I'm in an NBA mood right now. It's All-Star Weekend and last week, Your Toronto Raptors celebrated their 1000th regular season game in the NBA. This team has come a long way from the once that fielded future hall-of-famers: Zan Tabak, Ed Pickney, Carlos Rogers, and Acie Earl. I love this team more than any other team, in any other league, but I've never been too keen on the name Raptors. It's something I live with and try to ignore.
After the franchise was announced, there was a "Name Game Contest" to, well, name the franchise. Now originally there was a list of about 50 names that could be voted on by the public. I tried real hard to find this original list, but the internet let me down. On this list, though, I am certain that the Toronto Towers, and the Toronto Jam existed. Now of the 50 top names I was enamoured with the Toronto Jam, because I figured we'd all say it like Fresh Prince ("Jay-om"). But my friends were on to another name that would be cooler. The Raptors (Jurassic Park being a huge movie at the time). The Raptor was the single most feared creature in the dinosaur kingdom, because they could open doors and cabinets. So if they're the most feared dionsaurs, who, are the most feared creatures ever, then they surely must be feared by a mere Bull or Jazz. And, wouldn't you know it, The Raptors made the top 10.
The other day I thought surely there must have been a better, more dynastic name in the top 10 that wouldn't have sounded as strange 13 years later, but...
Toronto NBA Franchise Names, Top 10:
Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, and Terriers.
.....
Raptors is looking prettty good right now. None of these names scream "storied franchise". I doubt people would be talking about the great Hogs Dynasty of the early 2010s. Imagine even having to say Toronto Tarantulas transition offence. Or having to hear a Chuck Swirsky say "Open left elbow shot... book it... now that's Beaver Basketball".
When the Raptors name was favoured, and ultimately picked, there were rumors that the stadium would actually be called Jurassic Park. As in, "we're gonna take the subway down to Jurassic Park to catch the Raptors in action". This seems silly in retrospect, considering this age of corporate sponsorship. It's like calling the stadium the Grizzlies play in: The Forest, or the Wizards' stadium: A Tower.
It almost feels like a rule, that if you have an expansion team, regardless of the league, you MUST have a terrible team name:
San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS (there will only be one Earthquake, and He was paired with Typhoon, and they were 1 time holders of the Tag Championships)
Nashville Predators (Dateline ruined this one)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (They can't even open doors or cabinets)
Charlotte Bobcats (We're running out of animals)
News & Notes:
-Recently, the NBA slam dunk contest has been about as exciting as a Pinball machine based on the movie Twister. Here's hoping Jamario Moon does something more entertaining than the Bill Paxton Multi-Ball.
- The Maple Leafs Franchise is so backwards I'm betting they lose enough to get mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, then win every game after to get mathematically eliminated from the Stamkos sweepstakes.
- Right now on Raptors TV Amare Stoudemire is getting his future read by a tarot card reader. All she's saying is "you're going to have to make decisions". It's gonna be a great weekend.
Gotta go, the Celebrity All Star Game is on. Taylor Hicks and Ne-Yo, underrated back-court tandem.
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