Team Name Ponderings…

keep-calm-and-use-the-force-164R’s boss has been gone all day (shhhhhh….) and so we’ve had a “flurry” of Facebook messengers and emails back and forth. The only thing that I keep thinking in the back of my head (especially as the emails all started on one that the Subject Line was about a snack bar I sponsored through Kickstarter made with crickets – yes, crickets) that we really aren’t going to be able to “keep track” of anything that we say unless it’s, basically, HERE. It might be a pain in the neck to go back and “see everything we said” even here (though I could go back and re-tag some of the entries with things like TAR-Learnings or TAR-Packing or whatever – just need a list of what those new tags would be from R, to make them easily searchable) – but nearly impossible if it’s in email AND Facebook messenger AND here.

So here we go.

We were pondering on a “name” for our team. I’d been saying Cyber-BFFs (“cyberbiffs”) – but the problem is that it doesn’t “roll off the tongue” like the Exs, the Baseball Wives, the NFL Guys, the Afghanimals, the Ice Queens, the Bingo Boys. R pointed that out, and she’s right. As such, I think we have to look at what we call ourselves, tying it into I think these three facts (R can correct me if I didn’t get our 3 “salient points”):

1. We are going to be the “old” team. There is always one – the farmers, the Bingo Boys – and we’d be it. So we have to snag THAT ONE spot.

2.  We met at Lucasfilm.

3.  We kept in touch over email, messaging, letters, etc. – “cyber pen pals” – and have really only “seen” one another less than a dozen times. (R has to help me count, but I honestly don’t think it’s more than 10.)

So that’s what I think make us memorable. What sort of names go with this?

1. “The Force” – doesn’t match our personalities and so I don’t think that it will stick. But it has the “internet” plus “Lucas” – if we were going to play that up, we’d have to have matching “Force-esque” shirts. That’s one of the things the wiki points out, that the more that the audience can IMMEDIATELY remember who you are and in particular who you are vis-a-vis your partner (e.g., when one of you is doing the task and one isn’t), the better. That’s why so many wear “matchy-matchy” outfits. The rule used to be that you could not have ANYTHING that was related to a logo or business on your attire (you literally had to un-stitch a hat logo if you wanted to use that hat) – but now you’re allowed to have that IF it relates to your business or your relationship. (Hence – the Bingo Boys’ shirts.) This is actually a new rule, per the wiki.

2. R said “The Interns” – but the problem is, there is the possibility of that being misunderstood as a doctor moniker – similarly, though we were interns 20 years ago, that’s not really the “important” part of this – it’s that we stuck to being friends through ALL the crap (OMG) that we’ve been through in between. Which shall just remain Water Under Ze Bridge.

3. I wonder if there is a newer (Internet-y-er) term for “Pen Pals”? Because that’s sort of the crux of this. I just asked that question of Bing (what the heck, right) and what came up was key pay, e-pal, net pal, e-penpal, cyberpals. None of them is particularly pithy. I guess I don’t care for the word “pal” – in U.K. English they’re called “pen friends” (or, were) – so perhaps then it’s e-friend, but for some reason that sounds stalkerish to me.  That said, as one string pointed out, we still say “dial” the phone even though dial phones are long, long gone, so “pen pal” might not require a “pen.”

4. Thoughts, R? That’s a toughie. Good mental exercise, and important. And going back to “The Force” – well, Obi-Wan had it, and he was an old fart too…(wink)

6 thoughts on “Team Name Ponderings…

  1. Rowan & Shane (ie Rowan&Martin) never were anything else because they were funny and cute on their own. And Rowan’s sense of humor was pity, “They don’t call me Rowan for nothing” as he skulled along the harbor. So let’s not assume we can’t go with Sandy and Rob. I feel at age 60 I may be a little old for a cutsie moniker anyway. What about that older husband and wife team from two seasons ago? I just remember them both in their bathing togs flexing their abs, and I know they were in their 60’s. (Note to self: abs, abs, abs.)

  2. yeah – that was the “farmer” couple – the one where she was definitely looking older but he was SURPRISING “hot” when they did the flexing? (I remember the judges being all “WHOA who is that guy??” and him saying that farming is HARD work). I dunno, I think Rowan and Shane definitely were “the Bingo Boys” to me – but you’re right, I agree re cutsie moniker. It occurred to me last night also that in the “iterations” of our relationship, I’ve been your lawyer at least once – I think what we do is come up with a kick *ss video along the lines of what we’ve been discussing, and then THEY can come up with our “moniker.” I still do think that the key part really is the whole “pen pal” aspect. I hear you re abs, abs, abs, though right now, the thought exhausts me LOL. BTW the father of the father/daughter pair (that got eliminated in Episode 1) was 60 – but she was so much younger that I don’t think that he was really “counted” in the “one team that’s older” rota. The TAR wiki is interesting – gives the breakdowns, etc. – and that’s the thing. We have to be “the” older couple. They only do one a season.

  3. Actually, I think in the parent/child teams the parent often was older in the sense of past 50. There have been quite a few adult children involved, I think. Where are you looking at TAR wiki? I didn’t realize you were referring to Rowan&Shane as the Bingo Boys. I thought you were talking about the backwoods guys, and thought Bingo Boys was actually a much nicer moniker than whatever they were going by. They look like they shoot squirrels in their spare time. Could we ink up and be the GIRLS with the matching tattoos?
    So here’s the obvious, whatever we come up with, the audience calls us something logical to themselves. What we want to do is think of THAT label and make sure it makes us look good. The ice queens/ice princesses, unfortunately, don’t make them sound nice. Though they sure do look great.

  4. LAUGH re “Bingo Boys” being the backwoods guys – no I’m calling them the “Chico guys” because that’s where they’re from – though I’ve heard others call them the “Duck Dynasty” which also makes sense. Haven’t seen that show but heard of it. The TAR wiki is linked way way earlier in the blog – it’s got all the various rules, etc. Took me the dickens to find it – there is a post where I have about 10 different websites linked, but ultimately I’d “made it to” the TAR wiki.

    Completely agree re “ice queens” – it is funny though that they are so cute and sweet and got that moniker – I’m a little confused if THEY gave themselves that – though the Afghanimals (I keep typing “GrrAnimals” LOL) call them that.

    Maybe we can play something on the phrase “Old age and treachery will always overcome Youth and skill.” The Treacherous Two LOL. Then again, we’re not very Treacherous. ;-)

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