Bleacher Report - Articles by Ben Schwartz

Top 10 Worst Franchise Names

Ben Schwartz — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:57:29 -0400

Here is the top 10 list of the worst names for franchises in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. I rank these based on the fact they have no real relationship to the city or state the team plays in. I also provide some fun and serious name alternatives. Give me a comment or even your own suggestions. (Also check out Sportsencyclopedia.com) I got my info from there about how some of the teams got their names.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL)

Jaguars are a part of the "big cat" family. They are found in Central and South America. Last time I checked, Jacksonville was nowhere near the feline’s native habitat.

Possible Name Alternatives: Jacksonville Car Imports (only kidding) or Jacksonville Generals (In reference to former President and US General Andrew Jackson, who the city is named after)

09. Carolina Panthers (NFL)

Another big feline enters my list, the Panthers. Again, you have a southern city with no traces of the black panthers living anywhere in site, except maybe the Charlotte Zoo.

Possible Name Alternatives: Carolina Royals (Charlotte was nicknamed "Queen City") or Carolina Swarm (in reference to the city also being nicknamed "The Hornets Nest")

08. Memphis Grizzlies (NBA)

Originally located in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Grizzlies made perfect sense. The dense forests of northwest Canada had plenty of big grizzlie bears. But earth to Memphis! No grizzlies are roaming around the town that Elvis built. Heck, there’s a better chance of seeing an Elvis sighting than a grizzly bear.

Possible Name Alternatives: Memphis Blues (City known for blues music) or Memphis Cargos (another just kidding, but this is in reference to the city having the busiest cargo airports in the nation)

07. New York Rangers (NHL)

A team located in the middle of Manhattan with no western style saloons in site. No cowboys roaming the streets of NYC (except the Naked Cowboy in Times Square). The team got the name from Tex Rickard, who ran MSG, after people considered the new hockey team, "Tex's Rangers"

Possible Name Alternatives: New York Traffic (just kidding) or New York Liberty (make it a law that the WNBA Liberty needs to change their names to Lady Liberties) or even New York Rush (in reference to rush-hour traffic)

06. New Orleans Hornets (NBA)

When the team was located in Charlotte, North Carolina it made sense to be the Hornets. Charlotte's nickname was "The Hornet's Nest", but times have changed and they have moved to The Big Easy. While I'm sure hornets do fly around stinging people in Louisiana, the name of the team should resemble its city.

Possible Name Alternatives: NEW ORLEANS JAZZ (take it from Utah)

05. New Jersey Nets (NBA)

Even if they are my favorite basketball team, the name is just stupid. Named after a basketball NET? What's next...the NFL's Pig Skinners? The MLB's Bats or the NHL's Pucks? The team should resemble something that is not an object in the game but rather from where the team is from. Given that the team started on Long Island and then moved to New Jersey and will possibly be moving to Brooklyn in the near future...here are a few choices.

Possible Name Alternatives: New Jersey Meadowlanders (represents them playing at the Meadowlands) or Brooklyn Dodgers (to help cherish the borough's former pastime) or New Jersey Pollution (to represent that long strip of the Turnpike that smells vile.

04. Calgary Flames (NHL)

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, the Atlanta Flames were named after a famous fire that took over the city in 1917. The team then moved on to Calgary, Alberta. During the wintertime in Calgary, it's usually not flaming hot but decently cold. Therefore the name makes no sense.

Possible Name Alternatives: Calgary Ice (just the opposite of flames) or Calgary Mountaineers (located in Canadian Rockies)

03. Kansas City Royals (MLB)

They were named after the American Royal Livestock Show, which has taken place in Kansas City since 1899. That's enough for me to say about them...to be named after a livestock show?

Possible Name Alternatives: Kansas City And We're Not Even In Kansas (just kidding) or Kansas City Scouts (bringing back the NHL team name) or the Kansas City Fountains? (city is nicknamed "city of fountains")

02. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)

The land of a thousand lakes...Minnesota....not Hollywood. What was the city of Angels thinking when Minnesota's Lakers were coming to town? The most famous lake in LA was probably built by Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion.

