California Pro Sports Nicknames

[ProvidenceRI]

This is just a "what if" sort of thing.

QUESTION: Do you California sports fans feel screwed by your sports teams nicknames? 50% were taken from other cities.

Golden State Warriors from Philadelphia

Sacramento Kings from Kansas City

LA Lakers from Minneapolis

Dodgers from Brooklyn

Giants from NY

A's from Philadelphia

What does that leave you with?

Raiders?

Kings?

SJ Sharks?

49ers?

Chargers?

Clippers?

Angels?

I'm asking people to nominate or brainstorm nicknames for teams in California that need original nicknames.

Here's who needs original nicknames:

LA Dodgers

SF Giants

Oakland A's

LA Lakers

Sacramento Kings

Golden State Warriors

[Ludachrisc23]

I know most of these are stupid but hey, I'm a native californian who felt obliged to be the first to respond.

LA Dodgers>> Los Angeles Traffic of Greater Los Angeles

SF Giants>> Bay Area Bridge Collapse

Oakland A's>> Fremont Moneyballers

LA Lakers>> LA Pacificers (perhaps 'oceaners')

Sacramento Kings>> Sacramento CowPastures

Golden State Warriors>> Oakland Streetwarriors, maybe Golden State Gangstas

Oh yeah, don't forget Padres is another original professional nickame as well as both Mighty and non-Mighty Ducks.

This is just a "what if" sort of thing.

QUESTION: Do you California sports fans feel screwed by your sports teams nicknames? 50% were taken from other cities.

Golden State Warriors from Philadelphia

Sacramento Kings from Kansas City

LA Lakers from Minneapolis

Dodgers from Brooklyn

Giants from NY

A's from Philadelphia

What does that leave you with?

Raiders?

Kings?

SJ Sharks?

49ers?

Chargers?

Clippers?

Angels?

I'm asking people to nominate or brainstorm nicknames for teams in California that need original nicknames.

Here's who needs original nicknames:

LA Dodgers

SF Giants

Oakland A's

LA Lakers

Sacramento Kings

Golden State Warriors

[FiddySicks]

^ That has to be the stupidest set of nicknames ive ever seen ^ I mean seriously, Moneyballers? Gangstas? I really hope that was just a sad attempt at a joke.

And no, as a native Californian I dont feel screwed. I feel that its a good example of California as a whole. California is a cultural melting pot and many people came here from many different areas. I think that the nickname deal is a good example of this. It shows that teams have had history in other places, but have come to come to California and been welcomed with open arms.

[KP14]

What does that leave you with?

Raiders? - Fair enough...

Kings? - Never understood what they are Kings of exactly, the railroads?

SJ Sharks? - This works, however it would have worked better if San Jose was actually on the coast.

49ers? - Best name in the state, it screams California.

Chargers? - Never really got it.

Clippers? - Never really got it.

Angels? - Not exactly creative considering, and god knows they can't continue to be called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Although It would be interesting of they had a hat with LAAA on it.

Here's who needs original nicknames:

LA Dodgers - Can't change it.

SF Giants - Can't change it.

Oakland A's - Can't change it.

LA Lakers - Can't change it.

Sacramento Kings - Could change it to something related to Sacramento history.

Golden State Warriors - Could change it to something related to the "Golden State", rather than an obscure reference to some participants in a war.

Ducks - Change it to anything else, ANYTHING. More than any other team in North America they need a new identity and a complete break from everything originally associated with the 4 year olds who originally named and branded the team (Di$ney). The word "ducks" doesn't say jack about hockey, southern California or Anaheim. The problem is, when they win the Stanley Cup in about 3 weeks, they'll never change the name. It will be set in silver.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

Ducks - Change it to anything else, ANYTHING. More than any other team in North America they need a new identity and a complete break from everything originally associated with the 4 year olds who originally named and branded the team (Di$ney). The word "ducks" doesn't say jack about hockey, southern California or Anaheim. The problem is, when they win the Stanley Cup in about 3 weeks, they'll never change the name. It will be set in silver.

thats nothing this year will be year 1 of the 4 year Ducks dynasty.

[KP14]

Well, they can win all the cups they want, I just wish to god the silverware wasn't being tarnished with the word "Ducks". Some saving grace is that the word "Mighty" isn't accompanying it. But, the players names are what's important.

[infrared41]

The things we choose to care about...

[mlsegal]

Chargers? - Never really got it.

Clippers? - Never really got it.

Well... can't say much about the other nicknames, but these two are actually pretty specific references. The Chargers were named by first owner Baron Hilton, who also owned the Carte Blanche credit card company. Does the name relate to sports? No, not really, but at least as much as the (Trolley) Dodgers did for the baseball team.

And, when the Clippers played in San Diego, they were named so to honor the Star Of India, a clipper ship docked in the bay next to downtown. I guess the drive up the freeway wasn't far enough to mandate a name change.

[KP14]

I guess what I meant was, they aren't instantly creating any sort of impression when I hear the names. Knowing why they are called what they are doesn't really change that.

An amusing thing happens if you switch those two names actually...think about it.

[Gothamite]

[Clippers? - Never really got it.

What's to get?

A tall ship, adventure on the high seas. Graceful and powerful all at once.

There was reportedly some talk of the Giants taking up the San Francisco Seals name when they moved west, but the team obviously decided against it.

[Ludachrisc23]

^ That has to be the stupidest set of nicknames ive ever seen ^ I mean seriously, Moneyballers? Gangstas? I really hope that was just a sad attempt at a joke.

