Naming Sports Franchisees in India
Sometime in the 1980’s; when I’m not sure I could even spell ‘Franchise’ let alone understand what it meant, I first heard of the Harlem Globetrotters. I was totally fascinated by the name. They couldn’t have been more aptly named- they were ‘globetrotting’ as they went all over the world playing exhibition games. Later, the emergence of Michael Jordan as a global superstar forced ‘The Sport Star’ and some Indian newspapers to occasionally mention the NBA (National Basketball Association), adding more such names to my slowly expanding brain. Over the years, I have undergone an online education in the entire ‘franchisee’ concept and learnt of many other equally fascinating team names.
A little analyses of the popular team names (and also the unpopular ones) gives some wonderful insights into the dos and do not’s of the naming process. Fundamentally, there are four key things to take care of
- The name of the team should be unique and memorable enough – so that the team can easily be identified by it. There should be no need to provide the name of the city or the league in which they play. So when you mention the Lakers, you don’t have to add that they are the team from LA which plays in the NBA. You should be like that guy in class who can be identified by his surname only and doesn’t have to give out his full name.
- The name of the team should mean something for the franchise. It could pay homage to something important from the city or honour someone attached with the franchise. Or simply capture the spirit or character of the team. The Dallas Cowboys are from Texas – home of the cowboy. The Georgia Bulldogs truly reflect the ‘bulldog‘spirit of their football team – unflinching in any kind of distress situation.
- The name of the team should never be just a glorified adjective. Like victor or champion or studs etc etc. And the additional superlative or comparative is also a strict no-no.
- Lastly, never copy a team name, even if it’s a team from another league or even if you have slightly modified the name.
Having become an amateur ‘sports team namologist’ of some kind, the coming of professional leagues in India, therefore, was a godsend for me. So far we’ve had a seven team PHL (Professional Hockey League), a six team ICL (Indian Cricket League) and an eight team IPL (Indian Professional League), where 4 teams are yet to be named at the time of writing. So here’s my two bit of ‘namology gyan’ on what’s transpired so far.
First the PHL
Sher-E-Jalandhar – an absolute smasher. The old Urdu-style name makes it even more memorable
Chennai Veerans – unique, with homage paid to the historical Tamil fighters.
Maratha Warriors – similar to the Chennai style and quite apt
Orissa Steelers – The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the heart of America’s steel industry and Orissa has the same status in India
Bangalore Hi-Fliers – the first bad one in the PHL. Falls in the glorified adjective category.
Hyderabad Sultans – a ‘historical’ mistake. Hyderabad had Nizams and not Sultans.
Chandigarh Dynamos – this one is well thought of. Simultaneously reminds us of the Punjabi farmer (the one who drives a tractor) and the truck driver – the hard-working image of a prosperous state.
Overall Verdict – Very good job and I hope the people in-charge show similar wisdom on the more important matters to make the PHL an even bigger success.
Now the ICL
Chandigarh Lions – this one’s fine not great. The people of Punjab are lion-hearted in whatever they do. But doesn’t have the same impact as the word ‘Sher’
Kolkata Tigers – Being the home of the Royal Bengal tiger, the name is suitable but not unique enough as there are tigers in every second state of India. Considering the penchant for lions and tigers, the there should have been a separate auction for the two names.
Hyderabad Heroes – What are they paying homage to? The movie ‘heroes’ of the thriving Telugu
Film industry. Serious paucity of thought from Hyderabad.
Mumbai Champs – The irony is striking. The team calls itself the champs and finishes rock-bottom. So much for egg on your face.
Delhi Jets – What are they depicting? Fighter jets, jets of water, Jet Airways. I have no clue.
Chennai Superstars – Are they trying to out-do the ‘heroes’ of Hyderabad? Our film industry is bigger than yours and our actors are bigger stars.
Overall Verdict – The names are as bad as the ground on which the ICL was played. This league needs a lot of help.
Finally the IPL
Bangalore Royal Challengers – Dr Mallaya wanted an association with one of his liquor brands. But tell me in god’s name, what is a Royal Challenger? Sounds a little too long as well.
Chennai Super Kings – If this team wins the IPL, we can make a case for the inclusion of the word ‘Super Kings’ in the Oxford dictionary. That’s because I don’t think such a word exists.
Delhi Daredevils – Has a nice ring to it but can’t see the connection. Just for their information, there‘s a team called the Washington Senators in the US.
Rajasthan Royals – This one is perfect. Think of simple things folks. Don’t you know your city well enough?
As for the remaining four, here’s a simple suggestion for the franchisee owners.
Naming a new team is a great marketing and PR opportunity. You can make a little money as well. Organize a simple competition to give the people of the city a chance to name their local team. There is enough wisdom and local knowledge in every city to come up with a great name. Additionally, involving the populace will make the franchise popular among the masses and people will start identifying with the team.
Here are the names I could come up with. I am sure you guys can do better.
Kolkata – The Kolkata Liberators. In honour of Bengal’s most well-loved son, Subhash Chandra Bose.
Hyderabad – The Hyderabad Nizams. The erstwhile rulers of Hyderabad.
Mohali – The Mohali Nihangs. A Nihang is a Sikh religious warrior.
Mumbai – The Mumbai Bulls. Celebrating the ‘Bull Run’ in the financial capital of India.
This article was written last year before the IPL teams from Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mohali and Mumbai had been named. It was originally published in iSport.in
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