Are you f*^%ing kidding me - Jacksonville Suns change name to Jumbo Shrimp

[brainstormer]

Just another sign of corporate greed. Babby buys the team from out of town and doesn't care one bit about tradition. All he cares about is making money. The Jacksonville Suns have always had great attendance because of the loyal fan base that now stretches across generations.

If he really wanted to change the name, he should have engaged the fans and let us submit ideas and then have a vote.

Maybe I will get over my negativity, but having to go and cheer for the Jumbo Shrimp is embarrassing.

[Charles Hunter]

Guess there will be a bidding war among all the shrimp businesses in the area for sponsorship deals.

[thelakelander]

We need Babby to clarify if there will be an opportunity to stick our jumbo shrimp in a home plate of grits.

[jaxlongtimer]

The old adage that any publicity is good publicity applies here.  When was the last time the "Suns" ever made national news outside of when a star player (A-rod, Michael Jordan, Tommy John, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Tug McGraw [why son, Tim McGraw lived here for a short while and his mom still does], etc.) was on the local diamond?

By the way, what could be sillier than naming our team after a world's fair in a city over 1,000 miles away (i.e. the '67 world's fair in Montreal, hence the "Expos")?

If we really want to preserve history, how about going back to the "Braves" when Hank Aaron played here?  [From 1904 to 1961 the city was home to minor league teams such as the Jacksonville Jays, the Jacksonville Tars, and the Jacksonville Braves... - Wikipedia]. 

Apparently, this isn't even the original "Suns" team that played here per Wikipedia:  "The first team known as the Jacksonville Suns began play in the Triple-A International League in 1962. The team had been founded in Havana, Cuba, where they were known as the Havana Sugar Kings. Following the Cuban Revolution in 1959 the team relocated to Jersey City, New Jersey, but soon folded; the franchise was bought by the Cleveland Indians, who moved it to Jacksonville as the Jacksonville Suns in 1962...  [T]he team won the International League championship in 1968. Following that season the team's parent club, the New York Mets, decided to relocate the team to Virginia, where they became the team now known as the Norfolk Tides.  Jacksonville was without baseball in 1969, but in 1970 a new Suns team began play in the Double-A Southern League."

I do look forward to headlines like these after a really bad loss by the team: "Jumbo Shrimp Fried by Wahoos!" or "Jumbo Shrimp Smoked by Smokies!" or "Jumbo Shrimp Boiled by Bay Bears!"   On a win, it could be "Jumbo Shrimp show grit(s)."

Short name should be the "Ju/m/ps" 

[KenFSU]

The old adage that any publicity is good publicity applies here.  When was the last time the "Suns" ever made national news outside of when a star player (A-rod, Michael Jordan, Tommy John, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Tug McGraw [why son, Tim McGraw lived here for a short while and his mom still does], etc.) was on the local diamond?

Except that the old adage is clearly just that, an adage, that holds almost no truth whatsoever.

[Coolyfett]

The old adage that any publicity is good publicity applies here.  When was the last time the "Suns" ever made national news outside of when a star player (A-rod, Michael Jordan, Tommy John, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Tug McGraw [why son, Tim McGraw lived here for a short while and his mom still does], etc.) was on the local diamond?

By the way, what could be sillier than naming our team after a world's fair in a city over 1,000 miles away (i.e. the '67 world's fair in Montreal, hence the "Expos")?

If we really want to preserve history, how about going back to the "Braves" when Hank Aaron played here?  [From 1904 to 1961 the city was home to minor league teams such as the Jacksonville Jays, the Jacksonville Tars, and the Jacksonville Braves... - Wikipedia]. 

Apparently, this isn't even the original "Suns" team that played here per Wikipedia:  "The first team known as the Jacksonville Suns began play in the Triple-A International League in 1962. The team had been founded in Havana, Cuba, where they were known as the Havana Sugar Kings. Following the Cuban Revolution in 1959 the team relocated to Jersey City, New Jersey, but soon folded; the franchise was bought by the Cleveland Indians, who moved it to Jacksonville as the Jacksonville Suns in 1962...  [T]he team won the International League championship in 1968. Following that season the team's parent club, the New York Mets, decided to relocate the team to Virginia, where they became the team now known as the Norfolk Tides.  Jacksonville was without baseball in 1969, but in 1970 a new Suns team began play in the Double-A Southern League."

I do look forward to headlines like these after a really bad loss by the team: "Jumbo Shrimp Fried by Wahoos!" or "Jumbo Shrimp Smoked by Smokies!" or "Jumbo Shrimp Boiled by Bay Bears!"   On a win, it could be "Jumbo Shrimp show grit(s)."

Short name should be the "Ju/m/ps" 

We already know all that stuff. The Suns have been the longest running name in history and will continue to be the longest name in history. The Jacksonville Suns name will return again once Babby cashes out. Enjoy the joke or enjoy the embarrassment either way Babby has a bigger agenda. He want the Baltimore Orioles and Suns and that other team in Ohio are just pawns for that goal. I guess that is the American way, too bad Jacksonville is involved in this agenda.

