Origins of the NFL teams' names

by **Brent Burns** on Sat Dec 17, 2005 9:30 pm

Just trying to pass time because my wife is watching a TV show (I think from TLC) and my 14 year old son is watching another show (Cartoon Network). Both are quite boooooring.

Anyway, thought it would be interesting to discuss the origins of those NFL teams being named.

Cleveland Browns- this is quite easy because it used to be named after Paul Brown. I vaguely recall that there was another reason for naming this team the Browns.

New England Patriots- this is a no-brainer because this is in honor of our Patriots during the Revolutionary War.

Seattle Seahawks- I am sure Dan Wishengrad would enlighten us as to how the folks in Seattle christened this team the Seahawks. Does it have to do with the seahawk in that region?

I will stop there and let you all chime in about other NFL teams' names.

**Sponsor**

by **bste_lax** on Sat Dec 17, 2005 9:43 pm

Dallas Cowboys....I have no clue...... :lol:

by **DanGenck** on Sat Dec 17, 2005 10:09 pm

Minnesota Vikings-

As Ralph Wiggum would say, "Oh boy! Embarassing my home state, complaining about a new stadium and showing my private parts on a party boat... that's where I'm a viking!"

by **KnoxVegas** on Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:01 am

Here is the Pro Football Hall of Fame nickname page:
http://www.profootballhof.com/history/nicknames.jsp

Don't forget that that for the 1943 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers played as the Steagles, a team comprised of players from both franchises due to the loss of players to the war effort. The team played one season and then returned to two separate teams for the 1944 NFL season.

Above is the original Jacksonville Jaguars helmet. Early in 1995, then coach and GM Tom Coughlin received a phone call from a lawyer for the Jaguar Motor Co. in England. The lawyer congratulated Coughlin and the orginization on their admittance to the NFL and wished them well on their upcoming inaugural season. After a few minutes of small talk, Coughlin told the guy he was not interested in purchasing or leasing a Jaguar and hung up.

A few minutes later, the same Jaguar lawyer called back and said that he was not offering a car but was calling to let the Jaguars football team know that the logo they had chosen was too close to the Jaguars car company's (in their opinion) and if it was not changed, then legal action would be taken. Shortly after this phone call, the Jaguars football team unveiled a new logo and a new helmet: