NBA team name

[mranderson]

If the Hornets move to Oklahoma City is permanant, would you want a new name? If so, what would you call it?

[jbrown84]

Keep the name.

Oklahoma City Hornets.

Although I think an intresting discussion would be whether we should just call them the Oklahoma Hornets. For example, would Tulsans be more likely to support the team if it were Oklahoma's rather than OKC's? This was done of course with the Oklahoma Redhawks, since they are the only AAA team in OK. What does everyone think about that?

[Doug Loudenback]

If, in fact, unless the New Oreans team should stay in Okc permanently, so to speak, which I doubt will occur, as opposed to a temporary time in which I hope Okc will be good samaritan hosts, the name should remain "New Orleans Hornets", since that's who they are.

Should that change and the team decide it would like to stay here "permanently" (as if there was such a thing as "permanent" in this context), I think that it would be good to let the team chose its own descriptive name.

But, again, this is not a good time for New Orleans, and, indirectly, for the good will and wishes of Oklahoma City, Mr. Anderson, for you to even post such a query. It's far too presumptious, and I guess you've not apprecitated or been oblivious to the other posts in OkcTalk in this regard, i.e., you don't care about what any other the rest of us might think and you'll just go on busting balls or whatever you want to do. That's rude, and so is this poll that you posted. But, it's your right. But, personally, I trash you for doing so and if you are serious in about wanting to be a city council person as you regularly advertise in your message name, well ... as for me, not. I'll still fight for you outstide the bar in the street for your right to speak and act, if you will do the same for me, but, aside from that, this is a horribly rude and presumptious poll for you to post, in my opinion.

Is it not possible for you just to be a good neighbor ... how about refocusing your efforts for awhile on your employer's fine new facilities in Okc or in something else in Okc ... and quit your drivenness to get an NBA team at any cost of principle? Please, think about what you are doing, not only to your personal reputation and how other perceive you, but also to the rest of OkcTalk by association with your poll, and other posts in OkcTalk.

IMO, you have gone beyond the threshhold as to what is decent in a polite society. But, that said, I'll still step out to the street and defend your right to be rude, crude, and socially unacceptable, if that is what you are determined to be, if you will do the same for me, vis a vis other theads at OkcTalk. I won't like it, but I'll do it. If I'm not willing to protect your right to be a jerk, who will protect mine?

[ColumbiaCowboy]

IF the Hornets don't intend to return to NO, or IF NO doesn't provide adequate facilities for the team, there is nothing whatsoever "unprincipaled" in providing a home for the Hornets. It's probably premature to be talking about that now, I agree. I think this all needs to be done with the assumption that they'll return.

ON THE OTHER HAND, given the massive devistation in Louisiana, it's a reasonable possibility that an NBA-ready arena may not be the first priority. If they say "well, come back but you have to play at this high school or in Baton Rouge for three or four years" the Hornets will certainly say, gee, no thanks, at which point the team stays here and becomes, one hopes, the Oklahoma City Hornets.

All that aside, of the team names...can't do Cowboys or Sooners for obvious reasons of copyrights AND turning off half the fans in the state. "Centenial" doesn't sound at all like a team name, and makes no sense at all after '07. "Landrun"? "I'm a landrun!"? "Here comes the Landrun!"? I don't think so!

Surely we're not so frightfully stupid as to make the horrible move of naming the team "The Indians." We ought to be better than that in this day and age, especially in Oklahoma. Aviators and Tornados are far better, and I really like the notion of focusing on our aviation past...the only problem? It's the one city with two airports, both named for men killed in plane crashes, and that'll be highlighted all the more with "Aviators."

Something simple, that is relevant to Oklahoma but not so sappy and chamber of commerce that it has no credibility or toughness. PLEASE, something plural...the fad of singular names (The Jazz, the Heat) is fading, with good reason.

[scotplum]

While it's pointless to speculate about which team could possibly wind up in OKC, it's still fun to play this game. Here's some names (terrible I'm sure) that I thought up. Feel free to change Oklahoma City to Oklahoma if you'd like:


Oklahoma City Roadrunners
Oklahoma City Pioneers
Oklahoma City Rattlers
Oklahoma City Red Dogs (lol, just kidding)
Oklahoma City Mountain Lions
Oklahoma City Porcupine
Oklahoma City Osprey


Hmmm....I'll think on it some more.

[bdl1411]

Oklahoma City Cows ...to reflect our agricultural background...I don't think enough teams are named after this livestock...or any...

Oklahoma City Mistletoe ....our state fungus?

Oklahoma City Outlaws ...I actually kind of like that one...

hmm...content with my accidental semi-good name....I'm done.

[scotplum]

Wasn't the Oklahoma Outlaws a USFL team or something? It sounds awefully familiar to me.

