And change the team name to something that is less ironic.

It’s clear the voodoo curse brought over from New Orleans isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Both of the players who have statues outside the building are now controversial figures nationally. Injuries derail any promising season and playoff run. Blew 3-1 lead. Can’t get out of the second rd as the 1 seed up 2-0 vs a team missing their best player for the final two games. Random guys always become prime Michael Jordan against the Jazz and add insult to injury on the way out.

The name thing is something that never used to bug me, but this past year it has grinded my gears more. Picture a team in Atlanta called the Rap Music being sold to someone in Utah, and them deciding to roll with the name Utah Rap Music, or the Utah Hip Hop. Those names don’t fit with the culture, identity, or history of the state, and neither does Jazz.

Yes, not every team has a name that has a cultural connection; there aren’t a lot of lakes in Los Angeles. But Jazz also just doesn’t have a “cool” factor like others do. Even here in Utah where the fan base is rabid, you don’t typically see many people wearing Jazz gear. Sometimes you see a sticker on a vehicle. The J note is also not a very recognizable logo outside of Utah. Most still associate the Jazz with the purple mountains logo.

A major problem is, of course, what on earth could it be changed to? Native American names and references are off the table. And trying to completely rebrand is difficult. Here are some (mostly poor) options that i’ve seen thrown around:

Utah Pioneers
Utah Miners
Utah Powder
Utah Lightning
Utah Blaze
Utah Matrix
Utah Arches
Utah Peaks
Utah Ice
Utah Ragnarok (Utah’s population does have strong Scandinavian roots)
Utah Spirit
Utah Tradition
Utah Honor
Utah Steel
Utah Iron
Utah Energy
Utah Stallions
Utah Golden Eagles
Utah Granite
Utah Cottonwoods
Utah Snowbirds (lol)
Utah Red Rocks
Utah Mustangs
Utah Wild
Utah Treasure
Utah Sky
Utah Zion (would likely be accused of stealing another name from New Orleans)

What are some others?


(Note: This is mostly TIC. I don’t care about the name thing that much)