We all take
fantasy sports too seriously. This is
not a problem as competition is good for the soul. Reading countless fantasy articles, following
every sports analyst on Twitter and completing hundreds of mock drafts are the
stepping stones to winning (and potentially madness). In the midst of the smack-talk, the
hand-wringing and the incessant trade offers, there is one thing that can
relieve all the pressure of the fantasy world, the perfect team name.
I run the
website BestFantasyTeamNames.com and have seen thousands of team names cross my screen
and have witnessed tens of thousands of votes for fan’s favorite names. I have also encountered some of the true
fantasy team name savants, such as my friend John Sarmento (aka Rumford Johnny) through the world
of social media. This access to the
lighter side of fantasy sports has given me some good insights into what makes
a truly great fantasy team name.
Johnny said
it best stating, “Puns are King: A play on words is the purest form of a
fantasy team name.” Puns are the most
common form of team names you will find around.
“Tootsie Sproles” or “Winning is My Forte” are always solid options,
particularly when that player is actually on your fantasy squad, but they also
can be played out when heard too often.
“Drinking Fortes” has easily been submitted to the site over 100
times. There are a multitude of team names
based on Vick, Brees and Romo, but we also have heard them all as well. If you are going to use a player’s name, grab
a rookie or player ready to burst onto the fantasy scene. You can also take your team name to the next
level by using multiple players in the same team name. Examples such as “Good Schaub, Good Eifert”
or “Reid-ing Dwayne Bowe” use multiple names along with rookies or personnel
changes.
Utilizing
pop culture and themes rarely fail.
Create your league based solely on popular movies, TV shows or your
favorite music artist. Everyone loves a
great Seinfeld reference, “A Mingo Ate Your Baby” or “These Pretzels are Maclin
Me Thirsty” perhaps. Game of Thrones
fans may choose “The White Welkers” or “Demaryius Targaryen.” Love your 90’s hip hop music? Try “Bjoern Thugs and Harmony” or “You Down
with IDP?” Whatever your genre, getting
the entire league to jump on board can only maximize our fantasy experience.
Topical
references are great, but usually only for about five minutes. Carlos DangerRuss Wilson was a fantastic team
name submission, but unfortunately the season does not start for four more
weeks and the creativity and hilarity wear off quickly. If you are going to base your team name on current
events, plan on changing your name weekly.
Almost
everyone can appreciate the fantasy team name that borders on
uncomfortable. Sexual innuendos or beer
and illegal substance references are commonly the basis for team names. Players with names such as Percy, Johnson,
Stafford, Ditka, Vick, Blount and Forte are usually a great starting
point. Team names can go awry though
when you make light of the disabled, mentally handicapped or league member’s
significant other/mother. Funny is only
funny when everyone is laughing.
If you still
find yourself without a killer team name you can always check out BestFantasyTeamNames.com. The site is dedicated to constantly
delivering the funniest, most creative and original team names 25 hours a day
(yes I said 25 and that shows just how hard we work for you). Fans interact by voting for or submitting
their favorite team names daily, which makes the site unique from all the other
slide shows or top 10 lists. For the
first time anywhere (I think) we added the ability to search for a fantasy team
name by a specific player. With over 200
different NFL players associated to fantasy team names, the Library of Congress
has deemed BFTN their official list for fantasy team names (unofficial
statement pending approval from the Library of Congress). I also highly suggest following guys on
Twitter such as the aforementioned RumfordJohnny, David Gonos, Dexter Manley, Scream Puking Unicorn or Juan Elway. These guys will always oblige fans in search
of the perfect fantasy team name.
Special thanks to Rumford Johnny
This article was part of the first issue of the
"Fantasy Sports Journal" -- Sign up here for the free quarterly magazine!
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