Possible Name Alternatives: Los Angeles Smog (just kidding) or Los Angeles Action (in reference to the movie phrase)

01. Utah Jazz (NBA)

Salt Lake City is not overwhelmed with jazz clubs left and right like New Orleans is, where the Jazz were originally from. Heck, outside Salt Lake, you'd be lucky to find anything civilized. It is one giant combo of desert, mountains, snow and one big city.

Possible Name Alternatives: Utah Salt Lakers (makes more sense than LA) or Utah Miners (big industry in Utah) or Utah Elks (state animal).

The NFL's Drug Problem

Ben Schwartz — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:52:03 -0400

A decade ago, baseball was finally pulling itself out of the cellar of professional sports. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were on a home run tear, picking up 70 and 66 home runs respectively. Baseball seemed to be back in the spotlight and sports viewers were tuning into games again on television. What we didn’t know at the time is that players were juicing up on performance enhancing drugs.

As time went on and reports came out, baseball was presented with a black cloud above it, as it was entering the “Steroid Era”. Credibility was lost with past superstars of the 90’s like McGwire, Clemens, Sosa, and Bonds.

Baseball owners and MLB Commissioner, Bud Selig, failed to do anything with their well known performance enhancing drugs issue. They were enjoying record numbers at the ticket gates and increased revenues and television ratings, they were in no way going to ruin this golden age of baseball.

Today the National Football league is in a similar predicament. The NFL has risen from a once boring league in the early nineties, to one of the most successful sports league in the United States today. Television ratings are always high, competition between teams is very fair, and there is a successful revenue sharing system set between the league’s 32 teams.

What we do know today that we didn’t know ten years ago is that the top sports league in the nation has a performance enhancing drugs problem. The question few people are asking is, why isn’t anything being done about it? Is it because the NFL doesn’t have the same historical importance that baseball does? Or owners and the league officials don’t want to screw up something successful.

Why is that players like Shawne Merriman of the Chargers and Rodney Harrison of the Patriots, are suspended for steroids, and then allowed to be voted into the Pro Bowl? While in baseball, hall-of-fame caliber players, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds can’t find work because of their names being linked with steroids?

The NFL has to do something about their steroid problem. While some people believe steroids don’t give the advantages in football that it would in baseball are truly wrong. Steroids-ridden players can have a huge advantage in a game.

From linemen blocking, to running-backs being able to push off defenders with that extra strength, and quarterbacks being able to push that ball 10 yards farther are all examples of how steroids can impact a NFL game.

Ten years from now I’d hate to see the NFL in a dark age once again, dealing with the problems they once ignored. Seeing upcoming college and high school players filled with drugs, as they feel it’s the only way to succeed in the pros.

Cheating is no way to play the game, and the NFL has to address their ignorance.

NHL Postseason Awards: Who Should Win the Hardware Tonight?

Ben Schwartz — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:31:30 -0400

As the NHL Awards Ceremony approaches tonight in Toronto, I would like to take a look at who I believe should be going home with the hardware.

Lady Byng Trophy (Sportsmanship and Gentlemanly Play)

Finalists: Pavel Datsyuk (DET), Jason Pominville (BUF), Martin St. Louis (TB)

My choice would have to go 100% to Pavel Datsyuk of the Red Wings. The reasoning being that he again put up another sensational season of 31 goals and 66 assists (97 pts) to go along with the most takeaways in the league and only 20 minutes spent in the sin bin.

For a player to have that sort of season both offensively and defensively without clutching and grabbing and diving so people won't go near him as he enters the offensive zone shows me that he plays the game right.

Frank Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward)

Finalists: Pavel Datsyuk (DET), John Madden (NJ), Henrik Zetterberg (DET)

My choice would have to go to again Pavel Datsyuk of the Red Wings.

