Nickname

Pelicans is just fine K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune What's wrong with the Pelicans? As NBA commissioner David Stern said, as long as the owner is fine with it, he's fine with it. It's the state bird. It's actually a strong species, even though many are mocking the nickname for its alleged weakness or clumsiness. The thing about these team nicknames is that most negative reaction is based on unfamiliarity. Heard much Jazz lately in Utah? Seen many grizzly bears in Memphis?

On a recent Friday night in the Baltimore Police Department's high-tech Watch Center, an urgent but vague tip came in — a murder witness was in danger. The tipster had overheard a conversation but knew only the nickname of the witness and had a hunch about the name of the street where the killing had taken place. Could police figure out the witness's identity and get to him before those who wanted to harm him? The Watch Center is a nerve center built on the ninth floor of police headquarters after the terrorist attacks of Sept.

A return for the Sonics Barry Stavro Los Angeles Times David Stern is ready to give whoever buys the Kings a get-out-of-jail-free card and bless a move to Seattle. With an inevitable change in zip codes coming, it's also time to ditch the Kings as a name. Truth is this franchise, in existence since 1949, has hardly been Kings-like. This will be its seventh straight losing season and it's been more than a decade since the team was a title contender. And after previous stops in Rochester, Cincinnati and Kansas City, this franchise has only a single NBA title, back in 1951 as the Rochester Royals.

A return for the Sonics Barry Stavro Los Angeles Times David Stern is ready to give whoever buys the Kings a get-out-of-jail-free card and bless a move to Seattle. With an inevitable change in zip codes coming, it's also time to ditch the Kings as a name. Truth is this franchise, in existence since 1949, has hardly been Kings-like. This will be its seventh straight losing season and it's been more than a decade since the team was a title contender. And after previous stops in Rochester, Cincinnati and Kansas City, this franchise has only a single NBA title, back in 1951 as the Rochester Royals.

If you're a book-lover and football-lover (there really are a few of us out there), you've gotta love Stevie Baggs of the Baltimore Ravens. The Bethune-Cookman University grad is nicknamed "Shakespeare," because he's known for making plays. For the uninitiated, that means he does some eye-opening work on the field. A little bit of football humor, but not bad for a sport known more for head-banging than than for the bon mot. It's fitting that Baggs plays for the Ravens, which has its own rich literary heritage.

Baltimore Football Club owner Jim Speros said his sudden decision to give his team a nickname is based primarily on the need to boost the franchise's identity.Speros, who hinted earlier this month that he would come up with a nickname after the 1995 season, announced during Saturday's 37-0 exhibition victory over Birmingham that he would christen Baltimore with an official moniker the day before its July 8 home opener against San Antonio."I've been working behind the scenes with legal people and trademark people on some different names.

The Big, Bad and Blue finally have a nickname to go with their slogan -- the Stallions.And, so far, fans are catching on to the name and embracing it."I like it," said Ed Ellis, 24, of Baltimore. "I guess everybody would prefer Colts, but this is our name now."Many fans at last night's game said the new nickname finally gives credibility to the second-year team. Last year, a judge ruled that Baltimore could not use the name CFL Colts, and the team was renamed the Baltimore Football Club after 20,000 people voted in a poll in The Sun not to have a nickname.

Long Reach High principal Dave Bruzga announced yesterday that "Lightning" will be the new Howard County school's nickname."I think it represents the uniqueness of the school and will lend itself to a great deal of creativity," Bruzga said.After taking nominations from students, Bruzga narrowed the list of choices to : Lightning, Tigers and Falcons. A ballot was sent to every student enrolled."Lightning won by a 2-1 margin," said Bruzga, who added that Tigers was second.At River Hill, the other new high school opening in August, principal Scott Pfeifer said the school's nickname will be announced during a bonfire pep rally Monday, June 3 at the school.

Though a matter of controversy for the past couple of decades, the use of Indian-related nicknames by sports teams received probably its most intense scrutiny just over a year ago. That's when the Atlanta Braves appeared in the World Series and, a few months later, the Washington Redskins played in the Super Bowl. Native Americans picketed both sporting events to protest nicknames, "tomahawk chops" and touchdown-celebrating war chants that they claimed demean Indians.There was some irony in that the two events took place in Minnesota, where the state Board of Education has discouraged the use of Indian nicknames, mascots and emblems for school sports teams since 1988.

There's an old joke about the football coach who was so disgusted with the way his team was playing that he decided to open his next team meeting with a prop."

