Times change, but team names rarely do. Tradition generally garners more respect than modern times. If I were a sports team owner, the tradition would be important, but think of all the T-shirts and souvenirs that would be sold every time there was a new name change!
Some of the teams with ill-fitting names have relocated from other places. For example, the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) used to play in Minnesota. They were called the Minneapolis Lakers back then. The Lakers name makes a lot of sense when you realize that Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Fast forward to when they moved to Los Angeles. The City of Angels has an ocean adjacent to it and a concrete river. There are a few reservoirs in the mountains and hills around the metropolitan area, most of them somewhat remote from the city. If residents were asked to pick some iconic symbols that represent their region, I’m guessing those “lakes” would be far down the list.
But the LA Lakers is a name that sounds good, flashing “LA” again in the team name. While an arguable fit for the region, the team’s name is a fit, it has a great history, and almost no one would argue it should be changed. If anything in LA should be changed, maybe the Chargers (who just moved there) would be a better candidate for a change.
Here is a tongue-in-cheek look at a few others that may need adjusting!
San Antonio Bats
What’s with all of the bats? They keep getting into the San Antonio Spurs building. Check out this video from a recent NBA game. This wasn’t a one-time fluke; it has happened several times. Bats keep getting into this building.
San Antonio Spurs. How many true cowboys and cowgirls are left in the modern world? There’s some important Texas history there and it’s a pretty good name for that reason. But how often do a number of wild creatures enter your indoor arena and announce their presence? These bats are making a point and making a play for becoming the team’s new namesake. They've already converted the mascot.
And they are a local institution. The largest bat colony in the world lies just 25 miles away. San Antonio is in their migration path. No wonder they keep dropping in to watch some hoops. The team should bow to the inevitable and become the San Antonio Bats.
Washington Redskins
There are several sports teams remaining with Native American names. Others have changed their names or changed their mascots over the years. The Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves in baseball are too examples that still exist. Both of those, arguably, could be said to be more positive than negative.
Unfortunately, the National Football League’s (NFL’s) Washington Redskins do not have a positive name. Many Native American people consider the Redskins name to be offensive and disparaging. The team owner has continued to defend it, suggesting that the original name was there to glorify Native Americans. Nevertheless, it is not seen that way by others.
So assuming the ‘Skins should change to a new name, what would a good one be? Something safe and politically correct? I know, I know! How about the Washington Bullets?
Oops. Been there and done that. The city’s NBA team was formerly called the Bullets, but that was considered to be in poor taste, given the city’s high murder rate, and it was changed to the Wizards. So there’s precedent in Washington for changing a bad name.
I know, I know! What about the Washington Senators? That was an old name for the baseball team there. Unfortunately, Congress has a pretty poor image, and calling a team the Senators doesn’t seem like a good modern fit. So let’s go with… The Reds? The Skins? The Renegades? The Rebels? Bonus points for something with an “R” so they can recycle the current logo. Rebels doesn’t quite fit with the city’s political image. Reds….meh, the uniforms are not quite red; they are burgundy. I’d go with Renegades!
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds is one of the longest tenured and most iconic baseball franchises. They’ve been around literally since professional baseball began. And the name wears well.
So why change it? Two reasons. First, the name “Reds” in general use refers either to communists/socialists or to a barbiturate-derived drug called secobarbital. But hey, the team name survived the 1960s when this drug was popular and when communists were more of a perceived threat in the United States. That’s not enough of a reason.
The second reason to change the name is that the team’s original name of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Now that’s a cool name. They need to bring it back. Full circle on the history and a name no one else has. I’d go with the Red Stockings. Think of all the marketing opportunities!
Image credits: Top: MiLB.com. Lake: KCET.com. Redskins: AP.com. Bat: USA Today. Tights: Maskworld. Others: Public domain.