Since announcing its rebranding finalists, the Beloit Snappers organization has tried to make a big deal about its "Snappy Sundays" idea. Basically, the team would still take the field on Sunday home games as the Snappers, sell the old merchandise in the team store, etc. But they would still be officially known as the Cheeseballs, Moo, Polka Pike, Sky Carp or Supper Clubbers the other six days of the week and on the road.

On the surface, it sounds like a decent way to keep the Snappers tradition alive in the immediate future. But call us cynical (and there's a lot about the last few months which has made us cynical), it still rubs us the wrong way. The whole thing smells like an attempt at public relations damage control or corporate pandering-- give fans the bare minimum so hopefully we would stop complaining and go along with whatever new name they tried to force upon us. And after a few years the organization would probably phase out the idea anyway, and pretend that no one notices.

But here's perhaps a bigger concern for the team: it's just a bad overall brand strategy. If the organization really wants to signal this is a new era, and we should all embrace this new name, why keep the old one hanging around to remind people of just how much better it was? Won't it be embarrassing if the team sells more Snappers hats than Cheeseball hats next year, or if folks around town still refer to the team as the "Snappers" instead of the "Supper Clubbers"? Or look at it this way: in every city across America, Sunday afternoon games attract more children to the ballpark than any other time during the week. Why have Beloit kids continuing to grow up thinking Snappy is the coolest mascot in the world, instead of Peter Polka Pike or Gertrude the Goose? Just doesn't make a whole lot of long term business sense.

We've tried to address these concerns with our River Rockers proposal. Our idea gives Snappy a 21st century makeover, and pairs him with the other members of his new mascot band. Whether you prefer turtles, cows or sky carps there's a character in the River Rockers universe that every fan can identify with. And folks don't necessarily have to worry about picking sides either, because everyone's now on the same team, rocking out toward the same goal. No more animosity between fans and management, or traditionalists and modernists. The old and the new, both marching into the future together as one. Seven days a week.