Deadspin got it right with an article entitled Las Vegas NHL Team Is Going To Choose Some Bland-As-Hell Name. The name of course is H-A-W-K-S.
Highly unoriginal – and boring, too.
The team owner Bill Foley wanted “Black Knights” for this team, as a tribute to his alma mater at West Point (he named his company Black Knight Financial Services), but that’s apparently out thanks to “pushback” from the military academy and others.
After pondering some other Knight names such as Las Vegas Desert Knights, Las Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Silver Knights and Las Vegas Sand Knights the bets are that he will go with, ugh, Knighthawks. It does give an offhanded homage to the local military (Knighthawk Helicopter) and late night Las Vegas when things are said to ‘stay in Vegas’.
The NHL Comish Gary Bettman will not allow any gambling references in the name – funny coming from a guy named Bett-man.
Deadspin readers, of course, came up with a host of Vegas-related names such as Sug Knights, Hookers (hooking, hockey – get it), and Fellas. All unlikely ‘bets’ to make the final cut.
Being a North Dakota fan, I thought that the powers that be at UND would have learned from the mistakes made by Marquette University and others who go too far the other direction when drumming up a new nickname and logo so as not to offend anyone and in the process, create something so uninspiring and corporate looking. I guess the new Las Vegas hockey team didn’t follow the process at North Dakota. I’m not a “Sioux Forever!” guy, I just wish we would’ve gotten more bang for the buck with our logo and name. Las Vegas had all kinds of potentially cool options but it sounds like they’re playing it safe.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, I thought it was complete crap how the C suite leadership at DU got rid of Boone the mascot. I guess anything they deem that represents male European imperialism must be erased. I was glad to see a Boone mascot at the Frozen Four representing! I’ll step off the pedestal now.
Thanks Dan. Alum Damien Goddard has led the effort to keep Boone alive thru an alumni effort and there is a ton of support locally and at the student level. Also, the current administration is not actively blocking Boone and has ceased efforts to introduce a new mascot. The school newspaper, The Clarion, even recently used his image: https://www.facebook.com/DUClarion/photos/a.498372709561.266937.53059009561/10153845742604562/?type=3&theater
Being a North Dakota fan, I thought that the powers that be at UND would have learned from the mistakes made by Marquette University and others who go too far the other direction when drumming up a new nickname and logo so as not to offend anyone and in the process, create something so uninspiring and corporate looking. I guess the new Las Vegas hockey team didn’t follow the process at North Dakota. I’m not a “Sioux Forever!” guy, I just wish we would’ve gotten more bang for the buck with our logo and name. Las Vegas had all kinds of potentially cool options but it sounds like they’re playing it safe.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, I thought it was complete crap how the C suite leadership at DU got rid of Boone the mascot. I guess anything they deem that represents male European imperialism must be erased. I was glad to see a Boone mascot at the Frozen Four representing! I’ll step off the pedestal now.
Thanks Dan. Alum Damien Goddard has led the effort to keep Boone alive thru an alumni effort and there is a ton of support locally and at the student level. Also, the current administration is not actively blocking Boone and has ceased efforts to introduce a new mascot. The school newspaper, The Clarion, even recently used his image: https://www.facebook.com/DUClarion/photos/a.498372709561.266937.53059009561/10153845742604562/?type=3&theater
Hmmm….
When the Vegas team first started floating names with “-hawks” in them last spring, the Chicago Blackhawks were fairly vocal about their disapproval of the concept. I wonder if that’s changed….
It’s hard to blame the Blackhawks stance here, as the Las Vegas Nighthawks would wind up being nicknamed “the ‘Hawks” by sports media and hockey fans – just like the Blackhawks are.
Hmmm….
When the Vegas team first started floating names with “-hawks” in them last spring, the Chicago Blackhawks were fairly vocal about their disapproval of the concept. I wonder if that’s changed….
It’s hard to blame the Blackhawks stance here, as the Las Vegas Nighthawks would wind up being nicknamed “the ‘Hawks” by sports media and hockey fans – just like the Blackhawks are.