Name for new Ottawa Can-Am team

[thirdbase]

Any suggestions for the name of the Ottawa team in the Can-Am League?

I would prefer a cat name that is bilingual...

If we exclude lYnx, I see two good possibilities:

Leopards - Cougars

[rjw8625]

not long after the final Lynx game, I had suggested Canalmen over on Carl's blog to honor the Rideau Canal workers who lost their lives. Capital City Canalmen has a nice ring to it in a league where many teams past and present have been named for counties, regions, and even entire states.

There was a comment made recently on that blog since the team's announcement that called into question the marketability of such a name. Can't argue with that vs. an easily mascotable and merchandisable name like many animals.

[OttawaBallFan]

ThirdBase, you beat me to this.

I have a fun suggestion. Here's how this is going to work. You may have seen this on other forums.

I have a list of eleven names me and my kids came up with. Beside each you see the number 10 which is its point value:

Black Bears 10
Canalmen 10
Lumberjacks 10
Otters 10
Oaks 10
Pumas 10
Raftmen 10
Ravens 10
Squirrels 10
Thunderbolts 10
Wolff Pack 10
417s 10


For each name you like, add one point, for each name you don't like, substract one point.

My own choices for the names I like are Lumberjacks, Pumas, Thunderbolts, Raftmen, 417s and Wolff Pack. The names I don't like are Black Bears and Otters. I'm indifferent to the others so the list now becomes:

Black Bears 9
Canalmen 10
Lumberjacks 11
Otters 9
Oaks 10
Pumas 11
Raftmen 11
Ravens 10
Squirrels 10
Thunderbolts 11
Wolff Pack 11
417s 11

When a name reaches 0 points, it can be officially removed. Please vote only once. I will allow your own suggestions so you can add a name to the list and give it a point value of 11. We will soon see which name is preferred but it is in no way official. Just for fun. Fans of other teams can join too.

Have fun!

[thirdbase]

ThirdBase, you beat me to this.

I have a fun suggestion. Here's how this is going to work. You may have seen this on other forums.

I have a list of eleven names me and my kids came up with. Beside each you see the number 10 which is its point value:

Black Bears 10
Canalmen 10
Lumberjacks 10
Otters 10
Oaks 10
Pumas 10
Raftmen 10
Ravens 10
Squirrels 10
Thunderbolts 10
Wolff Pack 10
417s 10


For each name you like, add one point, for each name you don't like, substract one point.

My own choices for the names I like are Lumberjacks, Pumas, Thunderbolts, Raftmen, 417s and Wolff Pack. The names I don't like are Black Bears and Otters. I'm indifferent to the others so the list now becomes:

Black Bears 9
Canalmen 10
Lumberjacks 11
Otters 9
Oaks 10
Pumas 11
Raftmen 11
Ravens 10
Squirrels 10
Thunderbolts 11
Wolff Pack 11
417s 11

When a name reaches 0 points, it can be officially removed. Please vote only once. I will allow your own suggestions so you can add a name to the list and give it a point value of 11. We will soon see which name is preferred but it is in no way official. Just for fun. Fans of other teams can join too.

Have fun!

The problem with alot of these names is that they are english only, and Miles Wolff has made it clear that he wants a name that works in either french and english. So unfortunately 417s, Wolff Pack, Thunderbolts, Squirrels, ravens, Raftmen, Oaks, Otters, Lumberjacks, Canalmen and Black bears would not work.

Puma does get a passing grade (although in North America you would usually call them Cougars... which is the same in both languages also).

[summerfan]

Thirdbase
They will want a name that is also marketable.

Rjw
What is this blog by carl your talking about.Do you have a link.

[OttawaBallFan]

Well, we could still do it for fun.

Coming up with a name that would work in both languages will be a challenge. Actually, 417s would work and so would raftmen (there is a song in French, "Laissez passer les raftmen") so I think it would work.

Carl has two blogs now. The original is

ottawalynxblog.com

which I think he will keep only for Lynx news as far as the legal matters is concerned. I'm already checking it less since he started the Unofficial CanAm Ottawa blog a week ago.

canamottawa.wordpress.com

So what names do you guys suggest that would work in both languages?

