native influence in the planes area for years.
Utah Utes, This one hits close to home. I see the stadium from my house and I grew up with Utes… when the whole PC thing with natives was hitting full steam the University went to the tribe and asked them if they were offended… they said absolutely not and we love it! It’s an honor… good for them. (Also falling in this category is Florida State Seminoles, University North Dakota Fighting Sioux, both tribes thought it was an honor and didn’t want their name removed).
Central Michigan Chippewas, kept it.
University of Illinois Illini.
Atlanta Braves, This one is much like the other ones… glad they kept it.
Cleveland Indians, Well, it doesn’t get much more plane than this… although you could argue that if there was a dot and not a feather it could possibly mean someone from Mumbai… just a thought.
Succomed to the PC pressure group: In a poll done by the University of Pennsylvania, 91% of Native Americans were ok with the team names… lame how left always has to push it to the next level.
Arkansas State Indians, oops I mean Red Wolves. What used to be a tribute to the Osage Nation is now a fictional character that may or may not walk around the campus… you just never know.
Numerous colleges and universities had Native American mascots or monikers… that’s all changed.
Dixie State University Red Storm, It started as a Mormon school back in 1911, located in Utah’s Dixie it eventually became a state entity and went along with the Rebels of the South theme for their mascot. (A la Ole Miss). When the school got a reputation for a party school because of the warm climate and favorable police activity the school wanted to turn things down a little (you’ll never hear it from them though) and went with the “Red Storm”… ugh.
Washington Bullets/Wizards, DC can be pretty violent at times and to avoid promoting it the team changed the name to a mystical character that has nothing to do with anyone except for the select few World of Warcraft players out there.
The intimidating/warrior/I don’t want to mess with you group,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, It’s just cool, the whole thing they have going on there. The ship, the pirate logos… and they are pretty good this year. Intimidating logo for sure.
Pittsburg Pirates, they may be the Keira Knightlys right now but they have been good and the logo is great… pure, true… although, how many pirates do you see on the Three Rivers there?
The Minnesota Vikings, I love Vikings, not The Vikings but regardless, the Vikings were always seen as fierce warriors that didn’t back down, raped, pillaged and pretty much did what they wanted to… oddly enough sounds a lot like the modern day Vikings… Thanks Brett.
Texas Rangers, I know they were in the last post but hear me out… the Texas Rangers (Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall style) were some of the toughest hombres around, no one in their right mind ran from the law w/ these guys on their trail. It’s a far cry now but hey, good mascot.
San Diego Padres, if you’re a sinner and you’re religious you know what I mean on this one.
Chicago Bulls, Pretty much the only “Tough” looking mascot in the whole league… Chicago was once a crossroads of the cattle industry, so this works… and we know how mean a bull can get right?
Idaho Vandals, I’m throwing this one out to my boy Dane. He is one of 47 Idaho fans but he is lucky in that he really does have one of the coolest/meanest/most ferocious mascots around. An East Germanic tribe during the 5th century known for sacking Rome and being incredibly ferocious and numb to pain… hey sounds like they need some of those guys on their football team.
As I said before… no one really cares what the logo is in sports, as long as the team plays well it’s fun to buy the garb, yell stuff and look like an idiot. I think it’s really fun when the name means something and lines up with the city or school. But you never know, you could just change it a few years down the road if it’s not working for you (see The Kansas City Wizards… I mean Sporting? And I haven’t even touched Soccer or Futbol team names).
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