Lakers nickname comes from a Lake Freighter
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Jellojigglin
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:20 am    Post subject: Lakers nickname comes from a Lake Freighter

So I'm a lifetime fan please send me proof the Lakers name is slang for a boat. I have lived my life understanding the name comes from the land of lakes. Do we need a new logo with a picture of a Lake freighter?
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:25 am    Post subject:

I thought this was common knowledge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_freighter
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:46 am    Post subject:

Who would have ever guessed Edmond Fitzgerald was a Laker?
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:51 am    Post subject:

It was actually a lake freighter so big that it was a land and there were lakes in it
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:00 am    Post subject:

Chronicle wrote:
It was actually a lake freighter so big that it was a land and there were lakes in it


Like... a thousand of them iirc.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:59 pm    Post subject:

TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
Chronicle wrote:
It was actually a lake freighter so big that it was a land and there were lakes in it


Like... a thousand of them iirc.

more like 10,000 of them

Minnesota's state nickname is "Land of 10,000 Lakes"

from Wikipedia (which, of course, may not be right): The franchise (Lakers) began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers in honor of the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes".
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Lakers nickname comes from a Lake Freighter

Jellojigglin wrote:
So I'm a lifetime fan please send me proof the Lakers name is slang for a boat. I have lived my life understanding the name comes from the land of lakes. Do we need a new logo with a picture of a Lake freighter?


The word Laker has a lot of meanings, including a sailing vessel; a fish living in or taken from a lake; and a person associated with a lake.

So while there are sailing vessels called Lakers, but I have never heard that the Minneapolis basketball team was named after those vessels (anymore than they were named after lake trout). Like you, I've always heard the name was a testament to the state's nickname of 10,000 lakes.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:59 pm    Post subject:

The LA Feighters
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microbe obliterator
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:13 pm    Post subject:

lakers vs. ...salties?! that's it! must petition for another team to change names to the salties for a true rivalry with us!
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:25 pm    Post subject:

always thought a "Laker" were people that lived among lakes...oh well. Good news is now we can have a mascot!
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:38 pm    Post subject:

P.K. wrote:
TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
Chronicle wrote:
It was actually a lake freighter so big that it was a land and there were lakes in it


Like... a thousand of them iirc.

more like 10,000 of them

Minnesota's state nickname is "Land of 10,000 Lakes"

from Wikipedia (which, of course, may not be right): The franchise (Lakers) began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers in honor of the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes".


Yeah well I only considered those other 9,000 to be ponds, not lakes.

Then again, the "LA Ponders" doesn't sound like a good basketball team. Sounds more like this team with Byron Scott designing the offense.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:10 pm    Post subject:

wait, I just looked up Laker in the dictionary.....and

Quote:
laker
[ley-ker]

noun
1. a person associated with a lake, as a resident, visitor, or worker.
2. a ship designed for navigating on lakes, especially the Great Lakes.
3. a fish found in lakes or caught in a lake, especially the lake trout.
4. (initial capital letter) any one of the Lake Poets.


I always thought it was #1...but maybe we are just "trout"?
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:10 pm    Post subject:

TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
P.K. wrote:
TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
Chronicle wrote:
It was actually a lake freighter so big that it was a land and there were lakes in it


Like... a thousand of them iirc.

more like 10,000 of them

Minnesota's state nickname is "Land of 10,000 Lakes"

from Wikipedia (which, of course, may not be right): The franchise (Lakers) began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers in honor of the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes".


Yeah well I only considered those other 9,000 to be ponds, not lakes.

LOL...
you can actually canoe about 1/2 way across the entire state of Minnesota (east/west) through Voyageurs Natl Park & the Boundary Waters Canoe area.
You paddle down a lake, do a portage (carry the canoe) across a short land segment, paddle down the next lake, repeat..
a college friend was from Minnesota, and we did a trip there 1 summer. we spent 10 days fishing and canoeing, and never touched the same lake twice.
10,000 lakes might be an underestimation
100million mosquitoes the size of small planes probably isn't

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:09 pm    Post subject:

microbe obliterator wrote:
lakers vs. ...salties?! that's it! must petition for another team to change names to the salties for a true rivalry with us!


