Classic Storm Articles

[jellyhead]

What is the Perth name going to be?

WA Force

[Tigger]

I think I read somewhere it's the Western Force - do ya reckon there will be lots of Star Wars puns around that team???

[Lord Reynoldson]

Doesn't really sound like a Union teams name, but does make for some good Star Wars orientated headlines.

[thinga87]

This is the logo by the way:

And an article

[Super Cronk]

whats all this talk bout crappy union?

[thinga87]

At least they aren't playing in Melbourne , although the new stadium would have been nice.

[TC]

What is the Perth name going to be?

W.A. Anchors

[Insomniac]

I like it TC!

[Thunderstruck]

TS, the naming comp was run through the Herald Sun not sure how long it ran tho.

I know that, it's all in the articles too. I just wanted to know when the competition ran and for how long because looking at the gap between the first article and the second one thinga posted, it seemed like a long time and the name Melbourne Storm was suggested as early as March but wasn't announced until September 1997.

I'll just come clean here. The six month gap betweeen the articles suggest to me that the people behind the club in the early days already had the name Melbourne Storm ready for launch or at least a very strong candidate even prior to the competition.

It led me to suspect that the competition was only run for publicity and the winning name was picked because it matched what they wanted in the first place. Unless of course the competition ran from January to August.

oh and TC, ROFPML

[Christabella]

... Was just thinking about this whole name thing the other day with the crapalicious moniker the WA Rugby team got... bit like the crummy A-League names...

Well I know I'd rather be a force than a flower!

[Christabella]

What is the Perth name going to be?

W.A. Anchors

LOL but isn't that Freo's unoffical title?

[Buzz]

With regards to the naming of the club - TommyJ has a letter from the club thanking him for his proposed name of the "Melbourne Juggernauts" (he just wanted to chant "Carn the Jugs!"). I told him about the article posted above, and he's gonna pull out his letter and find out some dates. Sounds' a little suspicious considering the Melbourne team hadn't been approved or announced, just rumoured and yet a strong candidate name was there. Perhaps the competition should have been "Guess the name" rather than "Name the..."

Oh well, as long as someone guessed the number of jelly beans in the jar....

[thinga87]

I don't think John Ribot knew anything about the name before August 1997:

Sunday Herald-Sun 31/08/1997
"We want Victorians to take ownership of the team," Ribot said.

"It will be their team. It will have character and heart and soul. People will be able to see that.

"Even if they want to call it the bloody Melbourne Penguins, or give me the worst name in the world, I could still make it work."

Am still looking for details of the naming competition, but I think I'd have to go microfiche on it, not electronic databasing.

[Christabella]

I don't think John Ribot knew anything about the name before August 1997:

Sunday Herald-Sun 31/08/1997
"We want Victorians to take ownership of the team," Ribot said.

"It will be their team. It will have character and heart and soul. People will be able to see that.

"Even if they want to call it the bloody Melbourne Penguins, or give me the worst name in the world, I could still make it work."

Am still looking for details of the naming competition, but I think I'd have to go microfiche on it, not electronic databasing.

PMSL @ Penguins
That reminds me of the trailers for Madagascar: The penguins are doing it, why can't I? The Penguins are pyschotic!

[Thunderstruck]

Heh... Pittsburgh Penguins work and they even play inside a giant igloo. Their stadium was purposely made to resemble one

Anyway, Ribot may or may not know about the name in August 97 but the fact's there, Herald Sun suggested in March 97 that Melbourne Storm was a strong candidate for the name.