San Diego Chargers name/Logo?

[Blake]

So my wife asked me why they are called the chargers and I had no idea, so I looked it up. All I could find is that the original logo had a horse on it, and the owner also owned horses so that made sense. Charger = War Horse.

BUT the curved lightning bolt?

 

[Playoffs]

Barron Hilton, the hotel magnate, organized the team to start in the AFL in 1960 in Los Angeles. Fans were asked to submit names. The club's nickname was submitted by fan Gerald Courtney of Hollywood [who won a trip for the selection.]

...from Les Land:
(For background purposes Land was the first Business Manager of the Chargers - from inception -1960 thru their 1963 Championship season.)

"As regards the selection of the name, my recollection and understanding is that Barron Hilton selected it because he liked the USC cheer of "CHARGE", and was influenced to some extent by his friend Tom Eddy, who was a graduate of USC; Tom was Barron's front and leg-man during the early formative years. I have never heard Barron indicate that the name was derived because of the credit card name "Carte Blanche"."

http://www.glorifythepast.com/forums/threads/how-the-chargers-got-their-name.7771/

Chargers' uniforms which featured blue and gold with lightning bolts on the sides of the helmets and trousers, were first seen at a cocktail party at Hilton's Santa Monica residence. Players Jack Kemp and Ron Mix modeled the new uniforms.

 

[Blake]

Maybe I missed it, but why the curved bolt?

 

[Playoffs]

Maybe I missed it, but why the curved bolt?

I assume so you can see the bolt from the side on the round helmet -- fan's view.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

Maybe I missed it, but why the curved bolt?

Electricity. Charge.

The owner picked the name because at football games, people were yelling "CHARGE!" And then they took that and turned it into electricity. Hence the lightning bolt.

So, no, the name isn't based off of the horse type of Charger.

 

[Runner]

Maybe I missed it, but why the curved bolt?

When Zeus gets ready to throw a thunderbolt, he holds it in the middle and the ends tend to sag a bit. I know this makes no sense, because electrons don't weigh that much.

 

[Double Barrel]

This is cool. I love the history of it.

I think the AFL energized a lot of things in football, and one of them was the ideas of names and jersey colors/designs.

The old NFL names, while now iconic, are pretty boring if you really think about it. The AFL brought the ideas of an invigorated passing game and a bit of pizzaz to the presentation to the NFL.

 

[Blake]

Electricity. Charge.

The owner picked the name because at football games, people were yelling "CHARGE!" And then they took that and turned it into electricity. Hence the lightning bolt.

So, no, the name isn't based off of the horse type of Charger.

You sure about that?

Chargers' AFL logo 1966–1969

 

[The Pencil Neck]

You sure about that?

Chargers' AFL logo 1966–1969

That's what I've heard.