OK, we have to admit that we were taken aback by the winning name for Wichita’s new independent league baseball team — the Wingnuts.
Wingnuts? Isn’t this an image that Wichita is trying to shed?
But then we relaxed and saw the humor in it. How can you not like a team called the Wingnuts? Or forget the name?
“In the end we wanted a unique name and a look that would suggest fun, while still maintaining a tie-in to Wichita’s great history of aviation,†said Chris Presson, president of Wichita Pro Sports.
The offbeat, eye-catching name should help move team merchandise.
There’s a precedent for tongue-in-cheek names, too — take the Macon (Ga.) Whoopees, a minor league hockey team.
Need we say more?
Welcome, Wichita Wingnuts, to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
Let’s play ball.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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40 Comments
It’s a natural, go anywhere in the country, and say Kansas and someone else will mutter ‘Wingnuts’!
No doubt the local aircraft industry will be proud Corporate sponsors of said ‘Wingnuts’.
Wichita has a long history of ‘Wingnuts’.
Perhaps the stands will be filled with “Wings” and “Nuts” vendors hawking their gastronomic delights.
The Radio announcer can portray slim victories as gotten by on a “wingnut and a prayer.”
Kudos should be given to the first politician to officially don an official hat and jersey of the Wichita ‘Wingnuts’.
Those representing Wichita out in the U.S. and other parts of the world can proudly proclaim that they are from the City of Wingnuts while not even cracking a smile. All the while, their listeners take a step back and offer raised eyebrows along with the occasional smirk.
Wingnut cushions will be a big seller at ball games as they will offer additional lateral support for those who can’t decide which way they want to lean on issues.
Wichita bakers will be speculating on the ingredients of “Wingnut Pie” and the type of w(h)ine one should drink with it.
Lastly, there will be no such thing as a losing season with “Wingnuts.”
How could such an assignment of a name such as “Wingnut” be catastrophic to box scores.
On the contrary, the stamping of the logo on the final game of the season will say it all.
This has got to be one of the dumbest ideas of all time!!
Hell why don’t we just change the name of the city to Podunk or something?
I regularly attended Wranglers games. The city was foolish to let them go.
Wingnuts? No thanks. They surround me every day in this beknighted town.
Doomed from BEFORE the first pitch.
The City of Wingnutia, should have a home team of the same name.
Name the former Wichita resident who eventually became the most well known Wingnut.
My vote: L. Ron Hubbard
Anyone pick up on the double meaning of wingnuts?
Anyway, I want a wingnuts hat, shirt, lunchbox, bumper sticker, bobblehead doll, bandaids, shirt pin, logo golf balls and an autographed baseball done by the entire first wingnut team.
I think it’s a great name. It’s all about entertainment and that is what it’s suppose to be. Take for example the Santa Cruze Banana Slugs or the Montgomery Biscuits.http://www.biscuitsbaseball.com/
I think the Wingnuts is going to be a huge success. For all those who hate the name, they are just not savvy enough to look at it in the right perspective. Their mindset is still on fixed names that are popular, such as Chiefs, Braves, Redskins, Indians… oh wait, those are actually demeaning names. I mean, Wildcats, Tigers, Bears, Lions, Eagles, and all the animals in the kingdom.
Wingnuts is a great team sports name and their logo is cool too. I’ll be buying a shirt.
To please Randy Scholfield, the team should have been named the “Moonbats.”
God forgive people like Kansans who voted into power – TWICE – the leadership in this nation as an expression of their “moral values.” If the state of this nation and the world, under its leadership, is moral and good, I cannot begin to imagine the evil these people are capable of.
“Wingnut” does not begin to describe the ideology of people who have wrought such destruction on God’s creation. These people should be ashamed that they believed they actually knew the mind of GOD.
I’m more interested in L-D upgrades, so fans have a more enjoyable time in the stadium.
Let’s hope Wichita Pro Sports and City make it more worthwhile to see a baseball game or concert, whatever events in the stadium.
I hope chair back seats for all happens eventually. No more bleachers.
Cut down on the fireworks!
Does the name represent Wichita, in a goofy way, it does.
Do we want to promote what’s unidentifiable about this community in a goofy way? Do we fell our “Air Capital” name?
It works on paper and advertising ideal, but not in the street among the population.
Planes are made here but not that cheap to fly from our airport.
Something is wrong when it takes expensive subsidy to fly from the Air Capital.
Wichita Nuts and Bolts, those put planes and many other manufacturing products together.
Could have been a better name.
Wingnuts is not a term in daily language for most people.
Say it without Wichita in front of it.
They can be just The Wingnuts in Wichita. On the jersey, just Wingnuts!
It’s why I didn’t like the Wichita Wranglers name. That didn’t fit with our image at all because they were labeled with Wichita first.
I didn’t offer any suggestion while that naming contest was happening.
But “Wichitas” is the proper Tribal name that represents this city. It could have been their team name without any other reference to the Tribe. No war chants or Native American costumes at all.
Wichitas…. that’s so simple and eloquent name to me.
Wichitas baseball, that’s a more marketable sounding sports title to me. Just Wichitas on the jersey.
No need for an outlandish logo with that kind of name!
I hope people go see the baseball, its a new league and players to know that could live in Wichita longer, become household names for baseball fans. Or sports characters in this city.
Who didn’t say Hey Chico..to Chico Borja back the day. Some never ever attended a Wings soccer game he was so familar sports person to see around.
Given the aviation history of this City, I can just about get a grasp on “Wingnuts” for a baseball team. I saw nothing wrong with Wranglers, since the history of the City was a Cow Town, much like Abilene, or any number of others. Wranglers is another term for Cowboy… but that name is far over used in sports!!
And, yes, there were many Wingnuts applied to a host of air craft manufactured in this City in years past, and hopefully in years yet to come.
And YES, we need to to something to improve air traffic in and out of this place… That is not a very bright spot on our City!! And I believe that can be fixed too..
Who knows, with a baseball team called Wingnuts, maybe the air traffic problem can find a way to get solved???
However, in retrospect, that weird Wrangler Mascot was just about too much to handle!! LOL I think we can do FAR better than that half-witted looking critter!!
Anybody remember when we had TWO minor league ball clubs here?? The Braves and the Indians?? Yep, I have been watching games at that grand old stadium for a good 50 years now… and it has seen some of the best, and some of the worst… just like almost every other ball park in the USA!!
May Lawrence/Dumont Stadium live on for many years to come!!
Phill Kline for Right field Wingnut. Maybe recruit Kucinich for Left Field?
“Wichita Wingnuts”..yeah, it has a certain charm. How about “Wichita Nannies” much more realistic.
I think it’s shameful, really.
Might as well had just called them the Operation Rescuers. Or the disciples. Or the Christian Warmongers.
A whole better name would have been the Wichita Riveters if you wanted the aviation flair.
Whirlwind for the Tornados.
Whoosh if you wanted whimsical. for our Wind
Cool name. But the logo looks like an evil Mickey Mouse.
A rip off of the Wichita Wings.
A cheap rip off at that.
Wouldn’t it be great if the Wings came back. Then we could have Wings and Wingnuts.
Think of the possibilities.
Football: Wichita Wingspans
Rugby: Wichita Wingwalkers
We could have serious francise possibilities here.
Wingnuts is a fitting, touching tribute to the left wing wackos who post here daily, not to mention the entire editorial staff. Perhaps they can all have their own special section at the stadium, where they can meet up in person, bash Bush, Christians, all things GOP before each game….after all, how much would 10 seats cost the new team?
Why would we attend a team that is synonymous with everything libs are against?
They should have their logo as an image of the Mad Magazine Bush.
wing nuts is bipartisan
This Blog shows, clearly, that we have nuts on both sides of every issue!
Ben, kudos, you seem to get that point.
I will argue with you on other threads, no doubt
However, nice to see that there are others, like me, who dont take ourselves too seriously.
I think it is a great name.
It actually makes fun of us in a funny way, and takes the insult out of the term by making it funny.
If you use the word “wingnuts” to describe people who align themselves to the Republican Party, then it shows your low level of intelligence.
But what ever makes you feel good, go ahead. If you think you are a better person by trying to put down people by calling them names, then go ahead.
Change this name. This is not good.
The left doesnt want to take the sting out of this term, perhaps?
Perfect name for the new Eagle editor.
Nope I’m downright offended.
Wingnuts.
“Phill Kline for Right field Wingnut. Maybe recruit Kucinich for Left Field?”
Nope. We don’t need to recruit outside of the city. Troy Newman for farthest right field, Terry Fox for really right field, and, I dunno, Phil Journey or Steve Brunk for plain old right field. Maybe we could go to the suburbs and recruit Tiahrt for right or really far right field as well.
As for center or left field, are you kidding Ben? No self respecting Wingnut will play those secularist socialist positions!
As a wingnut, I am deeply offended. Wingnuts everywhere are now in deep and profound solidarity with our Native American brothers and sisters in their stuggle against offensive sport team nicknames.
A few quotes from our coalition:
“It denies human beings the respect they deserve as brothers and sisters created in the image of God. The church strongly opposes any use of racial stereotypes, especially for commerical profit. The time has come to put an end to this form of racism in our society.”–The Rt. Rev. Steve Charlston (Choctaw), Episcopal Bishop of Alaska
“Would you paint your face black, wear an Afro wig and prance aroundthe football field trying to imitate your perceptions of Black people? Of course not! “–Tim Giago (Lakota), Editor-in-chief, The Lakota Times
So join hands wingnuts everywhere, and stand in opposition to this travesty. Otherwise will we see replica handguns and Reagan masks being sold in the cheap seats?
Wingnuts. How fitting for the capital of the Land of Wingnuttia.
Thanks for setting back the image of Kansas ANOTHER fifty years.
Let’s start a pool on how long this name will last.
Are terry, joe and fred on the payroll? Will the mascot be a likeness of Troy Newman?
I know. How about using the van with the dead fetus’ on kid’s promotion night.
And they could hang a queer from the flagpole nightly.
Wingnuts. How PERFECT for wichita.
JM, you sound just like ksfarmgrrl.
Ah come on…
I think its appropriate! With special interest Brewer in office with Kolbe the know nothing city manager along side the white elephant building county commission… Isn’t it about time we advertise to the rest of the world how uneducated and unable our government is able to lead.
What an eloquent name!
Fantastic!
Truly represents the vast majority of Wichita residents, the county, and the red state of Kansas.
Sorry blue people, despite your strong numbers here (six regulars or so), in the big picture, you are a small minority, in a vast waving sea of red..!
Very true Amway; KS is still right-wing territory. However, with two Dem congressmen right now that might be changing. And, with an interesting election coming up in 2008 it could become three Congressmen. I think ol’ Tankerless Todd could be vulnerable; especially if the national GOP ticket is weak.
Well, on the subject of the thread.
I call it bad marketing for Wichita. I am almost afraid to see the logo and mascot. I HOPE they make it aviation oriented.
This team will be playing all over the US. Don’t we get ENOUGH bad press already? Not that we don’t often deserve it.
As to what Amway said,
“Sorry blue people, despite your strong numbers here (six regulars or so), in the big picture, you are a small minority, in a vast waving sea of red..!”
Happy about that are you? Well your numbers aren’t right. But you are correct about one thing.
Kansas is seen as an unmoveably red state. THAT causes your own party to take YOU for granted. Aside from the personal insult you SHOULD feel for that, it leaves you wide open for a big nasty surprise.
Nancy Boyda ring a bell?
Get used to ringing bells.
Just what I needed- another reason when I’m out of state on business to deny I’m from Kansas! Toto was bad enough, but now “Wingnut?”
Jed, why don’t you just move OUT of Kansas if you are so ashamed?
Only a real whimp would deny where they are from.
Ashamed of Kansas. Oh my!
I like the name “Wingnuts”, it better then cowboy names like Wranglers or the Cowboys or Indian names like redhawks, eagles and thunderbirds.Sure we might have a reputation for being wingnuts, which is not going to go away by trying to be something that we are not.Besides, which kind of crazy would you want to be known for, the good kind of crazy or the bad kind of crazy?
“Just what I needed- another reason when I’m out of state on business to deny I’m from Kansas! Toto was bad enough, but now ‘Wingnut?’”
Hey, I LIKE The Wizard of Oz and Toto! Kansans need to get over ourselves on that one.
Wingnuts? Maybe not so much, but I can pretty much guarantee based on my reaction to hearing the name that my wife is going to get me a Wingnut shirt and maybe cap.
Thus, the deriding amusement factor may already be paying off for the franchise
PH,Why would I deny where I’m from? Just look around you! I’m an artist by profession, and most of my work is sold out of state to people whose impression of Kansas involves Fred Phelps, BOE Monkey Wars, Phill Kline and bucolic flatland populated by gun-toting inbred morons in pickup trucks, and Kansans work hard making that image difficult to refute.If I want my work taken seriously or even looked at, reference to Kansas is out of the question. I’m hardly alone; I’ve known at least a dozen well-known artists from here who conveniently omitted mention of the state on their resumes. It’s truly amazing the number of talented people from here, but nobody here knows about it. You want me to try to change that image? I couldn’t begin to with the “help” you voters here give me!You ask why I’m still here? I have family obligations here that I take seriously; otherwise I’d have gone to where the markets are years ago. Besides as one of my teachers used to say, it’s good practice- if you can do successful landscapes in Kansas, you can do them anywhere!