That name I like as well. Thrashville... I'm sure Jerkunitz won't change the name, so Silverbacks will remain.
Love that name, especially for a hockey team. Getting the backstory the Silverbacks name makes a little more sense now, but I still think it's kinda silly. I mean I'm sure the Bronx Zoo has some monkeys, but that wouldn't justify calling the Yankees the New York Chimps. In fact, a giant gorilla mascot would make more sense for NY than it does for Atlanta if you go with the King Kong reference lol. As for new name ideas, I'm sure something better than Silverbacks could be developed if they wanted. I like the old Chiefs and Apollo(s) NASL names. Either of those would work. How about Varsity FC? Has a team ever been named after a hot dog drive in before? lol Seriously though I think Silverbacks has at least a little name recognition, and failing going with one of the old NASL names they ought to stick with it.
Everyone that's interested in the Silverbacks return should be a part of the Atlanta Online Soccer Summit. Thursday, December 16th @ 8pm. more info @ http://tinyurl.com/atlsummit
Willie B. was the attraction at Zoo Atlanta for many years, hence the name. I think he even made an American Tourister luggage commercial back in the 70's. Either Chiefs or Apollos would be fine with me, although I think we're a little too PC for Chiefs to come back.
I'd go with "Pink Elephants" if they put a quality team on the field, do things the right way and have some longevity.
1. Turner is no longer that much of a presence in ATL, and Ted's long gone. Games on TNT would be cool, though. But it'd probably take a miracle to even get them on CSS. 2. Bleeaah.
Or take a step up the evolutionary ladder and go with the Atlanta Human Beings. This could be their mascot: That'll instill fear in the opposition.
I've never liked the name, and if there was ever a time to change it, it's now. I don't think it'll happen though. They're already too invested in it--gorilla costumes don't come cheap, and they lose their resale value pretty quickly.
Ahh shows how much I keep up with Turner and Ted lol... The names were a joke...But I take it you figured that out. Yeah.
They could use Apollos, and still keep the gorilla costume. Heck, they wouldn't even have to change the colors; just get new uniforms that are just red and white.
What about Olympic Atlanta? It's relevant to the city at least. Although truth be told, I don't have a big problem with the current name. And I will also say that the name should mean something to the citizens of the city where the team plays and it really shouldn't matter it the name makes sense to people who are not from that city because the name/ team is not meant for them to identify with.
For many people, myself included, Olympic has a bad taste. The '96 Olympics was not exactly the brightest spot in Atlanta history, for various reasons.
I'll give you the Centennial Park Bombing. But, other than that? I enjoyed the hell out of the Olympics. We had a blast. Went to several events that we got tickets to. Went to several free events (the bicycle race through the city). Went to Centennial Park several times. Traffic to and from work was the best I can ever remember. I even walked from Fulton County Stadium down to CNN Center. Try doing that today. Overall, a wonderful experience (absent the bombing, of course). Would love to host again.
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Congrats on signing Fernando González, he played awesome for the PRNT sub-21, he should be a great addition
Really like Fernando, good central midfielder that I covered when he played HS/Club soccer in Tampa and then for South Florida.
Just found out today! I had given up after last season. This is great. They'll certainly need some better crowds out there. At least more adults.
Just tie in the "new Atlanta Chiefs" with the Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa (who were named after the original Atlanta Chiefs) through some kind of co-marketing deal, sister city/sister club deal maybe, and BAM! away go your "PC" problems. Use one kind of PC to negate the other. I calls it the anti-PC jujutsu! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizer_Chiefs_F.C. If the old logo is "un-PC" create a new one that doesn't reference American Indians. The word "chiefs" doesn't have to refer to American Indians.
I see the various signings for the team but havent seen any word on goalkeepers. Not an "unimportant" position for any team at any level. Does anyone know what keepers the team is getting ready to sign? The season is only a month away...