Latest Rumor: NHL Team Expected to Announce Rebranding in 2012

[Dedalvs]

• Anaheim: Maybe a SoCal resident has a sense of whether the old identity is preferred. I hope they don't go back to the Disney name. I could deal with the logo/colors, but no "Mighty"
  

Quick comment here from a Southern Californio: People here actually liked the Mighty Ducks monicker. In fact, way back when the new ownership group took over, they were planning on changing the name (not just from Mighty Ducks to Ducks, but to something completely different), but after feeling out the community, they realized people really liked "Ducks", so they stuck with it?which was a good idea, in my opinion (as was getting rid of "Mighty" and moving "Anaheim" up front). As for the logo, I'd take the duck mask back any day over that...thing and the wordmark.

When someone says a "Southern" team, though, I don't know why LA or Anaheim would even enter into the discussion. They're in the Southern half of the United States, true, but "Southern" has taken on its own meaning and wouldn't apply to anyone outside the Southeast (to me, even Texas is a stretch when you're talking about "Southern").

[The_Admiral]

I'd consider Houston, Galveston, all the rest of that sticky bayou country to be the South. San Antonio is more Southwestern, Dallas is just Texas qua Texas if it's anything, and god knows what West Texas is.

[Cosmic]

• Anaheim: Maybe a SoCal resident has a sense of whether the old identity is preferred. I hope they don't go back to the Disney name. I could deal with the logo/colors, but no "Mighty"
  

Quick comment here from a Southern Californio: People here actually liked the Mighty Ducks monicker. In fact, way back when the new ownership group took over, they were planning on changing the name (not just from Mighty Ducks to Ducks, but to something completely different), but after feeling out the community, they realized people really liked "Ducks", so they stuck with it?which was a good idea, in my opinion (as was getting rid of "Mighty" and moving "Anaheim" up front). As for the logo, I'd take the duck mask back any day over that...thing and the wordmark.

When someone says a "Southern" team, though, I don't know why LA or Anaheim would even enter into the discussion. They're in the Southern half of the United States, true, but "Southern" has taken on its own meaning and wouldn't apply to anyone outside the Southeast (to me, even Texas is a stretch when you're talking about "Southern").

To be fair, hockey is a sport where a large portion of the fans consider the entire U.S. "Southern".

[Dedalvs]

When someone says a "Southern" team, though, I don't know why LA or Anaheim would even enter into the discussion. They're in the Southern half of the United States, true, but "Southern" has taken on its own meaning and wouldn't apply to anyone outside the Southeast (to me, even Texas is a stretch when you're talking about "Southern").

To be fair, hockey is a sport where a large portion of the fans consider the entire U.S. "Southern".

Ah, in that case, let me be the first to start the rumor that it's the Detroit Red Wings who are rebranding (and not a moment too soon)! Here's hoping they change it to something sensible, like the Detroit LakeDogz or Skating HC Detroit.

[knnhrvy16]

• Anaheim: Maybe a SoCal resident has a sense of whether the old identity is preferred. I hope they don't go back to the Disney name. I could deal with the logo/colors, but no "Mighty"
  

Quick comment here from a Southern Californio: People here actually liked the Mighty Ducks monicker. In fact, way back when the new ownership group took over, they were planning on changing the name (not just from Mighty Ducks to Ducks, but to something completely different), but after feeling out the community, they realized people really liked "Ducks", so they stuck with it?which was a good idea, in my opinion (as was getting rid of "Mighty" and moving "Anaheim" up front). As for the logo, I'd take the duck mask back any day over that...thing and the wordmark.

If I may add to this, the Ducks are a sort of popular team here along the Wasatch Front when it comes to hockey (along with the Avs), and most fans here I know prefer the Mighty Ducks identity over the current one. One friend I know DESPISES the current identity, and said once that "they're just not the same team in those jerseys". Now to us here at CCSLC, that may sound silly as we know identity changes are just a part of the sports branding world. But as for the casual fan, however, his statement makes sense - to a casual fan I'm sure that's really how it could be. This particular friend (my same age; 19) has been a fan since elementary school, so he grew up around the Disney identity and attached it to his fandom. So, I at least understood what he meant by "not the same team", and all.

I have stated a few times that I too hate the current identity, and prefer the Disney era. My reasons are more because of design (the fact they threw away a unique and instantly recognizable brand for a far less superior one), but I will admit that childhood sentimentality does influence my stance a little bit.

[Mac the Knife]

To be fair, hockey is a sport where a large portion of the fans consider the entire U.S. "Southern".

And now, the more I think about it... the more I wonder just how "southern" it is. I know we don't think about it much, but Canada does have southern cities... they're just southern to them and not to us ugly Americans. And my source on this is based out of Canada.

Oh, snap. All this time I'm thinking it's a Florida, Carolina or Nashville, when maybe, just maybe, it's actually a southern Canadian city, or maybe even a city that he considers southern. I need to send him an e-mail and try to peg this down a little better, if for no other reason than to confirm that by "southern" he means "southern U.S."

