Singular or Non-Plural Team Nicknames

[MichiganPackers 7]

I was wondering what people's thoughts were on the singular or non-plural team nicknames out there in the sports world- like, dislike, if they seem to fit in some cases but not others.

[infrared41 9,481]

They suck.

[Coast2CoastAM2006 393]

Teams like the Avalanche, Heat, Jazz all seem to work or have identities that works. So I don't mind them if they have identities that make it work.

One question I do have how do you classify the St. Louis Blues? Blues doesn't seem like a plural as they are a singular entity like Jazz. THey have an S at the end but blues isn't plural for 'blue'.

[Norva 102]

The Tampa Bay Storm is one of my favorite team names.

In general I prefer plurals but sometimes a singular name just works and sounds great. Another good example from the past is the New Orleans Jazz.

[Sport 14,596]

It dawned on me sometime last hockey season that the Avalanche could be the Avalanches if they wanted to. They're named after a singular avalanche. It would be like if the Carolina Hurricanes were the Carolina Hurricane.

The ones that are more abstract concepts are the worst - Magic and Wild. I go back and forth on which I dislike more.

[Gothamite 24,618]

Agreed.

Singular names suck muchly, but abstract singulars take it to a whole new level of suckitude.

[FGM13 767]

Mostly stupid. Jazz is really the only one that works.

[smith03 29]

I live in Minnesota I was happy when we got an nhl team back and then they announced the name it killed my interest in the team, just don't like singular names for sport teams.

[CS85 10,793]

A name's a name. The real problem is that minor league teams aren't named silly enough. No minor league affiliate should ever take their branding seriously.

That being said I think we can finally close the door on "____ Nation." That poor mechanism has been beaten to death and makes everyone look stupid.

[MichiganPackers 7]

FWIW all 10 of the Lingerie Football League's teams are singular team names: Charm, Steam, Crush, Heart, Breeze, Bliss, Chill, Sin, Temptation, and Mist.

[Hat Boy 916]

[Needschat 222]

In the '20s, the Providence Steam Roller existed in the NFL. Why so named? During halftime against a game between the Steam Roller and the Providence Pros, sports writer Charles Coppen who was getting a hot dog, heard a remark that the opposing team was "getting steam-rolled". Coppen loved the remark so much named his team the Steam Roller

[FGM13 767]

A name's a name. The real problem is that minor league teams aren't named silly enough. No minor league affiliate should ever take their branding seriously.

That being said I think we can finally close the door on "____ Nation." That poor mechanism has been beaten to death and makes everyone look stupid.

Oil Country FTW.

[The Six 761]

Singular names are fine in theory. Nobody complains about singular band names. You can say Ringo was a Beatle, but you can't say Cobain is a Nirvana, but that doesn't seem to bother anyone. The issue with most singular names, like the Wild, is that they're bad names, but it's not because of the tense.

[Soundwave721 25]

The Ohio Machine and The Colorado Avalanche are two of my favorite team names. Singular names can be pretty good.

[Needschat 222]

The most apropos singular name was in the American Soccer League: The Carolina Lightnin'

[Gothamite 24,618]

In the '20s, the Providence Steam Roller existed in the NFL. Why so named? During halftime against a game between the Steam Roller and the Providence Pros, sports writer Charles Coppen who was getting a hot dog, heard a remark that the opposing team was "getting steam-rolled". Coppen loved the remark so much named his team the Steam Roller

Their also used Steam Rollers. Seemingly interchangeably. FWIW.

[BBTV 20,991]

The Ohio Machine and The Colorado Avalanche are two of my favorite team names. Singular names can be pretty good.

I never thought about it until now, but the Avalanche's nickname is "Avs", which is basically pluralizing a singular thing.

[Xist2inspire 118]

If it fits, it's a good name, regardless of whether it's a singular or not. I've heard terrible plural names, just as I've heard terrible singular ones. I've heard good singular names, just as I've heard good plural names. Neither one is automatically "better" than the other.

[Gothamite 24,618]

Must respectfully disagree. Singular names are awkward when referring to a single player, and are therefore automatically inferior to almost any plural name.

Abstracted singular names are even sillier when broken down and are therefore inferior even to concrete singular names.