Seattle NHL Brand Discussion

[goalieboy82 1,012]

if Native American names are out:

Seattle Bombers (since the Boeing plant is there).  

Boeing makers of these two fine planes:

plus:

and

[ColeJ 1,268]

not to get too political, but tasteful representations of native american culture are taboo? is it just that we don't want to be reminded that we sort of genocided an entire continent, so it's no longer okay to acknowledge them at all?

 

but BOMBERS is an okay name? we can have themes of death and destruction, militarized sports logos... i dunno just seems so silly to me. especially since my two biggest contributors to my ancestry are irish and scandinavian... nothing wrong with vikings or irish logos. why can't we have totems and blackhawks and braves and chiefs? not advocating redskins or wahoos. lol.

[Sport 13,678]

5 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

"Pilots" is great in a vacuum, but this is a league that already has the Jets and the Flyers, as hockey week said. 

Here's why I don't care about this: the NFL has four teams named after various types of cats (two of which expanded into the league at the same time), four named for birds, baseball has  3 named for birds etc. 

 

also while pilot and flyers are similar the jets is different. 

[ColeJ 1,268]

agreed with @McCarthy.

 

Like in my other thread, Pilots/Flyers/Jets isn't any more of a problem than Canadiens/Canucks/Maple Leafs.

 

 

[IceCap 21,947]

31 minutes ago, ColeJ said:

 

not to get too political, but tasteful representations of native american culture are taboo?

 

I don't think it's taboo per say. And yeah, there's a world of difference between the Blackhawks' respectful logo and the Indians' Chief Wahoo. 

 

That being said? It's more a risk/reward thing. Respectfully honouring Native culture may be fine by why even tempt the controversy?

[ColeJ 1,268]

Just now, Ice_Cap said:

I don't think it's taboo per say. And yeah, there's a world of difference between the Blackhawks' respectful logo and the Indians' Chief Wahoo. 

 

That being said? It's more a risk/reward thing. Respectfully honouring Native culture may be fine by why even tempt the controversy?

just seems sad. as pathetic as it sounds, one of the only ways north americans even celebrate the culture of the native inhabitants of this continent is with sports team identities. (the respectful ones, that is). to shy away from a respectful representation just to give us a celebration of "pilots" or "metropolitans" or something else bland like that to avoid controversy just makes me sad.

 

honestly, totems is probably my top choice.... but call me crazy... seattle is maybe 5th on my list of cities i want to see get a team, so i'm not jumping for joy anyway. i'd rather seen houston, hamilton, quebec, and some competent atlanta ownership.

[DG_ThenNowForever 15,259]

Like many cities, Seattle has a complicated history with its native population. Yes, the city is named after a Native American, but modern relationships between local governments and the various tribes aren't always the best. A lot of those relationships center around fishing and land treaties, which is to be expected. But there's also the unavoidable fact that a lot of the local native population is indigent, homeless, and generally unwell. If you visit Seattle, you can see this at the park just south of Pike Place Market.

 

And while "Totems" would seem like an inclusive-enough name for a native-inspired team name, there are way too many tribes in the region each with individual customs and traditions for something like that to work. I think it's a good idea in theory, but it opens a can of worms most people would prefer to avoid. It's sad but understandable.

 

My personal preference would be for Metros, which is a pretty fun word to say. Seals is fun too, but I think we'd go for Sockeye or Steelheads or some other salmon first; they're far more integral to local identity.

[nash61 1,691]

Seattle Simians

[smzimbabwe 218]

Seattle hockey teams have been the Metropolitans, Eskimos, Seahawks, Ironmen, Bombers, Americans, Totems, Breakers, and Thunderbirds. Yet Totems and Metropolitans are chosen on this board due to history. I think its time for something new.

[monkeypower 2,944]

Seattle Fishmongers. 

 

Have the logo be an angry fish flying through the air holding a hockey stick.

[ColeJ 1,268]

49 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

Like many cities, Seattle has a complicated history with its native population. Yes, the city is named after a Native American, but modern relationships between local governments and the various tribes aren't always the best. A lot of those relationships center around fishing and land treaties, which is to be expected. But there's also the unavoidable fact that a lot of the local native population is indigent, homeless, and generally unwell. If you visit Seattle, you can see this at the park just south of Pike Place Market.

 

And while "Totems" would seem like an inclusive-enough name for a native-inspired team name, there are way too many tribes in the region each with individual customs and traditions for something like that to work. I think it's a good idea in theory, but it opens a can of worms most people would prefer to avoid. It's sad but understandable.

 

My personal preference would be for Metros, which is a pretty fun word to say. Seals is fun too, but I think we'd go for Sockeye or Steelheads or some other salmon first; they're far more integral to local identity.

how prominent is the population up there?

 

spending most of my life in alabama and texas, there's a lot of talk about what tribes are "native to the area" but that seems to be in history only, as there is hardly anyone there to be offended any more.

[DG_ThenNowForever 15,259]

Per Wikipedia (via 2010 Census), Seattle's population is about 1% Native American or Alaskan Native.

