This thread just might be nominated for the “Fighting Ignorance” award of 2010.
And then of course there’s the New York Red Bulls. This was, perhaps, inevitable, but I hope it doesn’t catch on like stadium-naming rights.
I call them Real Salt Lake with the English pronunciation just to make fun of them. Although that may only be the second dumbest name in Utah since they have the Utah Jazz as well.
Pretty impressive on the stupidity scale considering there are no other major league teams in Utah.
You know the Jazz are originally from New Orleans, right? I mean, it makes as much sense as the LA Lakers and briefly-named Tennessee Oilers.
Why they didn’t change the team name from the Jazz when they relocated is a great mystery. The New Orleans Jazz were only around for 5 forgettable seasons (other than having Pete Maravich). The Minneapolis Lakers, OTOH, had over a decade in Minnesota, and won 5 NBA championships, so at least there was some heritage to keep with the name.
We in Wisconni prefer to think of the Minnesota Vikings namesake origin as a hoax.
The best team name ever is the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. No they’re not defending Japan from the ham invasion. They are from Hokkaido, owned by a company called “Nippon Ham” and they’re “the Fighters.” Japan has corporate sponsorship, this creates other teams like the Yakult Swallows, the Lotte Marines, and the SoftBank Hawks.
In the movie BASEketball, they decry that the Lakers move to LA, where there are no lakes, and the Jazz move to Utah, where they don’t have music.
Huh???
I never in my life heard Juventus referred to as “Juventus Turin”, or Feyenoord as “Feyenoord Rotterdam”. Where on earth would you have heard this?
Hertha Berlin will of course be referred to as Hertha Berlin, as thats what its called, “Hertha Berliner Sport-Club”.
Honestly, is it any worse than the [del]Disneyland[/del]Anaheim Mighty Ducks?
It means what it says on the tinthough - it started out as a sporting club that played on the local working men’s half-day off in midweek. (Cricket originally, football as a keep-fit exercise in the winter.)
Well, in a roundabout way, but there’s a bit of history involved…
I’m pretty sure he’s referring to the San Antonio Spurs, not Tottenham.
I am rather fond of the All Blacks, but then again I like their habit of Haka =)
Do it yourself haka =)
… from the country that also has the All Whites and the Tall Blacks
I know, I just like the name and wanted to play.
You often (always?) see this when the draws for the European competitions (Eoroleague and Championsleague) are made. The names on the pieces of paper that are drawn state the city names. I know they do this for clubs like Feyenoord (Rotterdam) and PSV (Eindhoven), but if I remember correctly they don’t do it in the case of AFC Ajax, since the A in AFC stands for Amsterdam already.
These are just the dytch teams I am sure of, but I think they do it for other teams as well.
Sure there are. Stop by and visit some time.
Only if you can guarantee the last set of buccaneers will be there. :eek: 
There aren’t many grizzlies in Memphis, either. Or redskins in Washington, for that matter.
Madrid fans never call our team “Real” – it’s “Madrid” or at worst “El Madriz.”
The chant you’ll always hear at the Bernabeu is “Hala Madrid!”…which can be rather intimidating when yelled by 80,000 +
Our nick is “Los Merengues” due to the color of our uni and a popular egg-white and sugar treat.
More on the evolution of the crest and uni here: Crest and colours
PS-In point of fact our official hymn does not refer to the club as “Real” once:
Homework: learn by heart! 