Why do North American franchises have team names like "San Jose SHARKS" and "Toronto RAPTORS" while all other places in the world have name that are just FC or HC or United or City.
It seems much more formal in Europe and dont the team names like Raptors seem so random?
European soccer/sports clubs existed as just that, clubs, long before they were the "professional" teams they are now. Literally was, say, the Liverpool soccer club (FC) which existed as amateur/social clubs and then turned into what it is now (pro clubs) over the years. Many still exist as 'clubs' with social aspect, other sports, and youth teams/leagues.
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I thought EPL teams did in fact have team names but through habit or tradition they went with the club name.
Isn't Manchester United the Red Devils, and Arsenal FC the Gunners?
Exactly. European soccer teams have more colloquial nicknames that are not usually included in the formal name. Some are extremely basic and boring as well: blues, reds, etc.
This is actually a fascinating list of nicknames and shows how the origins are all over the map:
most of our hockey/basketball/etc. teams have those names too. It's mostly just soccer where it's different, although all those teams tend to have nicknames as well.
The thought did occur to me as I connected the team name from my youth and a Calgary web site for the first time ever, you will be pleased to know Edmonton in North London is a run down ****hole prone to fatal stabbings and CCTV film of drunken girls urinating in public. You will no doubt be pleased to note the liberal wearing of sweat pants, no doubt the first pair from N London arrived with the settlers in the late 19th century
kelowna rockets
logo is a dragon/ogopogo with a hockey stick
mascot is racoon
really??
I have a pet peeve: The Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Most teams are named for something powerful/great/celestial (Giants, Titans, Stars, Jets, Kings), or something that has a meaning to the city (Flames in Atlanta, Panthers in Florida, Ducks in Disney.
....But then there is the Lethbridge Hurricanes. There are no hurricanes in Lethbridge. Yes, there are in Carolina, and yes, it is 'windy' in Lethbridge, but there is no torrential downpours, and the winds are not hurricane force, and there are definitely no hurricanes there.
Damn the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and I hope they never win again.
Why do North American franchises have team names like "San Jose SHARKS" and "Toronto RAPTORS" while all other places in the world have name that are just FC or HC or United or City.
It seems much more formal in Europe and dont the team names like Raptors seem so random?
Short answer : cultural differences.
Long additional answer:
Different origins, in part.
Sports teams in the US have often been fully commercial or at least amateur right from the start. Hence they have always had a use for brand names.
In Europe most older teams started out as hobby teams, often for a factory, a youth club or a political party, or possibly a part of town, and typically started out playing against local opponents. Team names were kind of irrelevant when you just played against the team from the factory on the other side of the street, and when you needed something to call yourself, it made sense that the "team names" were often just descriptions of where the team was from and what sport they were into.
Many sports clubs also had teams in multiple sports, and sometimes still do, so it was actually relevant to differentiate the football club and the wrestling club. Hence, Local FC.
Names of sports team
