Following the 1999 championship win the team was sold to a Boaz, Alabama, businessman, John Cherney. Cherney felt that the team had a bad name with the local business community and changed the name of the team to the Huntsville Tornado along with the team colors to red and white. Many fans took offense to the new name that referenced a tornado that struck South Huntsville in 1989, killing 21 people.
Following the 1999 championship win, John Cherney, an Alabama businessman from Boaz, purchased the team. Cherney thought the team's reputation was poor with local businesses and changed its name to the Huntsville Tornado, along with the colors to red and white. Many fans were upset by this new moniker, which referenced a 1989 tornado in South Huntsville that killed 21 people.