The Creation of a Team Name or Mascot When Geographics, Psychographics, And Business Collide

Geographic Associations  Some team names are directly associated with a long standing feature of the area.  This is a very common way to connect with local fans.

Geographic Examples  Miami Heat  Indianapolis Pacers  Chicago Bulls  Seattle SuperSonics  Denver Nuggets  Philadelphia 76ers  San Antonio Spurs  Detroit Pistons  Minnesota Twins  New England Patriots  Miami Dolphins  Pittsburgh Steelers  Green Bay Packers  San Francisco 49ers  Dallas Cowboys  Colorado Rockies  Houston Rockets & Astros

Geographical Anomalies  Many times a team’s name can be linked to the area it came from  However, sometimes the name seems to imply a different location altogether

Indianapolis Colts  Question: I know car racing is big in Indianapolis, but is horse racing big too?  Answer: No, but it was big in Baltimore around the time the Colts came into existence.

Los Angeles Lakers  Question: You would be hard pressed to find a lake within 50 miles of Staple Center, so why are they the Lakers?  Answer: They used to be the Minneapolis Lakers. Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes.

Utah Jazz  Question: What do Jazz and Utah have in common?  Answer: Nothing, they used to be the New Orleans Jazz. Now New Orleans has the Hornets, which aren’t actually indigenous to the region. Hornets are much more prevalent in Charlotte, which is where the team was initially formed.

Memphis Grizzlies  Question: Are there a lot of Grizzlies in Memphis?  Answer: Not nearly as many as near Vancouver, which is where the team once played.

New York and San Francisco Giants  Question: Why do two teams share a name, but not a city?  Answer: They used to. They both used to be from New York.

St. Louis and Arizona Cardinals  Question: Is this the same as the Giants?  Answer: Yes, the Cardinal football team used to be located in St. Louis. Now the Rams are there, although they came via Los Angeles and Cleveland.

Psychographic Explanations  Sometimes a mascot is picked to elicit a particular emotion or reaction from fans  A mascot can also be used to tie into popular culture

Names Associated With Battle  Historical or mythical links lead to mascots like the Titans, the Giants, the Trojans, the Warriors, the Buccaneers, the Pirates, the Vikings, the Cavaliers, the Kings, the Mavericks, and the Yankees.  This can also relate to Native American tribes which were associated as savage, such as the Indians, the Braves, the Chiefs, and the Redskins.

Names Associated With Wild Animals  Many high schools, colleges, and professional teams have dangerous wild animals as mascots, such as the Wolverines, the Badgers, the Bears, the Tigers, the Lions, the Ravens, the Eagles, the Jaguars, and, of course, the Gators.  Then, there are schools like the Omaha Benson Bunnies…see the difference.

Toronto Raptors  Question: Are there a lot of dinosaur bones found around Toronto?  Answer: Yes, but the name owes a lot more to the movie Jurassic Park, which created public awareness of Raptors as ferocious dinosaurs just prior to the creation of the team.

Buffalo Bills  Question: Are there a lot of ducks in Buffalo?  Answer: Despite having Bills and Wings in Buffalo, the Buffalo Bills are named after a figure in popular culture, Buffalo Bill Cody, not a bird of any kind.

Orlando Magic  Question: Is Orlando the home of David Copperfield?  Answer: Actually, it is home of Disney World, otherwise known as the Magic Kingdom. This is partially geographics also.

Now it’s your turn  Yesterday you chose a destination for your sports franchise. Today you will choose a team name / mascot.  Brainstorm 5-10 ideas of possible mascots. Share them with neighbors to gauge opinions. Pick your favorite.  Create a logo for your franchise.