[2021] The Wild Discussion Showing 651-700 of 2,279

[Sue]

Okay, to narrow it down but also keep it broad enough and not country-centric, it could be a sports team name related to an animal?

[Kendra]

Or related to a team from your country. And then the BIO option could be related to a local team.

[Alicia]

I actually don’t think a professional sport is too broad. I don’t know much about our members, but I would generally call myself a sports lover. However, I would never have any idea about futbol teams or Australian Kookaburras. I’d guess most people have a set group of sports they know/enjoy, based on their country.

[Kat]

In the UK (and I think much of Europe) the number one sport is football where teams are usually the place name followed by something like United, City Athletic, FC etc. If it could somehow be worded to include team nickname, mascot or badge that would give more options and mean you don't just read a book set in one of those places.

Narrowing it down to your own country could make it limiting to some people and a lot of people follow sports outside their own country. I follow the NFL and would probably find their names more interesting to work with.

[Conny]

Yes, we Germans are notorious for our love of football (soccer)^^ We don't usually have creative team names, either; as Kat mentioned, they're usually just named after their city, sometimes combined with another word relating to their history.

I wouldn't generally mind a sports prompt, but would welcome a broader wording to allow for people outside the U.S./not interested in baseball to choose something they can relate to rather than just picking from a list (again).

[Ellie]

I agree with Jillian, please don't make it "favourite" anything. I don't have a favourite sports team.

I don't know anything about baseball, but from the examples it seems like a prompt that I can do, just by looking up the team names. From my limited knowledge, UK teams are usually just named after the place they're located, so that's less of a fun prompt.

[Joyce]

A few UK football teams would work: Tottenham Hotspurs, Arsenal, MK Dons. So would some Rugby Teams: Wasps, Northampton Saints, Saracens. Even for some of the ones that are Placename United format you could read a book based in that place. Manchester Happened was pretty good.

[Ashley]

I did try something more general. book about team or organization. it could be sports team or different kind of organization if someone doesn't like sports

[Johanne]

If it's just related to the team, apart from the name, many European football teams have a mascot or an animal badge -our local Copenhagen has a blue lion fx (but is just called the city name fc).

[Johanne]

...and the football team Juventus' nickname is 'the old lady'. Lots to work with, depending on how it's worded.

[Irene]

I don't know anything about sports, but really like the idea of a book tied in some way to a professional sports team. I agree with everyone about not making it your "favorite" because the only team I know anything about is the Dodgers and I can't think of any book related to that aside from a book about baseball or a book set in LA. (Or a book with a blue and white cover??)

I don't think it'd be too broad if you just said "professional sports team" - on the contrary, I think it would be too specific/narrow if it was a sports team that also had to be a specific type of team (one related to animals, a baseball team, a team in a certain country, etc).

[Ellie]

Joyce wrote: "Even for some of the ones that are Placename United format you could read a book based in that place...."

That's why I personally don't like it as a prompt, it just becomes incredibly broad.

[Ellie]

Irene wrote: "I don't think it'd be too broad if you just said "professional sports team"..."

This made me laugh as you posted exactly when I was typing that it's too broad!

[Irene]

Ellie wrote: "Irene wrote: "I don't think it'd be too broad if you just said "professional sports team"..."

This made me laugh as you posted exactly when I was typing that it's too broad!"

Hahaha, I laughed too!
And on second thought, I do see why it could be too broad! I still like it in general though, perhaps it just needs a little more tweaking with the wording. I like that the professional sports/athlete topic would tie into the postponed Olympics that are now going to be held in 2021!

[Nadine in NY]

I don’t like sports. At all. But I would actually be fine with a sports related prompt. For a book that involves sports, I could read one of Harlan Coven’s “Myron Bolitar” mysteries about a sports agent.

For a book related to a team ... my childhood “local” teams were the Yankees, Giants, Nets, and Devils (MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL teams). That’s a lot to work with! Any one of those team names could lead to an interesting book.


For Dodgers fans, you could read a book set in LA, or hark back to the original team name: the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers. So, a book set in Brooklyn, or a book set in the early 20th century when trolleys were common...

[Aimee]

My local football/soccer team (Norwich City FC) are known as the Canaries, so if we're okay with using team nicknames then I reckon I could find some really interesting books relating to small yellow birds!

Fun fact: The 'canaries' nickname came about because the founder of the team in the early 1900s kept exotic birds and chose the team's colours - yellow and green - in honour of his favourite canary.

[dalex]

I suggest wording the baseball prompt as “a book related to the name of a MLB team.”

