A locomotive might not fit on an arena football field, but it suits Spokane’s franchise just fine. The organization on Wednesday revealed its new name – Spokane Empire – and logos – among them a speeding locomotive and the letter ‘S’ with a railroad spike down the center – along with a color scheme of coal black, silver smoke and engine orange, the latter the team’s primary color since its inception in 2006. Empire is a tribute to the railroad industry, prominent in Spokane’s growth and economic development in the late 1880s and early 1900s, and the Inland Empire, a commonly used phrase to describe the region. “We wanted to find a name that was unique and also possessed geographical or historical ties to our region,” director of operations Ryan Eucker said/Jim Meehan, SR. More here.

DFO: I prefer Inland Northwest to Inland Empire because listeners have a decent Idaho what you mean with the first one. Spokane Empire? It's as good as Spokane Shock, I guess. But it doesn't do much for me as a Coeur d'Alene resident. Thoughts?