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The team formerly known as the Iowa Stars will announce its new name Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Wells Fargo Arena. You're invited. Those of you who read this blog, or watch SoundOff, know I've pushed Iowa Chops for months. You'll never find a name everyone loves, but after first floating Chops out there, it easily won our online vote (I only voted 7 times). Iowa Chops works on several levels including, most importantly, the unique local level. Merchandise would sell, not to mention pork chops, and it wouldn't take fans long to invent an Iowa Chop-chant. I also expect you'd have a built in corporate sponsor.
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At one time, the Stars organization settled on Iowa Thunder, but since then the Anaheim Ducks became Iowa's AHL affiliate, and they shook up the front office. Let's hope they also shook themselves and listened to the fans: Chops, not Thunder. (If it is Thunder, I don't mind it, but Andy will go nuts. He hates Thunder. Then again, while I was pushing "Chops", he was lobbying for "Corn Dawgs". If it's Corn Dawgs, or Corndogs, I may cry.) Give us your pick in the whotv.com poll.
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Along with the new identity, Iowa's AHL organization will announce a dramatic reduction in ticket prices. I hear prices are nearly chopped in half. That's key, though it will put pressure on the organization to sell twice as many tickets. If they can't, the AHL shouldn't be here anyway.
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Chris Hassel just sent me a text message from Wrigley Field: "HARDEN TRADE WINS WORLD SERIES...ON PAPER." Yes, now if the Cubs can just find a way to play it on paper, the drought finally ends.
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Good job by the Cubs answering the Brewers addition of CC Sabathia. I know Jim Hendry says it wasn't a response to Milwaukee, but it was, and it's a good one---if Harden stays healthy. He's no Prior, but he's no Maddux either.
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Great job out of Kurt Warner coming back to his hometown and helping out. I know it's part PR, but Kurt has enough history helping out to know his heart's really in it.
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Hawkeye wrestling assistant coach Wes Hand steps down at Iowa to "pursue other interests". That's something you don't often see after a team wins the national championship.
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Sorry I'm so short (insert 5'10" joke here). I'll return in 24 hours or your money back.
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Now back to Shane from Marshalltown and Anonymous...
Keith
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17 comments:
My 5 year old tonight was watching the Cubs with me when Soto hit his homerun. My son then says, I want to see a Cubbies game there. I said, me too...someday soon. :)
On another note, "Iowa Chops"??? Really? Okay, you're right, I don't think Corndogs is going to fly either.
I missed the "Iowa Chops" originally, but I love it!
I think it is a great,unique idea.
I am happy the Cubs got Harden, and I think that this will be good for Murton and Patterson for sure.
I hate that the Cubs got Harden. He is (or soon to be was) on my fantasy team. I can't have any Cubs on my team!!! I want to win. Now, he will have to go out there to pitch, hit, and possibly run. I give him 2 starts and he gets hurt and his season is done. Way to go Cubs....way to ruin season #100. (hahahaha...I love it!)
The award for unintentional pun of the day goes to you, Keith. Ticket prices will be chopped in half? That's awesome. I hope they go with chops. Although if they went with thunder, I would completely enjoy watching Andy freak out.
Lo Lo Jones is HOT!!!!!! I have never seen or thought 6 pack abes on a chick would be sexy but she has proven me wrong! She is smokin hot!
Iowa Chops it is! I really like the idea that the organization listened to the public instead of gowing off of their own opinions. It will be interesting to see how they do now.
Iowa Chops is a good name for the AHL team, but not going with the Thunder had nothing to do with siding with the fans. They could not have choosen that name even if they had wanted to. Give them credit for this time picking a name that represents Iowa, but not for doing what the public wanted. There hands were tied!!!
HAHAHA...they actually did it!! I thought it was a good name, but never really believed they would go with Chops. And did you see the screaming pig logo? It looks as if the chops are being taken right out of his backside at that very moment! Anaheim just needs some cows and horses (a maybe one goat) and they have the whole barnyard.
