Packers, Patriots und Co. Hence the NFL teams got their names
The National Football League (NFL) inspires spectators from all over the world. Millions of fans are attracted to the screens every year for the Super Bowl. 32 franchises compete in the NFL for the coveted title. But where do the names of the teams come from?
The oldest professional football team in the US are the Arizona Cardinals. They got their name from previous owner Chris O’Brien. He called the jerseys cardinal red because they were mocked as yellowed. This saying later became the name of the club.
As the Chicago Bears Looking for a new name in 1922, the choice quickly fell on the Chicago Cups. That was because the baseball team of the same name shared the stadium with them and they wanted revenge. However, because “Bärenkinder” sounded too nice, the owners named the club “Chicago Bears”.
The name of Green Bay Packers originates from the Indian Packing Company. Curly Lambeau, co-founder of the Packers, worked there and asked his company for financial support. After all, this made $ 500 loose – and at the same time secured the name of the team.
As the New York Giants Founded in 1925, there was already a baseball team of the same name. Therefore, they were first called the New York Football Giants. However, when the baseball team moved to San Francisco, they adopted the name. Even today, however, people often talk about the New York Football Giants.
Due to money problems during the Great Depression, the Portsmouth Spartans had to relocate to Detroit. The local baseball team in Detroit was called “Tigers”. The football team was also going to be named after a big cat, and so they came along Detriot Lions to her name.
At first the team was called the Pittsburgh Steelers “Pirates”. It was renamed to reflect the importance of the steel industry to the city of Pittsburgh.
As Bert Bell and Lud Wray – the founders of the Philadelphia Eagles – Earned an NFL license in 1933, they needed a name for the football team. They quickly decided on “Eagles”. They came up with the name because the emblem of the National Recovery Administration, which was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the economic crisis, was an eagle.
Die Los Angeles Rams played first in Cleveland, where they were created by attorney Homer Marshman and trainer Damon Wetzel. Wetzel was a big fan of the college team Fordham Rams and adapted the name.
The team of Cleveland Browns was named after their former coach Paul Brown, who led the team for 16 years and led to many successes.
The name of san francisco 49ers is intended to commemorate the time of the gold rush in California. The gold hysteria reached its peak in 1849, when countless prospectors from all over the world came to California. In honor of the “Forty-Niners”, as the golden boys were called, the football team founded in San Francisco almost a decade later was named after them.
In the beginning they were called Indianapolis Colts Nor Baltimore Colts. The suffix “Colts” comes from the fact that equestrian sports were very common in Baltimore. In a race, “colts”, which means something like male foals, competed against each other. In March 1948, the football team then moved to Indianapolis and kept the nickname.
Die Dallas Cowboys were originally to be called the Dallas Rangers. But since there was already a baseball team of the same name, the name fell on the Dallas Cowboys – because of the widespread ranching.
In 1963, the Dallas Texans announced the move from Dallas to Kansas, becoming the Kansas City Texans. However, the fans were not satisfied with the name. So the club was renamed again – in Kansas City Chiefs. The addition “Chiefs” goes back to the then Mayor H. Roe Bartle, whose nickname was “Chief”.
The name of Los Angeles Chargers goes back to the battle cry of the University of Southern California team. They cheered on their players during games in the stadium by shouting “Charge”. The then owner Barron Hilton liked it so much that he transferred the battle cry to the team name.
Die Denver Broncos were named after the untamed horses common in Denver. These are called “Broncos” in English.
When it was founded, they were called New York Jets nor Titans of New York. The team bore this name for three years. When they then moved to a new stadium in 1963, the club was looking for a new name. In the end, the suffix “Jets” prevailed because of the geographic location between two airports.
When the Boston Patriots moved to Foxborough, 25 miles from Boston, in 1971, they were looking for a new name. Manager Upton Bell Sullivan chose because of the stadium’s location New England Patriots. The addition “Patriots” comes from the fact that Boston is considered the birthplace of the American Revolution and thus the home of the patriots.
A naming contest was held in Oakland to find a name for the football team. First place was “Senors”. However, this was changed again after a week because many people in public made fun of the name. So won the third place “Raiders”. In 2020 the franchise moved to Las Vegas and has been called since then „Las Vegas Raiders“.
Tenessee TitansFounder Bud Adams dubbed the team Oilers for “sentimental and social reasons.” Until 1996 the team was called the Houston Oilers. When it moved to Tennessee, it became the Tennessee Oilers. It wasn’t able to play at the Nashville stadium until 1998, so it spent two years in Memphis. Also, to reflect the fresh start, they changed names and would be called the Tennessee Titans from 1999 onwards. The new suffix is intended to stand for leadership and heroic qualities.
The name of Buffalo Bills is a reference to the former Buffalo Bisons football team. The changed suffix refers to the famous bison hunter “Buffalo Bill”.
There were many different names to choose from in Minnesota, but it ended up being „Minnesota Vikings“ agreed. The name is a reference to the many settlers from Scandinavia who live in Minnesota. In contrast to many other teams, the name is not based on a city, but on a state.
Also with them Atlanta Falcons a naming contest decided on the name of the team. A teacher suggested “Falcons” because it was “proud and dignified.”
The name of Miami Dolphins can be explained very easily. The background is the many dolphins that live on the Miami coast. That’s why the board decided on the name.
When New Orleans announced in 1966 that they would be forming a football team, they were looking for a suitable name. The song “When the Saints go marching in” was very popular in the city. This is how the club name is set New Orleans Saints together.
Both Cincinnati Bengals the name was taken from a previous football team that had previously disbanded. In addition, there is said to have been a Bengal tiger at the zoo in Cincinnati at the time.
Like many other teams, they also surveyed Seattle Seahawks her fans in the search for a suitable name. From 1700 suggestions, the addition “Seahawks” prevailed – even without any special connection between the city and ospreys.
The club name Tampa Bay Buccaneers comes from José Gaspar, who was one of the last pirates in the Gulf of Mexico. This is how he got his title “the last privateer”. Buccaneers is called Buccaneers. This name was used in Tampa Bay.
The son of Carolina Panthers-Founder Mark Richardson chose the panther as a suitable namesake because it is strong and powerful.
Jacksonville residents were able to vote on the name choice and chose the „Jacksonville Jaguars“ as a suitable team name. At the time, the Jacksonville Zoo was home to the oldest living jaguar in North America.
Edgar Allen Poe was a writer who lived in Baltimore until his death in 1849. One of his most famous poems is called “The Raven”. So it was decided to Baltimore Ravens. There are also three mascots. Their names are Edgar, Allen, and Poe.
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