FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Fort Wayne's expansion team in the NBA Development League will be known as the Mad Ants in honor of the city's namesake, Revolutionary War general "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
The nickname was picked by fans in a monthlong Internet poll. Other possible choices were Fire, Lightning and Coyotes.
"But Mad Ants was clearly out front," general manager Jeff Potter said. "I'm glad. It's the most unique name. I like the idea of going to something different."
The logo, designed by Jeff Dollens of Excell Color Graphics, shows a sinister-looking ant. Team colors, Dollens said, are "burgundy, crimson and gold."
"It took a lot of research first," Dollens said. "We looked up several different types of ants. We even watched the Antz movies and looked on the web, too, to get the overall feel of different types of ants. We then tried to make it look simple enough to be represented on the logo."
The team still does not have an NBA affiliate, though coach Kent Davison said the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons were possibilities.