Lakers vs Utah Salties. Jazz doesn't make any sense.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:42 pm    Post subject:

Wow, this is really a team in search of an identity.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:31 pm    Post subject:

P.K. wrote:
TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
P.K. wrote:
TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
Chronicle wrote:
It was actually a lake freighter so big that it was a land and there were lakes in it


Like... a thousand of them iirc.

more like 10,000 of them

Minnesota's state nickname is "Land of 10,000 Lakes"

from Wikipedia (which, of course, may not be right): The franchise (Lakers) began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers in honor of the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes".


Yeah well I only considered those other 9,000 to be ponds, not lakes.

LOL...
you can actually canoe about 1/2 way across the entire state of Minnesota (east/west) through Voyageurs Natl Park & the Boundary Waters Canoe area.
You paddle down a lake, do a portage (carry the canoe) across a short land segment, paddle down the next lake, repeat..
a college friend was from Minnesota, and we did a trip there 1 summer. we spent 10 days fishing and canoeing, and never touched the same lake twice.
10,000 lakes might be an underestimation
100million mosquitoes the size of small planes probably isn't


PK that sounds like a great trip. Assuming you had good repellant of course. I've seen that region and all kidding aside I'll bet that was awesome.
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:19 am    Post subject:

TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
P.K. wrote:
TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
P.K. wrote:
TooMuchMajicBuss wrote:
Chronicle wrote:
It was actually a lake freighter so big that it was a land and there were lakes in it


Like... a thousand of them iirc.

more like 10,000 of them

Minnesota's state nickname is "Land of 10,000 Lakes"

from Wikipedia (which, of course, may not be right): The franchise (Lakers) began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers in honor of the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes".


Yeah well I only considered those other 9,000 to be ponds, not lakes.

LOL...
you can actually canoe about 1/2 way across the entire state of Minnesota (east/west) through Voyageurs Natl Park & the Boundary Waters Canoe area.
You paddle down a lake, do a portage (carry the canoe) across a short land segment, paddle down the next lake, repeat..
a college friend was from Minnesota, and we did a trip there 1 summer. we spent 10 days fishing and canoeing, and never touched the same lake twice.
10,000 lakes might be an underestimation
100million mosquitoes the size of small planes probably isn't


PK that sounds like a great trip. Assuming you had good repellant of course. I've seen that region and all kidding aside I'll bet that was awesome.

those mosquitoes just laughed at Deep Woods Off - we were using 100% DEET by the quart (Off is only 25% DEET). Fortunately the mosquitoes won't come more than about 50' from shore, so when you were on the lake, you were out of the combat zone. We had to wear mosquito head nets over our hats when we were setting up camp at night though. The fishing was great though, we almost never had to break out the freeze dried food.
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 6:43 am    Post subject:

lol @ all this.

Again, this was one of the most interesting episodes on Laker Line many years back as longtime Laker statistician Frank Pollack was a guest and was stumping everyone, even Stu Lantz about many Laker facts, especially that was driving callers crazy was the little fact about the Great Lakes Steam Ships that the team was named after. Caller after caller kept answering the conventional land of a thousand lakes answer and getting a strict NO.
Finally he explained the answer and Stu was shocked that even he never knew.

Take it up with Frank Pollack if you do not believe.
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:23 am    Post subject:

Ben Vereen wrote:
lol @ all this.

Again, this was one of the most interesting episodes on Laker Line many years back as longtime Laker statistician Frank Pollack was a guest and was stumping everyone, even Stu Lantz about many Laker facts, especially that was driving callers crazy was the little fact about the Great Lakes Steam Ships that the team was named after. Caller after caller kept answering the conventional land of a thousand lakes answer and getting a strict NO.
Finally he explained the answer and Stu was shocked that even he never knew.

Take it up with Frank Pollack if you do not believe.


I’ve never heard of Pollack,but I am throwing the BS flag on this one. Miineapolis is an inland city that is not on the Great Lakes. It is on the Mississippi River. One of the nicknames of Minneapolis is “city of lakes.” Those lakes do not include the Great Lakes.

If the original owners in 1948 decided to name the team after something that is not associated with the city, I would expect that there would be a source for this other than Pollack, whoever he is. I see how this story might sound credible to people who have never been to Minneapolis, though.

Edit: To illustrate the point, here’s a map. Tell me why someone in Minneapolis would name the team after a ship on the Great Lakes.

https://goo.gl/images/yJdgBp


Last edited by Aeneas Hunter on Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:30 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:29 am    Post subject:

Quote:
lol @ all this.

