Power Ranking All 32 NFL Nicknames
There is something special about a good nickname that often goes unrecognized.
If you were an NFL player, would you want to take the field in a pink uniform with a butterfly on the helmet?
As a fan, would you root for such a team?
I highly doubt it, thus proving how important a good nickname really is.
Here are power rankings for the nicknames of all 32 teams in the NFL.
32. Houston Texans
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Let's sit back and think about this one for a second.
There is a team in Houston. In case you didn't know, that's in the state of Texas. The residents of that state are called Texans.
What a witty name.
Imagine if other teams would adopt this method. We could have the Pittsburgh Pennsylvanians.
31. Cleveland Browns
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I simply don't understand this decision.
The team's alternative logo is a dog. Why not name the team the Bulldogs?
It takes quite the character to name an NFL franchise after himself.
If only Paul Brown had a cooler name.
30. Green Bay Packers
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Shame on you Curley Lambeau.
When the organization started, Lambeau asked his employer, the Indian Packing Company, for funds to get uniforms and equipment for the team.
They provided, and in compensation the team was named after them.
There is nothing more ferocious on a football field than a packer I suppose.
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29. Pittsburgh Steelers
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Don't worry Green Bay, the team you guys took out in the Super Bowl is named after something their city is known for as well.
However, steel is a little cooler than packing.
The team was originally named the Pirates before Art Rooney changed it in 1940.
28. Seattle Seahawks
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The nickname of the Seahawks was actually voted on by the fans.
Really? What were the other choices?
I guess it's kind of cute that both Seattle and Seahawks starts with "Sea." Other than that the name is pretty lame.
27. Buffalo Bills
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Buffalo Bill Cody would be a proud man. He has an NFL franchise named after him.
There isn't anything particularly wrong with the nickname, it's just not the most intriguing the league has to offer.
26. New York Jets
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Originally the Titans, Sonny Werblin took over the team and changed the nickname to the Jets in 1963.
Again, this is just something that makes no sense.
At least the fans made up for the decision by creating such a charming chant.
J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets!
25. Kansas City Chiefs
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The team was originally the Dallas Texans (yes, people of Texas were always clever with naming teams).
After moving to Kansas City, the team was renamed the Chiefs.
It's nothing great, but at least it's better than Sporting Kansas City.
24. San Diego Chargers
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A lightning bolt is kind of cool. It's slightly intimidating.
However, those awful baby-blue jerseys are not.
23. New Orleans Saints
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A Saint isn't the coolest nickname in the world, but the reasoning behind naming the franchise the Saints is actually interesting.
The team was awarded to the city on All Saints Day. The city of New Orleans is also known for jazz, and we all know the song: "When the Saints Go Marching in".
Oh, and of course it was voted on by the fans.
22. New York Giants
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What a bunch of thieves.
The Giants stole their nickname from the baseball team in New York at the time, the New York Giants.
For this reason, they will forever be known as the New York "Football" Giants.
21. Arizona Cardinals
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Cardinals aren't really the most intense animal, but you wouldn't know it by looking at Arizona's logo.
That Cardinal is fierce!
But that's not how the team actually got it's name. The nickname originally came about when the color of the team's jerseys were insulted.
Owner Chris O’Brien responded that they were Cardinal red.
20. Washington Redskins
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If there is any team in the NFL that may have to change its name in the future, the most likely candidate would be the Washington Redskins.
The name is controversial to some, as they feel the term Redskin is disrespectful to Native Americans.
Whether or not it is disrespectful is another topic, but the nickname itself is fairly decent.
19. Dallas Cowboys
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If the nickname Cowboys was given to a team in any other state, it wouldn't quite fit the way it does in Texas.
Dallas was originally given the name the Steers. Shortly after that they became the Rangers. Finally, the team settled with the name Cowboys.
18. San Francisco 49ers
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San Francisco really has the best "historical" name of any team in the league.
Named the 49ers, after the gold rush, the franchise was hoping to strike gold quickly when it formed in 1946.
17. Miami Dolphins
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Like many of the nicknames in the league, the Dolphins had their team name voted in by the fanbase of the organization.
The dolphin is known as one of the most intelligent and strongest animals in the ocean.
