# Best and worst sports team names based on their location **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 23, 2019, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383 "2019-05-23T01:01:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/21 "2019-05-23T14:25:00Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It’s kind of like the Pittsburgh Pirates; obviously there isn’t a lot of history of piracy in western Pennsylvania, but names like “Pirates,” “Buccaneers” or “Corsairs” are just cool sounding anywhere. Actually, the Pittsburgh Alleghenys were accused of being pirates (circa 1870) after signing players from other teams. The league found them innocent. The team decided to go with it and changed their name. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/22 "2019-05-23T14:34:45Z")
Portland Trailblazers works well, as it’s a reference to the Oregon Trail. So does the Portland Thorns and Portland Timbers as the two MLS teams (Portland variously being referred to as ‘Rose City’ and ‘Stumptown’). One that seems to be selected for no good reason is the Portland Pickles wood bat baseball team. Worst for me is Utah Jazz, which seems like an oxymoron. I guess changing it to the Utah Religious Nuts was right out. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/23 "2019-05-23T14:43:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > One that seems to be selected for no good reason is the Portland Pickles wood bat baseball team. But the Hillsboro\* Hops minor league baseball team is a perfect name for a beer-drinking city at the edge of a hops-growing valley. \*suburb of Portland ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/24 "2019-05-23T15:26:15Z")
Another questionable one is the Carolina Panthers. Are there any large wildcats in that area? But, a fair number of team names are a good representation of the locality: The Baltimore Ravens name is a reference to Edgar Allen Poe, who lived (and died) in Baltimore. The SF 49er’s are a nod to the gold prospectors who came to California starting in 1849. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/25 "2019-05-23T15:36:15Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Minor League Baseball has many teams, most with names associated with the region. My personal favorite is the Albuquerque Isotopes, in honor of Scandia Labs, Los Alamos, etc. (actually, it came from a _Simpsons_ episode, but the New Mexico history is there to support it). > > Worst may be the new Huntsville (AL) AA-team, which by a vote of the fans, was named the “Trash Pandas”. And no, I am not making this up. The Nevada teams are well named too - the Reno Aces and the Las Vegas 51s. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/26 "2019-05-23T15:50:55Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > The Cincinnati Reds were originally the Red Stockings. Sounds like they went from being cross-dressers to being Communists. They were called the Redlegs during the 50s, so as to distance themselves from the associations with Communism. The Arizona Diamondbacks have a doubly appropriate nickname, as the diamondback rattler is abundant in Arizona, and baseball is played on a diamond. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/27 "2019-05-23T15:53:49Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > The New England (née Boston) Patriots are a good example of a team name that nicely represents their area’s history and culture. A good choice for the birthplace of Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, and Samuel Adams. Along those lines, the New England Revolution soccer team, which has the same owner as the Pats and play in the same stadium. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/28 "2019-05-23T15:56:17Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > \*\*Another questionable one is the Carolina Panthers. Are there any large wildcats in that area? > \*\* > But, a fair number of team names are a good representation of the locality: > > The Baltimore Ravens name is a reference to Edgar Allen Poe, who lived (and died) in Baltimore. > > The SF 49er’s are a nod to the gold prospectors who came to California starting in 1849. Ditto on the Memphis Grizzlies. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/29 "2019-05-23T15:58:30Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Best: The St, Louis Blues, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, and Buffalo Bills, all of which form familiar phrases that would make little or no sense anywhere else. I might add the Detroit Pistons to that list. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/30 "2019-05-23T16:03:30Z")
Another one with connections to local industry is Hartford Whalers. Boston Celtics is a nice nod to the city’s large Irish population. New York Giants and Jets are names that, like a lot of teams, suggest power. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/31 "2019-05-23T16:14:43Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Another questionable one is the Carolina Panthers. Are there any large wildcats in that area? Not anymore. > **[The Carolina Panther Has Officially Been Declared Extinct](https://www.charlottestories.com/carolina-panther-now-officially-declared-extinct/)** > > Carolina Panthers (Felis concolor couguar), also known as Catamounts, Pumas, Painters, and Eastern Cougars, have been declared extinct by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. According to their official press release, “no states or... ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/32 "2019-05-23T16:21:59Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I might add the Detroit Pistons to that list. You mean the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons? > **[Detroit Pistons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Pistons#1941%E2%80%931957:_Fort_Wayne_(Zollner)_Pistons)** > > The Detroit Pistons are an American basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Little Caesars Arena, located in Midtown Detroit. The team was founded as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, a semi-professional company basketball team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1937. The club would turn professional in 1941 as a member of the National Basketbal... ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/33 "2019-05-23T16:22:45Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Minor League Baseball has many teams, most with names associated with the region. My personal favorite is the Albuquerque Isotopes, in honor of Scandia Labs, Los Alamos, etc. (actually, it came from a _Simpsons_ episode, but the New Mexico history is there to support it). I like the Joliet Slammers, playing near the famous Joliet Prison. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/34 "2019-05-23T16:23:58Z")
I would so love a team that played there to pick the name “Joliet Blues.” ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/35 "2019-05-23T16:37:09Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > The Nevada teams are well named too - the Reno Aces and the Las Vegas 51s. The 51s are now the Las Vegas Aviators from Howard Hughes who was a well known aviator before he lost all his marbles. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/36 "2019-05-23T16:46:51Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The Packers were [named](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers#Nickname) after a meat packing company. Of course, but Green Bay was never famous as a meat packing town as was Chicago (“hog butcher to the world”). Meat packing was to Chicago as brewing was to Milwaukee, grain milling to Minneapolis, autos to Detroit, et cetera. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/37 "2019-05-23T16:50:10Z")
I’m the first to mention The Minnesota Twins? After their twin cities? ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/38 "2019-05-23T16:51:24Z")
The Los Angeles Angels was very appropriate at the time of the team’s founding, given that “Angeles” is Spanish for angels. Not quite as relevant after they moved to Orange County to become the California/Anaheim Angels. Don’t get me started on that Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim nonsense. USC Trojans naming themselves after a condom company is appropriate considering they’re a bunch of dicks. Why, yes, I did graduate from UCLA. Why do you ask? UC Santa Cruz being the Banana Slugs is all kinds of awesome. And those things are all over the local redwood forests. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/39 "2019-05-23T16:54:53Z")
God, how did I forget the Grizzlies? There are no grizzly bears in Tennessee, or anywhere east of the Mississippi, unless they’re in a zoo. Pittsburgh Penguins is an odd one too but it’s a reference to ice, not Pittsburgh. There are no jaguars in Florida. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383/40 "2019-05-23T17:05:27Z")
Maybe they should pronounce it Jag-u-ars. I bet there is some of those in Floridas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-team-names-based-on-their-location/834383.md?page=3)