Inspired by the Ravens: Literary NFL teams?

The Super Bowl-bound Baltimore Ravens get their name from the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, making them the most literary NFL team. They can thank the people of Baltimore, who chose the name during a poll conducted by the Baltimore Sun.

The radio show “Studio 360” wonders what it might be like if every team were equally inspired by an author. Forget the animal predators and valiant warriors that currently serve as mascots, and instead change every NFL team to something you might find in a library.

Some of the suggestions, so far:

The Detroit Elmores -- for hometown writer Elmore Leonard.

The San Francisco Dharma Bums -- for the novel by Jack Kerouac.

The New Orleans Confederacy of Dunces -- for the novel by John Kennedy Toole, which is set in the city. Perhaps it also expresses frustration at the team’s most recent season.

The Oakland White Fangs -- for the book by Jack London.

The Tennessee Williamses -- for the playwright, taking the place of the Tennessee Titans.

The Washington Irvings -- for the novelist, taking the place of the Redskins. Mascot idea: a headless horseman.

Join in with Studio 360’s renaming project by tweeting with the hashtag #NFLrenamed.

As for L.A., well, it would be easier to come up with a literary name for our NFL team if we had one.

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