# Why are some pro teams named after a state instead of a city? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 9, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433 "2011-11-09T21:57:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/41 "2011-11-10T21:49:20Z")
Agreed, but it seemed to me that in this discussion of state- and regional- named teams, the question was about area. The strangest named team in existing Americal major league sports is, I think, the Golden State Warriors. Why wouldn’t they have just called themselves the California Warriors? ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/42 "2011-11-10T21:55:55Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > In area, maybe- but as noted earlier, even if Brooklyn seceded from New York City, it would NOT be a “small market.” It would have far more people than many cities with major league teams. And Brooklyn covers more area than Boston, Miami, and San Francisco. Green Bay itself is not really all that small in square miles. The only US team I can think of named for something smaller than a city is the Harlem Globetrotters. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/43 "2011-11-10T22:08:39Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Since ~1970, naming for a state instead of the city has been the norm. The only time it _hasn’t_ been a state is when > > 1. There’s another team already in the state > 2. They’re in Canada > 3. They’re in Washington State, which can be mixed up with Washington D.C. > 4. It’s a city that has no other pro sports team named for it. > > Looking at the NFL, NBA, MLB, the only exception to that rule has been the New Orleans Hornets. What do you mean by 1) - is it “another team \*in that sport \*in the state” or juts “another _Big Four_ team in that state”? If it’s the former, then we’ve got: Baltimore Ravens Milwaukee Brewers Kansas City (and later Sacramento) Kings San Diego (and later Los Angeles) Clippers Cleveland Barons Dallas Stars Phoenix Coyotes ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/44 "2011-11-10T22:21:04Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Let’s not forget the New England Patriots, who represent 6 states. This was negotiated after their original proposal, the South Of Canada Patriots, was rejected.😃 The Sullivan family is said to have changed the Boston Patriots’ name, when they moved to a cheaply and quickly built high-school-type stadium next to the Foxboro Raceway, out of spite. Team owner Billy Sullivan had wanted to build their own facility in the city of Boston, after bouncing around the BU, BC, and Harvard stadiums and Fenway Park, but the local pols were so insistent on palm-greasing and kowtowing that Billy had had enough. The team was briefly the “Bay State Patriots” upon the Foxboro move before making the marketing decision to more directly appeal to the entire region. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/45 "2011-11-10T22:21:47Z")
> [@furt](#): > > 1. It’s a city that has no other pro sports team named for it. On that list was the Baltimore Ravens so you’re wrong because there were already the Baltimore Orioles. However, they’re probably a special case because they were landing right in the middle of 3 well established markets with rabid fanbases (Washington, Philiadelphia, and Pittsburgh) and so they probably needed the specificity to try to establish the market. And of course, let’s not forget about the Baltimore Colts and that they were sort of a replacement for them for the embittered fans they left behinds, so having Baltimore in the name would make sense to try to get those fans interested and leave whatever team they switched to. I’m unsure about the legal status related to when they chose the name, but certainly when they were toying with the idea, before they were forced to change it, Baltimore Browns sounds a lot better than Maryland Browns. So, it may not fit your set of rules, but I think it was a conscious decision to be very specific rather than trying to be more inclusive. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/46 "2011-11-10T22:25:47Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Agreed, but it seemed to me that in this discussion of state- and regional- named teams, the question was about area. > > The strangest named team in existing Americal major league sports is, I think, the Golden State Warriors. Why wouldn’t they have just called themselves the California Warriors? I think it’s because at the time the only other pro team named after the state of California was the California Angels who played in Orange County. Being a Northern California/Bay Area team, they didn’t want people to think the Warriors were another Southern California/LA-area team. Northern Californians and Southern Californians can very territorial. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/47 "2011-11-10T23:02:44Z")
