This past Wednesday, the not-really-that-secret new name for the former Seattle Supersonics was officially revealed, along with the
Source: AP via The Tulsa World
team logo and colors (sky blue, yellow, and the shade exactly between Sooner crimson and Cowboy orange. No, seriously.) Back in July, when “Thunder” first became the strongly rumored front-runner for the new name, I happened to be visiting my family in Tulsa and none of us were particularly impressed. So, now that the new name comes complete with a shiny new look, I thought I’d check in and see if real, live Oklahomans (or at least those who would answer my email) had been swept up in Thundermania.
Eh, not so much.
The Nickname:
“Thunder is a pretty goofy pick, if we are going to be a generic name, pick an animal. We should have been something with an Oklahoma connotation. I guess at least we can use AC/DC’s Thunderstruck as a theme song. So we may have the best intro song in the NBA. [Editor's Note: Not being a big AC/DC fan, I have to disagree with this point.]” — My father
“Stupid.” — My mother
“I guess it’s better than the Oklahoma City High Humidities.” — family friend Jim
“Jill’s 6 year-old soccer team came up with the same name. I wonder how much the p.r. firm made for the brainstorm.” –My mom’s friend Beth
“I like the name. I think it sounds both appropriate for the location and dominating.” — My friend Jacquelyn. Her husband, Michael, didn’t like the name as much as Jacquelyn did, but it didn’t bother him as much as …
The Logo
“The logo is terrible, absolutely terrible. It looks stupid, like a kindergartner drew it.” –Michael
“I’m actually not that impressed. It kinda makes me think of a bird.” — Jacquelyn
“I noticed at the church today their VBS [Vacation Bible School] logo looked remarkably similar to the Thunder logo… Almost as if they could have been done by the same person.” — My mother
The Colors
“Gaggy” — My mother [To be fair she meant the blue/yellow/red-orange together, she liked the blue by itself. --Ed.]
“Love the colors blue, red, white, what was the other one? … Just choose two.” –Beth
“[They] aren’t ‘Thunder’ colors – dark blue and gray with maybe yellow accents? I don’t know – at least we were not stuck with those awful Seattle Sonic colors.” –My father
My aunt said she didn’t have any opinions about the Thunder aside from the fact that she didn’t think the team should be getting local tax dollars.
Well, at least Desmond Mason’s playing basketball in Oklahoma again. Third time’s the charm, right?
Desmond, we missed you!
It sounds like they just added a WNBA team, complete with a cheesey graphic, an ugly color combo, and a name that can’t be pluralized. Poor Seattle. They deserved better than this. I really don’t give a shit about the NBA, but come on. Big time pro teams should not be this lame.
I was thinking the same thing Pam. My first impression was “wait, isn’t that a WNBA logo?”. Honestly, I hope they got it cheap, cause damn it’s bland, ugly, lame and garrish all at once. The Oregon football team could have designed better!
And yes, I am also disappointed at the lack of Thunderdome references.
Which is kind of ironic, since the WNBA counterpart stayed in Seattle. I wonder what the design/name for THAT team would have been.
Good question GM. I imagine something like “Oklahoma City Thirst”
I’m very disappointed in this. I really wanted the OK Marshals.
I just had lunch, and then I read this post and looked at that godawful logo again.
…I want my lunch back.
1) GM I had no clue you had family in Oklahoma. I was born and raised there and then got the hell outta of it. Of course, the parents are still there.
2) Really? Thunder? That’s the best the could come up with? Didn’t Tulsa used to have some semi-pro soccer club called that?
3) Maybe now I can see relatively inexpensive professional sports live and in person!! Wait, I live in Atlanta, that’s still an option here too, without the crappy plane ride to OKC.
I will never stop wanting to say “HOOOOoooo!” after the Thunder bit.
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