Best, most fitting team nicknames

[hawk36]

The thread about the most overused team nicknames made me think of what the best ones are. To me, team names that are unique to their city or region are by far the best as they are, by their nature, not widely used and special to their area.

1. Seattle Sounders (for the Puget Sound body of water)

2. San Diego Padres (for the Mission culture that founded of the city)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (for the steel industry)

4. Detroit Pistons (for the car industry)

5. San Francisco 49ers (gold rush)

[Spammy]

1. Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks (for the amount of trees and stuff in flagstaff)

[Viper]

Here are several more:

• Milwaukee Brewers (Milwaukee is the home of numerous breweries and micro-brews)
  
• Colorado Rockies (Denver is situated at the foot of, well, the Colorado Rockies)
  
• Indiana Pacers (refers to the pace car in auto racing, though I've always found it strange that a team in one sport would name themselves in reference to a different sport)
  
• Ottawa Senators (Ottawa is the Canadian capital)
  
• Washington Capitals (Washington, DC is the U.S. capital)
  
• Calgary Roughnecks (a "roughneck" is a nickname for an oil worker, referring to Alberta's oil industry)
  
• Edmonton Oilers (see Calgary Roughnecks)
  
• Green Bay Packers (nickname refers to a local meat-packing company where the team originated)
  
• Kansas City Wizards (the nickname itself is not unique, but was chosen as a reference to The Wizard Of Oz, part of which was set in Kansas)
  
• Baltimore Ravens (likewise, this nickname is a nod to Baltimore poet Edgar Allen Poe and his most famous work, The Raven)
  

[mmejia]

Houston Rockets, though the team was originally named in San Diego. Funny how that worked out.

[BBTV]

Every team posts some convoluted explanation for why their name is significant to their region. This thread is destined to just be one "cut and paste" after another.

That being said, the most fitting nicknames are clearly the Utah Jazz (Utah being the hotbed of jazz music), the Los Angeles Lakers (a tribute to the many lakes in Los Angeles), the Los Angeles Dodgers (since back in the day, people had to dodge all the trolly cars in Los Angeles), and the Memphis Grizzlies (since grizzly bears terrorize downtown Memphis, and have become almost symbolic of not only the city, but the entire state.)

[Bmac]

Minnesota Twins. Twins Cities. Nuff said.

[gueman]

Well I know I posted on this a few years back...

Baltimore Orioles ... after the Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Colts... after the horse breeding and racing industry

Baltimore Bullets... after the production of (shot) bullets for the civil war.

Baltimore Clippers (AHL)... after the production of the Baltimore Clipper

Baltimore Stallions (CFL)... see Baltimore Colts

Baltimore Banners WTT ... after the Star Spangled Banner that gave rise the the National Anthem written in Baltimore Harbor.

Baltimore Ravens... After the poem EA Poe wrote in Baltimore (Even the 2 other names in the running were unique to Baltimore the Marauders named after a WWll bomber made in Baltimore and the Americans. The Baltimore American was a famous train and Baltimore was the birthplace of the American rail industry)

And that is just one city, you also have the Florida Panthers named after the ... Florida Panther.

I think the exception to the rule is NOT to name your team after something local. Even the Pittsburgh Pirates got there name from... taking other players from other teams.

[tBBP]

Well I know I posted on this a few years back...

Baltimore Orioles ... after the Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Colts... after the horse breeding and racing industry

Baltimore Bullets... after the production of (shot) bullets for the civil war.

Baltimore Clippers (AHL)... after the production of the Baltimore Clipper

Baltimore Stallions (CFL)... see Baltimore Colts

Baltimore Banners WTT ... after the Star Spangled Banner that gave rise the the National Anthem written in Baltimore Harbor.

Baltimore Ravens... After the poem EA Poe wrote in Baltimore (Even the 2 other names in the running were unique to Baltimore the Marauders named after a WWll bomber made in Baltimore and the Americans. The Baltimore American was a famous train and Baltimore was the birthplace of the American rail industry)

And that is just one city, you also have the Florida Panthers named after the ... Florida Panther.

