Well it is pretty close to the San Andreas fault ... and was picked originally (NASL) by a newspaper contest where people sent in names (if I remember correctly) ... so someone thought the name was a bit fitting. It ain't like the place isn't an activity center for the things or anything: http://earthquaketrack.com/us-ca-san-jose/recent What, exactly, doesn't make sense?
The only people a name should matter to are the local fans. If it makes sense to them than it makes sense. Give it enough time and let the history build and even the "dumbest" names become cool (there are Lakes in LA?) I am what most people would call a Euro Snob, we get a team in San Diego, I want them called the Sockers (and I think a lot of San Diegans would agree with me). That is the cheesiest of cheesy 80's names but in San Diego it really does have history. Added on I don't want the clubs named FC to change, but I would like a club to be named SC, and maybe another one (looking at you LA2) be CD. An ode to the different influences of the game in America.
No, but there are Lakes in Minnesota where the Lakers are originally from before moving to LA. Back then people understood that just because you moved it didn't suddenly turn you into a new team, all that history in the other city doesn't suddenly vanish, nor in reality can it be transferred to another team no matter how much you pretend otherwise.
Orlando City is a SC. As is Columbus Crew. Both of those have it prominent in their name. Columbus has it on their new crest. Technically Chicago Fire is Chicago Fire Soccer Club but they don't use it much.
The logic behind naming a sports team "the Earthquakes" just because earthquakes occur in the region.
Naming teams after things that have local or regional relevance seems like a pretty logical practice.
I find it completely illogical and cringeworthy. It's like naming your dog "lickshisownballs" just because he does.
And it's taken to a silly and cringeworthy extreme with the name Earthquakes. It would be no different than naming a team the Missouri Tornadoes. Embarrassing.
I'm really not following your argument logic here. Earthquakes have had a significant impact on California, and San Jose, history. Would it make more sense to name a team in San Jose something generic with no connection to the area? I think team names like Earthquakes, '76ers, Heat, Knicks, etc. are great because they have a connection to the area they're located in.
Yea, like the Oklahoma City Thunder, or Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, or Miami Hurricanes, or Iowa State Cyclones, or Connecticut Sun, or Concordia Tornadoes, Geneva Golden Tornadoes, or Knox College Prairie Fire, Lake Erie Storm, Mills College Cyclones, New England Univ. Nor'easters, St. John's Red Storm, Simpson College Storm, SE Oklahoma St Savage Storm, Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm, Wheaton Thunder, Tulsa Golden Hurricane (ok I'll give you that one, not a lot of hurricanes in Tulsa).
Apparently Tulsa was going to be the Golden Tornado based on their new uniforms back in the 1920s but found out that Georgia Tech was using Golden Tornado at the time so they switched to Hurricane.
I'm pretty conservative when it comes to team names. If you want your team name to stand the test of time, you should stick with either a color or an animal. The Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds don't need to worry about their names becoming anachronistic. There's something to be said for old-fashioned minimalism.
Yeah, let's go back to the good old days of naming after colors and animals, like the Chicago Orphans and Brooklyn Bridegrooms! There were just as many bad names in the "good old days" as there are now. The bad names mostly dropped away, and the good ones stood the test of time. Renaming teams with bad/dated names is not some new thing.
The logic is sound. You're disagreeing with it isn't. ... and the Golden Tornado came from the coach after they were tearing people's asses on the field (undefeated season beating A&M and Arkansas). Cringeworthy is an opinion and if that's yours, that's fine. I will call out the thought train that got you there though. There is absolutely nothing illogical about it. Turning a destructive force and negative event into a positive denotation is something done in many other facets of life ... and in particular as a sporting name is very logical.
Most mls fans will agree that the league has a few too many teams with crappy names. The reason they defend them anyways, is because mls fans are used to getting dumped on by practically everyone. from soccer fans to non-soccer people. These fans need to learn that you can still support something while criticizing certain aspects of it. SERIOUSLY though, mls has some terrible, terrible names, with more coming!
Stop projecting your personal life onto others. We see the same lame/shitty/etc team names across all sports in all countries. Get over it.