Despite the regal-sounding name, crown-based logo and connection to an opulent pop song, the Kansas City Royals actually weren’t named after kings, queens or anything monarchial. The unlikely American League champions were named in 1968 for something for more lavish and grandiose: livestock.
The Kansas City Royals began play in 1969 as an expansion team. The year before, the team held a name-the-team contest that received more than 17,000 entries. Sanford Porte, a bridge engineer from the suburb of Overland Park, was named the winner for his “Royals” entry. His reason had nothing to do with royalty.
“Kansas City’s new baseball team should be called the Royals because of Missouri’s billion-dollar livestock income, Kansas City’s position as the nation’s leading stocker and feeder market and the nationally known American Royal parade and pageant,” Porte wrote.
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That American Royal show continues to this day, hosting the “world’s largest barbecue contest,” one of the Midwest’s largest livestock exhibitions and a number of rodeos, horse shows and saddlebred competitions.
Contemporary newspaper accounts say Porte also suggested a royal blue and white color scheme and crown logo (which were eventually adopted) as well as a stallion mascot (which was not). The team’s board voted 6-1 on the name, with the only opposition coming from team owner Ewing Kauffman, who eventually changed his vote and said the name had grown on him.
At an introductory press conference, Porte said, “royalty stands for the best — that’s another reason,” suggesting there’s at least some royal lineage in the team’s blood.
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When it was time to make a logo, however, the team went the kingly route. The Wall Street Journal shared some original concept logos from employees at Hallmark, which is based in the city. Many featured livestock. But there was a concerted effort to shift attention away from the origin of the name, as Kansas City was actively trying to distance itself from its “cowtown” reputation.
The origins of the name have been forgotten over the years, mostly because the original intent has long been superseded by the royal one. Had it been more well-known, maybe Lorde, whose 2013 hit Royals was inspired by a National Geographic photograph of George Brett, wouldn’t having been singing about “Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece” but rather “cow bells, slop troughs, mooing on the pasture.”
Source: USA Today