I think the exception to the rule is NOT to name your team after something local. Even the Pittsburgh Pirates got there name from... taking other players from other teams.

Ah, the delicious irony in that phrase as it relates to modern day and time...

...so what do we call the team now that it gives its players to other teams???

[LMU]

Every team posts some convoluted explanation for why their name is significant to their region. This thread is destined to just be one "cut and paste" after another.

That being said, the most fitting nicknames are clearly the Utah Jazz (Utah being the hotbed of jazz music), the Los Angeles Lakers (a tribute to the many lakes in Los Angeles), the Los Angeles Dodgers (since back in the day, people had to dodge all the trolly cars in Los Angeles), and the Memphis Grizzlies (since grizzly bears terrorize downtown Memphis, and have become almost symbolic of not only the city, but the entire state.)

Well, there is in fact a Lake Los Angeles, so it works!

Granted, it's a dry lake bed in the desert, but still...

[TruColor]

...so what do we call the team now that it gives its players to other teams???

Let's call them...the Pittsburgh Philanthropists.

[Glover]

Cleveland Browns, which everyone says is named after Paul Brown, but I think it is named after the color of Lake Erie.

[The Imperfect]

Baltimore Ravens is such a name. Uh oh, not a team named after a poem! SCARY!

[Tygers09]

Every team posts some convoluted explanation for why their name is significant to their region. This thread is destined to just be one "cut and paste" after another.

That being said, the most fitting nicknames are clearly the Utah Jazz (Utah being the hotbed of jazz music), the Los Angeles Lakers (a tribute to the many lakes in Los Angeles), the Los Angeles Dodgers (since back in the day, people had to dodge all the trolly cars in Los Angeles), and the Memphis Grizzlies (since grizzly bears terrorize downtown Memphis, and have become almost symbolic of not only the city, but the entire state.)

The Jazz started out in New Orleans (jazz is a hotbed in New Orleans), The LA Lakers started out in Minneapolis/St. Paul (Minnesota is called Land of 10,000 Lakes) The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to LA and were originally knowed as the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (for the people who had to dodge trolleys in Brooklyn), but just before they moved to LA, Trolley was dropped and they were called the Dodgers.

Other teams:

Houston Astros and Rockets - NASA's Johnson Control Center is located there

Seattle Mariners- paying homage to the Seattle Pilots, a former Seattle MLB franchise

New England Patriots- because the American Revolution started in New England partically Boston

Houston Oilers- Houston's (and for the State of Texas) Oil Industry

Dallas Cowboys- many Cowboys live in Texas

Florida Panthers- the once endangered species of the Everglades

Miami Heat - the herendous climate of southern Florida, enough said

Colorado Rockies - the mountain range that runs through the state

Philadelphia 76ers- the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philly back in 1776, and for the Bicentennial in 1976 around the time when the team was formed.

[ProvidenceRI]

Providence Friars - PC is a catholic school with actual friars on campus

[mantleisthebest7]

Not trying to be a homer here, but i've always thought that a few of colleges and universities here in Utah are pretty well named.

Utah Utes - named after Native American tribe which the state was named after

BYU Cougars - large amounts of cougars live in the Wasatch Mountains, near the location of BYU (Provo)

Utah State Aggies - Logan (USU's location) and it's surrounding area contain great amounts of farmland and are among the biggest farms in Utah

Weber State Wildcats - Much like BYU, Weber State (Ogden, UT) is located near a mountainous area which is home to many wild animals, including Cougars and other considered "Wildcats"

And to prove im not trying to be a homer lol, here's other names from all sports which i think are well-named:

Phoenix Suns

Arizona Diamondbacks

Phoenix Coyotes

Texas Rangers

Houston Astros

Dallas Mavericks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Dallas Cowboys

San Jose Earthquakes

D.C. United

Philadelphia Union

Portland Trail Blazers

Washington Nationals

Dallas Stars

Florida Panthers

and the list goes on....

