Listen in Sam's voice (generated with ElevenLabs)
Every Sunday, millions of people cheer for the Jets, curse the Raiders, or celebrate a Giants win — without ever stopping to ask: wait, why are they called that? The names we yell at our TVs have origin stories that are weird, accidental, political, deeply local, and sometimes just kind of funny.
The Giants were named because New York was simply considered a 'giant' city. The Jets were renamed because they played near LaGuardia Airport — and because the new owner wanted to rhyme with the Mets. The Raiders got their name because the league rejected 'Señors' as too ethnic, too soft.
The Kansas City Chiefs were named to honor a mayor's nickname. The Green Bay Packers got their name from a meatpacking company that wrote the check for their first jerseys. The Chicago Bears were deliberately named to be bigger than the Cubs.
From the Ravens honoring Edgar Allan Poe to the Saints born on All Saints' Day, from the 49ers celebrating the Gold Rush to the Cardinals named for a faded secondhand jersey color — these names carry more American history than most people realize.
Listen to the full stories behind the Jets, Giants, Raiders, Chiefs, Steelers, Packers, Bears, Ravens, Saints, 49ers, Cowboys, Cardinals, Broncos, Chargers, Vikings, Eagles, and more.