NFL Conference Championships 2025

rass · Post by **rass** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 7:46 am

Anyone else just happy the Ravens lost? So glad I can just enjoy these games without really giving a shit about the outcome. Sorry for you Mahomes haters.

I am slightly torn because the Bills are the team I think I'd lean towards preferring, but Buffalo losing to the Eagles in the SB and completing the quadfecta of loss against the NFC East would be funny.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:22 am

Easy for me to put on the local gear and pull for the Commandos. Also pretty easy to pull for Mr. Hailey Steinfeld and the Bills to beat Mahomes' wife and brother.

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:23 am

Nonlinear FC wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:22 am Easy for me to put on the local gear and pull for the Commandos. Also pretty easy to pull for Mr. Hailey Steinfeld and the Bills to beat Mahomes' wife and brother.

I’m assuming no underwear if that’s the case.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:24 am

L-Jam3 wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:23 am
Nonlinear FC wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:22 am Easy for me to put on the local gear and pull for the Commandos. Also pretty easy to pull for Mr. Hailey Steinfeld and the Bills to beat Mahomes' wife and brother.
I’m assuming no underwear if that’s the case.

It's easily the dumbest team name in the NFL, so that's how I protest it.

Fucking awful name.

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:45 am

It's better than "Houston Texans".

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 11:30 am

L-Jam3 wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:45 am It's better than "Houston Texans".

You really wanna go there?

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 11:37 am

L-Jam3 wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:45 am It's better than "Houston Texans".

Agreed.

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 11:38 am

Ryan wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 11:30 am
L-Jam3 wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 10:45 am It's better than "Houston Texans".
You really wanna go there?

Yes. "Philadelphia Philadelphias" is a perphect name.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:03 pm

Well, it would be the Philadelphia Pennsylvanians, right?

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:08 pm

The issue most folks in the DMV have with the name is that it has zero meaning to anyone. It's a lot like the Wizards. Most folks understood that in a city with a really high murder rate, calling your team The Bullets was off-putting. But find a name that has some type of regional vibe. (It didn't help that Abe Pollen's wife was also in charge of the color scheme. But the Caps and Bullets wore some of the ugliest jerseys ever, and the seats in the new arena matched, making the whole thing a debacle. (Many people like the caps jerseys from that era, but overall they took a lot of shit for going so far away from the traditional red-white-blue scheme for both teams.)

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:09 pm

This would be a good thread topic: Best/worst team names based on their tie-in with their location.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:10 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:09 pm This would be a good thread topic: Best/worst team names based on their tie-in with their location.

Like Utah Jazz!

(Yes, I know the team was originally in New Orleans.)

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:20 pm

sancarlos wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:10 pm
Nonlinear FC wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:09 pm This would be a good thread topic: Best/worst team names based on their tie-in with their location.
Like Utah Jazz!

(Yes, I know the team was originally in New Orleans.)

There was a "joke" from some comedian about how how New Orleans and SLC needed to trade Saints and Jazz back when comedians weren't all that funny (not that they're that great now.)

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:34 pm

They moved from Minneapolis back in the early 60s, but “Los Angeles Lakers” doesn’t make a lick of sense.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:47 pm

I wonder if back then, for branding or maybe even legal reasons, they weren't allowed to change the names? Or it was just the conventional wisdom at the time? I know the Dodgers were a transplanted team, weren't the Giants a NY team, as well?

ETA - yep

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:52 pm

Seattle Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970. Any earlier name change examples?

Edit: 1963 Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia 76ers

So the Lakers and Jazz, Dodgers and Giants just chose not to.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:56 pm

degenerasian wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:52 pm Seattle Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970. Any earlier name change examples?

St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:57 pm

If you go back to the original teams, they've mostly all had name changes. Like the Yankees were the Highlanders, Baltimore was once the St. Louis Browns, etc ...

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:59 pm

always get a chuckle when I see KJZZ pop up on my Utah-dwelling parents cable channel listings

(please no ...)

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:59 pm

I will not stand for this Brooklyn Superbas erasure.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 1:00 pm

mister d wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:57 pm If you go back to the original teams, they've mostly all had name changes. Like the Yankees were the Highlanders, Baltimore was once the St. Louis Browns, etc ...

Browns/Orioles was in the 1950s. Most earlier examples of baseball nickname changes were in the very early 20th century.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 1:01 pm

P.D.X. wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:59 pm always get a chuckle when I see ...JZZ pop ... on my Utah-dwelling parents ... ch...in...s

Also someone is the Washington Senators? Twins?

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 1:03 pm

Senators to Rangers
Rockets to Rockets

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 1:04 pm

mister d wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 1:01 pm
P.D.X. wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:59 pm always get a chuckle when I see ...JZZ pop ... on my Utah-dwelling parents ... ch...in...s
Also someone is the Washington Senators? Twins?

Both the Twins, and the Rangers!

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:14 pm

Back to the Houston Texans angle... Nobody has an issue with the Montreal Canadiens, right?

(A reminder of one of my favorite team names, the Quebec Nordiques... Which was purposely* mispronounced by non-French speaking announcers in Canada as the Kay-Beck Nor-Dicks.

