Sports And Weather, Together

Much has been made over the years of sports teams and their connotations toward various ethnicities, primarily Native Americans.

But what about weather? Something so destructive and remorseless is often hailed and cheered on in college and professional athletics.

The Miami Hurricanes come to mind. As a college sports producer/writer, I find myself frequently looking to make a play on words with team nicknames.

"Hurricane Warning" was the theme song for the 'Canes when they upset Nebraska in the 1984 Orange Bowl.

Ironically, "Rock You Like A Hurricane" was a huge hit released by Scorpions in the same year.


But Miami isn't alone, there are plenty of team nicknames and logos that exploit cruel and soulless meteorological fury. Sometimes they achieve massive successes.

The Oklahoma City Thunder reached the NBA finals this year. The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004. And who could forget the 2010 WNBA champion Seattle Storm?

The Alabama Crimson Tide is also tied to the weather, though a little more complicated, especially for simple indoor types like myself.

There's also the Iowa State Cyclones in college sports, and the San Jose Earthquakes in soccer. Each are associated with destruction and despair. Far more devastation than the North Dakota Fighting Sioux could ever cause.