And no, as a native Californian I dont feel screwed. I feel that its a good example of California as a whole. California is a cultural melting pot and many people came here from many different areas. I think that the nickname deal is a good example of this. It shows that teams have had history in other places, but have come to come to California and been welcomed with open arms.

dude, i prefaced it as a joke... all based on the city's makeup (sacramento is rural, oakland has a decently high crime rate) and the existing nickname (dodgers was originally based on dodging trolley cars, which is OBVIOUSLY not applicable to anything in los angeles). maybe you've never gone to downtown oakland or read 'moneyball' (google it). i hope you're kidding about being from 'The Reno'; maybe i just don't understand your humor either. not trying to start a 'flame war,' but just had to speak my peace.

[leopard88]

I guess what I meant was, they aren't instantly creating any sort of impression when I hear the names. Knowing why they are called what they are doesn't really change that.

An amusing thing happens if you switch those two names actually...think about it.

You mean you wind up with the names of actual teams of the past . . . since each once played in the other's city?

[powersurge]

I'm going to offer up the word 'tradition' for those who believe most of the previously mentioned teams need new nicknames. (Especially for some of those baseball teams we occassionally hear about from time to time)

[eriqjaffe]

Even though they're gone now, the Rams were another California team whose name came with them when they relocated from Cleveland.

And there were, of course, the NHL's Golden Seals / Seals for a breif period.

[Brian in Boston]

Brooklyn Dodgers ---> Los Angeles Angels (The American League expansion team would have been named the Los Angeles Stars.)

New York Giants ---> San Francisco Seals

Kansas City A's ---> Oakland Oaks

Minneapolis Lakers ---> Los Angeles Condors

Kansas City Kings ---> Sacramento Monarchs

Philadelphia Warriors ---> San Francisco Golden Gaters (Upon moving to Oakland, changed to Golden State Gaters.)

[KP14]

I guess what I meant was, they aren't instantly creating any sort of impression when I hear the names. Knowing why they are called what they are doesn't really change that.

An amusing thing happens if you switch those two names actually...think about it.

You mean you wind up with the names of actual teams of the past . . . since each once played in the other's city?

That and you get two teams named after penalties in their respective sports.

[Cola]

Ducks - Change it to anything else, ANYTHING. More than any other team in North America they need a new identity and a complete break from everything originally associated with the 4 year olds who originally named and branded the team (Di$ney). The word "ducks" doesn't say jack about hockey, southern California or Anaheim. The problem is, when they win the Stanley Cup in about 3 weeks, they'll never change the name. It will be set in silver.

I don't watch hockey or care for it, so that may void my opinion, but from a general sports fan point of view...what is really wrong with that name? I happen to think it is pretty awesome, mainly because it is unique. At least it isn't Bears, Tigers, Lions, Cats, Bulldogs, or Hawks.

The only athletic team I can think of besides them that uses a Duck is Oregon University.

I dunno, I just guess I disagree. I think they have one of the coolest mascots in hockey. I might get killed for this, but to me...the only names I can think of in the NHL that are cooler are Sabres, Blackhawks, Avalanche, and Predators...that's it. I think Stars is dumb, Kings very dumb, Panthers lame, Rangers lame, and the rest to me are just decent mediocre mascots.

Is Ducks really that bad?

[koizim]

Sacramento Soon-to-be-in-Vegas

San Fransisco "Flaxseed Oil"

LA Kobes

Fremont Overrelocation

LA Crips (hey, they both wear blue)

Golden State Mavs' Achilles Heel

Of course, all of these are jokes

[KP14]

Ducks is in every way shape and form wrong. And anyone outside of Anaheim proper with any respect for the sport new that things were wrong when they read the news that an expansion team was coming to southern California and that Disney would be involved. Instead of making an attempt at creating anything close to what was a sport with tradition they went and made a mockery out of the league by presenting a cartoon with cartoon colors. NOT ONLY THAT but they named the team after one of their films, a film that is third rate and also...makes a mockery of hockey. Now, if all that wasn't enough they wanted to actually have the word MIGHTY on the backs of the jerseys preceding the names. Once again, back to the mockery bit. I won't even touch the alternate jersey they had, nor go into their marketing.

Had the team been in Saskatoon and they called themselves the Ducks it would have been fine. But the fact that Disney did it essentially as a movie tie in is, in my mind, saying they don't give a damn about the sport, they just want money. (Shocking really, being Disney and all...)

As I said, I just hope they are capable of distancing themselves from all that, and can at some time put a team out their that could one day have a proud history and garner some respect as a franchise, and not one founded on principles far distant from what the NHL was once about. (I.e. pre-Bettman)

So, yeah, it's that bad to me.

[Gothamite]

Ducks is in every way shape and form wrong. And anyone outside of Anaheim proper with any respect for the sport new that things were wrong when they read the news that an expansion team was coming to southern California and that Disney would be involved. Instead of making an attempt at creating anything close to what was a sport with tradition they went and made a mockery out of the league by presenting a cartoon with cartoon colors.

You're talking about a league that previously featured these logos:

http://www.chriscreamer.com/logo.php?lo=269

http://www.chriscreamer.com/logo.php?lo=7319

http://www.chriscreamer.com/logo.php?lo=nfj9x1enc2grigdln17a

and would soon have these:

http://www.chriscreamer.com/logo.php?lo=nlray22u33hhmvm2oyfg

So I guess I'm not seeing the problem.

Yes, the movie tie-in was stupid, but it was also relatively fleeting. And "Ducks" on its own is a fine nickname.