Get ready for the OKLAHOMA (fill in the blank) NOT OKC

[bornhere]

Bornhere, I disagree. This is Oklahoma City's team. Oklahoma City will support this team. The owners are from OKC and speak Oklahoma City. They all along bought the team to move it to Oklahoma City. So I see NO REASON why the team name should not be Oklahoma City ___.

I think you're getting emotionally invested in a decision over which you have no control, which may be setting yourself up for disappointment.

This happens all the time, of course, with pro sports. The owners, as part of the marketing strategy, try to inculcate in the fans a false sense of ownership. Then, when the owners make decisions that benefit themselves as owners but don't benefit the fans, some fans feel betrayed – as happens pretty much anytime a team moves, for example, or a popular player is traded.

Developing an emotional or sentimental attachment or sense of ownership in a sports franchise makes no more sense than it would if the object of affection were a Wal-Mart or a Wendy's. At some point, whether it's this naming issue or something else down the road, the owners will make a decision that benefits themselves at the fans' expense, and the fans will like they've been betrayed.

As for practical reasons for naming the team 'Oklahoma' rather than 'Oklahoma City,' one would be encouraging viewership in TV markets such as Lawton, Tulsa, and Ada. Another would be to broaden legislative support for the change to the Quality Jobs Act.

But no one knows what they're going to do except them, and I think it would be best to not get overly caught up in this name thing.

[betts]

But no one knows what they're going to do except them, and I think it would be best to not get overly caught up in this name thing.

This is how I'm feeling. I think some of the NBA names are terrible, but if I lived in that city I'd support them. I happen to personally dislike the name Barons quite a bit and a couple of the others suggested almost as little, but if that ends up being the name, I'll be wearing gear with that name on it.

As far as not getting emotionally invested in a team, it's a catch-22. If you're not invested enough, you only go to games if the team is winning and/or enjoyable to watch. That increases the likelihood of the team leaving. If you're too invested, if something happens and the team leaves, you're heartbroken, but it also increases the likelihood of voters voting for arena upgrades or new arenas and the fans going to games even when the team is not doing well or playing well. I'm planning on getting emotionally invested, because it makes it more fun to go to games, and I'll take the chance on getting my heart broken. In the long run, if enough people feel the way I do, that increases our chances of a team doing well here. I see it as a risk worth taking.

[HOT ROD]

Having a team in Oklahoma City named "Oklahoma City" would still encourage viewership in markets such as Lawton, Tulsa, and Ada.

What else do they have in those markets that could compete against anything in OKC?

Plus, having an Oklahoma City named team would not confuse non-Oklahomans with the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys.

[Cid]

Plus, having an Oklahoma City named team would not confuse non-Oklahomans with the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Realistically, I think this is the best argument I've heard for using 'Oklahoma City' instead of 'Oklahoma'.

[mmonroe]

I agree.

[PapaJack]

I think you're getting emotionally invested in a decision over which you have no control, which may be setting yourself up for disappointment.

This statement describes about 99 & 44/100th of the topics and posts on this blog. Yet I still keep reading and posting.

On topic, I think "OKC" has a great ring to it, much like "NYC". Sports casters love acronyms they can emit with reckless abandon. Besides, OKC voted the jack to pay for improvements to the Ford Center, so at least OKC can get credit every time PTI mentions OUR team.

[FritterGirl]

Hmmmm.... this is an interesting headline: NBA Officials Confident STATE will support team.

Makes you wonder if given the fact that two of our major potential sports sponsors (Chesapeake & MidFirst) are already part owners in the team, part of the rationale for naming the team the Oklahoma _______ is that there are broader sponsorship opportunities outside of the OKC Metro.

[Kerry]

I don't think the owners are wanting to market their business outside OKC via the NBA. I think they have 2 financial motivations for bringing the NBA to OKC. First, they want to have an incentive to bring larger employers to OKC that will be customers of their businesses, and second, they want to be able to use the team as a recruting tool to attract employees. This is why I believe the name will be OKC.

[solitude]

Things are looking worse for an OKC branded team. Trust me on this. Mick Cornett says he is committed to the "Oklahoma City" branded team, but Mick also wants to be the next United States Senator from Oklahoma (when Inhofe retires), he ain't bucking anybody. It's all about the bucks. The continued emphasis on the state (I'm sick of hearing about it) has completely overtaken our votes for a "Big League City."

And yes, it matters. A lot.

[sgt. pepper]

imagine, am ex OKC mayor possibly replacing an ex Tulsa mayor.

[okclee]

This morning on KREF sports radio, Toby Rowland said he has an excellent source that confirmed the team name will be Oklahoma City and not Oklahoma. He guranteed it 100%, and said it came from an individual that is with the ownership group.

[jbrown84]

I know there has been a lot of emphasis on the entire state supporting this team, but I still don't think that is necessarily an indication that the team will be the Oklahoma ____.

[Kerry]

I never understood the correlation arguement between fan support and team name. That is like saying only people in Miami will support the Miami Hurricane or UCLA will only be supported by people in LA. It just doesn't work that way.

[decepticobra]

The press conference made it clear to me that this NBA team will be called the Oklahoma Whatever. While the presser is still going on, I am guessing the question won't be asked and wouldn't be answered if it was. I am excited about the NBA, I voted YES on March 14th (with reservations), but the unbelievable application for Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program money makes it a clear (to me anyway) that this team will be the OKLAHOMA ______ and not the Oklahoma City ________ ala Salt Lake City/Utah.

The emphasis on the STATE economy and the STATE population and STATE companies and STATE money was another indication of what's to come name-wise. So ------- brace yourselves. I am guessing that's not going to go over real well here.

The application to seek OQJP money is shocking. That program was set-up to bring in jobs, and pay directly to companies, that bring good jobs to Oklahoma. There will be new jobs created, but the vast majority will be third-party jobs that have nothing to do with the actual Professional Basketball Club, LLC. Another giveway.

And again, I think the message today was clear --- it will not be the Oklahoma City anything. Take that to the bank.

looks like you were wrong. btw, if a nba team is called by its state or city name it doesnt play into that much of a difference to local and/or regional economies because fans of any nba team can pretty much reside anywhere, even those fans spread across the globe, military especially. the sale of team merchandise and paraphenelia plays a huge part in a teams revenue as well.

[decepticobra]

I never understood the correlation arguement between fan support and team name. That is like saying only people in Miami will support the Miami Hurricane or UCLA will only be supported by people in LA. It just doesn't work that way.

id like to quote the late ed mcmahon "You are correct, sir!"

[EBAH]

Wow.......old thread!

[SkyWestOKC]

Why'd this get bumped?