Team Name Word Quiz

You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it. I’m Grant Barrett.

And I’m Martha Barnette. And joining us now on the line from New York is John Chaneski, our quiz guy.

Hi, John.

Hi, Martha. Hi, Grant. How’s it going?

Hey, buddy. What’s up? How you doing?

I’m doing great. You know, I know how much you guys love sports trivia.

So much.

Which is not so much.

So we’re not going to do that today, right?

No, I’m afraid. I think we’re going to do a little bit.

Unless it’s tennis, I know you’d rather not.

However, there is quite a bit of sports trivia that is word-related.

Okay.

So let’s talk about team names.

Okay.

One of my favorite things.

Oh, lordy.

For example, the NFL franchise in Cleveland is called the Browns.

Right.

Now, exactly why would they be called the Browns?

Is it because of the particular orange-brown clay on the banks of the Cuyahoga River?

Or is it because one of the team’s founders was Coach Paul Brown?

Ooh.

I have no idea.

Well, this is the thing.

I’m just giving you 50-50 shots.

Yeah, I know.

That was generous.

It is the coach thing.

Yes, Paul Brown.

Yeah.

There you go.

Let’s see what else you know.

Now, which professional sports team is named for a movie?

The Anaheim Ducks or the Chicago Bulls?

The Anaheim Ducks.

Yes.

Do you remember the movie?

The Mighty Ducks.

The Mighty Ducks.

1992.

Hey, we got one, Grant.

That’s a good one.

That’s right.

That’s a good movie.

They were the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Now, they’re just the Anaheim Ducks.

Now, there’s not a lot of great music coming out of Salt Lake City, yet there’s an NBA team called the Utah Jazz.

True or false, the name comes from a very profuse local flower, Jasmine.

False.

False is right.

The team moved to Utah from New Orleans.

That’s right.

You know that.

You did know that, right?

Darryl Griffith.

Yes.

There you go.

That’s where the Jazz comes from.

See, we’re not getting bageled here.

This is good.

No, you’re not.

Speaking of New Orleans, that city was awarded its football franchise on what date in 1966?

Do we get an A and a B here?

No, I think you can reason this out.

Really?

Yeah.

We have to name the, so it would be on Mardi Gras.

Oh.

No.

What’s the name of the team there?

The New Orleans?

Right.

Saints.

All Saints Day?

Yes.

And what is All Saints Day?

You happen to know what that is?

Oh.

November 1st?

Yes, it is.

November 1st.

See?

You guys know a lot more sports trivia than you think.

November 1st.

Right, okay.

All Saints Day.

Now, what precisely are Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers dodging?

Trolley cars.

There are no trolley cars in Los Angeles anymore, but there were many in Brooklyn, which is where the Dodgers came from.

That’s right.

Some people are still sore about it.

I know.

Believe me, I live in Brooklyn, and I still every once in a while run across somebody who does mention that they’re not happy about the Dodgers moving.

Now, some of these are just things that are just tangentially sports-like.

They’re just knowing about language, too, is very important.

For instance, this last one here is very important to know about language.

In 1890, a baseball league known as the Players League collapsed.

When it did, a team called the Alleghenies recovered some of their former players from that league and also stole a pair of players from another team.

After being accused of stealing the players, the Alleghenies proudly changed their name to what?

The Yankees.

That’s a great idea.

It’s not Yankees.

The thieves, the robber, they stole the players.

Yeah.

So they were the—

They didn’t yank them.

Right.

That was good.

Allegheny.

So we’re talking Pennsylvania?

We’re talking…

Yeah.

Who else plays baseball in that part of the country?

Pirates.

Oh, the pirates.

Yes, that’s it.

Oh, my gosh.

They pirated the players, and actually at one point they put pirates on their shirts.

They were like, oh, whatever.

We’re pirates.

We pirated these two guys, and so we’re the pirates.

Arr.

That’s how they got it.

Arr.

Freebooters.

Who knew there was so much etymology involved in sports names?

I know.

Isn’t it great?

Yeah.

All right.

Good stories.

So that’s it for today, guys.

Okay.

You were fantastic.

Hit the showers.

Got it.

Will do.

Thanks, John.

Really appreciate it.

You go that way, Grant.

I’m going this way.

Take care, John.

Take care.

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