Back in the 1990s in Formula, the Luxembourg Grand Prix was run in Germany and the San Marino was held in Italy. Spain had two races and the one at Jerez was known as the European Grand Prix. You had regulations saying that a country with two could only have one named after the host country. > **[Luxembourg Grand Prix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg_Grand_Prix)** > > The Luxembourg Grand Prix (German: Großer Preis von Luxemburg) was the name given to two races of the FIA Formula One World Championship, held in 1997 and 1998. Both races were held in Germany at the Nürburgring\[a\], which is located some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Germany–Luxembourg border. > The Luxembourg title was chosen in 1997 as the Hockenheimring was already contracted to host the German Grand Prix. The Nürburgring had previously hosted the European Grand Prix in 1995 and 1996, but i... Of course the NFL Giants and Jets call themselves “New York” but have spent the last few decades playing in the swamp lands of New Jersey where Jimmy Hoffa allegedly ended up. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/48 "2011-11-10T23:26:34Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I think it’s because at the time the only other pro team named after the state of California was the California Angels who played in Orange County. Being a Northern California/Bay Area team, they didn’t want people to think the Warriors were another Southern California/LA-area team. Northern Californians and Southern Californians can very territorial. Northern Californians can very territorial. Southern Californians don’t care. I think they went with Golden State to avoid confusion with nearby UC Berkeley, generally called California or Cal when it comes to sports. ---
**Author:** ![President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_Johnny_Gentle)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/49 "2011-11-11T15:18:54Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > The strangest named team in existing Americal major league sports is, I think, the Golden State Warriors. Big 4, I’ll agree, although I still think the earlier mentioned “Kansas City-Omaha Kings”, together with the “New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets” would both give it a run for the money in the NBA. (I’m willing to give the latter case far more leeway than the earlier due to the circumstances.) If we count MLS as a major league, then Chivas USA has to enter any such conversation. At least with the Warriors, a little geographic knowledge helps to narrow down to the state in which they’re located. The best that you can do with such knowledge and Chivas USA is determine that they’re probably in the southwestern US. (The LA area, for those who aren’t aware.) ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/50 "2011-11-11T17:22:21Z")
NDP: > [@](#): > > I think it’s because at the time the only other pro team named after the state of California was the California Angels who played in Orange County. Being a Northern California/Bay Area team, they didn’t want people to think the Warriors were another Southern California/LA-area team. Maybe that’s why the California Golden Seals eventually had to fold, people couldn’t find the arena because they were looking for it 700 miles from its actual location. (BTW, they were so named at the same time that the Warriors decided to change to “Golden State”). ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/51 "2011-11-11T18:05:28Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > NDP: > > Maybe that’s why the California Golden Seals eventually had to fold, people couldn’t find the arena because they were looking for it 700 miles from its actual location. (BTW, they were so named at the same time that the Warriors decided to change to “Golden State”). I forgot about the NHL’s California Golden Seals (as, apparently, many did even during the time of their short existence). In fact, for years after their demise, I mistakenly thought they were called the \*San Francisco \*Golden Seals (confusing them with the old PCL baseball team). FTR, the California Golden Seals didn’t fold until after they moved to Cleveland and changed their name to the Barons. ---
**Author:** ![President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_Johnny_Gentle)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/52 "2011-11-11T18:15:04Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > FTR, the California Golden Seals didn’t fold until after they moved to Cleveland and changed their name to the Barons. Nitpick, they never folded. Rather, they merged with the North Stars, and helped provide the nucleus of the good North Star teams of the early 1980s. As an aside, the Barons’ owners became the North Star owners through the 80s. At the end of the 1980s, they were granted an expansion franchise which was instituted by splitting the North Star roster in two. This was the San Jose Sharks, which can therefore be considered as the unofficial return of the Seals to the Bay Area. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/53 "2011-11-11T18:36:00Z")
> [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](#): > > If we count MLS as a major league, then Chivas USA has to enter any such conversation. At least with the Warriors, a little geographic knowledge helps to narrow down to the state in which they’re located. The best that you can do with such knowledge and Chivas USA is determine that they’re probably in the southwestern US. (The LA area, for those who aren’t aware.) I wonder if Chivas USA is the most vaguely (in a geographical sense) named team in the U.S. However, the most moronically named team in American sports is Real Salt Lake. I don’t recall the King of Salt Lake giving them his royal charter. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/54 "2011-11-11T18:38:36Z")
