Prokhorov: Nets to change name for 2012 Brooklyn move

[cameroncrazie07]

Brooklyn Bridges should win IMO it works, knights is ok i guess

Wow, it's the "Washington Monuments" "it's catchy because it's a name of something else I've heard of" argument again. If they choose New York instead of Brooklyn, we can name them the New York Cities.

As for the NY vs Brooklyn argument; basically they can take advantage of the Brooklyn Dodgers nostalgia and pick up an identity, or they can become the NY Clippers.

I dont think theyll use dodgers, and why would they become the clippers if that name is taken

[JQK]

Bridgemen is by far the best name i, or anyone else, have mentioned.

[jimbojohnny56]

Word is Knights and a black and yellow/gold color scheme from what the chatter is from people around New York. They will also capitalize on the initials BK commonly what Brooklyn is referred to as but will obviously also double as the initials for Brooklyn Knights.

[Punch]

Word is Knights and a black and yellow/gold color scheme from what the chatter is from people around New York. They will also capitalize on the initials BK commonly what Brooklyn is referred to as but will obviously also double as the initials for Brooklyn Knights.

Is that what New York thinks, or is that just a rumor that the media in New York is trying to start?

[jimbojohnny56]

Probably a rumor but that's what I've heard on a couple of boards and from Nets/NY fans.

[jrodsep]

How about the Brooklyn Brigade?

[jimbojohnny56]

Good Luck. Don't they use Bullets?

[Mac the Knife]

To the world outside New York, probably not. As a global "brand", Brooklyn would be a feasable name. The team could get on TNT easily; and it could sell its jerseys in many countries.

But to fans within New York itself, it's another story. Using "Brooklyn" is a risky strategy if the club hopes to win local fans -- and by "fans" I really mean "converts", as all of these fans are already Knick fans; they already identify with "New York".

And that's why it'll almost certainly be "Brooklyn" rather than "New York" - the "Brooklyn brand" can be marketed, worldwide, across a wide range of demographic groups. "Brooklyn" with respect to sports captures in the minds of many the Dodgers - a good club but one that invariably was the underdog against the forces of evil (i.e., the Yankees). As a result, they may take a slight hit in NYC proper but will do HUGE business outside the city, including in ticket sales where current New Jersey Nets fans will go into the city, Brooklynites will come support their new team, etc., etc.

In short, using the Brooklyn name has a MUCH bigger upside than simply going with New York, from the perspective of overall marketing and merchandising, without jeopardizing gate revenue in the process.

Now for those who think the team will go with a "Brooklyn Dynamo" or "BC Brooklyn" style moniker, I suspect that the only way that will happen is if this new owner is off his rocker, or has seriously misunderstood the team's place both in the market and the history of professional basketball - and while he'll be heading up an effort to change that history, I suspect a team given a "foreign sounding" name won't fly in hoops like it does in soccer.

[Waffles]

Now for those who think the team will go with a "Brooklyn Dynamo" or "BC Brooklyn" style moniker, I suspect that the only way that will happen is if this new owner is off his rocker, or has seriously misunderstood the team's place both in the market and the history of professional basketball - and while he'll be heading up an effort to change that history, I suspect a team given a "foreign sounding" name won't fly in hoops like it does in soccer.

[rams80]

Well, if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle. I'm not ready to presume that by plucking a moribund and unliked team from the suburbs and having it yell "BROOKLYN WE GO HARD, WE GO HARD" at the top of its figurative lungs, this market roughly comparable to Houston will largely abandon the Knicks and everything that comes along with the great rollercoaster of Knicks fandom, just because the good-for-nothing Nets changed their name. Call them what you will, sell them to whomever, they'll always be the weakest and least redeeming of New York's B-Teams. No plucky outer-borough underdog spirit like the Mets (which they inherited from the Dodgers), nor the dynasty to fall back on like the Islanders, nor the weird sense of self-flagellation that seemingly comes with liking the Jets. They lost in the Finals when the NBA was at a low point and they had that dead Slav. There, the Nets. B-K-L-Y-N. Woo. Get on board with that.

Don't forget having to lose Dr. J because they couldn't afford him post merger.

[BBTV]

They've been the New York Clippers for like thirty-five years.

This was a little too good to go unrecognized.

[illwauk]

Well, if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle. I'm not ready to presume that by plucking a moribund and unliked team from the suburbs and having it yell "BROOKLYN WE GO HARD, WE GO HARD" at the top of its figurative lungs, this market roughly comparable to Houston will largely abandon the Knicks and everything that comes along with the great rollercoaster of Knicks fandom, just because the good-for-nothing Nets changed their name.