Being a die-hard New Jersey Devils fan, I would love to see Madden take the Selke for the second time, but you can't ignore the numbers Datsyuk put up this year.

To have 144 takeaways this season (Mike Modano came in second with 86) shows you the type of player Pavel Datsyuk really is. While yes Datsyuk (and Zetterberg) have the offensive advantage of one of the most dominant lines in the NHL as compared to the checking line of Madden is on, which brings Datsyuk's plus/minus to (+41), you still can't ignore Datysuk as one of the best two-way players in the league.

Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year)

Finalists: Nicklas Backstrom (WAS), Patrick Kane (CHI), Jonathan Toews (CHI)

My choice would have to go with Patrick Kane of the young and high-flying Chicago Blackhawks.

If there could be two award winners though, it would have to be Kane and Toews. For these young kids to bring back energy to a building that was half-empty and was a joke of a franchise (even the fans weren't allowed to watch on TV), it's just amazing to watch.

Kane, while having the advantage of playing the whole season, unlike Toews, picked up a rookie-leading 72 points and 28 power play points. While Nicklas Backstrom did lend a helping hand to Washington's return to the playoffs, most of that was due to Alexander Ovechkin. What Kane and Toews did was bring a dismal franchise a shining ray of hope.

Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman)

Finalists: Nicklas Lidstrom (DET), Zdeno Chara (BOS), Dion Phaneuf (CGY)

My choice would have to go with another Central Division player, Nicklas Lidstrom, of the Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings.

My opinion on the Norris Trophy is a very confused one. Is it to the best defensive defenseman? Or the defenseman with the most points? Honestly this award should go to the best defensive defenseman by the terms "Most Outstanding Defenseman", not "Most Points".

If they want that, they should have the Bobby Orr award.

But when it comes to this year you have to look at Nicklas Lidstrom as the rightful owner YET AGAIN. To have 70 points and still have time to focus on being the best defensive defenseman is sensational and that is a reason why he won the Stanley Cup this spring.

By the way, Scott Stevens should have won the Norris in 1993-1994...just throwing that out there :)

Vezina Trophy (Best Goalie)

Finalists: Martin Brodeur (NJ), Evgeni Nabakov (SJ), Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)

Call me biased if you want, but I feel Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils should win his fourth Vezina Trophy tonight.

Here is my reasoning for it: One, he is the only reason, besides Zach Parise, that the Devils were first in the East so late in the season. Two, he had a sub-par defense and inconsistent offense, unlike Nabakov. Three, he never had a terrible stretch like Lundqvist did mid-season.

Overall Brodeur was second in wins (46), fifth in G.A.A. (2.17)...which is really third if you consider Osgood (leader) and Hasek (fourth) played in under 50 games, and Brodeur had a better SV% than Nabakov or Lundqvist (.920). In the shootouts he had more wins and a better SV% then Nabakov and Lundqvist as well.

GO MARTY!

and finally...

Hart Trophy (M.V.P.)

Finalists: Alexander Ovechkin (WAS), Jarome Iginla (CGY), Evgeni Malkin (PIT)

My choice is Alexander Ovechkin, and yours should be too.

Sure Malkin did sensational once Crosby went down, but he also had a great cast of young talent and experienced veterans to help out.

Iginla was also great, but not to the likings of what Ovechkin did to his Washington Capitals and the NHL.

Ovechkin picked up 65 goals and 47 assists, was a +28 and had a ridiculous 11 GWG. His sensational season drove Washington from a team in turmoil after a coach's firing to South East Division Champions.

Ovechkin's unforgettable season not only re-energized the Capitals franchise but showed us great NHL fans that it is turning a corner from the long defensive-ridden league (which I admit I loved, as the Devils got three cups out of it) to a more exciting and appreciated league.

Move over Arena Football League! The NHL is coming BACK! Thank You Ovechkin.

Good Luck to Marty Brodeur and John Madden tonight

and LET'S GO DEVILS!

Enjoy the show tonight on VS and TSN.