Tribune January 24th 1987

 The name Timberwolves has possibilities, said Bob Stein, attorney for Minnesota's prospective NBA franchise.

Snappier versions, such as T-wolves or Wolfpack. A potentially striking logo. Wolf-like chants echoing in the stands.

Stein announced Friday that Timberwolves was chosen as the team's nickname by a 2-1 margin over Polars in voting conducted by 333 of the state's 842 city councils. Each council selected a name, which counted as one vote.

Stein said he was somewhat surprised by the number of votes received after the two options were chosen from more than 1,284 entries in a contest that ended Dec. 15.

"Actually, we didn't know what to expect," Stein said. "We were surprised how many responded. Plus, the only way we contacted them was that we sent out unsolicited letters around Christmas."

Eden Prairie's City Council was one that decided not to vote on a nickname because it considered neither appealing. "Personally, neither one of them struck me as a name that really excited me," council member George Bentley said. "I think they both tend to reflect the cold, barren Northland. Something like North Stars or Vikings has a different kind of ring."

Tim Pope of Brooklyn Center received an all-expense-paid trip to the NBA All-Star game Feb. 8 in Seattle after his name was drawn from among the 16 earliest Timberwolves nominators. Mike Clancy of St. Paul earned a runner-up prize of $500 after being selected from the 17 earliest people suggesting Polars.

Pope, 27, a law-office manager and part-time student at the University of Minnesota, said he took about an hour to come up with 10 entries, which included Gun Flints. "I thought a two-word name would win," he said. "It's something like the Portland Trail Blazers. I tried to think of something that would be connected with Minnesota."

Marv Wolfenson, a co-partner with Harvey Ratner in the pro basketball venture, said he was pleased with the name Timberwolves even though he preferred Polars, the nickname used by his former high school. "We both went to (Minneapolis) North and played basketball together, but we thought they were both good names," he said.

"The most popular entry was Blizzard with about 300 entries, but we didn't want to be identified with blizzards. A name doesn't make that much difference until you get a good team attached to it."

Stein said Timberwolves is a good choice because "Minnesota is the only state in the lower (continental) 48 with free-roaming packs of timber wolves. . . . It can be clearly identified with our team."

Minnesota is one of the finalists for an expansion franchise. League owners decided in October to add from one to three teams between the 1988-89 and 1990-91 seasons and they are expected to make a choice April 20.

Stein said that a team logo and colors will be decided by then, but probably not with a contest. Other prospective expansion franchises with nicknames chosen are the Spirit of Charlotte, N.C., the Heat of Miami and the Magic of Orlando, Fla.