The Name of the New Las Vegas NHL Franchise Roils the Pot

Here in Las Vegas the name of the new NHL franchise is making people crazy. Owner Bill Foley reportedly is holed up in a Montana retreat with his staff to bang out some solid fans for the new franchise. But meanwhile back in Sin City the airwaves, newspapers and Internet are crackling with suppositions on the name.

Ever since Las Vegas was awarded the 31st NHL franchise locals have wanted a name, and preferably, NOT the Black Knights moniker that Foley prefers from his Army Academy days.

Practically everybody with a web page is running polls and suggestion campaigns for the team nickname, with names from the good (Neon Knights, Vipers, Scorpions) curious (Mandalay Rays, Sinners) to the ridiculous (86ers, Bagmen, Keno Runners). The local Review Journal is running a March Madness inspired poll-off between 64 different nicknames, and they had to reach far to get some of the names.

No, I am not running a poll.

But at least you and I can enjoy the new and growingly idiotic reaches people are making in a harmless past time in passing their opinion over something no one has any control over, with the exception of Bill Foley and the NHL of course.

The powers that be are saying they will break out the finalized Nickname, logo and color scheme hopefully in September, while Foley has stated he'd like to hire and have the franchise's first GM at the wheel by the start of August, just four short weeks away.

So for the next few weeks all it will be is talk. Be ready for a wave of mindless chatter as people fill in the lack of real news with the barest of speculations and groundless gossip.

But soon we might start having some great thing to talk about as Bill Foley establishes ice hockey in the desert, and begins the search of the holy grail - the Stanley Cup in T-Mobile Arena.