[bdl1411]

I don't know...I thought I just made it up...I was just trying to think of things I associate with Oklahoma.....

[bdl1411]

After littlle research...yep, I was just being born and 1 during the time of their existence, so tragically, I did not realize I was ripping off of a name that already was.... but from 1984-1985 the Oklahoma Outlaws were here.

It won't let me post the link because of my post count but if you want the link just tell me.

[mranderson]

Wasn't the Oklahoma Outlaws a USFL team or something? It sounds awefully familiar to me.

Yes. The Outlaws were originally in Oklahoma City, then moved to Tulsa because OU would not release the stadium to them. Tulsa choked, so the team moved to Phoenix.

The name Outlaws would be bad because it is too cowboy sounding, and we need to get rid of that image.

[scotplum]

After littlle research...yep, I was just being born and 1 during the time of their existence, so tragically, I did not realize I was ripping off of a name that already was.... but from 1984-1985 the Oklahoma Outlaws were here.

It won't let me post the link because of my post count but if you want the link just tell me.

LOL, no worries. I'll take you and mr. anderson at your word.

[swake]

Yes. The Outlaws were originally in Oklahoma City, then moved to Tulsa because OU would not release the stadium to them. Tulsa choked, so the team moved to Phoenix.

The name Outlaws would be bad because it is too cowboy sounding, and we need to get rid of that image.

Tulsa didn’t “choke”

The USFL was a spring football league and it rains in Oklahoma in the spring, a lot. So there was rain for nearly every home game. Attendance was good for the USFL but not by NFL standards, it might have been good for NFL standards if not for all the rain. So the owner thus demanded that the city build him a 70,000 seat dome stadium, the city correctly declined to sink that much money on a struggling upstart league. He moved the team, the USFL died. End of story. He was right to want the stadium, the city was right to decline.

That was not this city only run in the “majors”. Tulsa did very well with NASL soccer, the Roughnecks lasted even a couple of years after the league itself died playing international teams and such. Tulsa’s Ice Oilers were in the AHA, a competing league to the NHL in the 20s, 30s and into the 40s.

[BDP]

So there was rain for nearly every home game.

Yeah, because no one goes to football games in bad weather.

I think what that came down to was just the USFL being an inferior product. It would be funny to think of Tulsa today with a 70k seat dome with nothing in it.

[ColumbiaCowboy]

Couldn't disagree MORE with the "we gotta get rid of that image" thing. What's wrong with our state's history? We're a cowboy state, cattle and cowboys and pioneer spirit is what we're all about.
I remember distinctly the Outlaws, with Woody Widenhofer coaching, legend Mel Gray at wideout, and a young QB few knew named Doug Williams, who would go on to become the first black QB to win a Super Bowl. The first exhibition game was in Stillwater, and after the Outlaws scored no one knew quite what to do, so most of us started waving, like after an OSU score, funny stuff. I think it was Houston and Steve Young we played, one of the top 10 QBs of all-time.

[JOHNINSOKC]

Oklahoma City Aviators

[okcpulse]

Oklahoma City Cavalry. I know, I know, it was the name of our old CBA team of the early 1990's, but hey, it's a part of our history.

If not, my second choice was the Oklahoma City Hornets.

[ibda12u]

Did someone already say Oklahoma City Bandits?

[mranderson]

I chose Oklahoma Centennial because it will celebrate the centennial of our state, and it is a very high probability that the state's first bonefide major league sports franchise will occur in 2007.

I do not like plural team names because singular is different. Oklahoma Centennials just does not work.

On the other hand. I am slowly getting use to Oklahoma City Hornets

[mranderson]

I have read some articles on Hornets.com, and in many of them, they refer to the name of the team as follows: New Orleans Hornets/Oklahoma City Hornets... Humm. More evidence in favor of the team being permanantly moved to Oklahoma City.

[John]

I have read some articles on Hornets.com, and in many of them, they refer to the name of the team as follows: New Orleans Hornets/Oklahoma City Hornets... Humm. More evidence in favor of the team being permanantly moved to Oklahoma City.

That is the official team name this season, and will be referred to as such on TV and in the NBA stat book.

[mranderson]

That is the official team name this season, and will be referred to as such on TV and in the NBA stat book.

Not as I wrote it. The official name is New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. Not New Orleans Hornets/Oklahoma City Hornets.

[Mark_O]

Hello,

How about the Oklahoma City Lasers.

[SCHOONER]

Oklahoma City Roughnecks /black And Gold/ Mascot Oil Derrick Gushing Oil

[dai]

OKC Thunderbirds
OKC Redlanders
OKC Rush
OKC Roserocks
OKC Thunder