Let's get one thing out of the way off the top: we want baseball in Beloit to succeed no matter which name it chooses. And while we certainly understand where the "never attend a game again" folks are coming from, that's just not us. If the team takes the field next season as the "Beloit Polka Pike" or "Sky Carp" we'll be disappointed... but will still be at the ballpark (in our Snappers hats) cheering them on.
We started the Save Snappy petition a few months back because we thought (and still do) that keeping "Snappers" gave the organization the best chance to thrive. Update the logo or whatever if you need to improve merchandise sales... but the problems with the team we thought always traced back to playing in an outdated ballpark with a poor marketing strategy. Those problems have now been solved with ABC Supply Stadium being built and a new ownership group taking over. The name "Snappers" was never the issue.
Still, when it became clear the organization was moving forward with a new name (despite 3,000+ signatures urging them to keep "Snappers") we decided to switch gears. The name "River Rockers" we feel offers an ideal compromise: a new name and logo to boost merchandise sales, that still keeps Snappy as the team's mascot for the fans. "River Rockers" is also a more regionally-specific name than what's been officially proposed so far, which unfortunately all feel like generic "anywhere in Wisconsin" stereotypes. Those two factors are big reasons why we believe our idea has received overwhelming praise from fans across the community.
On the flip side, we feel that Cheeseballs, Moo, Polka Pike, Sky Carp and Supper Clubbers are simply not strong enough to represent the proud city of Beloit. And it goes deeper than that. Let's take you through our concerns with the proposed names thoughtfully, hopefully without too much name calling (okay, maybe a little name calling ;)):
CHEESEBALLS: We have a lot of respect for what marketing company Brandiose has done for minor league baseball over the years, but this is another example where they take things a little too far (see: "New Orleans Baby Cakes"). The name Cheeseballs is just too, ahem, cheesy to be taken seriously. The irony is that out of all the official proposals Cheeseballs has the best local connection, because the Korn Kurl was invented in Beloit in the 1930's. But still, no. We can't let this happen.
MOO: Who else is tired of the stereotype that everyone in Wisconsin grew up on a dairy farm? We were born and raised in Beloit, and never once milked a cow or shoveled manure. Plus, the state's only other minor league team in Appleton already has "Udder Tuggers" as an alternate nickname. Copying the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And naming a baseball team after a word that rhymes with "boo" probably isn't the best idea, either.
POLKA PIKE: See "Cheeseballs" above. Local fans are so excited about the new stadium opening up next season, why ruin all that goodwill with a name that is too silly, and frankly a little embarrassing? Not to mention Beloit has always prided itself on its diversity, so associating ourselves with a dated European music genre doesn't quite work either. And who wants to go to a game and listen to polka music all night anyway? Polka dot uniforms? No thanks.
SKY CARP: We'll give a few points for using an unusual nickname for geese, but the name itself still manages to sound a little boring and unmemorable. The bigger concern, how long before everyone in town starts calling the team the "Sky Crap" (or worse)? The area around the Rock River is already infamous for goose poop everywhere... inadvertently reminding people about that may backfire, as they're considering whether or not to spend a night at the ballpark.
SUPPER CLUBBERS: We get it, we love eating at supper clubs too. But we're also a couple of middle aged white guys. Baseball already has enough trouble attracting young and minority fans to the game, why name the hometown team after something that, no offense, just reminds people of their grandparents? (Or if you're Black or latino, someone else's grandparents?) Just like with "Polka Pike", "Supper Clubbers" doesn't make long term business sense for an organization interested in growing its brand with the next generation.
Again, we don't say all this to try to hurt the team. We love the Beloit Snappers, and want them to be a successful part of this community for decades to come. But we're worried if we don't speak up now they risk making a terrible mistake... right when the organization, after years of setbacks, finally seems poised to turn a major corner.
And we're not claiming "Beloit River Rockers" is the perfect idea. Or the only good one, either. (For example, a name that acknowledges Beloit's factory history and points towards its future as a technology hub could be just as good, if not better.) But we strongly believe that the basic concept with "River Rockers" is the right one: We need a rebrand that doesn't try to wipe away the last 25 years of Snappers tradition. We need a rebrand that doesn't ignore the city of Beloit's history and uniqueness. We need a rebrand that's frankly just better than what's been proposed so far.
Snappers Management, show us you are listening. You'll be surprised how open minded fans here can be if you prove you care about our concerns. Meet us in the middle with this. We promise you'll be glad that you did.