Short NBA name necessary?
Vince Orza, dean of the OCU business school, said some interesting things in today’s Oklahoman about the NBA team nickname. His most compelling theory: short nicknames are better.
One syllable is preferred, two syllables max. That’s why Orza shot down my Thunderbirds, pointing out that most announcers would call them the Birds and that Thunderbirds would be difficult to fit on a jersey front.
Orza got me to thinking, so I did some research. Of the 122 current major-league franchises — we’ll count the SuperSonics name for the purpose of this discussion — 27 have at least three syllables.
Orza is right on that announcers and headline writers and the public in general will shorten a long name.
The five-syllable 76ers become the Sixers. The four-syllable SuperSonics become the Sonics. The four-syllable Knickerbockers become the Knicks. The four-syllable 49ers become the Niners, which is also what we called our Triple-A baseball team when it was the 89ers.
The three-syllable names don’t fare much better. Tampa Bay’s baseball team even made it official after last season, dropping the Devil from their name to become simply the Rays. But shorter better? How in the world is Rays better than DevilRays or D-Rays?
The other three-syllable names are almost all shortened. The DiamondBacks are the D-Backs. The Orioles are called the Birds. The Athletics have been the A’s almost to the point that few know they’re really the Athletics. The Mariners are called the M’s. The Nationals the Nats.
The Cavaliers are the Cavs. The Mavericks are the Mavs. The Timberwolves are the T-Wolves. The Trail Blazers are the Blazers. The Cardinals are the Cards, although you could argue that Cardinals can be pronounced with two syllables. The Buccaneers are the Bucs.
I know little about NHL trends, but I know the Avalanche is the Avs, the Capitals are the Caps and the Islanders are the Isles. I assume the Hurricanes are the ‘Canes, the Maple Leafs are the Leafs, the Senators are the Sens and the Blue Jackets just the Jackets.
I don’t know what they call the Predators, a truly awful name, and the Canadiens — a regal, Yankee-level nickname — are called the Habs for reasons unrelated to the length of their name.
So that leaves only two names, by my count, that aren’t shortened. The Phoenix Coyotes — who could be pronounced as a two-syllable word, I guess — and the Golden State Warriors.
To me, that doesn’t eliminate Thunderbirds. I disagree with Orza; I think Thunderbirds would be shortened to T-Birds, not Birds, and I think T-Birds could be scripted across the jersey, if necessary.
And besides, I think all theories are out the window with Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City now reigns as the longest geographical name in major-league sports. Philadelphia, Indianapolis and San Antonio are five-syllable names; Oklahoma City is six.
Indy and San Antone go with one-syllable names: Colts and Spurs. Philly goes mostly with two-syllable nicknames: Eagles, Flyers and Phillies. But then comes the NBA team. Philadelphia 76ers. Ten syllables in all. And no one sits around talking about what an awkward name the 76ers have.
Oklahoma City Thunderbirds, nine syllables strong, would work.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
Keep the “City” and lose Rich! I’ll give you a kudo for the last paragraph tho…sons and suns, I like it!
If anyone has come up with anything close to T-birds, I haven’t read it. Orbits??????? Come on, he thought for days and days to come up with Orbits? That ranks right up there with Crop Circles.
Too many folks are just over-thinking this. Stop counting syllables and stop trying to be ‘unique.’ Does the name sound good after Ok C?
Do ya’ll have any chaparrals in your state?
LOL Gerry. Fair enough. My Tulsa roots and my Texas environment shape my opinion.
However I do agree with Tramel that names will be shortened. If the team name is the “Oklahoma somethings” it will be called Oklahoma as in Oklahoma vs. Dallas. If the name is Oklahoma City it will be “Oke City” as in Oke City vs. Dallas. I assure you that’s what the DFW media will call it. I just hope it doesn’t become the Okies vs. the Mavs. Can people live with being called the “Oke City T-Birds”?
T- Birds sounds like something from the movie or play “Grease”. That’s a name that doesn’t roll off the tongue and is geared toward my girlfriend more than it is me. T-Birds. Kinda light and weak name. THE NAME MUST BE ABLE TO STAND ON ITS OWN. I’m the one going to the games. It’s got to be something that is targeted toward 20-45 year old males. For the most part. That’s not a very marketable name on either coast either. Come on guys. That’s the best we can come up with?
