I’m a huge fan of letting the community choose the name, or color scheme, for the new sports franchise in town. Instead of just outright bringing back the Wings, Philly let the people decide if they were ready for the Red & Black to comeback after a four-year hiatus, or move on with a new look.
People spoke and now it has been narrowed down to three options: Fire, Founders, or Wings. It looks like there’s enough people out there crying for the return of their beloved Philadelphia Wings to make the finals, but can it top two newcomers.
That’s up to you! Cast your vote in the Team Naming Contest presented by Dunkin’ Donuts. Nothing says the East Coast like Duncan.
Now, I’m going to try to influence you on why the Wings is right pick for Philly.
Philly’s Three Options
Fire
Okay, people. Alliteration is cool, but I don’t love it. At all. In fact, I don’t even like it. Philadelphia Fire is already the name of the Philly FD’s twitter account and a novel. Nothing too big, but clearly not original. I’m all about tribute to service workers, but this one isn’t hitting as part of the city history or a solid homage to firefighters.
Chicago has the Fire in Major League Soccer. Let’s let them keep that.
No. It’s not lit.
Founders
Now, this is something I could get behind. The Wings were a part of the original four teams in the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League, the OG precursor for the NLL. They played in the first ever game, with Philly defeating the New Jersey Saints, 11-8. If the city is ready to keep the Wings in the past, I think this is a fantastic choice for paying tribute to the city’s impact on professional box lacrosse.
Philadelphia was instrumental in the founding of the USA and the NLL as we know it. To me, the contest is Founders vs…
Wings
This should be the easy pick. People were nuts for the franchise and absolutely heartbroken when they left. I feel like they still have one of the largest fan bases in the NLL and they haven’t played since 2014. It flows perfectly inline with the Flyers, whom they will share a barn with, and they did for nearly 30 years. Fans can wear their old gear, keep the same banners, and try to just erase the four team-less years from memory.
When the organization left for New England, they didn’t keep the name for more than one reason. A main one, they wanted the ability to revive the Wings. No matter how long it took.
Well, after four years, the chance is here, but it’s going to be a group effort. If you think this is a sure thing and don’t vote, don’t complain about going to “Fire” games in the future… and you better go!
