The Triple-A Gwinnett Braves, who will rebrand for the 2018 season, announced the six finalists in their name-the-team this morning. The names listed below and the rationale behind them come from the G-Braves website, where the vote is taking place as you read. I have broken them down into four categories:
Great: This One Should Win
Gwinnett Buttons: The Buttons honor Gwinnett County’s namesake, Button Gwinnett, signatory of the Declaration of Independence. [Author’s note: Vote for this one!]
Not Bad
Gwinnett Hush Puppies: Our stealthy hunting dog is sneaking through the weeds, about to rustle up some ducks. But don’t think we’re all that serious. You can expect a “corny” fan experience at the “Puppies” game!
Gwinnett Big Mouths: Named after the state fish of Georgia, the Big Mouths are a tribute to bass fishing on Lake Lanier.
Meh
Gwinnett Gobblers: The Gobblers celebrate the outdoors, hunting and eating all the foods we love in the state of Georgia.
Gwinnett Sweet Teas: It’s a regional icon “to a tea!” The Sweet Teas celebrate the laid-back lifestyle of Gwinnett County while displaying a real sweet look.
Terrible in Every Way
Gwinnett Lambchops: A chop off the old block, the Lambchops marry the region’s love of home cooking with the Tomahawk Chop of the Atlanta Braves.
Here’s the official announcement from the team:
*drum roll*
Here are the 6⃣ finalists for our name change! You have until July 24th to place your vote!
☑️ https://t.co/dCF8jp9Os2 pic.twitter.com/CC9KBrgw8B— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) July 13, 2017
Whichever name wins, you can rest assured that fans will hate it for three days, complain about it bitterly on Twitter, then embrace it whole-heartedly and buy all of the team’s new merchandise.