Iowa Chops is not a bad name, kind of rolls off the tongue. But did you see the bloody demonic pig of a logo!? Good God. Can a fat pig really be a good logo? Why not just have a cool butcher knife as your logo? I can see it now: California man comes back from vacation in Iowa wearing a trucker hat with a pig emblem on the front. "Whoa, dude. Where'd you get that like totally disturbing hat?" his surfer buddies will ask. "IOWA!" He'll reply. "Isn't it halarious? Can you believe this is a hockey team up there!"
Not to mention a Muslim person's reaction.
By the way, who gets the credit for the name? Wasn't it heard first on Soundoff?
BTW, you should check out the competitors online love/hate it online poll on the Chops name. It's 5:1 hate it.
What a STUPID name - The Chops - puh-leeze!! What was so wrong with The Thunder? Beware the angry pig. It's almost insulting! Even my 7 yr old daughter thinks it's stupid, as do myself, my husband, and all of my co-workers.
I think it's just a plain bad idea. BAD idea. Honestly, it makes me NOT want to go to the games..."Go Chops!" I don't think so. Or maybe I'll go to the games, but support the other teams that don't have stupid names. I'll be backing the Bucs more as well this season.
I will say tho, that I'm glad to see Bob Ferguson return to DSM!!! Love him!
Bottom line, I think it was a poor choice overall. Sorry Chops, I still LOVE hockey, but you do not have my vote!
"What a STUPID name - The Chops - puh-leeze!! What was so wrong with The Thunder? Beware the angry pig."
The angry pig was chosen to reflect the more physical style of play offered by the Anaheim Ducks. It is a good choice for a logo especially since it actually has some meaning. The team is looking to me more dominate and physical than the Iowa Stars you were used to seeing so you might be surprised to find yourself enjoying the games a little more.
Thanks for keeping your interruption brief Keith...
Ok anonymous, let's get this rolling! Where were we you arrogant punk...
Just kidding...
Nice try "T." But "dominant" and "physical" usually aren't the first words that come to mind when you think of a pig. Are we supposed to squeal and oink at games? Can't wait to see the mascot Porky. Or the cheerleaders - Miss Piggys. The "Chops" is just asking for ridicule. But I guess a pig is scarier than a cow, so it could be worse. But please, anyone dumb enough to buy merchandise with a pig on it - for your own safety and the dignity of Iowans everywhere - do NOT wear it anywhere past the state line and advance the stereotype. Keith - you're taking credit for this embarrassment? Maybe you should start signing off with "Th-th-th-that's all folks!"
I can't believe you're taking credit for helping to name the Chops. If I were you, I wouldn't be proud, I'd be embarrassed. Yet one more notch on our belts to make Iowa look like a bunch of hicks. There are so many other ways to represent IA's assets. Maybe we should have named the team The Hicks - mascot could be a crusty, toothless farmer wearing overalls & a straw hat, holding his pitch fork, while standing in front of his out house. Now that's scary! The players could come busting out of a big out house at the start of the game. Heck, if we're going to keep IA looking like a bunch of backwards yahoos, let's do it up big time. Shame on you Keith Murphy!!! What the hell were/are you thinking?!?!?!
Okay, I haven't commented in a while and I figured it'd be a great time to.
The Iowa Chops? Seriously? I mean, this is a really bad name. It's stereotypical and insulting. I hate it when people do this stuff because it makes people from other states think this is what we are all about.
How many times have you seen an Iowa, ISU, or any game in Iowa on TV and all they show is the old barns, cornfields, and broken down tractors with tall grass around them? I know I've seen too many. Iowa has a lot more to offer than just the countryside, but many people in America may not know this.
You go to the Fareway meat counter and order Iowa Chops, it's not a name for a hockey team.
--Gary
Stereotypical? Insulting? ABSOLUTELY!!! Just last week, I was in Minnesota and I got labeled a "thick cut, pork chop eater"...Not sure if they meant the pork chop was thick cut...or me...
So what if the mascot's a pig...I don't recall Wisconsin fans complaining about being labeled "badger @#%&*ing, backwoods cheese eaters"...although they probably would if I said it to their faces...road trip!
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