Each week The Sun's John McIntyre presents a moderately obscure but evocative word with which you may not be familiar - another brick to add to the wall of your working vocabulary. This week's word: SOBRIQUET Adam started us in the naming business, according to Genesis, and human beings have been keen to name objects, animals, other human beings, concepts, and themselves ever since. Many of us have, in addition to our formal birth names, one or more casual names, or nicknames.

John Carroll Coolahan, a decorated Marine and former member of the Maryland Senate who acquired the reputation as the "Lion of Halethorpe" when he opposed construction of the Baltimore Metro rail system, died Sunday at St. Agnes Hospital. Family members said he fell in snow Dec. 26 and died after surgery. He was 80. After leaving the Maryland Senate he became a District Court judge and heard cases throughout the state until September 2012. "He played to win. He believed in debate and never shied away from conflict, whether it was on the Senate floor or around the family's dinner table," said his son, William D. "Bill" Coolahan of Relay.

We adopted a 12-week-old black lab from Lab Rescue shortly after our sweet 12-year-old chocolate girl passed away. Culture shock doesn't begin to cover the transition -- where Mocha was a tail-wagging, full-body-cuddling rug we fed twice a day, Molly joined our family as a Category 5 hurricane of teeth and claws and adrenaline who broke land-speed records several times an hour. A few days later, we ran into some neighbors on the street and introduced them to our puppy. Grinning broadly, they told us they were about to join the dog-parenting club.

Pelicans is just fine K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune What's wrong with the Pelicans? As NBA commissioner David Stern said, as long as the owner is fine with it, he's fine with it. It's the state bird. It's actually a strong species, even though many are mocking the nickname for its alleged weakness or clumsiness. The thing about these team nicknames is that most negative reaction is based on unfamiliarity. Heard much Jazz lately in Utah? Seen many grizzly bears in Memphis?

When Chip Riley urges Ravens fans to get fired up, he knows whereof he speaks. A 25-year veteran of the Baltimore County Fire Department who retired in 2006, Riley spends his time at Ravens home games exhorting his fellow fans to get a little crazy. Decked out in a Ravens-emblazoned fire helmet and face paint that makes his head look like it's on fire, the fan known as "Fired Up" gets as much of a kick from the people around him as they do from him. "I'm mainly there to get everybody fired up," he says.

Baltimore's own Charles S. Dutton, star of screens big ("Gothika") and small (Fox sitcom "Roc"), Emmy winner for directing HBO's "The Corner," returns to movie theaters this weekend with "Least Among Saints. " The film, from writer-director-star Martin Papazian, centers on an emotionally scarred war veteran suddenly having to play father-figure to an orphaned boy. Dutton, who said he remembers many friends who returned from Vietnam with emotional issues they never seemed able to stare down, plays a police officer sympathetic to the vet's plight.

You can call him Stokes. Or, in a pinch, you can call him Kolodziejski. Just don't call him plain old Charles.If you do, no one will know who you are talking about, says Del. Charles W. Kolodziejski, known as "Stokes" since childhood. And that could cost him votes.In fact, Mr. Kolodziejski says it already has -- twice. Now, he wants the General Assembly to pass a new law allowing politicians to use their nicknames on the ballot."I've had constituents come up to me and say they looked for my name on the ballot but couldn't find it," said Mr. Kolodziejski, a Carvel Beach Democrat who won his seat in 1986 and 1990 by slim margins.

LANDOVER -- As the five possible new nicknames for the Washington Bullets were run by Brent Price, the guard looked puzzled."That's the list?" Price said. "I don't know if I have a comment. Let me think about it, I guess I'll have to get used to it."Most of the Bullets players and many fans expressed those same feelings yesterday after considering the five possible names: Sea Dogs, Stallions, Express, Wizards and Dragons."Who picked those names?" said Bruce Glassman, sitting in the front row at USAir Arena for last night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

If you're a book-lover and football-lover (there really are a few of us out there), you've gotta love Stevie Baggs of the Baltimore Ravens. The Bethune-Cookman University grad is nicknamed "Shakespeare," because he's known for making plays. For the uninitiated, that means he does some eye-opening work on the field. A little bit of football humor, but not bad for a sport known more for head-banging than than for the bon mot. It's fitting that Baggs plays for the Ravens, which has its own rich literary heritage.

Shawn Michaels, the man widely recognized as the greatest WWE superstar that ever lived, is thoroughly enjoying his life outside the ring. His new television endeavor, Shawn Michaels' MacMillan River Adventures, is a success, with the Outdoor Channel offering the program a multi-year deal. Michaels and company are currently filming more episodes. Michaels recently entered a sponsorship agreement with Deuce Brand to be the face of and creative force behind the "Showstopper" watch, an HBK-themed wrist piece.