UFL Team to Carry "Virginia" Name
Published on October 4, 2010 under United Football League (UFL 1)
Virginia Destroyers News Release
Virginia Beach, Va. - Monday, October 4, 2010 - It's Virginia! Football fans who took part in an online poll to help name the sixth United Football League franchise voted in their thousands for 'Virginia' as the name the team will proudly bear when kicking off the 2011 season.
Virginia was chosen by a margin of three to one over the alternative Hampton Roads option from votes cast between September 19 and October 2. The 'Your Town, Your Team, Your Name - You Make the Call' fan poll was hosted by The Virginian-Pilot, PilotOnline.com, Radio 102.1 The Game FanHouse.com, and UFL-Football.com.
UFL Virginia team General Manager DOUG WILLIAMS announced the result of the first part of the competition to name the region's expansion team live on his radio show on 102.1 The Game on Monday afternoon. Williams also unveiled a new shortlist list of three team nicknames that proved the most popular from five original options and fans' own suggestions:
Virginia Destroyers
Virginia Tritons
Virginia Navigators
The second part of the competition now asks fans to vote for their favorite name from the shortlist of three. The poll will run until Sunday, October 17 through The Virginian-Pilot, PilotOnline.com, Radio 102.1 The Game FanHouse.com, and UFL-Football.com.
Virginia team president Ed Reynolds said of the poll results: "As a native Virginian I am proud to have the State's name so strongly associated with our team. We asked the fans to vote to give them a voice when it came to naming their team and they preferred Virginia. Now I look forward to the fans' opinions helping us become either the Destroyers, Tritons or Navigators."
Naming options explained:
Destroyers
A type of warship, well known in recent Naval history, the current class of destroyers for the U.S. Navy has been billed as the ton-for-ton most powerful warship in history. Several destroyers are based out of Norfolk, VA. Their arms can range from anti-submarine to anti-aircraft to cruise missiles. Also offers dual meaning on the football field.
Tritons
Triton is a Greek God known as the "messenger of the seas". The Triton was also the name of one of the more famous of the U.S. submarines, based out of Norfolk, Virginia, so the name encompasses both the U.S. Navy and sea-based mythology.
Navigators
Within the modern U.S. naval fleet, navigators are Surface Warfare Officers and in the Air Force are tasked with weapon deployment. Navigators have a long record within the naval and aerial field, both of which have strong ties to the Hampton Roads region.
The winning Virginia team name will be announced during the 2010 UFL season.
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