National Indoor Football League - Myrtle Beach Stingrays

Myrtle Beach Stingrays Unveil Name, Logo

By Ryan Elswick
The Sun News

The Grand Strand's National Indoor Football League team has made a name for itself.

The first-year franchise announced Thursday that the team would be called the Myrtle Beach Stingrays.

"We felt like the name Stingrays really reflected the aquatic nature of the area," said the team's public relations director, April Coble. "And at the same time ... it really sounded like a good name for a football team."

"[The team name] was based on selections on our Web site," said Dan Stewart, the team's general manager. "[Stingrays] was always a strong contender, and then when Ripley's came in as a major sponsor, it was a natural fit."

The team made the announcement during a press conference set with a backdrop of feeding sharks and rays at Ripley's Aquarium, which has signed a strategic partnership with the Stingrays. The deal will include special promotions and the placement of the aquarium's logo on game balls. As in baseball, fans can keep any balls sent into the crowd at NIFL games.

Stewart also said the team had reached a deal with Pepsi to sponsor training camps and other team events.

Those partnerships could be a factor in keeping the Stingrays from falling by the wayside, as have a handful of other former area sports franchises. But Stewart thinks the NIFL's high level of football will be enough to draw fans in a football-hungry market. "Football is extremely strong in South Carolina," Stewart said. "On any given Saturday in the fall when our home teams are playing, we've got a quarter-million people in their cars driving to a college football game."

The Stingrays' 14-game season begins in March, and the team's home opener will be April 1 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Season tickets go on sale Monday, and can be ordered at http://www.mbfootball.com, or by calling (843) 357-8579.

Other names considered included Swamp Hogs, Dune Dogs, Wave Runners, Blitz, Wave and Hammerheads.

Stewart downplayed any possible naming conflict with Charleston's East Coast Hockey League team, the South Carolina Stingrays.

"It certainly was considered in our naming of the team, but that's a totally different market. It's a hundred miles away and it's a different sport. We didn't really see that as a factor that would affect us. ... It's not uncommon to have a mascot or team name that's already been used."

The Stingrays' logo will be made available soon, he said.

The Stingrays also announced the signing of wide receiver Robert Bailey, who was the leading receiver last season for the now-defunct Winston-Salem Energy of the NIFL and has what Stewart calls "legitimate 4.3 speed" in the 40-yard dash.

Bailey is the third player signed by the team, joining former North Carolina quarterback Oscar Davenport and ex-Wake Forest running back John Lewis. All three players were teammates on the Energy.

Contact RYAN ELSWICK at (843) 626-0286 or at relswick@thesunnews.com.

This article was taken from www.myrtlebeachonline.com.  All rights reserved.