Oklahoma City .....

[Slickster]

Iowa Energy are in the D-League.

[McCall]

First, on the alignment matter. They'll obviously stay in the Northwest for the upcoming season. Too late to make changes to that. For the next season, I'd say the following should be the new alignment:

PACIFIC DIVISION: LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Golden State, Portland, Sacramento

MIDWEST DIVISION: Denver, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Utah

SOUTHWEST DIVISION: Remains Unchanged (Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio)

There.

Talk about cutting the OKC franchise off at the start.

They will need the rivalry with the Texas teams. Put Memphis in the Midwest, OKC in the Southwest.

Memphis is the most eastern team in the entire conference and you want them in a division with Utah? Yes, a OKC/Texas teams rivalry would be great, but you have to have some geographical common sense in dealing with the alignment. This isn't the NFL where teams only play 8 regular season road games and all games for the entire league are played once a week at only a few different set start times, so teams like Dallas can be put in the East to keep up rivalries. Here, you need to put some close proximity between teams. This way, more of their games are within their own time zone, if it can be helped, so that their fans can watch them on tv when they're on the road, but don't have to wait until midnight to see them. This is why in MLB, the Rangers need out of the AL West. They're 2 frickin time zones away from their division-mates.

The only reason I called it the Midwest is because I didn't know what else to call it and I was just kinda returning the old division name which basically covered the same area before, just now with fewer teams. My proposed Pacific Division is a true Pacific division, all teams on the west coast (figuratively. I know Sacramento is further in land, but you get the idea.) Minnesota is still a bit out of place way up there and in a division with Utah/Phoenix/Denver, but it's the least amount of "out of placeness" that you can come up with, as compared to putting Memphis with those teams.

[ltravisjr]

There are several viable options for naming this team. However, the name Bombers certainly couldn't ever be accepted, but playing off the whole McVeigh idea, I can see them going with the name "Justice", although as a rule I don't like singular names either. Also, I don't think the name "Six Shooters" would work. If that name were acceptable we would still have the Washington Bullets. However, perhaps the simple name "Shooters" would work as it could apply to the old west and basketball shooters at the same time. The "Oklahoma City Shooters". Not bad.

LT

[KJTALBOT]

I haven't read one good suggestion in this thread.

The name should be original and/or related to the city/region and/or historical.

Tough task.

I'll suggest something so you all can rip on me.

Prairie Dogs.

If anyone from the OKC franchise is reading this thread, feel free to use it.

[ferrousoxide66]

I haven't read one good suggestion in this thread.

The name should be original and/or related to the city/region and/or historical.

Tough task.

I'll suggest something so you all can rip on me.

Prairie Dogs.

If anyone from the OKC franchise is reading this thread, feel free to use it.

Prairie Dogzzz

[tajmccall]

Oklahoma City Sooner/Cowboys.

Bam!

[TruColor]

Oklahoma City Devil Rays.

Bam! And...Bam!

[CC97]

Oklahoma City Devil Rays.

Bam! And...Bam!

Yeah but in 15 years they'll be the Oklahoma Rays

[Rambulance]

Oklahoma City Outsiders

Oklahoma City 66ers

And with Tinker Air Force base, any number of aviaton names.

[TwinsTerritory]

On ESPNews, the host of an OKC sports radio show made two points about the new team:

1) He said that he thinks the names 'Thunder' and 'Barons' are the early favorites.

2) He also said that he has heard that the leading colors are: Red, White and Blue.

[ferrousoxide66]

2) He also said that he has heard that the leading colors are: Red, White and Blue.

Zzzzzz

[pflava]

I didn't realize how hard it would be to come up with a suitable/good nickname for the OKC team until I started reading this thread.

[OB33]

Can't use Thunderbirds, since the D-League already had a team by that name in ABQ.

Not necessarily, let's not forget about the Washington Wizards and the Dakota Wizards.

[TruColor]

Can't use Thunderbirds, since the D-League already had a team by that name in ABQ.

Not necessarily, let's not forget about the Washington Wizards and the Dakota Wizards.

True, but the Dakota Wizards pre-date the Washington Wizards by a couple of seasons. Dakota's had the name "Wizards" since 1996, as a member of the International Basketball Association. Then, they moved to the CBA, and then the D-League. Maybe they were an exception because of it?

Oh - and the name "66ers" (as was mentioned earlier) is another D-League name (Tulsa).

[TruColor]

2) He also said that he has heard that the leading colors are: Red, White and Blue.

Zzzzzz

I'll second that...

[ferrousoxide66]

2) He also said that he has heard that the leading colors are: Red, White and Blue.

Zzzzzz

I'll second that...

I was holding out hope for some deep brick red (that seems to convey "Oklahoma" to me) and white. That's it. Tie into the Sooner connotation a bit without ripping 'em off. Blue? Meh, meh, meh.

[BallWonk]

On ESPNews, the host of an OKC sports radio show made two points about the new team:

1) He said that he thinks the names 'Thunder' and 'Barons' are the early favorites.

2) He also said that he has heard that the leading colors are: Red, White and Blue.

Please, God, not Thunder. Thunderbirds, Thunderheads, Thunderclouds, Thunderstorms, Thunderdomes, or even Thunders, fine. But no freakin' singular team names, please.

As for color, I've got Oklahoma's color scheme right here:

Dark red, blue, and tan. We just absolutely do not need another pro sports team dressing like the flag.

[jhans203]

Can't use Thunderbirds, since the D-League already had a team by that name in ABQ.

The NBA owns the name, If the Wizards can co-exist in DC and Dakota then T-Birds can co-exist in OKC and ABQ.

[Schilly]

Dark Bronze = Oil

Gold = Wheat

Darkredish Orange = the old west IMO

total package = Not done anywehere.

[mania]

First, on the alignment matter. They'll obviously stay in the Northwest for the upcoming season. Too late to make changes to that. For the next season, I'd say the following should be the new alignment:

PACIFIC DIVISION: LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Golden State, Portland, Sacramento

MIDWEST DIVISION: Denver, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Utah

SOUTHWEST DIVISION: Remains Unchanged (Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio)

There.

Talk about cutting the OKC franchise off at the start.

They will need the rivalry with the Texas teams. Put Memphis in the Midwest, OKC in the Southwest.

Memphis is the most eastern team in the entire conference and you want them in a division with Utah? Yes, a OKC/Texas teams rivalry would be great, but you have to have some geographical common sense in dealing with the alignment. This isn't the NFL where teams only play 8 regular season road games and all games for the entire league are played once a week at only a few different set start times, so teams like Dallas can be put in the East to keep up rivalries. Here, you need to put some close proximity between teams. This way, more of their games are within their own time zone, if it can be helped, so that their fans can watch them on tv when they're on the road, but don't have to wait until midnight to see them. This is why in MLB, the Rangers need out of the AL West. They're 2 frickin time zones away from their division-mates.

The only reason I called it the Midwest is because I didn't know what else to call it and I was just kinda returning the old division name which basically covered the same area before, just now with fewer teams. My proposed Pacific Division is a true Pacific division, all teams on the west coast (figuratively. I know Sacramento is further in land, but you get the idea.) Minnesota is still a bit out of place way up there and in a division with Utah/Phoenix/Denver, but it's the least amount of "out of placeness" that you can come up with, as compared to putting Memphis with those teams.

Switch Memphis with Milwaukee. Problem solved.