Ez Street Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 New Team Name Announced!10/27/2006 When Greenville?s Class A minor league baseball team takes the field in its new, downtown stadium next April, the ballclub will also be sporting a brand new name announced today: the Greenville Drive. ?Greenville has an incredibly entrepreneurial, forward-looking spirit, and we wanted the name to reflect that enthusiasm,? said team president Craig Brown. Its remarkable success on so many fronts has been the result of individuals who had a vision and made it a reality through perseverance and hard work. It is that unique quality and experience we wanted to capture in the name of this community?s team. ?After considering literally dozens of possibilities, ?added Brown, ?we felt the Greenville Drive best described the attitude and direction of this region. That the Upstate is also home to Michelin, BMW and the International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) lends credibility to the name, and also provided creative inspiration for the new team logo.? The Greenville Drive?s logo includes nostalgic elements that evoke the imagery of car hood ornaments from the 1940s and 1950s. The rounded, winged ?G? embedded with the ?Drive? name in flocked script is meant to connect the best of the past with the best of the future. Colors will mirror the midnight navy and crimson of the team?s Major League Baseball affiliate, the Boston Red Sox. ?This is a new era of Greenville baseball,? said Greenville Mayor Knox White. ?The Greenville Drive will be a baseball team for people who grew up here as well as for those who moved to our area, and I think the name is a great reflection of our community. I?m excited about the opportunity for people to rally behind the new team name and look forward to Opening Day in April, when we welcome baseball back to downtown Greenville for the first time since 1972.? Baseball has been an integral part of Greenville for more than a century. From the Spinners, whose team name drew upon Greenville?s textile heritage, to the Braves to this past year?s Greenville Bombers, the city has hosted a number of beloved professional baseball teams. The Bombers? history began in 1983 with the arrival of the Columbia Mets in Columbia, S.C. In 1993 the Columbia Mets became the Capital City Bombers, honoring the city?s men who flew B-25 airplanes during World War II. In 2005, the Bombers moved to Greenville and began their affiliation with the defending World Champion Boston Red Sox. A new name was sought prior to the 2006 season to make it ?Greenville?s team.? ?Along with the team?s representatives, we evaluated a list of potential names gathered from community sources such as newspaper polls and radio contests, as well as our own renditions,? said Joe Erwin, president of Greenville-based Erwin-Penland, one of the Southeast?s leading full-service marketing firms and the group that helped create the Drive?s new name and logo. ?Some of the name possibilities included the Grits, the Fireflies and the Greenville Joes, a salute to the city?s native baseball legend, Shoeless Joe Jackson,? said Erwin. ?Major League Baseball vetoed the Greenville Joes because Shoeless Joe was banned from baseball for his alleged involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. The team ultimately chose the Greenville Drive because of the positive image it represents for the entire community.? With the name and logo in place, work has begun on team uniforms and fan merchandise, some of which will be available for purchase on the team?s new Website, www.greenvilledrive.com, currently under development. Sales of 2006 season tickets have also begun in partnership with the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce, with more exciting developments still to come in the months leading up to Opening Day. For instance, today?s announcement also included the winners of two contests the team held in conjunction with last week?s Fall for Greenville festival. Prizes included a pair of 2006 Greenville Drive season tickets and an all-expenses trip for two to see the Boston Red Sox play next season in historic Fenway Park. ?We?ll be aggressively promoting the team throughout the offseason,? said Brown, the team?s president. ?As work continues on the stadium, which is part of a $35 million development including retail shops and upscale condos, we expect the excitement and enthusiasm for the Greenville Drive to continue building right up until the first pitch on April 6.? For more information on the Greenville Drive, including schedules and season ticket packages for the 2006 season, visit www.greenvilledrive.com or call (864) 422-1510. @DavidStreeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kess Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 I'm with you, EZ. But it could've been much, much worse. Check out the ninth graf where it mentions that "Grits" was another possible name.Grits? For real?!?! Don't get me wrong, I love the Montgomery Biscuits and I love grits. I just think the world of professional sports will be better with one Southern food-related team nickname at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopard88 Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 Sounds like the name of a street in the next town over ("At the red light, you'll make a left on Greenville Drive, . . . "). Most Liked Content of the Day -- February 15, 2017, August 21, 2017, August 22, 2017 ///// Proud Winner of the CCSLC Post of the Day Award -- April 8, 2008 Originator of the Upside