Hush Puppies wild-card in team name contest
JOHN G. OWNBY/TIMES-DISPATCH
The Hush Puppies join five original contenders in the competition to pick a nickname for the new Richmond baseball club.
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MORE The Richmond what? See what baseball fans think of the proposed team names. |
Does Richmond have a hankering for Hush Puppies?
That was the winner of CNBC's push Wednesday for a wild-card entry in the Richmond baseball name-theteam contest.
Hush Puppies joins Flatheads, Flying Squirrels, Hambones, Rhinos and Rock Hoppers, names previously submitted by the public and chosen as finalists by the Double-A team's management. Hush Puppies was chosen from more than 9,000 votes during a 12-hour period.
"It goes to show the passion that people have. A name is not just a name," said Darren Rovell, CNBC's sports business reporter and vote conductor. "People really care."
Voting for finalists closes Sunday. The Eastern League franchise's name, picked by club operators after weighing public opinion, will be announced Thursday.
Last month, regional and team officials announced that the Double-A Connecticut Defenders are relocating to Richmond and will begin playing at The Diamond in the spring.
The suggestion of Hush Puppies as the name for the new Richmond team was submitted by Jeff Dunn and selected by Rovell. Dunn's hometown was not immediately available from CNBC.
Hush puppies are fried balls of cornmeal dough, and Hush Puppies are a brand of shoe. Factored into the process of winner selection will be an investigation by Minor League Baseball of trademark issues.
Chuck Domino, the chief executive manager of the Richmond franchise, said Hush Puppies "has a shot. . . . Sounds pretty good, I think, and it has some appeal from a merchandising standpoint with the kids, as well."
Rovell conceded that Hush Puppies has no specific connection to Richmond.
"That's clearly the risk I'm taking," he said. "But you've got the Southern heritage. It's definitely kid-friendly. Great mascot possibilities. And then you've got the concession tie-in. If this does become the name, they better have some good hush puppies, I'll tell you that. They better hire the guy who makes the best hush puppies in America."
Rovell said he gave serious consideration to Hellbenders, Grits, Stink Pots, Battle Ants, Cicadas, River Raptors, Tree Frogs, Blood Suckers and Dirt Balls.
Rovell estimated that more than 60 percent of the sixth-name entries were sent from the Richmond area. That response, he said, may reflect dissatisfaction with the five other finalists, which were chosen from among more than 6,000 entries.
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or
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Reader Reactions
Great, we get a wild card in there and it’s just as stupid as most of the others. I’m all for taking a different approach for naming teams but these are absurd. Can we just keep the Defenders name? Oh R-Braves I miss you now more than ever.
wake up Richmond baseball teams do not have loney tune names. teams are named after something that has to due with the sport. when did baseball and fishing equal? it don’t the team should be named after our major league affiliate which would be the giants. the braves have 3 of their teams named after them. myrtle beach has the pelicans which fits. but none of these names that we have fit and dont make since. the best team name for richmond is natives, confederates, colonials think history jamestown first english settlement, richmond capital of the confederate army. Colonials because of williamsburg one of the original 13 colonies, washington, jefferson, monroe, baseball is historic, richmond is historic.
I have heard a lot of silly names but hush puppies is the worst. Ithink Richmond Reptiles is a good one it should take care of all the animals.
WhiteAngus….it isn’t just that kids don’t like the park or the atmosphere though you can sensate kids enough to get them hyped to almost anything but baseball’s overall popularity in the public consciousness has waned substantially over the last two or three decades. I think the average age of the fans has risen and risen and risen.
I think everyone should quit blaming the Diamond and start letting these AA whizzes who aren’t giving us “our own team” but one owned by a guy in New York City who lives and will live there and see what they do to make it entertaining. Baseball itself simply isn’t entertaining enough in a non sports town to begin with.
Let the out of town Flatheads give it a try. It will be fun while it lasts and baseball games will be incidental.
Lance
“2- not kid friendly. when your kids dont want to go, it no longer becomes a family atmosphere.-the new owners have proven backgrounds in attracting fans and making baseball more than just a game. i think we are lucky to have these people here, and good riddance to the Braves once and for all we now have a team of our own.“
Amen! I was very happy to hear the new owners talk about their ideas to incorporate family involvement.
I took my son to family day at the Richmond Kickers this past June, and he had an absolute blast! Not only did he enjoy watching the soccer game, he enjoyed the atmosphere with bounce houses, and games. Also pre-game, he got an opportunity to go onto the field, and play ball while some of the Kickers coached.
If we had something like that with the baseball team, I’m sure that kids would have a blast. If the kids want to come, and it’s affordable - good clean family fun - I’m sure families will come regardless of name.
It really sounds like they want to make some good upgrades to the Diamond too. Good on them!
you say that if the new team “kicks butt”, people will come to the games… just 2 seasons ago, the Braves won the championship and finished with worse attendance the year before AND second worse in the league. the two main reasons why people stopped going to the games:
1- the diamond; ugly, uncomfortable,
Atlanta put no money into the team that they owned, cheap concessions.
2- not kid friendly. when your kids dont want to go, it no longer becomes a family atmosphere.———-the new owners have proven backgrounds in attracting fans and making baseball more than just a game. i think we are lucky to have these people here, and good riddance to the Braves once and for all… we now have a team of our own.
Serioulsy, when are you people going to stop pulling for the “Rapids”?? It’s a boring, uninspired name that’s not even an option….GET OVER IT
Does the name really matter? I just want to be able to go to baseball games again. I dont like the names, maybe flatheads is my fav. I just want to watch games at the park. Anyone who will truely go to the games wont care one way or the other. I’d say 99% of those with negative replys prob dont go to games anyways and a sweet name wouldnt make a difference. Richmond Braves was pretty good, but the attendance was low. So, whats in a name? If they kick booty, people will go.
OMG, that one’s as bad as the others! Why not the Rapids to denote Richmond’s historical significance of being built on the fall line? Or the Monuments, to bring further attention to one of the things the city is known for? Both were submitted! Obviously, even the CNBC vote was just a joke.
Chuck Domino is the man.
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