RoughRiders99 Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Is it just me, or does anybody else loves how MLB has non-intimidating team names? I mean, who’s scared of the Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Reds, Twins, Royals, White Sox, etc.? Don’t get me wrong. I love it. It’s different from the NBA (Bulls, Heat, Hornets, Raptors), NFL (Vikings, Chargers, Panthers, Raiders), etc. Actually, now that I think about it, most of the MAJOR league teams have non-intimidating team names, while the colleges or high schools or minor leagues have more intimidating names (Tigers, Eagles, Bulldogs, Wildcats, Warriors, etc.) Does anybody have any thoughts on this sort of thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBGKon Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Why is it assumed team names should be intimidating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManillaToad Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 I like to mess around with team names and expansion as a hobby and I noticed the NFL has sort of pigeon holed its teams into requiring a "fierce" name for fear of looking out of place. The league is very animal-centric with most of the logos being right-facing, scowling logos. Even teams like the Bills and Texans have more nuanced names but still use charging animals for logos. There's not a lot of interesting names to come up with, at least in comparison to MLB and the NBA, where you can really think out of the box. The NHL is a middle ground imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBTV Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 MLB has the Giants. Not sure about you, but I'd be intimidated by a giant. Also, with twins, there's always an evil one, so that's pretty intimidating too. We've seen the impact of nationalism over the past 4 years, so the Nationals are pretty scary. Pirates attack, rob, and kill, so that's also pretty intimidating. Tigers are predatory animals, and while I'm not totally sure what a diamondback is, snakes are typically terrifying. Sun rays cause cancer, and sting rays can kill people, so either way that stupid team goes, it's name is deadly. "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old School Fool Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 19 hours ago, TBGKon said: Why is it assumed team names should be intimidating? Yeah, I never understood this. I guess since sports attracts a macho image it has to be real badass and in your face? You're not suppose to be intimidated by the team name, you're suppose to be intimidated by the players and possibly even the fans too in the case of the Raiders or Seahawks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeofChutney Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 19 hours ago, TBGKon said: Why is it assumed team names should be intimidating? Very true. Besides, your team could be the 'Deadly Radiocative Spiders', but if they've been on a loosing streak for 8 years, no one is going to be intimidated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont care Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 10 hours ago, Old School Fool said: Yeah, I never understood this. I guess since sports attracts a macho image it has to be real badass and in your face? You're not suppose to be intimidated by the team name, you're suppose to be intimidated by the players and possibly even the fans too in the case of the Raiders or Seahawks. People are intimidated by hipster Seahawks fans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceCap Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 On 7/11/2021 at 12:49 PM, RoughRiders99 said: Does anybody have any thoughts on this sort of thing? Older team names tend be less intimidating than newer team names. Take the Toronto Maple Leafs (name adopted in 1927) vs Seattle Kraken (name adopted in 2020). This is because no one gave a crap about marketing back in the day. The name was whatever was important to the city, or what the owner wanted, or what the newspapers called them. That was that, it was established, and a hundred years later it is what it is. Newer teams only pick a brand after an exhaustive process of fan surveys, focus groups, and other market research shenanigans. And market research tells you that kids and the 18-35 demo are the ones you want. Kids like cool stuff, young adult men are all about testosterone, so intimidating names are chosen because they tick those boxes. "Cool," "badass," "hardcore," "busin'," " " etc... So look at MLB. The oldest circuit in American pro sports. With a higher percentage of teams that date to the late 19th/early 20th century than the NHL, NBA, or NFL. That means that a higher percentage of MLB teams date from a time before marketing was a factor. So more of them have these less intimidating old timey names. Which sets a precedent. Baseball is rich in tradition, and that means newer teams may feel compelled to go with a name that can "fit in" with the classic team names. More older teams, from an era when "intimidation" wasn't a factor. These teams set a certain naming standard. More newer teams want to emulate them. Boom. Baseball has less intimidating team names compared to other sports. PotD 26/2/12 1/7/15 2020 BASS Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal Regular Season Champion 2021 BASS NFL Pick'em Regular Season