The Game of the Name

Around the late 1980s you’d often hear this question asked at pub quizzes: name the five American professional sports teams which don’t end in S? Then the answer was the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. Then the Tampa Bay Lightning came onto the scene followed by the Colorado Avalanche. And it’s been all downhill ever since.

Predictably Australia has followed suit, which is how we’ve ended up with the likes of the Melbourne Storm, Port Power, Sydney Spirit, Melbourne Victory, Gold Coast Blaze, Perth Glory and the North Queensland Fury, which was announced last week as the name of the new Townsville-based team that will join the A-League next year along with a yet to be named Gold Coast side.

Yes, all the good classic names, such as Cats and Dogs, Lions, Tigers and Bears, have been taken. But that doesn’t mean you should do something esoteric for the sake of being unique and original.

Pick a tangible animal or thing which will make both yours, and more importantly, your fans, lives’ easier. All of the names which don’t end in S give themselves a headache in trying to ascertain what their logo/mascot should be.

Teams whose moniker is a colour, such as the Blues or Reds, don’t have it any easier because of the abstract nature of it.

In the Super 14, the logo of the Blues is their name, while the logo of the Reds is a koala!

In the A-League, Adelaide United have a shield, which features numerous colours, some of which aren’t red, the Cincinnati Reds feature a big C, the NSW cricket side also just have their name, while in the AFL, Carlton uses the interlocking CFC letters.

It’s hard enough when you have a name such as the 36ers, which has historical meaning but makes it impossible to come up with a mascot that makes any sense, so why would you go out of your way and make your life difficult when you come up with a name like the Force?

So what does work?

That which is effortless, has some relevance and doesn’t require any thinking. Something like the Adelaide Crows, Tasmanian Tigers, Parramatta Eels or NSW Waratahs. All simple to understand and make perfect sense.

Giving a name to something or someone is a critical step.

It symbolizes a lot more than simply what a team is called. A name forges identity and a brand. It is the first step of hopefully what will be the path to success.

Fremantle Dockers – need we say any more?

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