Loony Reaction

Here is the initial release...From the Midwest League website:

Great Lakes Loons named

The Loons will play in central Michigan, strategically
placed in the middle of four of the five Great Lakes.
"To the east we have
Lake Huron, to the west we have Lake Michigan," said Stacey Trapani with the
Loons. "The south has Lake Erie, and the north has Lake Superior. It's a great
location, and the lakes are so much a part of this state."

"Loons are very well-known birds in the area," said
Trapani. "The idea was to have a name that encompassed everyone and not just one
area of the state."

The real news is buried at the bottom of the release.

The new team will still be affiliated with the Tampa Bay
Devil Rays and play in the Midwest League. The Class A affiliation will also
remain. Trapani said a new, fresh team identity will draw new fans.

I was wrong. Two pieces of real news were buried at the bottom of the release. #1.) The Devil Rays will keep their affiliation with the franchise after the move. #2.) I should hope that the Class A affliation will also remain.

I'd hate to have a Triple-A team in the Class A Midwest League.

Crowd goes wild over team name:

The verdict is in – the Michigan Baseball Foundation
apparently has hit a home run with the name of its minor league
team. Shortly after the announcement Saturday that the
team will be the "Great Lakes Loons," several spectators at The Main Event near
the Tridge lauded the MBF for its choice. The prevailing
opinion seemed to be that "Loons" was good and "Great Lakes" even
better. "I love it. I was surprised, because I thought it
would be more like ‘Tri-City’ or ‘Midland,’" said Midland’s Pat McDonald. "It
just sounds good."

...

The team nickname – which was chosen from over 3,500 entries
submitted by the public to the MBF – was the brainstorm of 8-year-old Shawn
Zebrak, a third-grader at Adams Elementary School, and Pinconning’s Randy
Trudell, who also suggested the nickname "Loons."

...

Apparently, the newspaper couldn't find one person in the Great Lakes area that didn't like the name:

Midland’s Tom Darger also liked the inclusive nature of the
"Great Lakes" moniker. "I think the fact that they chose
‘Great Lakes’ instead of ‘Mid-Michigan’ was smart, because it goes outside
mid-Michigan," Darger noted. "You’re going to get people from the Thumb and
people from northern Michigan who want to go to a game, and if they just called
it ‘Mid-Michigan,’ those people (might not) feel
welcome. "I think ‘Great Lakes’ is an excellent
name."

...

Bay City’s Stacey Werner and Midland’s Steve Taglauer echoed
Darger’s sentiments. "It’s kind of a general name, and
that’s good," Werner said. "It includes everybody." "I
thought it would be something (like) ‘Tri-City’ or something like that, not
encompassing the whole area," Taglauer admitted. "It’s great. It’s not just
(about) Midland; it’s (about) the whole area."

...

Bay City’s Jeremy Gauthier said he liked the originality of
the name. "I like it. It’s different. I’ve never heard of
a team named that before," said Gauthier,

...

Werner and Taglauer said that they, too, were pleasantly
surprised by the nickname. "I like it a lot," said
Werner. "The ‘Loons’ is a great name for (a family-oriented)
team." "I think it’s awesome. It’s different," Taglauer
said. "It’s not like the ‘Mustangs’ or anything generic like that. It’s a catchy
name."

Maybe they should have checked their own forums...

Like the name?

I'm sorry if I offend anyone but...

I (and my brother) were distraught when we caught a glimpse of the new name. We arrived at the event late (we have 3 young daughters each) and checked out the team sales tent to get the name. I am thoroughly disappointed with both parts...

"Great Lakes" and "Loons". We are both desperately searching for a positive to this debacle and can't seem to accept these names in our hearts. Both of us showed up intending to purchase hats, jerseys, and stuff for the kids. We left with nothing but an ill feeling. I was one of those who showed up early on the first day of ticket sales to secure good seats for my brother and I.

Having both attended a number of semipro games aroung the country while in the service we are both familiar with the quality of entertainment such a team brings. But the recognition the name brings s a huge part of it. The Toldeo Mudhens, Salinas Spurs, Lansing Lugnuts, etc. I am disappointed because this team had SO MUCH potential for bringing in an awesome, marketable name and if completely FAILED.

I haven't spoken with a single person who likes the name. Those I know who simply accept it aren't the type who would be considered real fans anyway. Didn't management consider the marketing failure of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim? This is a sports team. I am sorry but "Loons" (even those with "piercing eyes") aren't intimidating to anyone. I feel sorry for the guys who will have to play with the monicker. I'm not a big fan of the color scheme either. Sorry.

Someone else hit the nail on the head when they said that "Great Lakes" is far too encompassing. This was an opportunity to help the Valley shine. Failure. "Loons", regardless of the fact that is an actual bird, sounds cartoonish. Why not name the team the "DO-DOs" or the "Cuckoo Birds"? Shameful.

That might be a bit over the top. Distraught? Shameful? It's just a nickname, a hilarious nickname for a sports team in your area, but just a nickname.

I was extrememly disapointed at the name selected for the new minor eague team. My parents who are long time Midland sports supporters (50+ years) called me after they got home from the events downtown to tell me about what was going on. My mother was upset that the name did nothing to represent Midland. My dad thought it was a joke!

Two Loons fans walk into a bar...

PATHETIC!! It would be nice to know if the deep pocketed bully foundations would release the list of names that were entered. THe name S**KS! I was under the impression that the name would have something to do with Midland or the greater region that we live in, since we are funding it!

That is just from the first page of the forums.

Great. Lakes. Loons.

Swing. of the. Quad Cities.

Same thing?

Is there anyone out there who knows what the reaction was to the renaming the Appleton Foxes to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers? I'd be interested to hear what that was like.