Terrible team names (for logos) that persist

[Tygers09]

First one that came to my mind is 'Bills'.

Others that haven't been mentioned are SuperSonics, Oilers, Islanders, Celtics, Magic, Heat, Steelers, 49ers, Sooners, and Cornhuskers.

OIlers? Come on, I love that team name... Named for the Oil industry in Alberta, and the people who work there.

Sooners, Cornhuskers, Hoosiers after the States nicknames

Now if you ask me Hoyas, Hokies, Macon Whopee, the Portland Rosebuds (wayback in the day before the NHL)

[nuordr]

Hilltoppers

I forgot about my Alma Mater...nice catch! BTW, the name comes from the location of the campus because it sets on a hill. The nickname could have easily been White (Albino) Squirrels as they run all over the campus.

How about the Wildcats just because there are so many colleges that use them (UK, K-State, Weber State and much more) and is just generic. I really wish UK can change their names to Stallions or Mustangs because of the horse racing culture in the state of Kentucky. Also, leave the Hilltoppers name alone because it's more unique.

You've lost you mind about Kentucky changing their name!

[nuordr]

Hilltoppers

I forgot about my Alma Mater...nice catch!

For a Hilltopper you sure do like the Wildcats.

Your damn right! I work at The George Washington University and you don't see me pulling for the Colonials either. I was raised as a Wildcats fan and I will die a Wildcat fan.

[SportChange]

I think the worst nicknames are typically the non-singularable/non-pluralable type: Heat, Thunder, Wild, Lightning, etc. The worst nickname in the Big Four is definitely the Redskins.

http://sportchange.w...oniker-monitor/

http://sportchange.w...n-the-big-four/

[Jungle Jim]

Hilltoppers

I forgot about my Alma Mater...nice catch! BTW, the name comes from the location of the campus because it sets on a hill. The nickname could have easily been White (Albino) Squirrels as they run all over the campus.

How about the Wildcats just because there are so many colleges that use them (UK, K-State, Weber State and much more) and is just generic. I really wish UK can change their names to Stallions or Mustangs because of the horse racing culture in the state of Kentucky. Also, leave the Hilltoppers name alone because it's more unique.

I don't think there are any Mustangs in Kentucky, but there are supposedly plenty of these...

[spartacat_12]

Senators would definitely qualify for this thread. The team is not called the Gladiators or the Centurions but that is the imagery they have chosen to build their brand around. Don't get me wrong I love the name and can't imagine the team called anything else, but it does leave them kinda hog-tied when it comes to logos. So far the logos that best represent the name are the Peace Tower/maple leaf shoulder patch from the old black 3rd and the original Peace Tower wordmark that was vetoed by the NHL. I love the =O= because it represents Ottawa's storied hockey history, but it represents "Senators" about as much as a C and an H represent "Canadiens".

[Mac the Knife]

There are dozens which I've seen re-used in out-of-context locations which, outside their original application, make no real sense to me; and similarly a number of locations for which choices for team names at least initially seem pretty limited.

In baseball alone for instance, I've seen Yankees or Yanks in the south. Mets doesn't make sense anywhere, even in New York (What exactly is a "Met?" I know the club derived the name from the Metropolitans, but some sources claim it's just "New York Mets" rather than "New York Metropolitans"). Phillies in its non-alliterative form (Fillies) could make sense for womens teams who didn't find being referred to as horses offensive, I suppose. Nationals and Dodgers are others I've seen applied in environments where they just don't make sense.

I've always seen certain cities as providing challenges for team names as well - cities which, aside from one clear choice (e.g., Los Angeles Angels) there's not really too many other options that are clearly viable. Minneapolis is one - aside from Twins and Vikings, there may be a third choice ("Millers," which their minor league teams adopted but which would require some explanation at first). Milwaukee is another - Brewers is a clear choice, but what's indigenous or unique to Milwaukee aside from that which would translate well into a sports team name? When Atlanta got the NHL back, they wound up using Georgia's state bird (thrasher), in part because the city has no iconic image - no Brewer as Milwaukee, no Oriole as Baltimore, no Steeler as Pittsburgh, to provide a clear choice of options.

[pianoknight]

Hoosiers

I disagree.

Indiana is the Hoosier State. When you hear Hoosier (unlike say, Tigers or Warriors) you IMMEDIATELY think of the University of Indiana. Same thing goes for Cornhuskers, Buckeyes and Sooners. Those team nicknames are based off the actual nicknames for the states they represent and you only think of one single team.

That kind of branding is perfect, IMO.

[Derek]

Hoosiers

I disagree.

Indiana is the Hoosier State. When you hear Hoosier (unlike say, Tigers or Warriors) you IMMEDIATELY think of the University of Indiana. Same thing goes for Cornhuskers, Buckeyes and Sooners. Those team nicknames are based off the actual nicknames for the states they represent and you only think of one single team.

That kind of branding is perfect, IMO.

I tend to like regional names as well (hoosiers, huskers), along with not as obvious regional names that tie into the area like mud hens, flying squirrels, etc.

i'm not usually a fan of names like heat, thunder, lightning... unless they are handled like this:

as opposed to this:

[Gothamite]

(What exactly is a "Met?" I know the club derived the name from the Metropolitans, but some sources claim it's just "New York Mets" rather than "New York Metropolitans").

All legitimate sources would say that - "Mets" has always been the team's full name.

[illwauk]

Hoosiers

I disagree.

Indiana is the Hoosier State. When you hear Hoosier (unlike say, Tigers or Warriors) you IMMEDIATELY think of the University of Indiana. Same thing goes for Cornhuskers, Buckeyes and Sooners. Those team nicknames are based off the actual nicknames for the states they represent and you only think of one single team.

That kind of branding is perfect, IMO.

Agreed. Ideally, a college's nickname should tell you something about history of the school or where it's located. A name like Panthers can work for schools that are in the mountains (Pitt), or swampy areas (Florida International) where actual panthers live. Eastern Illinois, Milwaukee, Northern Iowa, etc; not so much.

[tigerslionspistonshabs]

Gamecocks.

Sorry...had to..

[Jungle Jim]

What exactly is a "Met?"

Mets:

[Gothamite]

No, that's this:

[chuckymack]

You can like the nickname 'Hoosiers' all you want -- Hell, I like it -- but that doesn't mean it's conducive to creating a logo.

...Which is kinda the point of this thread. IU's my favorite college team, but 'Hoosiers' is a nickname that's pretty hard to convey graphically.

[Chawls]

I'll ask again: What is a "National"? It's an adjective, not a noun.

[B-Rich]

Browns, Reds, Knicks, Lakers, Clippers, Mets, Athletics

Several people here have designed great Clippers concept logos. The LA basketball team is just creatively bankrupt.

Agreed. A clipper being a fast moving ship that looked like this:

was a perfect fit for oceanport San Diego. The first (1978) logo had a pretty good interpretation of the sails (at least the front three foresails) as this:

as well as using nautical flags on the side of the shorts. Shortly before the move to LA they went with a fake Lakers-esque logo and forgot all pretense of any nautical reference whatsoever. Dumb and creatively bankrupt.

First one that came to my mind is 'Bills'.

Others that haven't been mentioned are SuperSonics, Oilers, Islanders, Celtics, Magic, Heat, Steelers, 49ers, Sooners, and Cornhuskers.

Supersonics referred to a jet plane, which was used in at least one early logo:

[IceCap]

I'll ask again: What is a "National"? It's an adjective, not a noun.

Not necessarily.

[Gothamite]

You can like the nickname 'Hoosiers' all you want -- Hell, I like it -- but that doesn't mean it's conducive to creating a logo.

...Which is kinda the point of this thread. IU's my favorite college team, but 'Hoosiers' is a nickname that's pretty hard to convey graphically.

True, but they've done very well with their "IU" logo. Sometimes that's enough.

[Glover]

Gamecocks.

Sorry...had to..

This nickname is actually relevant to the state of South Carolina. Revolutionary war general and South Carolina native Thomas Sumter was nicknamed "The Carolina Gamecock" for his fighting style. This is where the nickname comes from. I am from Sumter, South Carolina actually, which is nicknamed "The Gamecock City" after him. My high school was the Sumter High School Fighting Gamecocks. It has significant meaning, and one could argue it is no different than the Ohio State Buckeyes.