Are The New Jersey Nets Set To Become The ‘Brooklyn New Yorkers’?

Dec 13, 2010, 10:02 PM UTC

Mikhail Prokhorov arrived on America's with big dreams and plan to make the New Jersey Nets the hottest ticket in the NBA. It takes time, though. One awesome billboard across from the Knicks isn't going to change decades of history. But moving to Brooklyn, with a state-of-the-art arena and a new name? That might do the trick.

Unless, of course, you opt for a nickname like the "Brooklyn New Yorkers." And according to SB Nation's Nets Daily, it certainly looks like they're leaning in that direction:

On September 30, two lawyers associated with a large Philadelphia law firm sought trademark protection for the name, “Brooklyn New Yorkers”, three logos featuring either a basketball or a basketball player and the Brooklyn Bridge as well as a slogan, “We Come to Play”.
[...] Separately, the url, brooklynnewyorkers.com, has also been registered in recent months. The url was registered through a proxy domain register. The owner is not identified.

HOLD UP: Are these people serious?

I mean, come on: any team from Brooklyn deserves a much better name. Thanks to rappers (like Nets owner Jay-Z) and literature and, more recently, a thriving scene of hipsters, Brooklyn’s about as cool a hometown as a pro sports team can have. You have instant street cred there. There’s something inherently cool about Brooklyn.

And... The New Yorkers?

Not so much. Who wants to root for New Yorkers? Even New Yorkers don’t really like New Yorkers. And it totally forfeits the edgy, underdog ethos afforded by Brooklyn. The “New Yorkers”? Is this basketball team supposed to be meek and neurotic, perpetually complaining about rent-hikes?

So, this is my official plea for Mikhail Prokhorov to come to his senses. It’s not too late. Nothing’s set in stone and the team still denies that they’re associated with any of the patent applications. So let’s just pretend this idea never happened, and come up with an idea that actually makes sense. And if they’re really going to be this lazy about coming up with a cool name... This past summer, we suggested the Deckers.

Because Brooklyn Decker, ya know? So much better than a New Yorker.