Some of the most iconic sports teams of all time are known by their names: Manchester United, LA Lakers, and The New York Yankees. These names have stood the test of time, but there are still many teams that had to shift.
Here are examples of a few franchises that changed their names over the years:
Washington Bullets → Washington Wizards:
The Washington basketball team owner decided to change the team’s name from the Bullets to the Wizards, primarily due to the violent overtones it had. In 1995, crime was on the rise in the USA, with many incidents of shootings reported across the state and country.
The owner held a contest for fans to vote on the name, with other options including Dragons, Stallions, Express and Sea Dogs.
Cincinnati Reds → Cincinnati Redlegs → Cincinnati Reds:
In the early 1950s, there were a lot of Cold War tensions in the US, and senator Joseph McCarthy used the opportunity to exploit the USA’s tensions with the Soviet Union. McCarthy suggested that the Cincinnati Reds baseball team change their name to Cincinnati Redlegs.
They played under their new name for five years, before reverting back to the original Reds in 1959.
Baltimore CFL Colts → CFLers → Stallions:
This is one that’s close to the hearts of many Canadian football fans. Once the CFL expanded to the US, the Baltimore Colts were a coveted team by the league.
The new owners tried to call the team CFL Colts, but the NFL blocked the move. They then became unofficially known as the CFLers before finally being called the Stallions for the following season!
Which other franchise changes do you know of?