Political Equinox

So one of the worst kept secrets in Fort Wayne, OK maybe not that bad, but we saw the Wizards Name Change Contest coming months ago after the news was squeaked out by a Journal Gazette reporter during a routine interview with those “Hardball Guys.”

It’s only naturally that a new ownership group considers a re-branding, but don’t you typically not re-brand successful firms? It seems to me that the Wizards continue to set new attendance records and while I still hold the opinion that the team needs to move up to Double-A and get out of the affiliation with the San Diego Padres, I think the team name is just fine.

The community picked the name in the first place, so why should we change it. According to the club’s owners with the move downtown it’s the perfect time to change the team’s name; since when does getting a new stadium qualify for rationale of re-branding the team. Should we hold a contest for the Colts too? You know, it does have that acronym in COLTS = Count on Losing This Sunday. Maybe we should change the name to something that the community votes on and just throw the history of the team out the window.

If the Wizards were having serious problems, then maybe I can see a name change – but all that would do for me is make the baseball team step more into the image of indoor football in Fort Wayne (and that sure isn’t something an owner wants to shoot for these days).

Some have commented that a name change is necessary because the mascot doesn’t even resemble a Wizard, but must I remind them that a few years back the team tossed out Wayne the Wizard (another move I was wholeheartedly against) in favor of Dinger the Dragon – scaring the kids was the word on the street. I liked Wayne – he was old school – ballpark worthy. Dinger just doesn’t give on that baseball feeling.

I personally love the name. Attending my first game at three years old (It also happened to be the Wizards first home game.), all I can remember is falling asleep – as that’s what I’m told I did, I’ve loved the team ever since. It saddens me that all that history could be wiped away by one simple name change.

The Portland Beavers attempted a similar feat a few years back and the city ended up voting back in the original name – I sure hope Fort Wayne does the same.

Who knows maybe the commuinity will get into it, maybe we’ll get a name change, and maybe, just maybe Mark Souder will propose to name the team after Ronald Reagan?