Raptors Re-Branding: Name Change?

[ebrian]

Towers guys. Towers. Go to images.google.com. Search Toronto. It's our gorgeous skyline every single time.

Granted this happens for every city you type in but still.

Toronto Towers. It's Toronto, but it's also a landmark that every Canadian can relate to. We have JV, so that's one tower so we just need another. We have the famous CN Tower. There are more high-rises going up in Toronto than any other city in the western world.

Huskies sounds like a hockey/winter team. Raptors sounds like a nostalgic throwback to a movie made in the 90s. Wolverines is too long, the cheers would be hard to say.

[slaw]

Not to be a wet blanket but... I hate this "Canada's team" stuff. It is silly. The Raptors are already red and white and have a maple leaf on the jersey. "Canadian" branding isn't the issue.

I live in Calgary and used to live in Toronto for awhile. In Calgary, not a single sports fan I know watches the Raptors. There are a few people I run into from time to time but the simple fact is very few people outside of Ontario (and maybe even Toronto) care about the Raptors in any material way - even basketball fans who are more apt to cheer for Portland, Phoenix, LA. Part of this is simply that basketball is not a huge sport in Canada. But there is also a big anti-Toronto sentiment at play.

If they are serious about it, then stop with the kabuki theatre. Put a winning team on the floor. Find a star.

Interesting tangent: I was at a fundraiser the night Wiggins declared for Kansas. Every single sports conversation that night, including dudes who weren't sure what basketball is, was about Wiggins. Did you see this kid? This is amazing. Incredible. Etc. Casual sports fans I know still associate the Raps with VC. It was 10 years ago! A VC is worth 1000 marketing campaigns and 10,000 ad men.

No more disctractions. Just win.

[Primer]

I know this plays into Canada being full of snow and Igloos but how about the Toronto Blizzard? Sounds badass and isn't taken. Closest is Thunder since it's also a weather phenomenon. Maybe the Toronto Aurora. No idea how to do that mascot, but lots of teams have names that can be anthropromorhpised (Jazz, Lakers, Thunder, Heat, etc...).

I'm just spitballing for fun here. I like the Raptors as a team name.

[white men can't jump]

I know this plays into Canada being full of snow and Igloos but how about the Toronto Blizzard? Sounds badass and isn't taken. Closest is Thunder since it's also a weather phenomenon. Maybe the Toronto Aurora. No idea how to do that mascot, but lots of teams have names that can be anthropromorhpised (Jazz, Lakers, Thunder, Heat, etc...).

I'm just spitballing for fun here. I like the Raptors as a team name.

Something I wrote earlier on....

Really, I've been thinking about it a lot. At this point, I'm trying really hard to think of an inanimate symbol (like the Towers....but considering we only have one tower, and it's a boring-ass name...) or something abstract. I can't even think of something abstract. The Toronto Blizzards? Yeah..that's going to help with the perception the rest of the league has. It's not even accurate as winters are really not bad in Toronto...The Toronto Shitty Mayors? That's accurate at least.

I just really don't think naming them the BLizzards is a good idea. It just can't be good for the Toronto image as a basketball team. Part of the problem with the stigma attached to Toronto is that it actually has the same or even better winters than a fairly large chunk of teams. Toronto is pretty mild. We really don't need to make matters worse by giving them an inappropriately wintery name.

I really think if people don't want an animal name that's stupid or too long or whatever, someone's going to have to come up with a pretty money idea that is totally different.

[phez]

Someone explain the Huskies fascination?

A supposedly failed team that existed for all of one year during a time period probably no one who watches the raptors currently will ever remember, let alone were alive for. What is it about the Huskies I should appreciate? What did they accomplish? Or just the simple fact they existed, it should be part of Toronto pride of some sort?

[Sig]

I believe it is the last part.

[blackjitsu]

So, are we supposed to think the name Raptors is better/more appropriate/good?

It's a name with history, it's better than the Raptors.

[Miekenstien]

please feel free to come up with a more appropriate name with any meaningful meaning to basketball in this country ever. the Toronto Steve Nash got us fifth places doesn't sound to great either.

[white men can't jump]

So, are we supposed to think the name Raptors is better/more appropriate/good?

It's a name with history, it's better than the Raptors.

It technically has less history than the Raptors. One season doesn't equate to history, especially since there are zero accomplishments in that year.

[Mr.Z]

None of us could come up with anything good or anything we all see fit so I don't think the organization is going to be able to think of anything better that we all love lol sticking with the current name is probably the safest bet.

[Jon_Wade]

For me I like it because it showed that even in the beginning Canada was still at least a part of the NBA right from the start, so why should we get treated like we are some team that deserves to be ignored from the media and the refs calls, we were there at the start and I think that brings more pride than a Raptors history that has been plagued with the thought that all of our players want to go to south of the border and don't want to stay and also that we were lead by a Rupaul big man.

[thead]

http://projectthirtyfour.blog.com/20...ronto-raptors/

[omgsomuchpotential]

Toronto Mammoths

It fits cause Canada has only got 1 club (close to extinction - hence the extinct mammoths). It also appears they used to live in northern part of North America. Not to mention they're quite fearsome.

Or maybe Toronto Bisons.

I also liked Huskies (not sure whos idea it was).

Sorry for repeating myself. Posted this like a year ago.

[ebrian]

I have a cousin who lives in Maryland. I asked him what he thinks Toronto is best known for, here are his answers in order:

1. Niagara Falls
2. Raptors
3. CN Tower

I explained to him that Niagara Falls is more of a Canadian thing, he pointed out that whenever someone he knows is going to Toronto, he asks them if they're stopping at Niagara Falls. As for Raptors, he's a big basketball fan. As for the CN Tower -- he did not know this thing existed until he came to visit last summer.

Maybe we should stick with Raptors.

[white men can't jump]

Sorry for repeating myself. Posted this like a year ago.

I definitely think Mammoths is a better name than Raptors too....I could get behind that if people wanted it over Raptors (or Wolverines)