Wind
Quite honestly, almost all of the potential team names I’ve heard are terrible. The only one I can get behind is the Oklahoma City Wind.
Why, you say? Because it is more fitting than all the rest of the mediocre names on the list.
Have you ever stepped outside in mid-February when the temperature is about 45 degrees, then that cold gust of wind from the north hits you? The next thing you know you can hardly breathe because it is so fiercely cold. That’s exactly the kind of effect a basketball team would love to have on its opponents.
Then, in the spring, the wind can ruin what otherwise would be a pretty nice day. It will be 65 degrees, but it’s still unbearable because of the constant 40 mph winds swirling in every direction. Once again, that’s a perfect metaphor for an athletic team: it ruins its opponent’s day.
Then you have the geographic ties to the area. The amount of wind power in the panhandle of Oklahoma is what seals Wind as a legitimate team name. In the northwest part of the state, there are more wind turbines than people. Spend a few hours out there, and you’ll understand that wind can pack a ºpowerful punch.
Plus, think of all the great puns announcers could use after a win: “Lakers blown away by the Wind,” or “the Wind blows through Dallas.” It’s almost too easy.
Now I don’t claim that this is an absolutely perfect name for the Oklahoma City Not-The-Sonics. In fact, maybe there isn’t a perfect name for the team. But, for the reasons I’ve listed, maybe you’ll start to realize that Wind is actually not too bad.
Joey Helmer is a journalism junior.
Sonics
Since the days of “The Glove” and Sean Kemp in the mid-90s, I have grown accustomed to the name and color of the Emerald City’s NBA team. The Seattle Supersonics have been an integral part of the league for years. The team has also been my personal favorite basketball team since I was the ripe age of seven.
I was excited for the move to Oklahoma City, so I could see my first true home game, but once I heard of the proposed name change, I shuddered and had my doubts. The new list of names definitely does not include the best choices.
I firmly attest that the name of the team should remain the Sonics, or even a derivation of that, such as the Oklahoma City Sonic.
That way, America’s favorite drive-thru can be the primary sponsor for Oklahoma City’s first professional team. It would just be a perfect fit. “The Oklahoma City Sonic(s)” just rolls off the tongue.
The greatest part of this proposed marriage between Sonic (the restaurant) and the Sonics (the basketball team) is that the Ford Center could be retro-fitted to have Sonic order stations in the area for season ticket holders.
In theat circumstance, the Ford Center would have the best arena food in the country, hands down. NBA commissioner David Stern would be ecstatic.
The leading candidate for the new name has been the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here will be the first headline from the first game if that name sticks: “Thunder get struck by the Bucks.”
In other words, let the bad puns begin.
The name should stick as the Sonics; it just fits that way.
Kyle Burnett is a broadcast and electronic media junior.
Thunder
I’ll admit that when I first heard the list of potential names for Oklahoma City’s new NBA franchise, I cringed a little. They all seemed destined to make the team the laughingstock of the NBA.
But the more I thought about it, the more Thunder grew on me. The main complaint seems to be that it is a non-plural name. But there are already three NBA teams — the Jazz, the Heat and the Magic — that have singular names, and people have no problems with them.
Plus, there are plenty of ways to market the Thunder. Just think about the nightly introduction of the team’s starting lineup: the lights dim as the sound of rolling thunder gradually gets louder. It then erupts into a deafening blast as AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” starts playing.
And don’t forget about Thundersticks, those long plastic rods that make a ton of noise when knocked together. Late in a game with an opposing player on the free-throw line, the Ford Center will be rocking with thousands of them cracking in unison.
The mascot and logo might be a bit more of a challenge, considering thunder is a noise. But in Norse mythology, the god Thor was believed to create claps of thunder with every strike of his hammer. I’d be willing to cheer for a mascot wearing a Viking hat and waving a hammer. And on the Jumbotron, they could play the clip of Will Ferrell saying “By the hammer of Thor!” from the Anchorman outtakes.
To be honest, I have no clever suggestions for an adequate logo. Almost everything that comes to mind involves a lightning bolt, but the team’s name would be Thunder, not Lightning. So a lightning bolt wouldn’t be appropriate. But the organization has well-paid people to create things like that, so I’m sure they can come up with something.
The Wind sounds like a 10-and-under girls soccer team. The Barons will be interpreted by some as “robber barons,” which people will say is apt because Oklahoma City “stole” the team from Seattle. And keeping the Sonics name is just plain illegal. As part of the deal that allowed the team to leave Seattle, the city retained all rights to the name, logo and colors for a future team.
So really, what other name is left? According to Clay Bennett, the only possible names besides the four listed here are Bison, Energy and Marshals. And those are just awful.
No name is going to please everyone, but people will get used to any of them over time. The Miami Heat’s nickname faced all the same problems that Thunder would — it’s singular, weather-related and intangible — but now, “Miami Heat” just sounds natural. The same would happen after a few years of saying “Oklahoma City Thunder.”
Corey DeMoss is the Daily’s sports editor and a journalism senior.
Barons
Some people have suggested that OKC simply keep the Sonics name. That would make the fans in Seattle furious, which I like. And the fast food company, Sonic, is headquartered in Oklahoma.
But with the connection to the Sonic chain, America would think we were naming our professional sports team after coneys and tots. That means our mascot would be those ridiculous 40-year-old men from the commercials. I’ll pass.
Some say the Thunder is the frontrunner. The mascot for that team would probably be some form of Thor and his hammer. Cheering while a Norse god jumps around, though, seems a little blasphemous to me. I’ll pass again.
And I absolutely don’t want a name that is related to the American Indians. Just ask the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins how often they field complaints about their names. We don’t need that negative attention.
I’m going to stick with the name that makes the most sense: the Barons. This is referring to the oil barons, not Red Baron Pizza. My grandfather once told me that Oklahoma City was built with oil money, so the name fits the bill.
With the team named the Barons, maybe Baron Davis will come play. Everyone can grow beards and be happy in unity. Wait, cancel that. I don’t think Kevin Durant is old enough to grow one yet.
For goodness’ sake, there’s an oil well right by the capital building. Tulsa is known as the oil capitol of the world. Oklahoma is the fifth-largest producer of crude oil in the nation. We have the second greatest number of drilling rigs. And we rank fifth in crude oil reserves.
Let’s just do what’s right. Calling the team anything other than the Barons is like Burger King selling tacos or calling Nicole Ritchie fat. It just doesn’t work.
MJ Casiano is a broadcast and electronic media sophomore.
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0return 3 years, 9 months ago
It was reported about a month ago that the team was named the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Yes, this newspaper is about a month behind.
etphonehome 3 years, 9 months ago
I was surprised that there is no mention in the 'Sonics' section of this story that the Sonics name must remain in Seattle per the settlement reached between the city of Seattle and Clay Bennett's Professional Basketball Club. It's a little misleading to leave the name in the running since it's an impossibility.