Name That Team Name
Written by Kevin McCaffrey
Last updated · 4 min play time
“What’s in a name?” Remember who asked that question? Jessica Simpson. But before that, Shakespeare. Here’s a quick quiz about the names of sports teams.
Quiz written by
Kevin McCaffreyKevin McCaffrey is a comedian and radio/podcast host with an excellent outside shot and a mild hangover. His album “Nice & Drunk” debuted at #1, and you can hear him talk baseball on the “Away Games Podcast,” about Sex and the City on “Sex and the Cidiots,” and about everything else on “Celebrate!” on Sirius XM Channel 99.
Name That Team Name Quiz Questions
12 Questions · 584 Plays · No comments
Question 1
Which state does NOT have an NBA team name that ends in the letter “s”?
-
APennsylvania
-
BFlorida
-
CTexas
-
DNew York
Florida
Florida is one of four states with a plural number of NBA teams, but neither team name is, itself, classically plural. The Heat and Magic both got weird with their names when they were born in the '80s.
Question 2
What team got its name from a movie starring Emilio Estevez?
-
AMiami Heat
-
BCarolina Panthers
-
CAnaheim Ducks
-
DArizona Diamondbacks
Anaheim Ducks
Emilio's brother Charlie Sheen was the inspiration behind one of the names considered for Cleveland's baseball team (the Cleveland Wild Things). But for now, he's got familial bragging rights. The Ducks were once The Mighty Ducks.
Question 3
Outside of San Francisco, what city named a professional sports team after a gold rush?
-
APortland
-
BKansas City
-
CSacramento
-
DDenver
Denver
The 49ers are famously named for the Gold Rush of 1849. Less well-known is that the Denver Nuggets are named for the nuggets of gold found in the Colorado Gold Rush, which also took place around that time.
Question 4
Which team was named for the culture of its previous home city?
-
ANew Orleans Pelicans
-
BOklahoma City Thunder
-
CPhiladelphia 76ers
-
DUtah Jazz
Utah Jazz
Sure, you like music, but have you ever heard jazz in Utah? Probably not. The Jazz got their name from their previous location, the much jazzier city of New Orleans.
Question 5
What baseball team plays in a park that officially shares their name?
-
ASeattle Mariners
-
BWashington Nationals
-
CSt. Louis Cardinals
-
DMinnesota Twins
Washington Nationals
Only three teams bailed on corporate naming rights to name their stadium after the actual team. The Dodgers, with Dodger Stadium; the Yankees and Yankee Stadium; and the Nationals, who play at Nationals Park.
Question 6
Which city has never had an MLB team named the Athletics?
-
AOakland
-
BPhiladelphia
-
CAtlanta
-
DKansas City
Atlanta
The "Athletics" name moved from east to west over the years. They began in Philadelphia, where they had a brief dynasty and a ton of great players. They then had a 12-year layover in Kansas City, before finally landing in Oakland.
Question 7
What city has had team names that rhyme in three of the “big four” American sports leagues?
-
ALos Angeles
-
BPhiladelphia
-
CChicago
-
DNew York
New York
The Jets, Mets, and Nets, not only rhyme, but also all share the choice of the more "alt" NYC sports fan. It's undeniably more basic to root for the Yankees/Knicks/Giants.
Question 8
What NHL team held a contest to pick a name, but rejected the winner due to perceived gang ties?
-
ASharks
-
BBlue Jackets
-
CHurricanes
-
DPredators
Sharks
By fan vote, the winning name for San Jose's hockey team was the Blades, which was rejected because of gang associations. So, they picked...the Sharks, which guaranteed a literal matchup of "Sharks vs. Jets" every year. NHL people don't know musicals, apparently.
Question 9
Baltimore has two different pro sports teams that each used to go by what name?
-
ABullets
-
BBirds
-
CBees
-
DBrowns
Browns
You likely know that the Cleveland Browns became the Baltimore Ravens, before respawning in their original locale. But the Orioles also used to be the Browns - the St. Louis Browns.
Question 10
Which is the nickname for a Premier League team that is named partially for a character featured in a Shakespeare play?
-
ASpurs
-
BToffees
-
CReds
-
DGunners
Spurs
The Spurs are Tottenham Hotspur. Hotspur comes from "Henry Hotspur", a real man who was featured in Shakespeare's <i>Henry IV</i>. How much more British do you want your team to be?
Question 11
What team is named in part because their original owner was a fan of Franklin D. Roosevelt?
-
APhiladelphia Eagles
-
BGolden State Warriors
-
CNew York Mets
-
DWashington Capitals
Philadelphia Eagles
Owner Bert Bell was a big football fan, and a big fan of the New Deal. FDR's National Recovery Act had an eagle as its symbol, and Bell took that eagle and made it his football team's nickname.
Question 12
What team used to be called “The White Stockings”?
-
AChicago White Sox
-
BCincinnati Reds
-
CChicago Cubs
-
DBoston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
The amount of baseball teams that are, or have at one time been named after footwear is incredible. Weirdly, the White Sox were not the Chicago team called the White Stockings - that was the Cubs.
Comments (0)
We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.