Morning Line Odds For El Paso USL Nickname
Tomorrow afternoon, El Paso USL will make a special announcement. After months of speculation and fan voting, the team could finally announce their nickname from the five finalists. Since the Juarez sportsbook has not released any odds for any of these nicknames, here is my best handicapping analysis for each of them.
Locomotive: 3-1
This has been my personal favorite ever since the finalists were revealed. Over the last month, various billboards around El Paso have teased a possible Locomotive name, but El Paso USL has remained quiet on the issue. From a marketing perspective, the sky is the limit with this one. From a historical perspective, El Paso & Southwestern Railroad No. 1 is a 4-4-0 type steam locomotive, preserved in downtown at the Transportation Museum. The engine was built in 1857 by Breese, Kneeland, and Company of Jersey City, New Jersey, and is the only locomotive built by that firm still in existence.
Estrellas: 5-1
I have thought a lot about this choice, and it could be the winner for a few reasons. One, it means star in Spanish and there is a star on the El Paso USL logo. Also, it is possible that MountainStar Sports already has a marketing deal in place with Estrella Jalisco beer, given its popularity on the border. I'll toast to Estrellas if it wins out.
Lagartos: 20-1
This one is a bit of a longshot, but still in play because of El Paso's history with alligators. Starting in the 1880s and through the 1960s, live alligators roamed downtown El Paso in San Jacinto Plaza. Although the gators are long gone, the fountain at the Plaza de Los Lagartos is one of the more impressive features in the area.
Tejanos and Stars: 100-1
Both of these nicknames are total longshots for one big reason. They are already in use by local and national sports teams. El Paso Community College uses Tejanos for their male sports teams and Stars are in use by Dallas's NHL team.