![COVER-Titans-Joe-Robbins]()
Over the past few weeks, we have had a lot of fun discussing NFL team names and interesting city origins, and now we’re going to step through a wrinkle in time to look at what’s going on in an alternate universe? These NFL team names nearly came to fruition in our world.
Most pro sports teams now put the honor of naming their team into a “Name Our Team” contest in local newspapers, which is a smart way to keep local fans from freaking out on a ridiculous team name (see Tampa Bay Devil Rays). But much like Tampa Bay’s former owner, Vince Naimoli, many of our old school NFL teams decided they knew best, and they decided to name their teams without help.
Interestingly, there are also a lot of fan contests that nearly named these NFL teams something completely different than what we’re used to now. Thanks to MentalFloss.com for digging up all of these NFL Nickname Origins.
9 NFL Teams Almost Named Something Completely Different
As you go through these “close-call” team names, think about how your life would be different if you lived in a world with these weird team names, which seem like they were pulled out of a Hollywood movie that didn’t get NFL rights.
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Oakland Raiders? Could Have Been Oakland Señors
![]()
An Oakland policewoman apparently submitted this entry in a name-the-team contest – and won! She even got a trip to the Bahamas out of it! The term “Señors” refers to the Spanish settlers of northern California. The name wasn’t popular with fans early on, and eventually, the Raiders GM at the time, Scotty Stirling, who was a former sportswriter, gave another reason why they needed a different nickname. “We don’t have the accent mark for the n in our headline type,” said Stirling.
Photo Credit: Travis Lindquist, Getty Images
Seattle Seahawks? Could Have Been Seattle Seagulls
![]()
When I picture the Seattle Seagulls helmet, it’s 20-percent covered in bird poop.
In another name-the-team contest held in 1975, 1,700 team names were submitted, and Seagulls was a common one, along with Lumberjacks and – Seahawks.
Still, though, wouldn’t it have been awesome to see opposing teams entering the visiting tunnel after a loss to Seattle, and have a cannon blast a spray of white crap all over them?
Photo Credit: Otto Greule Jr., Getty Images
Tennessee Titans? Could Have Been Tennessee South Stars
![]()
Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams moved the team to Tennessee in 1995, and they kept the name “Oilers” for the first couple seasons. Another name-the-team contest came up with “Titans” over team names like the Copperheads, South Stars and Tornadoes.
There is some correlation between South Star and Tennessee, but I can’t figure out what it is. I’ve googled, I’ve Wiki’d, I’ve asked my dog Frank. Nothing. Tweet me @DavidGonos to tell me what I’m missing and I’ll replace this lame text with the answer!
Photo Credit: Joe Robbins, Getty Images
Dallas Cowboys? Could Have Been Dallas Steers
![]()
There are only two things in Texas: Steers and … Cowboys. Tex Schramm decided against the original team name for the Dallas Cowboys (the Dallas Steers) because he thought a castrated bovine opened them up to too much ridicule around the league. He initially went with Texas Rangers, but there was a minor-league baseball team with that name already (the MLB team came after 1960, when the Cowboys started in the NFL).
Photo Credit: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Getty Images
Kansas City Chiefs? Could Have Been Kansas City Mules
![]()
While the NFL Cowboys began in 1960, the AFL Dallas team was called the Dallas Texans, so when they moved to Kansas City, it didn’t make much sense for them to keep that moniker (Kansas City Texans?). So owner Lamar Hunt thought about changing the team nickname to Mules, Royals or Stars. Eventually, they landed on Chiefs, to honor Native Americans that lived there, as well as to honor then K.C. mayor H. Roe Bartle, whose nickname was “The Chief.”
Photo Credit: Wolfgang Kaehler, Getty Images
New York Jets? Could Have Been New York Dodgers
![]()
D-O-D-G-E-R-S! DODGERS! DODGERS! DODGERS!
It just doesn’t have the same ring.
But the team considered changing their original team name (New York Titans) to the Dodgers in 1963 after a new investment group purchased them out of bankruptcy. But MLB wasn’t a fan of them renaming the football team after the old baseball team (from Brooklyn), and they settled on the Jets because they played in Shea Stadium, which was near La Guardia Airport.
Ironically, the N.Y. Jets play in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which makes it closer to the Newark Liberty Int’l Airport.
Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images
Baltimore Ravens? Could Have Been Baltimore Marauders
![]()
The Ravens were named so after Baltimore native Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem, “The Raven.” But a name-the-team contest also had popular entries such as Americans and Marauders.
Really, wouldn’t the Baltimore Marauders have been appropriate, considering they stole the team from Cleveland? The Marauders referenced a B-26 plane that was built by Glenn L. Martin Company, which was the Baltimore predecessor to Lockheed Martin.
Owner Art Modell did attempt to buy the “Colts” nickname back from the Indianapolis team that originally moved from Baltimore, but it didn’t happen.
Photo Credit: Larry French, Getty Images
Cincinnati Bengals? Could Have Been Cincinnati Buckeyes
![]()
Follow this: Cincinnati’s NFL ballclub, managed by the man the Cleveland Browns franchise was named after, was nearly named the Buckeyes , the area’s favorite college football team. As a matter of fact, “Buckeyes” was the most popular suggestion from fans, but GM Paul Brown chose Bengals instead, as an homage to the pro football team that played in Cincinnati from 1937-42.
Photo Credit: Ullstein Bild, Getty Images
Cleveland Browns? Could Have Been Cleveland Panthers
![]()
Speaking of Paul Browns’ former ballclub, there were actually some disagreements about why they were named the Browns. Some said it was because of the “Brown Bomber,” Joe Louis. But that turned out to be a rumor started by Paul Brown, in order to divert attention from the fact it was named after him. (Didn’t they have Wikipedia back in 1945? They should have known the only connecting the Brown Bomber had to Cleveland was that he fought there once in 1936.)
