Just Call 'Em the Jets? Even if It Was I Would Always Disagree

I find the whole Winnipeg NHL naming thing to be all together tons of fun. The very second that it looked like True North Entertainment was going to acquire the Atlanta Thrashers organization one of the biggest topics has been the new name of the franchise. There were previously assurance from TNE was that the name would be revealed only after the 13,000 season ticket mark was reached, and this number was achieved almost immediately. Well, we still have not as much as a whisper as to the future identity of the franchise. I recently read an article from Tom Oleson of the Winnipeg Free Press talking about the deep and widespread commitment to the Jets moniker. It is a fun little read, even if the author is a tad fixated on polar bears. I agree with Oleson that the Polar Bears would make for a terrible name, but a third of the article talking about bears? Still, he gives further credence to the fact that the overwhelming number of hockey fans want the franchise to be renamed the Jets, whether they are Manitoba or Winnipeg is another thing.

Personally, I'm not a fan of bringing to name back into the NHL. The original Jets organization moved to Phoenix. It still exists, and the Phoenix Coyotes still recognize and pay tribute to the Winnipeg Jets. The new team coming to Manitoba is totally unrelated to the former Jets and I believe deserve their own identity that is not mired in misplaced nostalgia. Yes, misplaced. There is nothing innately wrong with nostalgia but there have been suggestions that there could be a fan backlash, disillusionment, and a loss or departure of fans if the team is not named the Jets. These fans seem to forget that regardless of the name, Winnipeg will once again be home to an NHL team. The whole threatened negative reaction seems extremely ungrateful towards the folks that have worked hard and spent millions of dollars to bring the NHL back to the province.  Which leads me to the big issue.

Why hasn't TNE come out and announced the name of the team?

I think it is because TNE has stated that they want the franchise to begin its own history in Manitoba, but are faced with massive support to revive the Jets name and colors. Paul Friesen of the Toronto Sun reminded us all that even if the team were called the Jets TNE wouldn't own the history (source). The team would be the Jets in name only since, as I mentioned, Phoenix has possession of the Winnipeg Jets' history. Another recent article from the Winnipeg Free Press also discusses the complexities and problems with renaming the franchise as the Jets. History, records, retired numbers, these are things that would have to be tacked on but are all things officially held by the Phoenix Coyotes organization.

I break it down like this:
The fans want to paint stripes on a horse and call it a zebra, whereas TNE would rather replace the horse with something like a moose or maybe another bird.