[Bmac]

Not trying to be a homer here, but i've always thought that a few of colleges and universities here in Utah are pretty well named.

Utah Utes - named after Native American tribe which the state was named after

BYU Cougars - large amounts of cougars live in the Wasatch Mountains, near the location of BYU (Provo)

Utah State Aggies - Logan (USU's location) and it's surrounding area contain great amounts of farmland and are among the biggest farms in Utah

Weber State Wildcats - Much like BYU, Weber State (Ogden, UT) is located near a mountainous area which is home to many wild animals, including Cougars and other considered "Wildcats"

And to prove im not trying to be a homer lol, here's other names from all sports which i think are well-named:

Phoenix Suns

Arizona Diamondbacks

Phoenix Coyotes

Texas Rangers

Houston Astros

Dallas Mavericks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Dallas Cowboys

San Jose Earthquakes

D.C. United

Philadelphia Union

Portland Trail Blazers

Washington Nationals

Dallas Stars

Florida Panthers

and the list goes on....

How the Dallas Stars? Minnesota NorthStars made sense, but Dallas?

[Bronxmet]

Not trying to be a homer here, but i've always thought that a few of colleges and universities here in Utah are pretty well named.

Utah Utes - named after Native American tribe which the state was named after

BYU Cougars - large amounts of cougars live in the Wasatch Mountains, near the location of BYU (Provo)

Utah State Aggies - Logan (USU's location) and it's surrounding area contain great amounts of farmland and are among the biggest farms in Utah

Weber State Wildcats - Much like BYU, Weber State (Ogden, UT) is located near a mountainous area which is home to many wild animals, including Cougars and other considered "Wildcats"

And to prove im not trying to be a homer lol, here's other names from all sports which i think are well-named:

Phoenix Suns

Arizona Diamondbacks

Phoenix Coyotes

Texas Rangers

Houston Astros

Dallas Mavericks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Dallas Cowboys

San Jose Earthquakes

D.C. United

Philadelphia Union

Portland Trail Blazers

Washington Nationals

Dallas Stars

Florida Panthers

and the list goes on....

How the Dallas Stars? Minnesota NorthStars made sense, but Dallas?

Dallas is in Texas, the Lone Star state, so the Dallas Stars fits just fine.

[Bmac]

Not trying to be a homer here, but i've always thought that a few of colleges and universities here in Utah are pretty well named.

Utah Utes - named after Native American tribe which the state was named after

BYU Cougars - large amounts of cougars live in the Wasatch Mountains, near the location of BYU (Provo)

Utah State Aggies - Logan (USU's location) and it's surrounding area contain great amounts of farmland and are among the biggest farms in Utah

Weber State Wildcats - Much like BYU, Weber State (Ogden, UT) is located near a mountainous area which is home to many wild animals, including Cougars and other considered "Wildcats"

And to prove im not trying to be a homer lol, here's other names from all sports which i think are well-named:

Phoenix Suns

Arizona Diamondbacks

Phoenix Coyotes

Texas Rangers

Houston Astros

Dallas Mavericks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Dallas Cowboys

San Jose Earthquakes

D.C. United

Philadelphia Union

Portland Trail Blazers

Washington Nationals

Dallas Stars

Florida Panthers

and the list goes on....

How the Dallas Stars? Minnesota NorthStars made sense, but Dallas?

Dallas is in Texas, the Lone Star state, so the Dallas Stars fits just fine.

Interesing idea. I never thought of it that way. I guess I have always looked at it like the NorthStars still.

[NEW.ERA]

Atlanta Thrashers: Named after the State Bird the Brown Thrasher

Minnesota Wild: Named for the state's wildlife

New Jersey Devils: Named for the legend of the Jersey Devil which lives in the Jersey's woods

Winnipeg Jets: We're named after the WHL team in honor of the city's booming transportation industry

[oz615]

Tennessee Volunteers

Nashville Sounds

it self explanatory