It works. It really does. The Everett Silvertips. Rolls off the tongue.
For some, the name and mascot of Everett’s new hockey team fits without question or hesitation. For others, it might take some getting used to. Remember when the AquaSox first hit the scene? It wasn’t even a real word. Now, we couldn’t imagine our baseball team being named anything else. What would life be without Webbley, the AquaSox’s frog mascot? The name of our new hockey team is just as original.
For those few remaining people who’ve only seen the team logo and haven’t heard the story behind it — a Silvertip is a grizzly bear. Not a bullet. Not a gray-haired man. Not a shark. Not a tree. Not a … never mind. The animal dwells in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, Canada, and yes, Washington. Anyone who questions the ferocity of a Silvertip obviously hasn’t come face to face with one, yet.
What’s especially interesting about the selection of the team name and mascot is the effort owner Bill Yuill and his office put into coming up with one that wouldn’t clash with others around here. At a press conference Thursday, he said they wanted an action-oriented name that they could work and play with in the future. And they didn’t want to step on the toes of other sporting teams in this area, including the various high schools. They didn’t say anything about clashing claws, though. After all, south Everett is home to the Cascade Bruins.
Four entrants in a name-the-team contest submitted Grizzlies, and Yuill’s office did a little research and came up with the name Silvertips. Susan Hawk of Marysville had her name drawn as the contest winner. The team colors of green, silver and white were selected by Jeff McClimans and John Williams, both Herald employees. And, no, they didn’t let on to anyone in the newsroom about their secret.
From a newspaper perspective the one real problem with the name is how to fit it into a headline. The Mariners are the M’s. The Seahawks are the Hawks. The AquaSox are the Frogs. The Thunderbirds are the T-birds. The SuperSonics are the Sonics. But the Silvertips? Nicknames and slang are inevitable:
"Bears beat birds." Even better: "Tips top T-birds."
The opportunities for alliteration are endless.
Take some time to get used to the name, if you still need to. The arena isn’t scheduled to open until September of next year. Whatever your take on the new name, let’s just be grateful we can call it something other than "The Everett Hockey Team."
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
