The Aztexan

Hot on the heels of my last post about PDL expansion team West Texas United, the team has announced their name, mascot and a major sponsor.

The good news is, the sponsor doesn't sound too bad.

West Texas National Bank was chartered in 2000, the result of the merger of three independent banks. Headquartered in Midland, the bank’s corporate "roots" in the community date back to 1904.

In addition to being the "title" sponsor, the West Texas National Bank partnership also includes WTNB patches on the uniforms, Youth Jersey Night sponsorship at the home opener, halftime contests at home games, and more.

The name, on the other hand, doesn't do much for me.

After announcing the birth of the franchise in September, a "name the team" contest was held, in conjunction with the Midland Reporter-Telegram. It turns out the contest will have two winners, as the name "Sockers" is actually a combination of two entries.

"The name 'SockHounds' was suggested, a direct tie-in to the RockHounds baseball club," Hoppel said. "We also like Coyotes for a number of reasons, especially as it relates to a team logo and potential mascot. So, the name 'Sockers' is really a hybrid. It’s also unique, as no other minor or major league team is using the name."

Okay, at least they didn't use "SockHounds"; that would have been even worse. But using a misspelling of the name of the sport itself? Really?

Since they'll be our rivals, I guess I should be glad they have an easy name to make fun of. But in my opinion, they should have just left it at "West Texas United", and had the coyote as mascot and nickname (a la The Potters, Hoops, Orange Crush, etc.).

Labels: rivals, U-23