Because it’s “related to” it has nothing to do with baseball or the US. It’s just looking at a list of team names and finding a correlation. As the prompt suggester said - Examples: MN Twins (twins), Kansas City Royals (royal family), Chicago Cubs (bear), Seattle Mariners (sailor, ocean adventure), etc.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I love how many different suggestions there are.

My personal preference would be "A book related to a local professional sports team." Even though I have zero professional sports teams in my town "locally", we do have the Saints (NFL), the Pelicans (NBA), and the Babycakes (Minor League baseball). Not a huge amount to work with, but if it's related to, I could use their colors for a cover prompt (like a black and gold cover could be related to the Saints).

Using "local" would keep it from being too broad, and I feel like everyone has a team they identify with, even if it's not actually in their town (all of those teams I mentioned are at least 3 hours away from me).

[Ellie]

Local teams would be a downvote for me, I'd have to read a book set locally (hard to find) or read something connected to cherries.

I don't count 3 hours away as local that gets me half way up the country... it just feels like cheating and I have to cheat every time I get a local something prompt in a challenge.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Ellie, that's a good point I guess. For me, 3 hours away is still in my state (it would take about 12 hours to cross my state end to end).

[Pam]

I really like the MLB idea but I would like to see it expanded to include the minor league Triple A teams. They have some interesting names like the Albuquerque Isotopes, my home team.

Irene - WRT your comment about the Dodgers, I still think of them as the Brooklyn Dodgers so I immediately thought of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn!

[Sara]

You could read Oliver Twist because a major character is The Artful Dodger.

[Ellie]

It might be easier for non-Americans to not limit it to MLB (as I had to google it earlier). I do really like the baseball idea, I think I would use it to read a Native American author considering some of the controversy around team names (I have learned something already).

[Entropia]

I don't think we even have baseball, where I live XD And just googling sports team in area turned out to be very limiting. So local teams would be downvote from me.

[Jillian]

I think local teams would be better as a BIO too. Some of us live pretty far from any professional teams. My state has no professional teams.

[Wendy]

I don't follow baseball or anything, but I feel like there's enough variety in the major (and/or minor) league team names to find something of interest to read. I just googled a list and found a lot of options. Going to any sports team anywhere feels too broad to me.

[Aimee]

Wendy wrote: "I don't follow baseball or anything, but I feel like there's enough variety in the major (and/or minor) league team names to find something of interest to read. I just googled a list and found a lo..."

But limiting it to *only* baseball doesn't work for people outside the US. Yes, I could google names of baseball teams and pick ones I like, but I have absolutely no connection to baseball at all so it would feel like a chore rather than a fun prompt.
If we want to do a sport themed prompt, it has to either be a sport that is popular worldwide (e.g. soccer) or the prompt has to be broad enough that people can interpret it for their preferred sport.

Personally, I'd be up for a prompt that was more closely connected to the Olympics, which I think is where the idea for a sport prompt originated, as the Olympics are much more global.
Maybe something to do with the Olympic rings? We already have a prompt connected with book cover colours, otherwise I'd suggest "book with a cover that includes all the colours of the Olympic rings" or something along those lines. I guess we could do "book with a ring on the cover"?

[Jillian]

Perhaps, limit it too baseball or football (members could choose if this means soccer or American football).

[Nancy]

Jillian wrote: "Perhaps, limit it too baseball or football (members could choose if this means soccer or American football)."

I like this idea, especially with the dual meaning of football.

My bad for introducing "favorite" into the mix, I was trying to stay away from local for reasons people have mentioned but I agree favorite can be difficult too.

[Steven]

I like the idea of a book related to the name or nickname of a professional sports team. Lots of wriggle room for people with varying levels of interest in sports or types of sports in their area.

[Jen K]

Or a related to a professional women's sports team? It could be basketball, netball, football/soccer or hockey?

[Hilde]

dalex wrote: "I suggest wording the baseball prompt as “a book related to the name of a MLB team.”

Because it’s “related to” it has nothing to do with baseball or the US. It’s just looking at a list of team nam..."

As a non-american I don’t like that wording as I don’t even know what a MLB team is (baseball related?!). For it to be more global it would be better with ‘a book related to the name of a sports team’. Then it’s understandable for everyone without having to google it.

Then again, lots of the prompts in these challenges (both the 2020 list and the historical ones) are very US-centric, and I always manage to work around them, so it always works out anyhow.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

a book related to the name of a sports team

THIS ONE PLEASE

I like this wording a lot; I don't think it's too broad and it allows for people to take BIO routes for their favorite or local teams if they want. 'Name' covers both official names and nicknames so that should carry well across different sports. It doesn't require you to like or know anything about sports because you're just going off the inspiration of a name. I just like it a lot and I want to see it in the next round.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Jackie wrote: "a book related to the name of a sports team

THIS ONE PLEASE

I like this wording a lot; I don't think it's too broad and it allows for people to take BIO routes for their favorite or local teams i..."