Paul Brown vetoed the Browns at first, wanting to name them the Panthers, but a local businessman owned the rights to the Cleveland Panthers name. Smart businessman! He must be a gazillionaire now with that team name! (Dummy should have sold them the rights. Then the Carolina Panthers could be named the … Carolina Browns or something.
Photo Credit: Tony Tomsic, Getty Images
1/9
Oakland Raiders? Could Have Been Oakland Señors
An Oakland policewoman apparently submitted this entry in a name-the-team contest – and won! She even got a trip to the Bahamas out of it! The term “Señors” refers to the Spanish settlers of northern California. The name wasn’t popular with fans early on, and eventually, the Raiders GM at the time, Scotty Stirling, who was a former sportswriter, gave another reason why they needed a different nickname. “We don’t have the accent mark for the n in our headline type,” said Stirling.
Photo Credit: Travis Lindquist, Getty Images
2/9
Seattle Seahawks? Could Have Been Seattle Seagulls
When I picture the Seattle Seagulls helmet, it’s 20-percent covered in bird poop.
In another name-the-team contest held in 1975, 1,700 team names were submitted, and Seagulls was a common one, along with Lumberjacks and – Seahawks.
Still, though, wouldn’t it have been awesome to see opposing teams entering the visiting tunnel after a loss to Seattle, and have a cannon blast a spray of white crap all over them?
Photo Credit: Otto Greule Jr., Getty Images
3/9
Tennessee Titans? Could Have Been Tennessee South Stars
Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams moved the team to Tennessee in 1995, and they kept the name “Oilers” for the first couple seasons. Another name-the-team contest came up with “Titans” over team names like the Copperheads, South Stars and Tornadoes.
There is some correlation between South Star and Tennessee, but I can’t figure out what it is. I’ve googled, I’ve Wiki’d, I’ve asked my dog Frank. Nothing. Tweet me @DavidGonos to tell me what I’m missing and I’ll replace this lame text with the answer!
Photo Credit: Joe Robbins, Getty Images
4/9
Dallas Cowboys? Could Have Been Dallas Steers
There are only two things in Texas: Steers and … Cowboys. Tex Schramm decided against the original team name for the Dallas Cowboys (the Dallas Steers) because he thought a castrated bovine opened them up to too much ridicule around the league. He initially went with Texas Rangers, but there was a minor-league baseball team with that name already (the MLB team came after 1960, when the Cowboys started in the NFL).
Photo Credit: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Getty Images
5/9
Kansas City Chiefs? Could Have Been Kansas City Mules
While the NFL Cowboys began in 1960, the AFL Dallas team was called the Dallas Texans, so when they moved to Kansas City, it didn’t make much sense for them to keep that moniker (Kansas City Texans?). So owner Lamar Hunt thought about changing the team nickname to Mules, Royals or Stars. Eventually, they landed on Chiefs, to honor Native Americans that lived there, as well as to honor then K.C. mayor H. Roe Bartle, whose nickname was “The Chief.”
Photo Credit: Wolfgang Kaehler, Getty Images
6/9
New York Jets? Could Have Been New York Dodgers
D-O-D-G-E-R-S! DODGERS! DODGERS! DODGERS!
It just doesn’t have the same ring.
But the team considered changing their original team name (New York Titans) to the Dodgers in 1963 after a new investment group purchased them out of bankruptcy. But MLB wasn’t a fan of them renaming the football team after the old baseball team (from Brooklyn), and they settled on the Jets because they played in Shea Stadium, which was near La Guardia Airport.
Ironically, the N.Y. Jets play in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which makes it closer to the Newark Liberty Int’l Airport.
Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images
7/9
Baltimore Ravens? Could Have Been Baltimore Marauders
The Ravens were named so after Baltimore native Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem, “The Raven.” But a name-the-team contest also had popular entries such as Americans and Marauders.
Really, wouldn’t the Baltimore Marauders have been appropriate, considering they stole the team from Cleveland? The Marauders referenced a B-26 plane that was built by Glenn L. Martin Company, which was the Baltimore predecessor to Lockheed Martin.
Owner Art Modell did attempt to buy the “Colts” nickname back from the Indianapolis team that originally moved from Baltimore, but it didn’t happen.
Photo Credit: Larry French, Getty Images
8/9
Cincinnati Bengals? Could Have Been Cincinnati Buckeyes
Follow this: Cincinnati’s NFL ballclub, managed by the man the Cleveland Browns franchise was named after, was nearly named the Buckeyes , the area’s favorite college football team. As a matter of fact, “Buckeyes” was the most popular suggestion from fans, but GM Paul Brown chose Bengals instead, as an homage to the pro football team that played in Cincinnati from 1937-42.
Photo Credit: Ullstein Bild, Getty Images
9/9
Cleveland Browns? Could Have Been Cleveland Panthers
Speaking of Paul Browns’ former ballclub, there were actually some disagreements about why they were named the Browns. Some said it was because of the “Brown Bomber,” Joe Louis. But that turned out to be a rumor started by Paul Brown, in order to divert attention from the fact it was named after him. (Didn’t they have Wikipedia back in 1945? They should have known the only connecting the Brown Bomber had to Cleveland was that he fought there once in 1936.)
Paul Brown vetoed the Browns at first, wanting to name them the Panthers, but a local businessman owned the rights to the Cleveland Panthers name. Smart businessman! He must be a gazillionaire now with that team name! (Dummy should have sold them the rights. Then the Carolina Panthers could be named the … Carolina Browns or something.
Photo Credit: Tony Tomsic, Getty Images
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Photo Credit: Joe Robbins, Getty Images
