OrangeCoat

Signed. Just make sure you send me a shirt when the team name becomes the Joes.

Great job on the Hall Yes website.

The Greenville Drive could be the worst name I've ever heard for a sports team. I thought the New York Liberty (WNBA reference) was bad, but "The Drive".... I want to know who green lights these things. There is no way a bunch of people in a room came to a consensus on "The Drive." It may actually be impossible for a group of humans to agree on that name.

And can you imagine what kind of mascot they will come up with? When teams have bizarre names, they always have a mascot that has nothing to do with the team. For example, the Philadelphia 76ers have a Giant rabbit named... you got it, Hip Hop. And the Tennessee Volunteers have that dog. What is going to be the Greenville Drive's mascot...I'm guessing some wacky, fuzzy character that all children are skeptical of. As a side note, check out the mascot for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. I assume The Drive will have some typical character like this.

They are actually having a contest in the schools to create 'The Drive' mascot.

Elementary School Students Have The Chance To Make Mascot History

I imagine whatever the kids do can't be any worse than the name 'The Drive'

"The Drive"? WHAT? You must be joking. I've clicked the links... you guys are part of an elaborate practical joke, right? What the HELL would possess... argh! I mean, I've heard some bad minor league names, but this takes the cake. Holy crap.

[taking a minute]

I do like the Joes, as it means something and has some cultural appeal (remember "Dodgeball"?). So I support renaming it that.

But I won't sign the petition. Although I think taking steroids is worse, altering a game's outcome is still a major crime against the game. And don't forget that if we let Shoeless Joe in, we'd have to let Pete Rose in at some point (presumably after he dies). That should never, ever happen.

I understand why people don't want to support getting Joe in the Hall of Fame. He did take money and he should be (and has been) punished for that. Before MLB decided to be so bone headed about naming the team the Joe's I'd have agreed with the idea of keeping the ban but, this whole Joe's/ Drive thing put me over the edge and anything that will get the name of the team changed from the Drive I've got to support.

Bobby, actually, amigo, that kind of name could have only been arrived at through consensus. (Trust me: The more seats at the table, the dumber the outcome.)

If only the identity geniuses who came up with Drive had found a way to fit more people in their meetings, we might have ended up with TRULY good names for automotive inspired names like the Overdrive, the Honkers, or even (my favorite:) the Airbags.

The Greenville Airbags. Now that's got a ring to it, mesays.

Yep, that would have been be swellish.

So you want to name the local team after someone who undermined our "national pastime"? Someone who lost a game to make himself some money? How about the Rose's? So Shoeless Joe Jackson is from Greenville, big frigin deal. Do you think Milwaukee's next team will be named the Jeffrey Dahmer's (because he loved baseball)?

I like the Drive because it's original. As opposed to the Charlotte Panthers. Ewhhh, so scary. Ever see any panthers running around NC? Maybe we can name it after some other obscure animal. How about the Bobcats? For Charlotte it came down to - The Flight or the Bobcats and of course they go w/ the less original, animal mascot. Now go ahead and tell me that they chose the Bobcats because wikipedia.com told you that the bobcat is one of the few idigenous predators to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County area. Big deal.

I can't wait until the upcoming minor league baseballl season as I'm yelling "Lets go Driiiive." At least I know that I'll be cheering for something that is right w/ the upstate. It's a lot better than cheering for some local guy who would throw a game just to make himself some money. "Let's go McGuiiire's" doesn't sound as good either.

"Let's go Dahhhmers" That would strike fear into any opponent. But the problem with that contrast is that Joe never killed sodomized and cannibalized anyone. He took money (back when baseball players actually played for a pittance) and then gave it back, was acquitted and lived in obscurity and tragic shame.

The contention is that 1.) Joe paid his due 2.) History is malleable and Joe didn't undermine anything. 3.) Greenville can name its team whatever the hell it wants. 4.) "Let's go Joe's" sounds pretty good--think GI Joe or this one or this or this. Nevermind just check out all of them

They named them the Bobcats because the owners first name is 'Bob'.

The rest of your arguement gets thrown out the window when you say you liked the Drive. No taste C-Town.

Also it's McGwire not McGuire. Besides that, quality rant.

Also, I actually like the Honkers... Olivier you might want to trademark that before it becomes the Drives mascot and you get nothing from it.

Damn, I'm good.

He took the money, yes, but he went .375 in the series with no errors. So basically he took the money and didn't throw the games. But taking the money is bad enough and warrants exclusion from Hall consideration. Evan's right (shudder), minor league teams can name themselves whatever they want within reason. Shoeless Joe is liked well enough around here that I think that would be within reason.
Sidenote: this wouldn't be the first time a minor league baseball team named itself after a former player: see the Aberdeen IronBirds.

Well, if we can't name them the Joe's, then the next logical names would be The Moonlight Graham's or The Kinsella's and pay homage to Shoeless Joe by using a name from the movie that has made him famous. Nobody would remember Shoeless Joe Jackson if not for "FOD" .

Pete Rose should be elected to the hall of fame because as a player he was the best hitter ever and only after he became a manager did he bet on baseball. Pete Rose is a great man and we would be lucky to have him as the father of our children so that we could have great children.

If Charlotte was looking for a good name for the basketball team that is scary and appropriate for Charlotte, the name should have been the Charlotte "insensitive stereotype 1" or the "Rich Snobish Woman driving their Beamers while on the Phoners" or the "insensitive stereotype 3"