It's a shame football isn't played in water.
16. St. Louis Rams
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Now we are starting to get into the more intense animals represented by nicknames across the league.
OK, maybe a sheep isn't that cool, but it's better than some.
A ram represents power, force and fearlessness.
15. Cincinnati Bengals
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The Bengals are the first team on this list I wouldn't feel like a complete wimp if I played for.
Not only is a nickname of a tiger a way to demand respect, but the players look like one with the stripes on the uniform.
14. Denver Broncos
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Tame horses may be cute and lovable, but untrained horses are a whole different story.
Wild broncos or mustangs aren't the most dangerous animals in the wild. However, they are pretty cool.
Throw a logo of one on a helmet, color it blue and orange and throw Tim Tebow a uniform, and you have the making of a pretty cool team.
13. Minnesota Vikings
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Vikings were known as some of the most barbaric and savage individuals in the history of mankind.
However, the team should have at least gotten the logo right.
There is no evidence that Vikings helmets had horns on them. More importantly, I doubt they wore purple.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The Buccaneers of the 1700s liked to consider themselves privateers rather than pirates.
Don't be fooled by this self-given title. They were definitely pirates.
Luckily for Tampa Bay, a pirate is much more intimidating than a privateer.
11. Detroit Lions
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The Portsmouth Spartans were bought and moved to Detroit in 1934 by George Richards.
When the team announced the name change to the Lions, a spokesperson said: "The lion is monarch of the jungle, and we hope to be the monarch of the league.”
They haven't been.
10. Atlanta Falcons
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The Atlanta Falcons were actually named by a sole individual.
The team held a contest to decide the name, and although Falcons was suggested by many, it was a school teacher that won the contest due to the reason provided.
"The falcon is proud and dignified with great courage and fight.”
9. Philadelphia Eagles
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An eagle is a pretty cool nickname, and it's also pretty patriotic.
In fact, the Eagles got their nickname when Bert Bell took over the franchise in 1933. He renamed the team in honor of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.
The logo for the deal was an eagle.
8. Indianapolis Colts
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How did the Indianapolis Colts get their nickname?
Well, they were named after a strong tradition of horse racing and breeding that took place in the Baltimore area in the 1950s.
They kept the name even after relocating.
How's that for salt in an open wound? That alone gets the Colts a high rating on this list.
7. Chicago Bears
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We have already covered the lions and the tigers, so here are the bears.
George Halas named the team the Bears when he purchased the team in 1922.
His reasoning behind the decision was that football players are bigger than baseball players.
The city already had the Chicago Cubs. Now they had the Chicago Bears.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
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There is no cool story behind this one.
The nickname of the Jaguars was voted in by the fans when the team was founded in 1995.
The nickname it beat out is actually featured on the next slide.
5. Carolina Panthers
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The fans of Jacksonville decided on the Jaguars, so Carolina elected to go with the Panthers.
The name was chosen by the son of owner Jerry Richardson. He also decided on the team's colors.
I must say, he did pretty good job.
4. Baltimore Ravens
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The new Baltimore franchise couldn't take back the nickname Colts, so the Balitmore Sun held a poll to decide the new team's nickname.
The fans of the city voted for the Raven, in honor of Edgar Allan Poe, who became famous for his poem entitled "The Raven".
3. Oakland Raiders
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The Raiders are a perfect example as to why nicknames are important in the NFL.
The team has a reputation for being nasty, for being dirty.
Imagine if they had a nickname like the Seahawks. It just wouldn't work.
Oakland has a tough nickname for a tough city. It fits the team perfectly.
2. New England Patriots
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The New England Patriots were originally located in Boston, Massachusetts.
In case you aren't familiar with American history, that's the birthplace of the American Revolution.
This nickname fits the team better than any other in the league.
1. Tennessee Titans
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There is nothing that is more powerful than a Titan.
New York Jets fans should be crying that their team gave up such an awesome nickname.
There isn't much to be said about the pure awesomeness of this nickname, so I'll leave it to Herman Boone.
"In Greek mythology, the Titans were greater even than the gods. They ruled their universe with absolute power. Well that football field out there, that's our universe. Let's rule it like Titans."
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.jpg?w=480 "Chiefs Broncos Football")
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