nba musings » maine red claws

maine red claws introduce mascot

michelle — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:03:20 +0000

Source: NBA.com

My only beef here is where are the little basketballs at the end of the antennae? That’s my favorite part of the logo. Deadspin thinks Crusher looks like Nightmare Ant. I think they’re right. I wonder if Crusher is on Twitter yet? I tried following Nightmare Ant on Twitter for awhile, but he was one scary ass mo fo.

Related links:

NBA Development League: Crusher
CMSB: Crusher Set Free At Hadlock
Deadspin: Meet Crusher, Nightmare Ant’s Crustacean Relation

red claws unveil unis

michelle — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:39:37 +0000

All that’s left to add here is the Morton Salt girl
* First, they decided on the name “Red Claws,” which was one of my least favorite choices of the options on the “name the team” fan vote list. Then in a radio commercial, they referred to something as “clawsome.” Later, I find out the fan base is to be referred to as “Crustacean Nation.” And now, to top off all this clawsomeness, they’re unveiling their new uniforms from… a lobster boat? I’m prepared to love the Red Claws like a long lost play cousin, don’t get me wrong. But, the lobster theme continues to amuse. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Source: MaineToday.com

For the record, I like the white uniform a lot. The red one looks like a very special Charlie Brown Christmas.

Related links:

MaineToday.com: Lobster boat delivers Red Claws uniforms
Maine Red Claws on Twitter: @maineredclaws
NBA Development League: Maine Red Claws
CMSB: Maine Red Claws Reveal Uniforms

d-league’s maine red claws officially marry up with boston celtics and charlotte bobcats

michelle — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:20:32 +0000

The Maine Red Claws, Portland’s NBA Development League team, announced today that the expansion club will be affiliated with the Boston Celtics (no surprise) and Charlotte Bobcats (mild surprise). Previously, the Celtics D-League affiliate was in Provo, Utah and Charlotte’s was in Sioux Falls, S.D. Should make for a shorter commute for both.

I heard the news on the radio (Big Jab) this morning driving in to work. They mentioned that they’d be holding a rally to announce the news in Monument Square at noon, so since I work on Congress, I figured I’d head down and check it out.

Needless to say, it was fairly uneventful. I decided to cover it on Twitter and I think I covered the press conference in two tweets and the whole experience in four. Basically, they just announced the exact information I had already heard that morning on the radio. It wasn’t a complete waste of time though, because I got a t-shirt and bumper sticker. Whether I actually ever wear the shirt (I’m not one generally speaking who would wear a shirt with a lobster on it… with basketballs on the end of its antennae no less) or put the bumper sticker anywhere near the bumper of my new car, is not the point. I got swag and swag is swag.

Here are some pics taken with my super lame Sidekick phone camera:

Press conference. I couldn’t be bothered to get any closer than this apparently.

They had a hoop set up for the kids.

The swag.

Pondering buying season tix, but am waiting to see the final schedule. If they play on the same nights as the Celtics, no can do.

celtics afterthoughts: are you kidding me?

michelle — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:54:18 +0000

Playoffs Game 6
Celtics @ Bulls 127-128 3OT

Both of these teams are like cockroaches. They simply refuse to die. I’m glad there is only one possible game left because I’m sick to death of the following:

Vinny Del Negro’s pointy nose
Kirk Heinrich’s rat face
Ben Gordon’s balls
Joakim Noah’s fuzzy ponytail
Tyrus Thomas’ bitchassness
Derrick Rose’s I’m-not-fazed gaze
The color red

Ah yes, it’s the playoffs. I felt the same way last season about the Hawks. I still vomit in my mouth a little every time I see Zaza and Bibby.

Ok, game 7 then. I guess it’s gotta be that way. Let’s settle this bitch.

Go Celtics!

In other news, the Maine Red Claws (assumed Celtics farm team) have a logo. I’m not gonna lie. I love it. He looks feisty.

the winner is… maine red claws

michelle — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:04:08 +0000

Haha, it figures. When I first posted about the Maine NBA D-League team that was going to be accepting fan votes to help name them, the one name that jumped out at me as being clearly ridiculous was “Red Claws.” Of course, that’s the name that ends up winning. I laughed out loud this morning going through Dunkin Donuts when they announced it live on the Big Jab. I immediately pulled over and posted it on Twitter. I think I’m a little too Twitter obsessed these days because I’m pretty sure nobody was waiting on pins and needles for this update. Lol. I have to say that the name is growing on me because of the homage to Red Auerbach. I’m now toying with whether or not I want to buy season tickets. They’re making some big improvements to the Expo and it’s less than 5 minutes from my office. If the Claws end up being affiliated with the Celtics as expected, it would be pretty cool to get to see some of the new draft picks play.

Here’s the press release FMI…

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s new NBA Development League team has a name: the Maine Red Claws.

The name, true to the state’s lobster tradition, was announced Thursday by team president and general manager Jon Jennings on The Big Jab sports radio station. The Red Claws plan to unveil their logo in the near future.

Red Claws chairman Bill Ryan Jr. says nearly 3,000 fans submitted votes and selected Red Claws. Names that didn’t get the nod: Maine Beacons, Maine Crushers, Maine Destroyers, Maine Swarm and Maine Traps.

Portland was awarded a franchise last month and most likely will be affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The NBA D-League serves as a feeder to the NBA.

fans will help name d-league team

michelle — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:34:25 +0000

This is cool and all, but it could go horribly horribly wrong. These are the options for Maine’s NBA Development League team (which will most likely be affiliated with the Boston Celtics):

Maine Beacons- The Beacons is a tribute to the more than 60 lighthouses in Maine that guide ships safely to shore, like our coaches will guide our team to victory.
Maine Crushers- The Crushers celebrates the lobster industry in Maine. A lobster uses the crusher claw to destroy their prey, much like our team intends to crush our opponents.
Maine Claws- The Claws name celebrates the lobster industry in Maine. Maine is the largest producer of lobsters in the United States.
Maine Destroyers- The Destroyers name honors the 400 years of shipbuilding in Maine. It is a vibrant part of Maine’s culture and history, and also represents our teams desire to destroy the competition.
Maine Red Claws- The Red Claws name celebrates the lobster industry in Maine. Maine is the largest producer of lobsters in the United States. The “Red” is in tribute to Boston Celtics Legend Arnold “Red” Auerbach.
Maine Swarm- The Swarm represents the state insect of Maine which is the Honey Bee. Bees swarm together as a group to reach a goal, much like our players working together to win games and get the call-up to the NBA.
Maine Traps- The Traps honors the tradition of lobstering in Maine and the hard working lobstermen. Our team will work hard to trap our opponent and get the win every night.

I’m honestly a little dubious about all these names. The “Red Claws”? I love that it’s tied to Red Auerbach, but “claws”? Oy.

Vote now!