Pierre the Great Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 MONTREAL -- The owner of a new American Basketball Association team in Quebec City has defended his decision to use a cartoon frog in the new team's logo. The team, which starts play in November, will be named either Kebekwa or the Quebec Jumping Frogs. "We are in 2006 and we have to be able to laugh at ourselves," Real Bourassa said Wednesday. The 49-year-old businessman said the frog was recommended by several marketing firms that tested various ideas with focus groups. Bourassa said he was also told that using a frog could provoke or shock "nationalist" Quebecers. The two team names and the logos being proposed both feature a green frog with a red, white and blue basketball in its hands. The word 'frog' has been used over the years to insult French-speaking Quebecers. Kebekwa is a phonetic pronunciation of 'Quebecois,' which is the French word for Quebecer. "There was no thought given to try to provoke anyone with that name," Bourassa insisted. The Quebec City entrepreneur said that, as of Monday, Kebekwa was narrowly leading in an online contest to pick the team's name. He also said he received "seven or eight e-mails that bordered on death threats." "Some of them, unsigned, insulted me," he said. "Others treat me as a racist." But Bourassa said about 80 of the roughly 100 e-mails he has received praise the team for being innovative and many agree Quebecers should be able to laugh at themselves. He said other names suggested for the team were the Quebec Dunkers and the Quebec Cannon. Bourassa has been criticized by a Montreal sports columnist who said 'frogs' is considered a racist insult everywhere in North America. A number of French Internet blogs also slammed the choice of Jumping Frogs. As of Monday, online voting indicated that Kebekwa was slightly ahead of Jumping Frogs. Voting began three months ago. Bourassa said he expected the winning team name to be announced at the end of the month, a few days before team tryouts. There are more than 60 basketball teams in the ABA, including two teams from Montreal and Vancouver. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 I dont have a problem at poking fun at the name. But... FOR CRISSAKE GET A LOGO THAT DOESNT SUCK!!!! Those two things are HIDEOUS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAK Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 I dont have a problem at poking fun at the name. But... FOR CRISSAKE GET A LOGO THAT DOESNT SUCK!!!! Those two things are HIDEOUS! yeah !! I rather the new sabres logo they should put of frog wearing andree boucher( qc city mayoress)dress when she was in paris :puke: now that would one ugly logo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffy Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 vancouver has an ABA team??? last I heard we were being considered for a team, but I havent heard anything since... those suggested names and logos are worse than the new sabres! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Wow those logos suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortcat1 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 I dont have a problem at poking fun at the name. But... FOR CRISSAKE GET A LOGO THAT DOESNT SUCK!!!! Those two things are HIDEOUS! I agree... not so 'blasphemously' but fully. :king: :hlogo: :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsaneHABSfan Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 They are kidding? Thats just DUMB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacchus Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 I heard about this on CBC and I thought it was a joke. I see it here, and now I think it is a joke more than ever. What bad logos. The first frog in the logo isn't even endigenous to this area. And if you are from Quebec you all know about French frogs as an insult, and then having Quebecois spelt out phonetically smacks of making fun of Quebec's low literacy rate. Altogether, I think this marketing strategy is pretty poorly thought out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.