3 reasons not to name wichita’s new baseball team after airplane
As a Wichita-bred baseball fan who attended games at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium devoutly in the days of Wilbur and the Wranglers, I felt inspired by the open call to come up with a zesty name for the Marlins’ AAA team, the New Orleans Baby Cakes, for when they take the field in Wichita’s new $81-million waterfront stadium.
In the throes of brainstorming, I read under the Twitter hashtag #LetsNameOurTeam that the front-runner is currently “the Wichita Flyboys.”
As a nickname, perhaps some see it as fun enough to compete with high-selling, attention-grabbing names like the Baby Cakes, or the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
But hoping for better, here’s why “Flyboys” or anything airplane-related is not the right fit in an era of revitalization in the Wichita community.
And, I discuss other name idears!
1. “Flyboys” or anything airplane-related will be too similar to the former name, the Wingnuts, to successfully arouse and sustain untapped interest in our new team.
If Wichita wants to awaken its dormant enthusiasm for baseball by demolishing the historic stadium, building a new one, and securing a Major League affiliated team, it should not continue to constrict the city’s perception with aviation-centric wordplay.
The Wingnuts was a largely unpopular name. It was ultimately boring, cold, and unlovable.
Anything airplane-related will remind everyone of the Wingnuts, or worse, the economy (#toughtimesallaround), and this will hinder attendance.
2. If Wichita wants to market to millennials and young people with housing, food, entertainment, etc., and be embraced by them, it should take into consideration the national trend toward using inclusive language.
I believe that young people would be off-put by the gendered language of Flyboys, which refers exclusively to male pilots.
But also, in Kansas, many groups are under-cut by the aerospace industry, which continues to receive massive funding while other groups get cut out of the picture (art, music, education). And this has only created problems in Wichita, such as retaining young talent etc.
3. And lastly:
Wichita has more than air(bus). It has earth, water, and fire, too.
One of the most special aspects of the stadium is its superb location on the river— in proximity to the Keeper of the Plains and overlooking downtown.
How gorgeous will it be on summer nights to be by the river, with a gentle walk down to the Keeper’s fire?
Why not come down to Earth and celebrate the city’s other elements?
I hope that these 3 points inspire Wichita to re-consider any notion of naming the new team anything that ties Wichita down to aerospace.
Now, after bouncing ideas around with friends and family, I would like to offer other ideas.
drum roll
How much home-town pride does it show to actually poke fun at ourselves with a name like the Funnel Cakes? Or other humorous names like the Naders, or the Cows.
This recent Mashable article outlines how quirky, outlandish names have proven to boost sales and garner national attention.
In the same vain, I believe that the magic of the Wranglers was due to the zany antics that entertained us between innings and the beloved mascot, Wilbur. This Vice article reminds me of that era when it says:
“Minor league baseball is often very silly…it is, after all, a bunch of amateurs diving around a field constantly getting interrupted by shit like a dizzy bat spin and Seinfeld trivia. Who in their right mind is buying tickets with any intention other than to drink a few overpriced beers and have an alright time?”
I hope the Wichita Baseball committee can appreciate these points in the process to find the most inspiring name for our new team.
In conclusion, anything but airplanes!