[OttawaBallFan]

Quick internet search gave me

www.scoutsdequebec.qc.ca/partitions/lesraftsman.html

for the words to the song. Note it is spelled Raftsman which I think is just the way that francophones would say it. I may have just the wrong spelling myself. Should it be Raftmen or RaftSmen with an s in the middle?

I believe I have the song on an old 33 record which I can transfer and make available if you guys are interested. It's got good rythm and would be perfect for a team song, maybe change the words, have them in English.

My daughter suggested Lumberjacks and when she did, I immediately thought of the Monty Python song. I thought it would be cool if it was the team song.

The only other name I could think of is Logdrivers (or Log Drivers?) but that is not a bilingual name...

[Minor League Man]

I think Pumas is the best option (Spelled the same in English & French, plus a cat theme like Lynx)

[thirdbase]

Plenty of (bilingual) cat names available;

Leopards
Pumas
Cougars
Lions
Ocelots
Lynx

Or just to be different with can go with (bilingual) dog names;

Dobermans
Rottweilers
Bulldogs
Huskies
Malamuthes
Terriers
Beagles

[OttawaBallFan]

Doesn't have to be a cat name or even animal. I like some of your suggestions.

I looked at other baseball team's names, past and present, mostly minor leagues and came up with a list of names I like. I also looked in the dictionary for inspiration and even Ottawa street names. Here's what I came up with.

Aces (french spelling is As)
Alert (Alerte in French)
Alouettes
Atomics (use Atomiques spelling?)
Cabaret
Cannibals
Cavaliers
Champions
Chinooks
Concorde (it worked for Montreal football team)
Cowboys
Detour
Diamonds (too bad French spelling is different)
Dragons
Eagles (I like but french is Aigles)
Electric (maybe Atomics above should be Atomic)
Equinox
Esplanade
Huskies
Jets
Lauriers
Leopards (with accent in French)
Lions (OK but I really don't like it, too overused)
Lucid
Machine
Mauves
Metros (also accented)
Mustangs
Orioles (don't like to use name of existing ML team)
Oxygen
Pintos
Pirates (I don't like this one)
Quartz
Renards (french for fox, I think it works in English, somewhat)
Ribbits (I saw a team called the Frogs and thought, why not use the sound)
Rideaus
Serpents (works in both languages but I don't like it)
Techies (I think it works in French)
Tigers (French is different spelling)
Velour
Volt
Zenith
Zephyrs
Zoom

There is so many, I'm not sure which one I like best. We could of course retain the Lynx name but not sure that would be a good idea. It could also be the Senators (the baseball Senators) but that might not work well and confusing.

[titanium]

I really like......... Ottawa Valley Loggers.

It's a bit of a back handed reference to the Leigh Valley Iron Pigs: which is the new name of the Lynx in Allentown, Pa.

More importantly however, "Ottawa Valley" recognizes and acknowledges baseball fans in our rural areas & the term "Ottawa Valley" is very common & accepted.

Of course "Loggers" is a direct reference to the rich history of the logging industry in Ottawa and surrounding areas.

[rjw8625]

so I'm watching the Discovery Channel in the U.S. and there's a special on wildlife in the Himalayas.

on the screen is an animal that seems incredibly appropriate.

the Snow Leopard

so my official entries are

Capital City Canalmen
and
Ottawa Snow Leopards

[thirdbase]

Except that in French a snow leopard is a "panthere de l'amour" (love panther).... :infun:

[OttawaBallFan]

I like Loggers. Not so sure about using Valley as part of the name although Ottawa Valley Loggers makes more geographic sense as far as history of loggers is concerned. It is a name that I don't think francophones would mind.

Thirdbase, where did you see that about the french for leopard? That's new to me.