[finehoe]

We already know all that stuff. The Suns have been the longest running name in history and will continue to be the longest name in history. The Jacksonville Suns name will return again once Babby cashes out. Enjoy the joke or enjoy the embarrassment either way Babby has a bigger agenda. He want the Baltimore Orioles and Suns and that other team in Ohio are just pawns prawns for that goal. I guess that is the American way, too bad Jacksonville is involved in this agenda.

FIFY

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

We already know all that stuff. The Suns have been the longest running name in history and will continue to be the longest name in history. The Jacksonville Suns name will return again once Babby cashes out. Enjoy the joke or enjoy the embarrassment either way Babby has a bigger agenda. He want the Baltimore Orioles and Suns and that other team in Ohio are just pawns prawns for that goal. I guess that is the American way, too bad Jacksonville is involved in this agenda.

FIFY

Snicker

[TPC]

If were going all out on stupid team names, I humbly submit the new team name and logo for The Jacksonville Micro Penis.

[TimmyB]

If were going all out on stupid team names, I humbly submit the new team name and logo for The Jacksonville Micro Penis.

Now, it's SUPPOSED to have something to do with local ties.  Is there something that I should know about the Jacksonville area that I haven't been told of???   

[David]

As someone pointed out, the other team names in our division are pretty ridiculous, but this makes me wonder if we've outgrown our minor league roots. Is there a next level up in the minors like AAA, international league Jacksonville could get into? I know we're not a baseball town but this makes me wish we had the population to support a major league team. The over the top team names just seem like a fad that will look even more absurd in the future than they already do today.

[subro]

It is still not as bad as the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and yes, Binghamton, NY is a much smaller market but here they are throwing out 25+ years of a good name for the... Rumble Ponies.  "...one of the owners, told milb.com that Rumble Ponies are a "fierce horse that no carousel can contain.""

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/bye-bye-binghamton-mets-binghamton-rumble-ponies-article-1.2857010

Bye bye Binghamton Mets, hello Binghamton Rumble Ponies

BYANTHONY MCCARRON
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Thursday, November 3, 2016, 2:15 PM

With apologies to famed ring announcer Michael Buffer, we're imagining something like this from the Mets' Double-A team to its players:
"Let's get ready to (be) Ruuuuuumble...Ponies."
In a wave of rebranding, the Mets' Binghamton affiliate, known as the Mets since the club's inception in 1992, is changing it's nickname to Rumble Ponies, the owners announced Thursday.

Rumble Ponies is apparently a nod to Binghamton's rep as the "Carousel Capital of the World." According to milb.com, Binghamton has six vintage carousels donated by a local businessman and philanthropist named George F. Johnson.
One of the logos for the team is a carousel horse with a red mane on a pole and wearing a helmet. John Hughes, one of the owners, told milb.com that Rumble Ponies are a "fierce horse that no carousel can contain.

"The aggression and fighting spirit in the horse represents the fighting spirit of Binghamton," Hughes added. "Ready to do battle. Ready to take on the world."

Rumble Ponies beat out these other finalists: Bullheads, Gobblers, Rocking Horses, Stud Muffins and Timber Jockeys. The team got more than 1,500 name submissions from fans.

Last season, the Binghamton Mets finished 63-77. Maybe the Rumble Ponies will be better next year.

[Tacachale]

As someone pointed out, the other team names in our division are pretty ridiculous, but this makes me wonder if we've outgrown our minor league roots. Is there a next level up in the minors like AAA, international league Jacksonville could get into? I know we're not a baseball town but this makes me wish we had the population to support a major league team. The over the top team names just seem like a fad that will look even more absurd in the future than they already do today.

We should have initiated the plan to move up to AAA when the Baseball Grounds were complete. Much larger crowds. However the team ownership has a long history of not carrying their weight compared to what the city and fans put in. To his credit, Babby at least looks like he'll put in work for the team. I just wish the way he's going about it weren't so, well, dumb.

[TimmyB]

...Rumble Ponies beat out these other finalists: Bullheads, Gobblers, Rocking Horses, Stud Muffins and Timber Jockeys. The team got more than 1,500 name submissions from fans.

Last season, the Binghamton Mets finished 63-77. Maybe the Rumble Ponies will be better next year.

And, THERE is the difference which has everyone pissed off!

[pierre]

As someone pointed out, the other team names in our division are pretty ridiculous, but this makes me wonder if we've outgrown our minor league roots. Is there a next level up in the minors like AAA, international league Jacksonville could get into? I know we're not a baseball town but this makes me wish we had the population to support a major league team. The over the top team names just seem like a fad that will look even more absurd in the future than they already do today.

The problem is that it is hard to get a AAA franchise. Basically impossible while the Bragans owned the team.