Again, this was one of the most interesting episodes on Laker Line many years back as longtime Laker statistician Frank Pollack was a guest and was stumping everyone, even Stu Lantz about many Laker facts, especially that was driving callers crazy was the little fact about the Great Lakes Steam Ships that the team was named after. Caller after caller kept answering the conventional land of a thousand lakes answer and getting a strict NO.
Finally he explained the answer and Stu was shocked that even he never knew.

Take it up with Frank Pollack if you do not believe.
Yeah I definitely learned something new here. Although now I can't get that Gordon Lightfoot song out of my head..
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:32 am    Post subject:

Been a Laker fan for over 30 years and never really questioned the origin of the name. Thanks OP...
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:11 am    Post subject:

Aeneas Hunter wrote:
Ben Vereen wrote:
lol @ all this.

Again, this was one of the most interesting episodes on Laker Line many years back as longtime Laker statistician Frank Pollack was a guest and was stumping everyone, even Stu Lantz about many Laker facts, especially that was driving callers crazy was the little fact about the Great Lakes Steam Ships that the team was named after. Caller after caller kept answering the conventional land of a thousand lakes answer and getting a strict NO.
Finally he explained the answer and Stu was shocked that even he never knew.

Take it up with Frank Pollack if you do not believe.


I’ve never heard of Pollack,but I am throwing the BS flag on this one. Miineapolis is an inland city that is not on the Great Lakes. It is on the Mississippi River. One of the nicknames of Minneapolis is “city of lakes.” Those lakes do not include the Great Lakes.

If the original owners in 1948 decided to name the team after something that is not associated with the city, I would expect that there would be a source for this other than Pollack, whoever he is. I see how this story might sound credible to people who have never been to Minneapolis, though.

Edit: To illustrate the point, here’s a map. Tell me why someone in Minneapolis would name the team after a ship on the Great Lakes.

https://goo.gl/images/yJdgBp


I don't know where the truth is, but this version makes much more sense to me.
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 11:06 am    Post subject:

This interested me enough I did a bit of Googling and found this mention in a book:

A Minneapolis sportswriter named Sid Hartman came up with the name after a ship that traversed "the land of 10,000 lakes." (He served as GM for the original Lakers too.)

Now whether that's true or not is anyone's guess. I've seen this explanation a few places now, but the details are always sparse and no original source of the information is given. It may be true or it may simply be a bit of lore/myth that has been handed down over the past 70 years.

Anyway, Hartman is still around and kicking. He write a biography called Sid!: The Sports Legends, the Inside Scoops, and the Close Personal Friends, so I suspect if the story is true it's in there.





https://books.google.com/books?id=xsbqAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=minneapolis+lakers+name+sportswriter&source=bl&ots=EQCtmYbKmf&sig=Rnkd4fljWye8wmTZLTSu2Bp2pcA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiFwtnPpO7WAhXnylQKHXoWAxcQ6AEIWTAK#v=onepage&q=minneapolis%20lakers%20name%20sportswriter&f=false
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:03 pm    Post subject:

Just-ming was here.

Last edited by K2 on Fri Oct 13, 2017 1:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:07 pm    Post subject:

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss the idea that the Lakers might actually be named after a type of Great Lakes cargo ships. Back in the era of that of the Minny Lakers, iron mining made up a big chunk of Minnesota's economy and most of that iron ore was shipped via Great Lakes freighters

Minnesota used to be (may still be) a major producer of iron mines. It's also worth noting that the Minnesota mines were hugely important to the armaments industry during WWII. And that most of the iron that went into the post-war the auto industry was mined in Minnesota's Iron Range Mtns, and then shipped to steel mills along the Great Lakes, which then shipped finished steel to the auto plants. Gary Indiana, for instance, used to be a big steel mill town that supplied the auto industry - Joe Jackson (father of the Jackson 5) somewhat famously worked in the steel mills in Gary. Cleveland was also a pretty big mill town. Both are located right on Great Lakes waterfront.

One of the largest iron mines in the US was in Hibbing, MN - north of Minney and west of Duluth. Most of their iron ore was shipped via the Great Lakes through Duluth. For those that don't know, shipping by ocean freighter is usually less then 1/2 the cost per ton/mile compared to shipping via rail (and rail is over 4x cheaper then shipping by truck)

Most of the money people in Minnesota are in Minneapolis/St Paul - and a lot of that money in the 1940's and 1950's (when the Lakers were in Minneapolis) was from iron mining.

So, there's at least a logically good chance that the owner of the Minny Lakers may have named it after the ships that were shipping iron ore from Minnesota mines and powering the states economy.
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