Name Game

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have informed Major League Baseball that they are considering a name change. If the Rays can settle on something by May 31, they can use it as early as next season. The St. Pete Times has been running a poll asking fans for suggestions, and the suggestions have been equal parts thoughtful and ridiculous.

This is SO in my wheelhouse.

First, the background: a "devil ray" (Manta birostris) is a member of the family Mobulidae, which are large rays lacking venomous spines (think manta ray, which might have been a better choice for a name). They're big, they travel in schools, they eat fish. "Devil Rays" was a unique choice for Tampa Bay's franchise, but it also conjured up satanic images and was generally considered spotty at best. "Stingrays" would have been better, or just "Rays," which has a double-entendre meaning under the Florida sun, but for whatever reason, the original Tampa Bay ownership liked "Devil Rays," even if few others did.

There are dozens of directions we could go here. Moving away from animals for a moment, I've seen "Thunder" pop up frequently. Cool tie-in with the Tampa Bay sports scene: Lightning (NHL), Storm (Arena Football), Thunder -- and you could call the Trop "the Thunderdome" again. Reminiscent of Kansas City's Chiefs, Royals, and Kings (before the move to Sacramento) or Chicago's Bears and Cubs. However, since we've agreed that no pro sports franchise will EVER be allowed to use a collective plural again (i.e., a name without an 'S' on the end - Magic, Heat, Jazz, and all their ilk), I'm calling a foul. Plus, I cannot think of "Thunder" without remembering the atrocious lime-green uniforms of the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football (WLAF, or "We-Laugh").

In fact, I need a moment to clear that image.

Thank you.

Historical ties to the Tampa Bay area: Buccaneers are taken. Pirates are taken (and how many pirates sailed into Pittsburgh, exactly?). I saw "Privateers," which I like, but it's awfully close to "Bucs." Also saw "Rough Riders," a reference to Teddy Roosevelt's famed unit, which has a history in Tampa, but aren't there fourteen Canadian Football League teams that already use that name?

"Stogies": fun and appropriate, but politically incorrect, and smoking is not allowed inside the Trop.

"Whitecaps": LOVE the name, love the uniform possibilities, but there's a minor league team with rights to it.

Animal names: "Tarpons" is the most popular choice, given that the fish is indigenous to the bay AND was the namesake of minor league franchises in Tampa. Of course, I was always under the impression that you never add an 'S' to make a fish plural. You never say "school of trouts," it's "school of trout." Don't get me started on the Marlins. "School of mullets" is only appropriate when discussing junior colleges in Alabama.

Thank you! I'll be here all week! Enjoy the buffet!

Here's one, from the St. Pete Times' readership, that I loved: "Silver Kings." It's a nickname for tarpon. Ties into Florida and Tampa Bay, references the area's history and economy, lends itself to cool uniform combinations, and allows the media to abbreviate it to "Kings." Plus, the sports world needs more two-word nicknames. "Trail Blazers" makes much more sense than "Blazers." "Blue Jays" is way cooler than "Jays."

"Silver Kings." Think about that one for a while.

The stickier issue, one that was raised repeatedly on that blog, was whether or not to use "Tampa Bay" as the location. Tampa Bay, after all, is a body of water. There is no city of Tampa Bay. As an aside, there is no city of "Daytona" either. It's Daytona Beach.

What was I saying? Right, my wheelhouse.

The Rays play in St. Petersburg. Many in St. Pete would prefer that the team name reflect that fact, "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" be damned. It's a chicken-and-egg argument: marketing types insist that national audiences have never heard of "St. Petersburg," so they prefer to use the regional "Tampa Bay" name. Locals counter that if "St. Petersburg" is in the name, people will learn where it is - and seriously, would you ever know that Green Bay, Wisconsin existed were it not for the Packers?

I'll stay away from that debate, but repeat after me:

Silver Kings. Silver Kings. Silver Kings.

It's growing on you, isn't it?