Champion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 On 7/11/2021 at 9:49 AM, RoughRiders99 said: who’s scared of the Cubs Anyone who has been hiking and come across a cub. That means the (very mean) mother is nearby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomba Tomba Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 On 7/12/2021 at 12:49 AM, RoughRiders99 said: I mean, who’s scared of the Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Reds https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Scare If you read on the card you'll be cheating on your heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzy0220 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 On 7/11/2021 at 1:26 PM, TBGKon said: Why is it assumed team names should be intimidating? I agree with this, never understood it either. Ducks or (as far as my Team goes) the Penguins, might seem cute and cuddly but in reality they're not! it's like the idea behind Black uniforms as a source of Intimidation! Oh you're Team has Black uniforms, I'm sooooo scared. My High School team name was the Dragons, I'm surprised more Teams (HS - Pro) haven't used it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve61 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 You don't find Twins terrifying?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhysicalGraffiti Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 The rays of sunshine is hilarious. They went from being a pretty cool aquatic animal to parts of the sun. Watch out for the UV! Get your sunscreen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burmy Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 Anyone who thinks that the "Sox" aren't intimidating...obviously has never had to gather them to be washed for the first time in a long while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastport76 Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 MLB is not only one pro sports league had non-intimidating names, NPB had the Swallows and Carp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomba Tomba Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 If a giant swallow went after me with a bat, I'd run too, just saying. If you read on the card you'll be cheating on your heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilSox Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 On 7/12/2021 at 10:04 PM, IceCap said: Older team names tend be less intimidating than newer team names. Take the Toronto Maple Leafs (name adopted in 1927) vs Seattle Kraken (name adopted in 2020). This is because no one gave a crap about marketing back in the day. The name was whatever was important to the city, or what the owner wanted, or what the newspapers called them. That was that, it was established, and a hundred years later it is what it is. Newer teams only pick a brand after an exhaustive process of fan surveys, focus groups, and other market research shenanigans. And market research tells you that kids and the 18-35 demo are the ones you want. Kids like cool stuff, young adult men are all about testosterone, so intimidating names are chosen because they tick those boxes. "Cool," "badass," "hardcore," "busin'," " " etc... So look at MLB. The oldest circuit in American pro sports. With a higher percentage of teams that date to the late 19th/early 20th century than the NHL, NBA, or NFL. That means that a higher percentage of MLB teams date from a time before marketing was a factor. So more of them have these less intimidating old timey names. Which sets a precedent. Baseball is rich in tradition, and that means newer teams may feel compelled to go with a name that can "fit in" with the classic team names. More older teams, from an era when "intimidation" wasn't a factor. These teams set a certain naming standard. More newer teams want to emulate them. Boom. Baseball has less intimidating team names compared to other sports. To add to this, baseball has quite a few teams who retained the names of other entities with early-mid 20th century origins (Brewers, Padres, Angels, Marlins, Orioles, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 On 7/17/2021 at 8:57 AM, Fitzy0220 said: I agree with this, never understood it either. Ducks or (as far as my Team goes) the Penguins, might seem cute and cuddly but in reality they're not! it's like the idea behind Black uniforms as a source of Intimidation! Oh you're Team has Black uniforms, I'm sooooo scared. My High School team name was the Dragons, I'm surprised more Teams (HS - Pro) haven't used it On this note, this reminds me of the time I've encountered deer while hiking. Deer are nothing like Bambi. They are big and very ferocious. Their kicks can break your back (at best), and kill you at worst. Geese are also very nasty, don't mess with geese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 All this time and no one mentioned the Yankees? Or are they too intimidating for the South? I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DelayedPenalty Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 On 7/17/2021 at 11:49 PM, Bomba Tomba said: If a giant swallow went after me with a bat, I'd run too, just saying. Mow the grass near a barn swallow nest and see how intimidating they can be. They're like tiny Kamikaze pilots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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