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Standardized Team Names

One name per city for all major sports teams
  [vote for,

Note: this is more of a U.S.-centric idea, because so many different sports are so popular. Sometimes I think the only sport other countries have is soccer. (Yes, I know that's not entirely true.)

Let me now confess that I am not a huge sports fan; there are so many other things to be interested in, and which I happen to enjoy more, that sports are pretty low on the list.

Still, I do watch a game of something-or-other every now and then, at which time I realize that I may not know which cities were supporting the teams involved in that game.

Like most folks, I do know of a number of cities and team names, such as Portland Trailblazers (basketball), Atlanta Braves (baseball), New York Jets (football), etc. One city, St. Louis, stands out because its baseball team and its football team have the same name, the Cardinals.

Well, that strikes me as a fine idea that should be extended to ALL the sports. Then only ONE list of cities and team names need be memorized.

Just imagine, for example, a city named Metropolis with its team name being the "Supers". Its basketball team has that name, and so also do its hockey, football, baseball, soccer, volleyball, and all the other sports teams. Whenever you talk with your pals about a certain sport, and a particular city is mentioned, you will KNOW what team is being discussed.

(Some people will say this idea is baked in that many schools have the same name for all their teams. But schools are not cities!)

Of course, no idea is perfect, and of course I do know, for example, that New York City has two major baseball teams. However, this is not so bad, because a city that large could also support two major basketball teams, two major football teams, and so on. So, in this case the city would simply have the same two names for each pair of sports teams. And in casual conversation you'd have to be a little more specific about which. Still, this is the rare exception, and usually when you specify city (or team) only, and the other person(s) in your conversation would have no trouble recalling which team (or city).

Vernon, Mar 10 2004

(?) ...and then there are their nicknames - UK http://www.gdfcarto...ootball%20nicknames
not sure how dated this site is... [po, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]


       // Sometimes I think the only sport other countries have is soccer. //   

       Funny you say this, when in fact the only countries that play "soccer" are the US and Canada (where the game's real name, football, has been co-opted for other purposes).   

       // One city, St. Louis, stands out because its baseball team and its football team have the same name, the Cardinals. //   

       Um, no. St. Louis' football club is the Rams.   

       It's not uncommon for college teams to have the same name for differing sports. This wouldn't work for regional sports though, I don't think.   

       Some cities do have some interesting combinations, like Chicago's Bears (and Cubs) and Bulls, (and I always liked the White Sox <-> Black Hawks thing). And New York has its Mets, Jets and (NJ) Nets.
waugsqueke, Mar 10 2004

       [waugsqueke], I'm pretty certain that the football team in St. Louis USED to be the Cardinals. But obviously I haven't kept up with the changes (the Rams used to be in Los Angeles, right?).   

       Also, regarding soccer, yes, I know that the game has names that mean "football" in other countries. So? "A game by any other name...", to paraphrase, is still the same game.
Vernon, Mar 10 2004

       Yes... the NFL Cardinals are in Arizona now. (Along with the Coyotes, Diamondbacks and Suns.)
waugsqueke, Mar 10 2004

       A problem with this idea might emerge if you try to apply it to too many sports. It's all very well having an American football team called the bears, broncos, savages, or hammers, but it's not so appropriate for girls' gymnastics, beach volleyball, or ping pong. And the swim team might look silly if you forced them to be the Red Socks.   

       Or you could call every team in the country the Fuckwits and save time there. You only need two names: one name for your side and one for all your opponents.
kropotkin, Mar 10 2004

       I propose that all teams be required to name themselves collective nouns. E.g. Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, etc. Because there's no "I" in "team".
phundug, Mar 10 2004

       No likey. I don't know about in the US, but in europe many team names contain hints about the origin of the team. Many of them started off as firm teams or local amateur teams who made good. I think it's more interesting that way. Of course, some of these names are less than glamerous. Witness the (conference league) football team from my home town. Leigh R.M.I. they're called. The R.M.I. stands for "RailwayMans Institute". Hmmm. The team I follow (from where I now live) are called Jahn Regensburg 2000. The "Jahn" honours a man (also called Jahn) who was a great investor and innovator in all things sport. The 2000 is taken from the year when they split from the other local teams to become independent. I think it's important. Otherwise, why not just give all the teams numbers instead of names and limit each team to a white strip for home and a black strip for away games.
squeak, Mar 10 2004

       Lame. Can't have Chicago Cougars--there's a Kane County Cougars that's nearby, though.
There's no I in team, but there is a me...
yabba do yabba dabba, Mar 10 2004

       I'm with [squeak] here. Can you imagine the hoo-ha if you tried to rename clubs like Celtic and Rangers? (They're from Glasgow, Scotland, for anyone who doesn't know.)
saker, Mar 10 2004

       Ignorant and lame.
DrCurry, Mar 10 2004

       [squeak], some of the old US teams have names that relate to their origins, like the Green Bay Packers. In basketball, the team names are something that is common or popular about their locations. Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, etc. The problem with this is when a team moves, their new name doesn't make much sense. For example, the New Orleans Jazz moved and became the Utah Jazz. I don't know how much everyone knows about Utah, but it is not know as a hot bed for jazz.
GenYus, Mar 10 2004

       ...Yankees, Knickerbockers, 76ers, Capitals, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Canucks, Oilers, Hurricanes, Phillies, Senators, Patriots, Twins...   

       You don't need to know the names of the cities these teams are from. The names themselves tell you.
waugsqueke, Mar 10 2004


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