THUNDERBIRDS is what it should be. it is strong, native, and powerfull. the colors and the emblem from the 45th would be striking and honorable to our VETERANS and NATIVE AMERICANS here in OKLAHOMA. THUNDERBIRDS when you say it, hear it, and see it will let everyone know that we mean business and we will be the best fans and all of the NBA will shutter and be in AWE when they see us,play us and fear the name of THE THUNDERBIRDS. Mr Orza is partially correct on his point of one syllable words so that tells me that the T-BIRDS will be awesome. Barry, darn great article
If you want something short, my 11-year-old suggests that we name the team “The Oklahoma City.” The mascot could be “The City.” I’m not endorsing it, but I’m not ready to reject it yet either. 
As I said before, that will not go over on the coasts. Just because we understand it, doesn’t mean others will. Public opinion will determine part of our long-term success. I don’t want to sound like the Bobcats. I think that it is an awful name. It doesn’t grab attention to those outside their state. That’s not a good marketing name away from Carolina. Think about the big picture. It’s got to grab peoples attention. Oklahoma City Thunderbirds is too long, hence the name, (Trammels article) T-Birds. And that to me sounds weak. Besides, there is a Native American connotation to that name. We have to be politically correct. Look at the two University names. We have Cowboys and Sooners. Think about the time when they were named. Couldn’t get any better. Same thing needs to happen with our pro team.
We left Oklahoma eleven years ago – and not much has changed. B”e”rry Trammel is still writing palaver…
T-Birds could work because it would remind people of OKC’s long, proud basketball tradition of stealing sh_t from Seattle:
Oklahoma City Sentinels or Oklahoma Sentinels.
Screw Thunderbirds. Besides, Seattle already hates OKC and Bennett. Why should be be named after the Seattle Thunderbids hockey team?
Oklahoma has a Sentinel standing guard over the Capitol Building. So why not make that the name.
Oh and in case you do not know.
Sen·ti·nel
1. a person or thing that watches or stands as if watching.
2. a soldier stationed as a guard to challenge all comers and prevent a surprise attack: to stand sentinel.
3. Also called tag. Computers. a symbol, mark, or other labeling device indicating the beginning or end of a unit of information.
–verb (used with object) 4. to watch over or guard as a sentinel.
I think that is very fitting for the entire state of Oklahoma.
Counterpoint to Thunderbirds:
1) T-Birds recalls 50s Greasers ala Grease.
2) Thunderbird is associated with a casino for one, and we don’t need the image of a bunch of drunken gamblers.
3) Thunderbird is also the name of a rather putrid lake near Norman which is frequented by party goers, and killers (how many murders or “accidents” have happened around there
4) I can already hear the announcers and mockers calling us the Birdies.
Another name submission….
The Oklahoma City “VISION”….
lots of opportunities for marketing all this term implies…
That’s the best and most original name I’ve heard. I like Sentinels. Good call. It sounds prestigious and strong to me. Makes sense too.
I like Sentinels, Tim! I’ve never liked T-Birds and have not warmed up to it, despite Tramel’s continued push for it. Three reasons why I don’t like it: 1) simply put, it doesn’t sound like a major league name (it sounds like a minor league hockey team or minor league basketball team; oh wait, see #3), 2) the NBA already has the T-Wolves so it doesn’t seem all that original, and 3) the name belongs to a minor league hockey team from, of all places, Seattle! That alone will keep Clay and Co. from naming the team Thunderbirds. Not to mention there is an NBDL team named Thunderbirds from New Mexico:
http://www.nba.com/dleague/albuquerque/
So far, I like Barons, Runners (for Land Runners), Boomers, and now…Sentinels! I think I actually like Sentinels the best and I haven’t heard that one before. Nice job, Tim! Send that to Clay!
One more thing I like about Sentinels is that is can be shortened to “The Sents.”
The Oklahoma City Sentinels or OKC Sentinels or OKC Sents
I like it.
you guys,come on the Oklahoma City Slickers black&gold oil&blackgold are one in the same.big money,slick moves it all had to happen or we have no nba team it still needs to happen its one thing to get it&another thing hold on to it OK.City Slickers go “go city” “go slicks”
Drop the “City” and lose two syllables.
The team needs to be the Oklahoma .
The Texas Rangers and the Tennessee Titans and others do quite well with a state name. The team needs to make all of the state feel welcome if they expect people in Tulsa and such to support them.
Also, I don’t recall the Rangers and Titans having their name pronounced as a shortened alias.
The Oklahoma Sucks is what my Texas friends like the best.
The Oklahoma City Sucks just doesn’t work as well.
How about the Oklahoma Sons. Let the announcers figure that out when Okahoma plays Phoenix.