[pheer]

I'd consider Houston, Galveston, all the rest of that sticky bayou country to be the South. San Antonio is more Southwestern, Dallas is just Texas qua Texas if it's anything, and god knows what West Texas is.

If it's summer, West Texas is Hell's doorstep.

[TruColor]

I'd consider Houston, Galveston, all the rest of that sticky bayou country to be the South. San Antonio is more Southwestern, Dallas is just Texas qua Texas if it's anything, and god knows what West Texas is.

If it's summer, West Texas is Hell's doorstep.

I played a gig with a Mexican rock band here once:

http://www.marathontexas.com/

Hell's doorstep is correct.

[mania]

I'd consider Houston, Galveston, all the rest of that sticky bayou country to be the South. San Antonio is more Southwestern, Dallas is just Texas qua Texas if it's anything, and god knows what West Texas is.

West Texas is just... hell.

There's no other way around it.

[Puck]

Silly Texans thinking hell exists in Texas.

As an Arizonan I laugh at your claims.

[The_Admiral]

There was a pretty good This American Life two weeks ago about corruption at a West Texas hospital. Two nurses were charged with defamation or something because they filed a complaint against a grossly incompetent doctor who was friends with the sheriff. I think it was some small town out near Odessa?

[IceCap]

To be fair, hockey is a sport where a large portion of the fans consider the entire U.S. "Southern".

And now, the more I think about it... the more I wonder just how "southern" it is. I know we don't think about it much, but Canada does have southern cities... they're just southern to them and not to us ugly Americans. And my source on this is based out of Canada.

Oh, snap. All this time I'm thinking it's a Florida, Carolina or Nashville, when maybe, just maybe, it's actually a southern Canadian city, or maybe even a city that he considers southern. I need to send him an e-mail and try to peg this down a little better, if for no other reason than to confirm that by "southern" he means "southern U.S."

Toronto is the southern-most Canadian NHL market, and the Leafs are not re-branding.

When we say "southern teams" in Canada we mean sunbelt teams from Carolina to at least Phoenix. I've heard the two LA-area teams included in this designation a few times too.

[The_Admiral]

I hate the term "Sun Belt," though I'm not sure why.

I think Mac is just running misdirection on the "southern Canadian" thing. Yale figured it out and then deleted it. We'll all just have to wait, I guess.

[deliver2david]

When someone says a "Southern" team, though, I don't know why LA or Anaheim would even enter into the discussion. They're in the Southern half of the United States, true, but "Southern" has taken on its own meaning and wouldn't apply to anyone outside the Southeast (to me, even Texas is a stretch when you're talking about "Southern").

To be fair, hockey is a sport where a large portion of the fans consider the entire U.S. "Southern".

Ah, in that case, let me be the first to start the rumor that it's the Detroit Red Wings who are rebranding (and not a moment too soon)! Here's hoping they change it to something sensible, like the Detroit LakeDogz or Skating HC Detroit.

Detroit is actually north of Canada. You drive south to get to Windsor, Ontario. Strange but true.

[TruColor]

Silly Texans thinking hell exists in Texas.

As an Arizonan I laugh at your claims.

It's not just the heat that makes it Hell. It's the fact that it's West Texas...!

[Lee.]

West Texas is nothing more than New Mexico with paved roads.

[Cosmic]

When someone says a "Southern" team, though, I don't know why LA or Anaheim would even enter into the discussion. They're in the Southern half of the United States, true, but "Southern" has taken on its own meaning and wouldn't apply to anyone outside the Southeast (to me, even Texas is a stretch when you're talking about "Southern").

To be fair, hockey is a sport where a large portion of the fans consider the entire U.S. "Southern".

Ah, in that case, let me be the first to start the rumor that it's the Detroit Red Wings who are rebranding (and not a moment too soon)! Here's hoping they change it to something sensible, like the Detroit LakeDogz or Skating HC Detroit.

Detroit is actually north of Canada. You drive south to get to Windsor, Ontario. Strange but true.

And in Buffalo, we drive due west to get to the Great White North, but I think everyone understood what I was getting at.

[tBBP]

West Texas is nothing more than New Mexico with paved roads that used to be paved.

Now it's nothing more than a bunch of cracked up, jacked up, weed-riddled asphalt that kinda helps you see where you're going--not that you'd be going anywhere in particular. And that's true for a good chunk of southern New Mexico as well.

*Shudders at the memories of having been stationed out at Fort Bliss...*

[Drakonius26]

West Texas is nothing more than New Mexico with paved roads that used to be paved.

Now it's nothing more than a bunch of cracked up, jacked up, weed-riddled asphalt that kinda helps you see where you're going--not that you'd be going anywhere in particular. And that's true for a good chunk of southern New Mexico as well.

*Shudders at the memories of having been stationed out at Fort Bliss...*

Sounds like Denver, Colorado. I swear that place had the tiest road maintenance, road design, for a city that had more than a million people within the greater metro area.

[dolfan13]

Has Jeff Loria secretly purchased the Panthers? So long Florida Panthers, hello Miami Panthers and orange and black!

The Marlins swapping "Florida" for "Miami" has less to do with Loria than it does with the City of Miami, who chipped in for the new stadium under the condition the team be named "Miami".