MLB has announced that the Expos will be relocating to Washington, DC for the 2005 season. No team name has been selected, although a petition is circulating fo the name "Grays".
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...xpos_washingtonFirst reaction is: "cool..now I have another stop on my Big-Ass East Coast Baseball Tour, next June". Second reaction is sympathy for any remaining baseball fans in Montreal. That strike-shortened 1994 season really hurts, now. A year when the Expos had the best record and were a strong World Series contender.
Are they going to be renamed something like the Senators???
Nevermind. I just read the article. I was guessing the Senators since a lot of teams in Washington's history were named that, and the article just confirmed it.
Why should senators always get the love... whattabout congressmen or representatives? And I still think it's ironic that the Washington DC team is a buncha' guys from Canada.
If they really, really want the name Senators, I'm sure they can work something out with the Rangers. I'd like to see them come up with something fresh, though. There's already been TWO different Senators teams, and there was a minor league team using that name in the 80's. The Senators' old moniker of "Nationals" has also been used more than once. Isn't "Washington National" an airport? I'd steer clear of "Federals", too. Wasn't that a basketball team? Plus, there was the Federal League around 1904 or so.
Go the old throwback route and call 'em "the Potomacs"...similar to the 1880's "Pittsburgh Alleghenies" (Pirates). "Eagles" would be cool, despite the old "Newark Eagles". Or..
Name 'em after some of the well known Washington attractions/themes:
-Washington Monuments (ugh)
-Washington Jeffersons... would really confuse hisory buffs. They'd have to get Sherman Helmsley to throw out the first pitch, though. Movin' on up
-Washington Scandal (and show Lisa Simpson's "Cesspoll on the Potomac" speech on the score board before every game. Moica Lewisnky gets to throw out the first pitch)
-Washington Constituants. Is you is, or is you ain't, my constituants? That's a fun word to spell, anyways.
-Washington Flames. Named after the Kennedy grave site. San Francisco would be jealous.
-Washington Infiinite Justices. Which would be changed to Washington Enduring Freedoms after one week.
-Washington Whigs. Cuz' there just aren't enough connections to 1850's politics in baseball
-Washington Buckies, Nomads or Falcons. Named after Captain America's old sidekicks of course. Or Washington Shields..or S.H.I.E.L.D's
-The Washington Ameri-balls! New word: Ameri-ball!
Of course, it doesn't matter the people dedice to call it. The Republicans will find a way to make their name of choice the winner :)