Then clearly you don't understand Brooklyn

[chakfu]

But to fans within New York itself, it's another story. Using "Brooklyn" is a risky strategy if the club hopes to win local fans -- and by "fans" I really mean "converts", as all of these fans are already Knick fans; they already identify with "New York".

While you have already said that you in Queens can gladly support a Brooklyn team, I strongly doubt whether this holds true for people from Manhattan and the Bronx, or even for others from Queens; especially when the choice is one of choosing either "New York" (the Knicks) or "Brooklyn" (the Nets under their new name). Under these conditions, I think you are overestimating the amount of New Yorkers to whom the name "Brooklyn whatevers" will seem so cool and attractive.

I think that assumes that a reasonable number of fans would convert from the NY Knicks fans to NY Nets fans. I guess it happened for the Mets and Jets to a certain extent (although the Mets probably had the Dodger and/or Giants fan bases to scoop us.) - but I think the idea is to become Brooklyn's team rather than NY other team. Get some guaranteed converts in Brooklyn rather than aim for converts everywhere and wind up with virtually none. Then toss in the nationwide/worldwise nostalgia and it seems like an obvious choice.

I don't know much about NY history and the consolidation, but if using borough names is good enough for the USPS, it ought to be good enough for the NBA. Do any other cities even have boroughs?

[Anubis2051]

But to fans within New York itself, it's another story. Using "Brooklyn" is a risky strategy if the club hopes to win local fans -- and by "fans" I really mean "converts", as all of these fans are already Knick fans; they already identify with "New York".

While you have already said that you in Queens can gladly support a Brooklyn team, I strongly doubt whether this holds true for people from Manhattan and the Bronx, or even for others from Queens; especially when the choice is one of choosing either "New York" (the Knicks) or "Brooklyn" (the Nets under their new name). Under these conditions, I think you are overestimating the amount of New Yorkers to whom the name "Brooklyn whatevers" will seem so cool and attractive.

I think that assumes that a reasonable number of fans would convert from the NY Knicks fans to NY Nets fans. I guess it happened for the Mets and Jets to a certain extent (although the Mets probably had the Dodger and/or Giants fan bases to scoop us.) - but I think the idea is to become Brooklyn's team rather than NY other team. Get some guaranteed converts in Brooklyn rather than aim for converts everywhere and wind up with virtually none. Then toss in the nationwide/worldwise nostalgia and it seems like an obvious choice.

I don't know much about NY history and the consolidation, but if using borough names is good enough for the USPS, it ought to be good enough for the NBA. Do any other cities even have boroughs?

I agree completely. I'm sure theres even a few old timer dodger fans who just want to root for a pro team from brooklyn again. but I think the important thing about being in brooklyn is that the usual team allegiances will stay the same

Yankees-Giants-Rangers/Devils-Knicks Inner Boroughs/New Jersey

vs

Mets-Jets-Isles-Nets Outer Boroughs

[chakfu]

Bridgemen is by far the best name i, or anyone else, have mentioned.

Only if Junior Bridgeman becomes their coach.

Not sure if Bridgemen itself stands alone well enough to be anything more than an awkward derivative of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Knights still seems like the best, but if they go with BK do they have to wear British Knights sneakers? Or get a Burger King endorsement?

[The_Admiral]

There was a drum corps called the Bayonne Bridgemen. They wore pimp jackets.

[Tentomushi5150]

I'm really glad the Bridgemen came up, although I wouldn't call them pimp jackets. More of a banana rain slicker.

I can't imagine marching in that come finals week(season ends tomorrow).

[DPV713]

Brooklyn Heights ftw.

[JQK]

There was a drum corps called the Bayonne Bridgemen. They wore pimp jackets.

As a man who was raised in Bayonne... Yes, they were pimp jackets...

...cause they bitchslapped every other marching band in the land!

[Gothamite]

Now for those who think the team will go with a "Brooklyn Dynamo" or "BC Brooklyn" style moniker, I suspect that the only way that will happen is if this new owner is off his rocker, or has seriously misunderstood the team's place both in the market and the history of professional basketball - and while he'll be heading up an effort to change that history, I suspect a team given a "foreign sounding" name won't fly in hoops like it does in soccer.

Man, I love that billboard.

It's not just about converting Knick fans, but creating new basketball fans. They'll be primed to do it, especially if they can actually win a game or twelve. And every off-season gets them that much closer to the move and makes them that much more attractive to free agents.