Down Sarcasm Smilie -- November 1, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-kj Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 Buy some t-shirts and stuff at KJ Shop! KJ Branded | Behance portfolio POTD 2013-08-22 On 7/14/2012 at 2:20 AM, tajmccall said: When it comes to style, ya'll really should listen to Kev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrim Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 coulda been worse...I woulda chosen something you could connect with Shoeless Joe, but being they're part of organized ball, that wasn't gonna happen. too bad, I got the perfect name for em too A strong mind gets high off success, a weak mind gets high off bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DomainMaster Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Yeah, sounds like a street in some condo development. Plus, I look at the logo and see a big "C" with a wing going through it, not a "G". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagan696 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 that's funny... their local sports-talk just went from "the Super Sports Station" to "the Drive". i-85 is a fun place to be, but this is getting quite silly.www.wccpfm.com Carolina Dreamin' ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ When a robotic Nixon is on the loose, we have a duty to take action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burning River Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 Wow...It's too bad that sports teams feel that they can't go with a sports themed logo anymore. Everything now is about marketing, trends and fashion. The logo has the word baseball, but the logo does not have a "baseball" feel. You can replace the word "Baseball" with "Football" or "Hockey". There is all of the marketing research involved now, but not for the reasons we think. It's about cross-over application. Not creating the perfect "baseball logo with a local tie-in". That logo could have been sitting aorund for something else. A diner, Travel Agent or a Auto Repair shop could use that logo. I work for a lighting company. An upcoming trend is heavy (large) "retro Chrome accents". Sort of the '57 Chevy bumper type. Obviously, these looks work for the logo because of the local tie-in. It is also no surprise that they made sure the capitalized on an up-n-coming trendy look.BAM... Here it is in a sports logo. Same with the RailRaiders. An old train with the retro chrome accents. Does it "say" hockey... nope. I am amazed that sports logos have gotten so deep in to the fashion trends. Bypassing the actual sport itself. It takes the term "Branding" to a new level. It now means that the logo is VERY versitile in almost any application... outside of the intended sport as well. I remember a Super Bowl logo someone designed on the board for Detroit this year. They were SO on the money with it. It too featured that "winged" chrome lok. Yes, it was perfect for Detroit becasue of the auto industry. But, I'm saying that it also hit the right spot being a trendy logo as well. Now, with logos following trends and fashion. It will allow them to ALWAYS be volnerable for "updating". Classic professional logos will never change. But, the new trendy names and looks will always become the next level of trendy. More merchandise sales, the works. It is all about money sure, but man... to always try to get people to buy "New Logo merchandise" every few years will run it's coarse. So, I guess I like the logo... but not for a baseball team's use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruColor Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 Here's a better look at the REAL primary logo - I think the one posted in the article is a "special" version: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HatManTC Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 is that Greenville NC? by RoscoeUA by gingerbreadman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanB06 Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 Here's a better look at the REAL primary logo - I think the one posted in the article is a "special" version:It's South Carolina - and I've said this on a Red Sox board (which is the Drive's organization) - that's not a "G", it's a "6".I hope the unies are better than the logo. Sodboy13 said: As you watch more basketball, you will learn to appreciate the difference between "defense" and "couldn't find the rim with a pair of bloodhounds and a Garmin." meet the new page, not the same as the old page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruColor Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 Here's a better look at the REAL primary logo - I think the one posted in the article is a "special" version:It's South Carolina - and I've said this on a Red Sox board (which is the Drive's organization) - that's not a "G", it's a "6".I hope the unies are better than the logo. What does a "6" represent? And why - if that's true - would the article on the teams' website say it's a "G"?Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanB06 Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 I'm just sayin' it looks more like a 6 to me than a G.Either way, it isn't very inspired, IMO. Sodboy13 said: As you watch more basketball, you will learn to appreciate the difference between "defense" and "couldn't find the rim with a pair of bloodhounds and a Garmin." meet the new page, not the same as the old page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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