My own choices, in no particular order, would be:

Loggers
Mustangs
Cavaliers
Dragons
Techies
Huskies

[thirdbase]

A snow leopard is called une panthere de l'amour. Grab any animal book in french where there is a snow leopard and that is the "official" name you will get. I think some bureaucrat in his ivory tower had too much time to think about a name on this one...

Loggers is draveurs in french. The Ottawa Loggers was already used by the failed roller hockey team in ottawa.

[summerfan]

IT would not shock me to see them use the roots.Bytown indians.

[OttawaBallFan]

Oh, no, not Indians.

I have thought however of Kichissippees, the name the natives who lived here for a short while called themselves. But I find it too long.

Another name I've come up with the other day is the Ottawa Portage, le Portage d'Ottawa.

[thirdbase]

Ottawa Mohawks.

We then block off the 417 with barricades (forcing people into the stadium). We could also occupy the hotel next to the parking lot (which took half the parking lot we had) and demand a return of our territorial rights....

[summerfan]

Oh, no, not Indians.

I have thought however of Kichissippees, the name the natives who lived here for a short while called themselves. But I find it too long.

Another name I've come up with the other day is the Ottawa Portage, le Portage d'Ottawa.

You do know the inddians founded ottawa.Even in the current deal the natives are trying to work out with the goverment.Part of the deal is the goverment turns over the city of ottawa to the natives.

[OttawaBallFan]

The team's website is now up as of this morning at

baseballottawa.com

The only page so far is a name the team contest entry. You have until December 31 and can submit as many entries as you'd like.

My feeling is that the team has to create a big buzz about this. Mr. Wolff will be at city hall at 11:30 as the Can-Am is officially welcomed to Ottawa. I'm guessing there will be coverage in the news tonight about it.

What do you guys want to name the team?

[Bonhomme]

Ottawa being Canada's capital city, it's where the tax dollars go.....

One great name that came out on a forum... the Tax Dodgers!

[summerfan]

Ottawa being Canada's capital city, it's where the tax dollars go.....

One great name that came out on a forum... the Tax Dodgers!

Keep in mind the tax dollars do not go to ottawa the city.They go to the hill and thats where the end.

[Bonhomme]

Just on top of my last post is a blue WINK....

Didn't you see the humour?

[mikeyratt]

how about Leafs

[Berkshirian]

Ottawa Otters! And with Montreal coming in (next year?) it's time to get into the Maritimes! Baseball is hot in Halifax and Moncton!!!

:D

[thirdbase]

On Thursday, February 14, the questions will be answered…
Ottawa’s Can-AM baseball team announces name and field manager
Even though the Nation’s Capital is in the middle of a deep freeze and buried under record amounts of snow, thoughts of spring and baseball in Ottawa will return this Valentine’s Day. Members of the media are invited to the home clubhouse at Ottawa Baseball Stadium on February 14 at 11 a.m. Mr. Miles Wolff, the commissioner of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball and Ottawa’s team President, will officially announce the winning name of the baseball franchise and unveil the new team logo. Mr. Wolff will also introduce members of the press to Ottawa’s new field manager.
The commissioner will be joined at the press conference by members of Ottawa City Council and representatives from Baseball Canada. Mr. Jacques Doucet, the former radio play-by-play voice of the Montreal Expos will also participate in the event.
Following the press conference, refreshments will be served and there will be an opportunity for interviews with the participants and members of the team’s staff.
2008 will mark the inaugural season for Ottawa’s CAN-AM baseball team. Ottawa, the league’s second Canadian team, will host 47 home dates welcoming teams from Atlantic City, Nashua, Quebec City,Brockton, Sussex, Worcester and New Jersey.

[Minor League Man]

Well, any word yet?

(I heard the team was gonna be the Ottawa Rapids-can anybody confirm or deny this?)

[OttawaBallFan]

Yes, it's official. CTV Ottawa news at noon just confirmed minutes ago.

It's the Ottawa Rapids.

[thirdbase]

Ottawa's team got a name today. The Ottawa Rapids

The CanAm league will never be the same again ;)

[RapidsFan]

The CanAm league will never be the same again ;)

very true :cool: Hopefully the fans support this.