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Ball Don't Lie

Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:25 am EDT

Poll, part II: What should Oklahoma City's nickname be?

By J.E. Skeets

The NBA didn't like that KOCO-TV leaked word that the Oklahoma City team name was going to be Thunder, so they went and registered five other names on Friday to keep us on our toes. The six names filled for trademark: Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Thunder and Wind. Also known as: Meh, Blah, Ha, Spell Check Please, Hmph and Ugh. But that's my crack fox opinion, what do you think? Vote for your favorite OKC nickname below.

Nickname: Barons
Marketing campaign: "Shoot 'em up, shoot 'em down."
Mascot: Snoopy or a bison in a monacle and top hat
Dance team: The Flying Aces
Arena songs: "We Fly High" by Jim Jones, "I Want To Take You Higher" by Sly & The Family Stone, "Shoot 'Em Down" by Twisted Sisters, "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic

Nickname: Bisons
Marketing campaign: "The extermination will not be televised."
Mascot: A live American bison
Dance team: Amazing Graze
Arena songs: "Buffalo Stance” by Neheh Cherry, "Teeth In The Grass" by Iron & Wine, "Wherever I May Roam" by Metallica, "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic

Nickname: Energy
Marketing campaign: "Pure energy!"
Mascot: The Energizer Bunny and/or Ronny Turiaf
Dance team: The Lovely Joules presented by PowerThirst
Arena songs: "The Voice Of Energy" by Kraftwerk, "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic

Nickname: Marshalls
Marketing campaign: "Family clothing, fashionable shoes, unique home accents and basketball!"
Mascot: Cube
Dance team: Discounted Splendor
Arena songs: "The Real Deal" by Sammy Hagar, "Window Shopping" by the Jackson 5, "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic

Nickname: Thunder
Marketing campaign: "Ahhhhhh ... astraphobia!"
Mascot: Golden State Warriors' Thunder
Dance team: Sonic Shock Wave
Arena songs: "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC, "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic

Nickname: Wind
Marketing campaign: "Wind it up!"
Mascot: The Farting Preacher
Dance team: Cool Breeze
Arena songs: "The Wind" by Cat Stevens, "Hellz Wind Staff" by Wu-Tang, "Blowin' In The Wind" by Bob Dylan, "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic

So, what should Oklahoma City's nickname be? You decide.


What should Oklahoma City's nickname be?

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3426 Comments

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  1. JP
    1. Posted by JP Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:42 pm EDT

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    Thunder is going to be hard to represent graphically. Then again, they'll probably just lazily use a picture of lightning like Skeets did.
  2. Devine
    2. Posted by Devine Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:39 pm EDT

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    Neneh Cherry, FTW. Also topical, because I have it on good authority that several key Sonics ALWAYS fight over who gets to be M.Bison in team "Marvel vs. Capcom 2" tourneys. Sene's ill with the flaming torpedo.
  3. Matt
    3. Posted by Matt Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:28 pm EDT

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    Talk about a poor pool of options. Didn't any of those marketing geniuses there in "Tornado Alley" even consider The Cyclones? It's got alliteration with Oklahoma CITY, and sounds pretty formidable. I guess given the choices, I'd be OK (get it?!) with either the Barons or the Bison, but Thunder is weak. It sounds like an NHL expansion team or an MLS franchise. This is the worst idea since changing the Bullets to the Wizards.
  4. Southpaw
    4. Posted by Southpaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:34 pm EDT

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    *In response to #1* They probably just make it out to be like the Thundering Herd, which in turn will combine the Bison and the Thunder into one. It will also represent the Marshalls, since the Thundering Herd is Marshall's nickname.
  5. chacharles
    5. Posted by chacharles Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:21 pm EDT

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    Thunder would be great in black. But it sounds like they came from the WNBA...
  6. Sky P
    6. Posted by Sky P Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:26 pm EDT

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    Nice work Skeets, I haven't seen a reference to the farting preacher in about 6-7 years now.
  7. Red Dawn
    7. Posted by Red Dawn Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:11 pm EDT

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    I went with Barons just to see a bison in a top hat and monacle
  8. Brock
    8. Posted by Brock Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:13 pm EDT

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    What, no option to vote for the Oklahoma City Technotronics?
  9. shadowdog87
    9. Posted by shadowdog87 Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:15 pm EDT

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    I'm really tired of faux-plural team names. It took 'Heat' and 'Magic' ages to catch on in my mind, and names like 'Thunder' and 'Wind' are way too WNBA. Please, OKC, choose Barons or Marshalls.
  10. Derek
    10. Posted by Derek Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    Skeets, you must love your Technotronic.
  11. fimpakron
    11. Posted by fimpakron Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:59 pm EDT

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    If they call themselves the Thunder, their mascot should be Darryl Dawkins.
  12. lions, vikings, and bears suck
    12. Posted by lions, vikings, and bears suck Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:44 pm EDT

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    these r retarded especially the marketing campaign slogans
  13. Josh M
    13. Posted by Josh M Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:43 pm EDT

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    #4- ThunderBison doesn't sound too bad actually.
  14. Jody
    14. Posted by Jody Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:21 pm EDT

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    People- there is NO REASON why Wind isn't winning. Think about this, folks- an NBA team whose name is synonymous with passing gas. The puns would be never ending.
  15. Buster
    15. Posted by Buster Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:28 pm EDT

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    i want the barons jus cuz i like we fly high-BALLINNNNNNNNNNN!
  16. mark i
    16. Posted by mark i Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:08 pm EDT

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    I'm with triblsoldier...imagine their first loss to Phoenix:
    "Shaq Breaks Wind."
    Cmonnnnn...
  17. RobertS
    17. Posted by RobertS Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:33 pm EDT

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    I think all of the selected nicknames and maskots are a bit off for the new OKC team. Why don't the NBA executives try " The Oklahoma City Tornadoes" as a possibility?
  18. doneycat
    18. Posted by doneycat Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:46 pm EDT

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    I like the Marshalls. Then, if TJ Ford plays well in Indiana until the end of his contract, and if OKC is under the cap, they can throw a boatload of money at Ford, so we can see the headline:
    "Marshalls Give TJ Max"
  19. Jaceman
    19. Posted by Jaceman Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:40 pm EDT

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    Honestly all the of the names sound like teams from the WNBA, D-League, or minor league hockey.
  20. Doseofreality
    20. Posted by Doseofreality Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    I have a few nice names that should get some attention better than those...
    Oklahoma City Soldiers
    Oklahoma City Slickers
    Oklahoma City Bombers
    This one would be great sine they stole the team from Seattle..
    Oklahoma City SuperStarz
  21. Doseofreality
    21. Posted by Doseofreality Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    I have a few nice names that should get some attention better than those...
    Oklahoma City Soldiers
    Oklahoma City Slickers
    Oklahoma City Bombers
    This one would be great sine they stole the team from Seattle..
    Oklahoma City SuperStarz
  22. Lawrence G.
    22. Posted by Lawrence G. Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:12 pm EDT

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    Seriously, "Pump Up the Jam" is on everyone's playlists? It wasn't that great of a song was it?
  23. Juicy Melon Jim
    23. Posted by Juicy Melon Jim Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:44 pm EDT

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    Oklahoma City Dump. FTW.
  24. Juicy Melon Jim
    24. Posted by Juicy Melon Jim Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:44 pm EDT

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    Oh, and "Drop it like it's hot" for the song.
  25. Wompus
    25. Posted by Wompus Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:26 pm EDT

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    What about the Oklahoma Sexuals????

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Ball Don't Lie is an NBA blog edited by J.E. Skeets. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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