Connecticut Tigers announce team name finalists

Fans of the short-season Class A Connecticut Tigers will select a new nickname from five finalists that the team just unveiled today. All five options include the geographic signifier of the team’s hometown, Norwich, rather than Connecticut, which they have used since their inception in 2010. Three of the options reflect the town’s connection to nautical themes.

I’ll be voting for Narwhals, which is great because of the alliteration, and because every time I see the team, I’ll think, “Hi Buddy, I hope you find your dad.”

The five names in the contest are below, which explanations coming directly from the team’s website

Norwich Golden Roses: The Golden Roses pays tribute to Norwich’s history as “The Rose of New England” which led to the moniker of The Rose City. Norwich was known as a center of wealth, commerce and influence. Immigrants coming to the area were told the streets were “paved in gold”. In fact, in 1959 a small street was actually paved in tar with gold flakes during the city’s 300th anniversary celebration.

Norwich Mill Mules: The Mill Mules celebrates Norwich’s rich textile history. Large mills sprang up along the three rivers that flow into the city in neighborhoods such as Taftville, Occum, Yantic and Greeneville which all became “mill towns” where hardworking citizens turned raw materials and goods arriving at Norwich Harbor into good ole American products.

Norwich Narwhals: The Narwhals is a tribute to the Unicorn of the Sea, allegedly seen by merchant sailors as they sailed to and from Chelsea Landing at the Norwich harbor, bringing goods across the Atlantic to and from the city. Whether real or imagined, these creatures helped fuel the legend of the Norwich ship captain.

Norwich Salty Dogs: The Salty Dogs celebrates the city’s legendary seafaring captains, and the gritty “tough as nails” attitude the community embraces. A salty dog is a nickname for a sailor who has spent much of his or her life aboard a ship at sea. Many of the buildings still standing from this era in the Norwich harbor area bear a plaque with the names of these captains that once called them home.

Norwich Sea Unicorns: The Sea Unicorns is a tribute to the mythical sea creatures and lore that legendary Norwich sea captains would see and experience during their travels. These captains were known for their skill in avoiding imperial taxation during peacetime and later at eluding warships during war but would also bring back to Norwich tall tales of close encounters with mythical creatures along the way.

Voting, which can be found here, started today and runs through October 18.