 

I did some poking, and there's a wide variety of local tribal governments nearby, including:

• Chehalis (Confederated Tribes)
• Chinook Indian Tribe, Inc.
• Colville Confederated Tribes
• Cowlitz
• Duwamish Tribe
• Hoh Tribal Business Council
• Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
• Kalispel Reservation, Usk, WA
• Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
• Lummi Nation
• Makah Tribe
• Muckleshoot Tribe
• Nisqually Tribe
• Nooksack Tribe
• Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe
• Puyallup Tribal Council
• Quileute Nation
• Quinault Nation
• Samish Indian Tribe
• Sauk-Suiattle Tribal Council
• Shoalwater Bay Tribal Council
• Sitka Tribe of Alaska
• Skokomish Tribe
• Snohomish Tribe of Indians
• Snoqualmie Nation
• Spokane Tribe
• Squaxin Island Tribe
• Steilacoom Tribe
• Stillaquamish Tribe
• Suquamish Tribe
• Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
• Tulalip Board of Directors
• Upper Skagit Tribe
• Yakama Nation

 

That's beyond Seattle, and is likely inclusive of reservations (so not in the city proper), and speaks to the diversity of native populations here.

[mike2sana 98]

30 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

Per Wikipedia (via 2010 Census), Seattle's population is about 1% Native American or Alaskan Native.

 

I did some poking, and there's a wide variety of local tribal governments nearby, including:

• Chehalis (Confederated Tribes)
• Chinook Indian Tribe, Inc.
• Colville Confederated Tribes
• Cowlitz
• Duwamish Tribe
• Hoh Tribal Business Council
• Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
• Kalispel Reservation, Usk, WA
• Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
• Lummi Nation
• Makah Tribe
• Muckleshoot Tribe
• Nisqually Tribe
• Nooksack Tribe
• Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe
• Puyallup Tribal Council
• Quileute Nation
• Quinault Nation
• Samish Indian Tribe
• Sauk-Suiattle Tribal Council
• Shoalwater Bay Tribal Council
• Sitka Tribe of Alaska
• Skokomish Tribe
• Snohomish Tribe of Indians
• Snoqualmie Nation
• Spokane Tribe
• Squaxin Island Tribe
• Steilacoom Tribe
• Stillaquamish Tribe
• Suquamish Tribe
• Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
• Tulalip Board of Directors
• Upper Skagit Tribe
• Yakama Nation

 

That's beyond Seattle, and is likely inclusive of reservations (so not in the city proper), and speaks to the diversity of native populations here.

This may be unpopular: What if the team was called the "Seattle Nations" with a totem esque theme?

[bowld 2,139]

Seattle Tribe

Sea-tac Tribe

 

[TJSC 261]

Seattle Spears?

(Fits in with the Native American theme)

[Point1 425]

Seattle Tribe, Seattle Spears, Seattle Nations for Christs' sake... is it that hard to just pick from the unlimited options that don't involve turning caricatured indigenous people into a mascot? It doesn't matter how "respectful" it is (especially considering respectful usually amounts to "dignified and noble savage"), it's just a bad idea. DG_Now even laid out in an entirely reasonable way why local and historical contexts make it an inadvisable choice.

 

My personal feeling is that a professional hockey team that will be almost entirely made up white millionaires owned by a white billionaire should not, especially in 2017, use a caricature (no matter how "respectful") of an ethnic population that has suffered literal and cultural genocide and continues to be marginalized and afflicted by poverty when there are infinite alternatives.

 

Spears and tribes and chiefs and totems represent "Cowboys and Indians" stereotypes and are not respectful or tasteful. It boggles my mind why people go to such lengths to stand by them when there really isn't any reason to other than to complain about how everyone is so "easily offended" these days.

[mike2sana 98]

^ true there are so many other names to choose from.

 

Though "Nations" could be cool and general if need be, there are so many other cool icons to be inspired by in Seattle and the state of Washington.

 

 

[Fresno St. Alum 270]

what are the odds Seattle gets an NHL team? How soon until the NHL expands again?

[Ray Lankford 1,298]

18 hours ago, OnWis97 said:

Freeze was considered for what would become the Wild.  It was almost as bad as Wild.

Except Seattle Freeze actually is something. As far as I know, Minnesota Freeze isn't.

[Viola73 90]

10 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

I don't think it's taboo per say. And yeah, there's a world of difference between the Blackhawks' respectful logo and the Indians' Chief Wahoo. 

 

That being said? It's more a risk/reward thing. Respectfully honouring Native culture may be fine by why even tempt the controversy?

Which is why I see an opportunity for this fictional Seattle team. Have the owners get with the nations representatives. The owners say that they want to go in the direction of an indigenous mascot and name but want the nations to come up with the name and the symbol that would be on the sweater. Also, ever home game would include prominant displays on the history and culture of the local tribes of the greater Seattle area. And a portion of the gate receipts goes to the Native American College Fund. I think with the input and endorsement from the nations it could be a neat package.

And if the nations decline then call the team Seattle Fighting Irish and use a leprechaun like Notre Dame. Problem solved, problem staying solved.