What’s in a name?

First things first, about my recommendation last week to re-sign Mike Cameron, yeah about that.  Also, according to Juan C. Rodriguez  on Twitter ( @JCRMarlinsbeat) Cameron was released because of conduct detrimental to the team that stems from a problem with a flight attendant during a team charter flight.

Recently I got involved in a very deep discussion on Twitter between some very passionate Marlins fans (@Lmhaydu, @LaurenMarieB, and @janewins1) regarding the changing of the team’s name from the Florida Marlins.  As some of you may know, when the Marlins move into their new stadium next year they will officially become the Miami Marlins.

Now I have never lived in south Florida so I was really an independent third party to this particular discussion but at one point the discussion got very heated.  Apparently there is a somewhat emotional commercial broadcast in south Florida where the song, “It’s our town” is played in regards to the Marlins and their new name.  I have not seen this commercial myself but an opinion was then expressed that the team name should incorporate all of south Florida and not just the city of Miami.  To that it was stated that the city of Miami paid the bill for the new stadium and as such deserves to be incorporated into the team nomenclature.

While both of these arguments were valid in my view I went with the “Let’s make everybody happy approach” and said, “Hey let’s just call them the South Florida Marlins of Miami-Dade County.” (Queue thunderous applause!)

Brilliant I know.  And why not?  It worked for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California on the West Coast of the United States of America.

I do believe you risk limiting your fan-base to a certain degree when you go from incorporating the entire state in your team name to just the city where they play but I do understand why the Marlins need to change their name especially since they are no longer the only major league team in the state of Florida.

Now dammit people get off your asses and go see your Marlins play in their new stadium next year.  I plan on making the trip down there myself at some point, and remember I live in Atlanta, what’s your excuse?  That’s right, you don’t have one. GO!

And Go Marlins!!!!