Yes, I like that too. It's no more broad than some of our other prompts and people can narrow it down if they wish.

[Rachel]

Jackie wrote: "a book related to the name of a sports team

THIS ONE PLEASE

I like this wording a lot; I don't think it's too broad and it allows for people to take BIO routes for their favorite or local teams i..."

I'm not a huge fan of a sports team prompt in general because I have no interest in sports or connection to any specific teams, but if it's going to be a suggestion, I'd much rather this kind of wording. It seems the most accessible.

[°~Amy~°]

Jackie wrote: "a book related to the name of a sports team..."

This would also be my preference as a non-sporty kind of person. We do have a local minor league team called the Seadogs. I have A Seal Called Andre that would work for that (Seadog = Seal). We also have the Portland Pirates for Hockey....so any pirate book. I have quite a few of those on my shelf.

***note, I just looked up the Pirates online and apparently they no longer exist. I guess that shows how much I pay attention to sports. They DO seem to have evolved into the Maine Mariners which is a similar theme and still works though! Phew. lol

[Sara]

Much the same for me. Not a sports person, so if it must be please let it be accessible. We have the Richmond Squirrels...but a squirrelly book might not be that easy to find.

[Martha]

I have Portland Pickles (not major league) and Trailblazers, and Winterhawks (not major league), so prefer the most accessible prompt to be submitted.

[Nancy]

°~Amy~° wrote: "***note, I just looked up the Pirates online and apparently they no longer exist."

There's always the Pittsburgh Pirates!

My choices for local sports teams, which is what I would do, are Rockies, Broncos, Avalanche, Eagles, Mammoth, Rapids... Lots of choices in all of those!

[Traci]

So much input, thanks! If I'm on during the submission window, I'll submit the broad prompt: "a book related to the name of a sports team".

I knew I didn't want it to be local or favorite because those are too narrow, and some people might not have options for local (which has been pointed out) but sometimes people don't like too broad either. Seems like the consensus here is go for the broad version and people can narrow at will. We'll see what happens!

[Juliet]

Martha wrote: "I have Portland Pickles (not major league) and Trailblazers, and Winterhawks (not major league), so prefer the most accessible prompt to be submitted."

We've also got the Timbers, which opens up quite a lot of forest related things!

[Martha]

Juliet wrote: "Martha wrote: "I have Portland Pickles (not major league) and Trailblazers, and Winterhawks (not major league), so prefer the most accessible prompt to be submitted."

We've also got the Timbers, w...". Thanks! Much better than pickles!

[[deleted user]]

a book related to the name of a sports team

i agree that this is the best wording for this kind of prompt! i don't have a favourite sport team because i'm not a sporty person (at all). i had no idea what a mlb team was until i googled it. i agree that focusing on baseball seems to make it too us-centric (which unfortunately happens with these kinds of challenges too often) so opening up makes it more accessible. i can easily use an afl (aussie rules footy) team name for the prompt instead now

[JoDee]

Sara wrote: "Much the same for me. Not a sports person, so if it must be please let it be accessible. We have the Richmond Squirrels...but a squirrelly book might not be that easy to find."

The Portable Veblen - great book!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Could we change it to professional sports team? I feel like it is very wide open if it's just *any* sports team.

[Khara]

Normally I wouldn't really be drawn to a sports themed prompt but since it's more of a related to the name we are talking about, it's definitely more interesting to me. Would prefer it open to all pro sports teams rather then just baseball. I feel like it's going to be a lot easier to find a book related to The Ravens than The Orioles even if they are both birds lol.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Results for poll 6 are up

[Traci]

Emily wrote: "Could we change it to professional sports team? I feel like it is very wide open if it's just *any* sports team."

Agreed. This is what I meant to post - professional team name. Since it's not actually a sports prompt, I would prefer more specific, but I'm hearing the group say to keep it general!

[Alicia]

Traci wrote: "Emily wrote: "Could we change it to professional sports team? I feel like it is very wide open if it's just *any* sports team."

Agreed. This is what I meant to post - professional team name. Since..."

I think professional sports team is still general. It covers various countries, doesn't limit to favorite or local, and I still consider minor league teams and leagues like the XFL to be "professional".

[Shelley]

I was all set to recommend professional frisbee golf teams, but apparently it's only individuals who are professionals, not full teams. Sorry.