Ever wonder how NFL teams got their names?

    Many people think that the Arizona Cardinals are named after a bird. The truth is a little less thoughtful.

    The Cardinals are the oldest franchise in the NFL, founded in Chicago in 1898. Their first jerseys were hand-me-downs from the University of Chicago. They were old and faded, therefore taking on a ‘cardinal’ red color. Hence the name, the Cardinals.

    The majority of NFL teams gained their names through fan contests. This is how the Denver Broncos, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Seattle Seahawks, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins, and the Atlanta Falcons got their names.

    Some team names are obvious. The Green Bay Packers were originally sponsored by the Indian Packing Company. As a side note, the Packers are the only NFL team without a majority owner. The citizens of Green Bay actually own the Packers.

    The New England Patriots wanted to recognize the area’s historical connection with the American Revolution. The San Francisco 49ers were referring to the pioneering history of the area. The Minnesota Vikings are named in honor of the large number of Scandinavians in frigid Minneapolis.

    The Indianapolis Colts were originally the Baltimore Colts, representing the racing history of the Baltimore area. For those of you that don’t follow horse racing, the Preakness Stakes (a triple crown race) is held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The team kept the Colts name after the move to Indy.

    The Baltimore Ravens were named to honor local poet Edgar Allen Poe and his famous poem ‘The Raven’, which was written while Poe lived in Baltimore. I’m guessing that calling the team the Ravens was much more appealing than calling them the Poes.

    The Washington Redskins started life as the Boston Braves, named after the city’s pro baseball team. The baseball Braves eventually moved to Milwaukee en route to Atlanta while the football Braves moved to Washington and became the Redskins.

    The Buffalo Bills were founded in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons. They were renamed the Bills the following year in honor of Buffalo Bill Cody.

    The Tennessee Titans spent much of their life as the Houston Oilers. After making the move to Nashville, owner Bud Adams wanted a clean slate and the Nashville fan base liked the name Titans.

    The Carolina Panthers’ name was picked by team owner Jerry Richardson’s young son, Mark. I’m sure he was the only  kid at his elementary school that got to name a pro franchise that day.

    Probably the most mundane origins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put together an ‘advisory board’ to select their name.

    The Chicago Bears started life as the Chicago Staleys, named after then-team sponsor Staley Starch Company. The name was later changed to the Bears to go along with the city’s pro baseball franchise, the Chicago Cubs.

    The St. Louis Rams’ original general manager was a big Fordham Rams fan. Founder Homer Marshman liked the name and it stuck.

    The Cincinnati Bengals were named after a previous team in the city that shared the Bengals label.

    Sand Diego Chargers’ founder Barron Hilton was a Southern California Trojan fan. The USC fans often blew bugles and shouted ‘Charge’ at games. Hilton converted it to Chargers and it stuck.

    The Cleveland Browns are one of two NFL team named after an actual person, legendary Ohio sports entrepreneur Paul Brown. The other being the Bills.

    The Pittsburgh Steelers were originally the Pittsburgh Pirates, named after the city’s pro baseball team. Owner Art Rooney Sr. eventually changed the name to Steelers to better represent the city’s character. To my knowledge, there are no pirates in Pittsburgh.

    The New York Giants are another team named after the city’s pro baseball team. Of course, today the baseball Giants are better known as the San Francisco Giants.

    The Dallas Cowboys were called many names in the early days. At one point, they were the Dallas Steers. Later, they were the Dallas Rangers. The team owners eventually settled on the Cowboys label.

    The Philadelphia Eagle, having been born in 1933, were raised during the Great Depression. President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal was symbolized by an Eagle. Team founder Bert Bell liked the imagery and used it for his team.

    The Detriot Lions were originally the Portsmouth Spartans before moving to the Motor City in 1934. Nobody knows or cares why owner George Richards changed the name.

    Before becoming the Oakland Raiders, the team was briefly known as the Oakland Senors. Now that’s just cool.

    The baby of the NFL is the Houston Texans, founded in 1999. Their name is not. The Texans name is a throwback to the old Dallas Texans, better know today as the Kansas City Chiefs.

    The New York Jets were originally called the New York Titans. The name changed to Jets in the 1960s to better represent the forward-looking attitude of the era.

    Last but not least, the New Orleans Saints franchise was founded on November 1, 1966. Some of you Catholics out there might recognize that date as All Saints Day.