When I think of Washington DC I think of Monuments, so why not name the team the Washington DC Monuments, or Granites, or Marbleheads. Should you insist on keeping our 'lustrous potentates in mind, then Thiefs, or Spenders, or Cons, or Grafts. Or, since the United States of America is a Republic, why not Washington DC Republicans

Yale:

As a former Washingtonian and Senators fan who has never gotten over their transfer to Dallas, and as someone who thought that the current Washington mayor's deep-sixing of the name "Senators" because Washington doesn't have any real senators was a piece of annoying political grandstanding, I applaud your contest.

How about:

Mugwumps
Stalwarts
Half-Breeds
Doughfaces

Though these all are historical, the first and last especially so aptly describe today's pols that they might be worth reviving.

Then there's always

Bureaucrats
Dollar Diplomats
Fat Cats
Centralizers

etc.

Best regards
Robert Spencer
Director, Jihad Watch
www.jihadwatch.org

Dear Yale: Since the coming of the Nationals means more baseball in my life and baseball is life -well, an important part of my American life- I am just happy that the coming of the Nationals means more baseball on the radio and the chance to see some favorite teams on a lovely Summer afternoon. I tolerate night games but can't see as well under artificial light -hence the curtailing of my baseball career at age 15 to my great sorrow. People who don't know me well can't imagine that at age 15 I would have given everything up to have a chance to play major league ball. The was the second great illusion of my youth. The first was wishing, at age 5 , to be an Argyll like Auld Pop and his old comrades in arms because it seemed great to have so many friends and kilts and toasts to the Old Regiment. Needless to say, history and geography solved that question early though not without some regret. I then spent the next 15 years playing baseball or seeking Brigadoon mostly without success. But Baseball was always great. Boozing was not the thing but going with family was the thing. I loved keeping score and talking about the game. I always enjoyed it much more than the craze of football and basketball. In basketball I couldn't stand those damn buzzers and the squeeking of the sneakers. The only times I attended basketball games as a young man I was literally paid to attend. I was never invited to football games and of course, thank God, NYU didn't have a football team. That would have distracted from culture and baseball. I suppose I was a sober "nerd" but I enjoyed going to hear string quartets or the opera when the baseball season was over. UVA has big football games but I hardly know they are there except to drive around to avoid the traffic and stay away to avoid the underage drunken students. We are living a modern mini prohibition. Now I think the NATS is in fact a good name because GNATS are any of various small usually biting flies. There are a lot of GNATS in Washington.However, it could be argued that the pols in DC are more rapacious and parasitic. This is true so perhaps BLOODSUCKERS would be a good names. They could be called the BLOODS for short though this might incite gang violence I know. Alternatively they could be called the SUCKERS. That would describe most of the taxpayers who have to foot the bill. Of course calling the new team the LEECHES after the fresh water annelid worms could be appropriate because these worms have a sucker on each end. Win or lose the Democrats and Republicans have suckers on both ends. There is an old Highland saying THA AN DEALA A'SNAMH, THIG FRASAN BLATH ROIMH FHEASGAR which means for all you Lowlanders out there, The leech is swimming, warm showers will come. In America, the leeches are always swimming in a river of tax payer generated cash and most distrubing borrowed cash. My late father, who personally experienced the Decline and Fall of the British Empire (and the Pound) always worried about the 'bubble' of trade deficits and the huge personal borrowing of Americans. Always a thrify but generous Scot he worried about money -too much perhaps- but I never dismissed his wise opinion and think there must be something in it. Of course, the leeches won't be around when the bill comes due. Of course, and I kid not, DEALA, leech is also synonymous with COW DUNG and the SHEEP'S TEAT. You can make of that what you will. Some of you might think me hard but the truth is I would respect our pols more if AFFIRMATIVE ACTION applied to them, if they had to rely on SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE like the rest of us etc and if they lived with more republican virtue in the classical sense of the word. Perhaps there are dedicated public servants out there but frankly most of those I have met are in the classroom not in the halls of congress. So as a final word on worms and gnats and baseball nicknames maybe NATS is a good nickname and maybe it was always meant somewhat jocularly. But I feel sorry for the Orioles. They are unlikely to get presidents to throw out the opening ball anymore. HORSEFEATHERS contest to rename the Washington Nationals is worthy. However, having visited the PRICE OF FREEDOM at the Smithsonian and having seen George Washington's sword and uniform I think it quite true to say of Washington and his name: SING OH! NOT E'EN HIS SON'S DISGRACE CAN QUITE DESTROY HIS GLORY'S TRACE. Washington Nationals has a nice ring. They SHOULD incorporate colonial and Washingtonian effects, in my opinion. And of course they will be probably FIRST IN PEACE FIRST IN WAR AND LAST IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE. (prize to be decided later) and will start the ball rolling with one or two suggestions.
Posted by Richard "Ricardo" Munro at November 28, 2004 12:07 PM

Since my prior comment never was posted, unsatisfactory for whatever reason, I will try again here.

Washington DC is known throughout the nation for other than the politicians. Mostly for Monuments and Museums. Therefore, my recommended name would be the Washington Ms (you know, like the Oakland As) The M of course standing for monuments, museums and mayhem.

Of course if your wanting to highlight the fact that DC is the seat of National Government, then possibly Tics, or Polis, deriving both from the term Politics. Or how about RepublicRats. Or just Rats.

No, I think Ms might actually be preferable than Nationals, or the others suggested.

Chuck

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

URL:
Remember me? YesNo

Comments: