WNBA or AFL? (Or Fourth Grade Nicknames)
Here at Sidelines we like to keep your minds sharp and your wealth of irrelevant knowledge sharper. And what’s more irrelevant than WNBA teams? If you said Arena Football, you are correct (though partial credit is given for the answer “Nothing.”) So if you’ve gathered your answer sheet, a No. 2 pencil, and put on your thinking caps then it’s time to test your knowledge. No cheating!*
(*yes, we realize one of the main purposes for the Internet is cheating, whether it be on tests, term papers or your spouse. So take that warning how you like. We’re not actually that concerned about your writing implement either.)
WNBA or AFL team?
We’ve included WNBA teams that have folded since (if it’s possible) the WNBA might be getting too popular and too many of the teams are getting to the point of being recognizable. The whole league started in 1997 so it’s not like any of them are that obscure and to be fair, the entire AFL folded so it seems like even playing field. Try to really impress us by giving the full team name (city or state) as well as the league:
1. Rush
2. Soul
3. Fire
4. Sun
5. Sting
6. Lynx
7. Blaze
8. Crush
9. Starzz
10. Force
Extra Credit: 11. Storm
Answers:
1. Chicago Rush – AFL, That seemed almost too easy didn’t it? Moving on.
2. Philadelphia Soul – AFL, Your confusion is justified. The Miami Sol was a WNBA team. And are a bunch of football players really dorky enough to allow themselves to be called ‘The Soul?’ Yes. Yes they are.
3. Portland Fire – WNBA, Here’s a little clue to help you along your way of WNBA/AFL identification. Those chicks love their heat and fire-related names. The Sol was just mentioned above and just in case you can’t communicate en espanol, there’s also the Sun. Not to mention the Mercury (high temperatures), the Comets (burning fire balls), yeah … you see where this is going.
4. Connecticut Sun – WNBA, See? What did we tell you? The ladies love their heat.
5. Charlotte Sting – WNBA, This one was almost a good name, at least by WNBA standards. It coordinated with the Charlotte Hornets nicely when the two teams existed and it’s a little ambiguous and silly like most of the league’s team names, but still the first thing I think of it this which is probably better than these girls deserved. No wonder they came to an early end. Though if they want to reform as the Charlotte Voracious Maulers to go with the Bobcats, we’ll take it.
6. Minnesota Lynx – WNBA, Tricky right? I mean it’s actually a potentially dangerous animal. Doesn’t fit in so well with Connecticut Sun and Atlanta Dream and San Francisco Prima Ballerinas and other WNBA names that inspire nice, happy and light feelings.
7. Utah Blaze – AFL, OK, sometimes the men love their fire-names as well.
8. Colorado Crush – AFL, Again, a tricky one. We already gave you Chicago Rush and would they really resort to such a girly name and with the rhyming scheme to boot? If you don’t think so, we have one thing to say about AFL names: You have severely misunderestimated them.
9. Utah Starzz – WNBA, In the WNBA board room:
“So what are we going to name this team in Utah?”
“The Stars”
“What do stars have to do with Utah?”
“We can spell it with a ‘z’ instead.”
“Aren’t there already Dallas Stars … ?”
“Fine, we’ll give ‘em two ‘z’s’”
And the team was born, until they were forced to fold and be reborn in San Antonio under the guise of proper spelling as the ‘Silver Stars.’
10. Georgia Force – AFL, I have to commend anyone who got this one. If someone had asked me what the ‘Georgia Force’ was, my initial instinct would have been to respond, “Some crappy movie Lindsay Lohan was in?” Anyone who said Georgia Force and knew it was the AFL gets a cookie.
EC: 11. The answer is BOTH. Tampa Bay Storm – AFL and Seattle Storm – WNBA, Because some names are just so ridiculous and conceptual that you can’t leave their fate to just one rarely-recognized league. Some even make it all the way to the big leagues. (Hello, OKC Thunder!)
Well … how’dja do?
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