NDP: > [@](#): > > FTR, the California Golden Seals didn’t fold until after they moved to Cleveland and changed their name to the Barons. Yes, I knew that, I meant “folded” in the sense of “could not maintain their existence in that form”, not in the technical sense of “complete cessation of operations of the overall franchise.” They couldn’t make a success of operating an NHL team in the SF Bay Area. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/55 "2011-11-11T20:33:17Z")
Another head-scratcher of a name: the Arizona Cardinals. They existed as the Phoenix Cardinals for the first few years after the move from St. Louis. Anyone from Tucson or Flagstaff that might not have been attracted to the team they previously rejected alliegance to because they were named for Phoenix wasn’t suddenly going to decide, “Hey, now they’re our team too!” The Phoenix metro area contains a whopping two-thirds of the state’s population, so it’s not like there was a major segment out there to appeal to that wasn’t already into their games. And it’s not like they had been playing in Phoenix proper and then changed because they moved out of the city proper (as with the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Patriots or San Francisco Warriors). They were always in a suburb of Phoenix, first in Tempe, and now in Glendale. And the name change didn’t accompany the move anyway, they played under both names in Tempe. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/56 "2011-11-13T04:08:04Z")
The Carolina Hurricanes started out playing 2 years in Greensboro because their arena in Raleigh was not built, that was a good reason for using a state based name. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/57 "2011-11-14T18:19:45Z")
> [@furt](#): > > 1. They’re in Washington State, which can be mixed up with Washington D.C. I’ll add that most people outside of the state (and many _within_ it) think Seattle _is_ Washington… > [@NDP](#): > > I think it’s because at the time the only other pro team named after the state of California was the California Angels who played in Orange County. Being a Northern California/Bay Area team, they didn’t want people to think the Warriors were another Southern California/LA-area team. Northern Californians and Southern Californians can very territorial. Off-topic, I know, but this is why my homeland, the Republic of Cascadia, desires to [liberate and annex Northern California](http://zapatopi.net/cascadia/norcal.html): “But it isn’t merely geography that unites us. The peoples of Northern California share a common culture with other Cascadians and find themselves oppressed by the occupational SoCalist government which wants nothing more than to replace redwoods with hollywoods. There can be no freedom for our brothers and sisters in Northern California as long as their land is occupied by the forces of tinseled tormentors.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/58 "2011-11-14T18:51:38Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > The Carolina Hurricanes started out playing 2 years in Greensboro because their arena in Raleigh was not built, that was a good reason for using a state based name. The Carolina moniker was mostly due to them wanting to tap both the North Carolina and South Carolina markets. They mostly succeeded in capturing the NC market (outside of ACC Basketball season.) That was the same reason the Panthers are the Carolina Panthers, rather than the Charlotte Panthers. Though, I imagine I’m not the only person in this state who refuses to cheer for any team that calls itself “Carolina.” ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/59 "2011-11-14T18:54:31Z")
Maus Magill: > [@](#): > > That was the same reason the Panthers are the Carolina Panthers, rather than the Charlotte Panthers. Though, I imagine I’m not the only person in this state who refuses to cheer for any team that calls itself “Carolina.” Didn’t the Panthers actually play a few seasons in South Carolina before settling into a permanent home in Charlotte? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433/60 "2011-11-14T19:29:28Z")
They were playing at Death Valley (Clemson’s stadium) while BoA Stadium was being built. From a marketing perspective, it make perfect sense for a Charlotte team to call itself the Carolina (whatevers), Charlotte is literally on the state line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-pro-teams-named-after-a-state-instead-of-a-city/602433.md?page=4)