The "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim"?

[SharpLS-96]

The Angels should stay the "Anaheim Angels" or at least become the "Orange County Anaheim Angels of California" or something to that degree but NOT the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" IMHO. I hope the City of Anaheim succeeds in court.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1958082

Monday, January 3, 2005
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Baseball's Angels have a new name, and it's a mouthful: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The switch, which will be challenged in court by the city of Anaheim, is intended to help the team market itself to more of Southern California, attract more advertising sponsors and broadcast revenue, the team said Monday.

"We believe that the appeal in the marketplace will be broader," Angels spokesman Tim Mead said.

The city of Anaheim will file a lawsuit to block the name change and hopes to obtain a temporary restraining order in place this week, city spokesman John Nicoletti said.

Anaheim officials believe the change violates the terms of the team's 33-year lease with the city.

Twist a phrase
The clause in the 1996 agreement between the Angels and the city of Anaheim is ambiguous and therefore it could be up to the courts to decide whether or not the new name is adequate. In exchange for $20 million in renovations, the team agreed to include Anaheim in their name.

Section 11. Advertising and Sponsorship
(f) Team Name
Tenant will change the name of the team to include the name "Anaheim" therein, such change to be effective no later than the commencement of the 1997 season.
-- Darren Rovell

"It's geographically confusing and absurd," Nicoletti said. "No other professional sports franchise that I know of has two different cities in its names."

When the franchise began in 1961, owned by singing cowboy Gene Autry, it was the Los Angeles Angels. The team became the California Angels when it moved to Anaheim in 1966. In 1997, when the team was controlled by The Walt Disney Co., the franchise was renamed the Anaheim Angels.

Arte Moreno bought the team in 2003, one year after it won the World Series, and he wanted to change the name.

The Angels drew 3,375,677 last season, the third-highest total in baseball behind the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

[r00kie]

I agree. LA Angels of Anaheim just sounds kinda stupid.

[BuyERTS]

Even if Anaheim was in L.A. county, that name would sound stupid. Considering that Anaheim is actually in Orange County, it's completely absurd to call them the "Los Angeles" anything.

[xioix]

a really dumb name since anaheim isnt even in LA

trying to cash in on the LA name

[Lexis11]

Yes this is rediculous, what will they come up with next? The Boston Red Sox of Massachusetts.

[EmeraldLexuSC3]

Why not just call them the "Disneyland Angles of Anaheim"

[mkorsu]

How about the New York City Yankees of the Bronx or the New York City Mets of Queens?

[mikeloc24]

It's lame and a crappy attempt to cash in on Los Angeles's popularity. I knew Art Moron-o was gonna do something drastic when he took over...I saw it coming but didn't think it would be this. His rationale is that when MLB originally gave us the Angel franchise that they were originally slated to represent the Los Angeles area in the American League, now it's simply about "exposure and revenue"

We don't need another baseball team in LA, we need a pro-football team damnit!!!!!!!!!!!!! How is it that LA doesn't have a football team!!!!! Should be just make USC represent us in the NFL??!! Damn damn damn damn!!!!

[Stage3]

this just goes to show that baseball is becoming a huge joke in the US. how many times do you hear about things like this in Japan??? how about never.

[EmeraldLexuSC3]

Originally Posted by Stage3

this just goes to show that baseball is becoming a huge joke in the US. how many times do you hear about things like this in Japan??? how about never.

Exactly, It more about Marketing, Ego, and money, not necessarily in that order!