* - Maybe not always purposely, but there was a time when Quebec was really pushing succession (there's still a movement, but I think the animosity had died down? Anyways, it seemed like it bled over into the coverage from some English-speaking broadcasters.)

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:21 pm

I feel like somehow "Houston Americans" would seem less dumb. Like naming yourself after your region seems small time versus Canadiens.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:24 pm

Except it's Texas, which is constantly threatening to form its own country, so it checks out for me.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:30 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:14 pm Back to the Houston Texans angle... Nobody has an issue with the Montreal Canadiens, right?

(A reminder of one of my favorite team names, the Quebec Nordiques... Which was purposely* mispronounced by non-French speaking announcers in Canada as the Kay-Beck Nor-Dicks.

* - Maybe not always purposely, but there was a time when Quebec was really pushing succession (there's still a movement, but I think the animosity had died down? Anyways, it seemed like it bled over into the coverage from some English-speaking broadcasters.)

To me both the Nordiques and Canadiens were named that way cuz 'hey, these Francois teams are Canadian, too. In a way it's punching up.

The only way a team in the USA could get away with calling itself the Americans would be if Puerto Rico gained statehood. Otherwise, it just smacks of false bravado / horseshit patriotism. YMMV of course.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:36 pm

EnochRoot wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:30 pm The only way a team in the USA could get away with calling itself the Americans would be if Puerto Rico gained statehood. Otherwise, it just smacks of false bravado / horseshit patriotism. YMMV of course.

Do minor league hockey teams fall into this?

Tri-City Americans

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:36 pm

It should have been Apollos to keep with the space theme. Or Toros.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:39 pm

DaveInSeattle wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:36 pm
EnochRoot wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:30 pm The only way a team in the USA could get away with calling itself the Americans would be if Puerto Rico gained statehood. Otherwise, it just smacks of false bravado / horseshit patriotism. YMMV of course.
Do minor league hockey teams fall into this?

Tri-City Americans

There goes that theory. But yeah, that's still cringey.

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 3:26 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:08 pm The issue most folks in the DMV have with the name is that it has zero meaning to anyone. It's a lot like the Wizards. Most folks understood that in a city with a really high murder rate, calling your team The Bullets was off-putting. But find a name that has some type of regional vibe.

I assumed it was because George Washington was Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 3:29 pm

Jerloma wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 3:26 pm
Nonlinear FC wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 12:08 pm The issue most folks in the DMV have with the name is that it has zero meaning to anyone. It's a lot like the Wizards. Most folks understood that in a city with a really high murder rate, calling your team The Bullets was off-putting. But find a name that has some type of regional vibe.
I assumed it was because George Washington was Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.

Nope. It's just a nod to the military. A commander is a high-ranking officer in the Navy (and Coast Guard).

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 3:32 pm

Well I feel like that still has regional significance given that the Pentagon is there.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 4:16 pm

EnochRoot wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:39 pm
DaveInSeattle wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:36 pm
EnochRoot wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:30 pm The only way a team in the USA could get away with calling itself the Americans would be if Puerto Rico gained statehood. Otherwise, it just smacks of false bravado / horseshit patriotism. YMMV of course.
Do minor league hockey teams fall into this?

Tri-City Americans
There goes that theory. But yeah, that's still cringey.

AHL has the Rochester Americans too.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 4:26 pm

The Sybian wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 4:16 pm AHL has the Rochester Americans too.

The Rochester Americans have been in existence with that nickname since 1956. Funny to think that the roster in the early days would have been made up overwhelmingly by Canadian players.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 4:27 pm

The Sybian wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 4:16 pm
EnochRoot wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:39 pm
DaveInSeattle wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:36 pm
EnochRoot wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:30 pm The only way a team in the USA could get away with calling itself the Americans would be if Puerto Rico gained statehood. Otherwise, it just smacks of false bravado / horseshit patriotism. YMMV of course.
Do minor league hockey teams fall into this?

Tri-City Americans
There goes that theory. But yeah, that's still cringey.
AHL has the Rochester Americans too.

OK it's making more sense. Rochester jumps out as punching up because they're on the southern side of Lake Ontario. That makes a WA semi-pro team calling themselves American make more sense too.

bfj · Post by **bfj** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 4:45 pm

rass wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 7:46 am Anyone else just happy the Ravens lost? So glad I can just enjoy these games without really giving a shit about the outcome. Sorry for you Mahomes haters.

I am slightly torn because the Bills are the team I think I'd lean towards preferring, but Buffalo losing to the Eagles in the SB and completing the quadfecta of loss against the NFC East would be funny.

No you twunt, I’m not.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Fri Jan 24, 2025 4:58 pm

Washington Grifters has a nice ring to it.

The Raptors are weird in that they ignored the Toronto theme of completely unintimidating mascots.

Tom 1860 · Post by **Tom 1860** » Sat Jan 25, 2025 9:17 am

bfj wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 4:45 pm
rass wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 7:46 am Anyone else just happy the Ravens lost? So glad I can just enjoy these games without really giving a shit about the outcome. Sorry for you Mahomes haters.

I am slightly torn because the Bills are the team I think I'd lean towards preferring, but Buffalo losing to the Eagles in the SB and completing the quadfecta of loss against the NFC East would be funny.
No you twunt, I’m not.

I also wanted the Ravens to win