Why is it the "Toronto Maple LeaFS" (misspelled), but the Minnesota
"TimberwolVES" (correctly spelled)?  Why is one Chicago or Boston
player a "Sox," but collectively they are the "Sox?"

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 14 Feb 2005 07:22 PST

Can you let me know if this answersd your question?

HFBOARDS
http://hfboards.com/archive/index.php/t-31732.html

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Question by wabcoll-ga on 14 Feb 2005 07:56 PST

Thanks.  The "Leafs" thing makes sense.  I guess the "Timberwolves" is
just irrelevant.  But what about "Sox?"  The old Cincinnati "Reds"
were the "Red Stockings."  How did that morph into the "Sox" of Boston
& Chicago?

"The name Red Sox simply evolved over the years as new team owners and 
baseball writers would attached nicknames to the team in hopes one name 
would catch on. 

The Red Sox were actually called the Red Stockings for a while in 1907 but 
sports writers shortened it to Sox (then a generally accepted
alternate spelling of the word: socks)."

http://experts.about.com/q/243/3421266.htm

"The spelling "Sox" is believed to have occurred when newspapers
shortened "Stockings" in order to fit in headlines."

http://www.redsoxconnection.com/redsoxfaq.html

Or possibly www.TMLForum.com, they have a trivia board there also.

There is also a brand new site called www.NHLReplay.com it's a Toronto
Maple Leafs discussion board.

Most sports team names have been popularized by sports writers. Since
the name is part of popular culture, using a slang or short hand
version becomes common. In the Canadian Football League most names are
throw backs to a previous era:
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The CFL has periodically had a seperate team named the "Rough Riders".