In an attempt to make their new NBA team sound as generic and expansioney as possible, the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics was officially renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder. Did it really take them months to come up with "Thunder"? Some of us knew about that beforehand, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Here is a one-time opportunity to come up with a nickname that creates some sort of attachment with their hometown, or is at least somewhat clever and memorable, and they steal a name from a defunct CBA franchise?

There were rumors that they would go all the way with the minor-league shtick and add the "cats" suffix to the name, like the "Lafayette Swamp Cats" or the "New Hampshire Fisher Cats". That would give us the "Oklahoma City Thundercats", which is both ridiculous and awesome. But if they can name a hockey team after an Emilio Estevez movie, is a popular 80s cartoon featuring anthropomorphic kung-fu felines that far out of the question?

I would guess this was scrapped partially due to the negative connotations with the 'thunder cat' nickname, but the name feels like a missed opportunity. Marketing the Thundercats would be a piece of cake. The logo's already done; the timeless Thundercats logo is already reddish and basketball-shaped. It will also give the marketing execs a gratuitous reason to dress the cheerleaders up like Cheetara a few times. And once the Thundercats movie tie-in runs its course, they could change their name to the "Reds". The Cats logo is already red, and Oklahoma has copious amounts of red dirt that screws up your Nikes. It fits. Done.

I'll admit, it's crazy. But that's why I'm not in charge of these things. If the Thundercats licensing deal fell through, I would pay homage to former wrestling champ Dr. Death Steve Williams and go with the "Oklahoma Stampede". It still makes more sense than Thunder.

Labels: Oklahoma City Thunder, the 80s, Thundercats