TNPL 2016: Rating the team names
The first edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) is off to a flying start. We have seen two matches go to a super over, a cracking century and a number of memorable performances on the field. What has caught the eye, however, is the presentation of the event in general.
The organisers have gone beyond what’s expected off them to put on a spectacular show. They understood that the local flavour of the league would have to be the USP and have taken extra steps to ensure that the vibrant, local Tamil culture is very visible in everything that TNPL does.
From the mascots and team names, to the attire of the commentators and presenters, the TNPL has been an enthralling sight for the viewers. As we take a step back from the cricket action to enjoy what’s gone behind putting on this special show, one can’t help but get fascinated by the names of the teams.
Straying from the custom of generic team-names to denote power, or an area, the teams have been named to capture the imagination of the watching world.
The 8 chosen areas to have franchises were Chepauk, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Karaikudi, Kancheepuram, Madurai, Thiruvallur and Thoothukudi. It was now left to the owners to name their teams, the best they could.
Here, we rate the 8 TNPL team-names, pitting the Dindigul Dragons, Chepauk Super Gillies and others against each other:
#8 Madurai Super Giants
Local flavour: 4
Originality: 3
Creativity: 3
Recall value: 7
Catchiness: 5
Abbreviation: MSG; Total score: 22/50
The Madurai franchise did not think long and hard on what the team should be named. Given the success of the Chennai ‘Super’ Kings, retaining ‘Super’ was an obvious choice. The use of the word ‘Giants’ cannot be heralded either as it has been used in the past in connection to sport, the San Francisco Giants are a baseball team in the USA.
The Madurai side are owned by Kothari International Limited and have to be given credit for not including their brand in the title of the team. The name does have significant recall value however, and does earn points for simplicity.