NBA in OKC: A nickname for the nickname
Here’s a problem with Thunder, if that indeed is the nickname for Oklahoma City’s new NBA team. It’s the main problem with every singular nickname. It’s a linguistic roadblock.
What do we call an individual player? You see Manny Johnson or Andre Sexton walking at the mall, and your wife wants to know who the heck is Manny Johnson or Andre Sexton, and you say, a Sooner, or a Cowboy. You see Chris Wilcox, you can’t say, he’s a Thunder.
Thunder can’t be used as a singular noun. Not to where it sounds halfway plausible. So here’s my offering as a nickname for the nickname. The ‘Bolts. Kevin Durant? He’s a ‘Bolt.
I know, San Diego already refers to its Chargers as the ‘Bolts. So what? Different time zone, different sport.
Like I wrote in The Oklahoman today, Thunder is growing on me. And a bunch of fans already have spoken, carrying Thunder to victory in our name-the-team contest.
But in the same way that Cowboys sometimes are Pokes, and Longhorns used to be Steers, and the Pirates occasionally are the Bucs, and the Orioles the Birds, and the Dolphins the Fish, the Thunder will be the Bolts.
-------------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
i know it is just a rumor but , THUNDER is ok but i am trying to figure out what our mascot will be and that bothers me. however, i am allowed to speak my peace and opinion on this matter and THUNDERBIRDS is still my choice. when all is done,signed,sealed and delivered i will support whatever the name will be and mascot. Because we have a NBA team in my home state and i and hopefully all OKLAHOMANS will support them 100%. GO WHATEVER THE NAME!!!!!
I guess I lost on my no-weather request. Oh well. I guess Thunder isn’t nearly as WNBA as it could have been. And all in all it doesn’t really matter. We’ll still be there no matter what the name is. We’ll wear the clothes. We’ll do it all.
I know the name doesn’t matter, I used to have tons of clothing with Wiz all over it…
Sorry Aaron, the Thunder is very WNBA. You might as well have kept the Storm.
And no, you can’t call them the Bolts. “Different time zones” isn’t an argument. That’s a San Diego original plucked from the lighting bolts on the helmets, and it makes sense.
If you want a nickname you have two choices: “Thuns” and “Ders”. As in hey look it’s Robert Swift, he’s my favorite Der! Maybe these are the same marketing geniuses who brought OKC the YardDawgz. But most likely its the masterstroke of David Stern: Since Thunder currently exists and in all 50 states, Canada, Europe, China and pretty much everywhere on Earth, it will really ease the transition for their next relocation. Brilliant.
Wow Mark let it go man. You really are reinforcing the stalker ex-girlfriend stereotype. Go support your WNBA squad or your last place MLB team. It really does come across as pathetic when you continue to post on here.
Get bold!!!!!! TORNADO is a natural. “TORNADO WARNING”!!!!! flashing on the Ford Center scoreboard will scare opponents off the floor
what ever the name turns out tobe lets hope its nothing that going to hurt someones or somethings feeling let us be PO-L-correct im not real sure doest that change in 28 days or so?………..
Ok this is about as far as this needs to go. Thunder is plain awful, no lets say it right shall we? Thunder sucks texan style. The name should be The Oklahoma Buffalo Soilders. The all black U.S troops that patrolled this place and kept settlers safe. But hey folks when does history ever matter when marketing dollars are being considered?
No dice on Bolts…I think they’ll just be called “Thunder” like the Magic are just the “Magic.” Why do we have to have a singular name? You can just say Wilcox is on the Thunder.