A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

Recent entries:
“Shoutout to ATM fees for making me buy my own money” (3/27)
“Thank you, ATM fees, for allowing me to buy my own money” (3/27)
“Anyone else boil the kettle twice? Just in case the boiling water has gone cold…” (3/27)
“Shout out to ATM fees for making me buy my own money” (3/27)
20-20-20 Rule (for eyes) (3/27)
More new entries...

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z


Entry from February 19, 2006
New York Apples (tennis team)
New York's entry in World Team Tennis was originally called the New York "Sets," after the "Mets" and "Jets" and "Nets." The team moved from Long Island's Nassau Coliseum to Madison Square Garden, and in 1977 they were re-named the New York "Apples."

The New York Apples franchise (and later the tennis league itself) folded after the 1978 season.

17 December 1976, New York Times, "Sets Change to a Juicier Nickname" by Tony Kornheiser, pg. 39:
Reaching down to the bottom of the barrel, the New York Sets have come up with a new nickname.
(...)
New York Image
Last season the Sets, playing all their home matches at the Nassau Coliseum, won the World Team Tennis championship, so there isn't much chance of the team going to seed this year. But attendance was poor, and this season the team will play home games in the Garden and the Felt Forum as well as on Long Island. The move to New York City called for a new nickname. All things considered, Apples was better than some of the others suggested by fans: The Whips. The Highballs. The Noodniks. The Muggers. The Whiz. The Whirlkings. The Bagels.
(Pg. B14 -- ed.)
More than 5,000 entries were received, and 43 people suggested wither the Apples or Big Apples.

18 December 1976, Chicago Tribune, pg. B1:
The New York Apples of World Team Tennis are not the first pro team named after a fruit, as was reported in this space Friday. A baseball team in Hawaii was called the Pineapples, and another in Georgia was known as the Macon Peaches. That's a nice nickname, Peaches, but nowhere near as brilliant as a short-lived entry in the Southern Hockey League -- the Macon Whoopees.

17 April 1977, New York Times, "What's in a Name? Apples and Anxiety" by Bob Reich, pg. S2:
If you're the marketing director of the champion New York Sets of World Team Tennis and looking for a new name with the primary purpose of selling more tickets, I guess the only name that really makes sense is the New York Apples. In fact, in the recent contest to rename the Sets there were 5,000 entries, 48 of them Apples.

28 October 1978, Washington Post, pg. D2:
Owners of the New York Apples and Boston Lobsters, until recently considered two of the strongest franchises in World Team Tennis, confirmed yesterday that they will not operate teams in 1979.

(Trademark)
Word Mark NEW YORK APPLES
Goods and Services (CANCELLED) IC 041. US 107. G & S: FURNISHING ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES IN THE FORM OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTING EVENTS-NAMELY, TENNIS MATCHES. FIRST USE: 19761216. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19761216
Mark Drawing Code (3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS
Design Search Code 05.09.05 - Apples
27.03.04 - Plants forming letters or numerals
Serial Number 73117783
Filing Date March 3, 1977
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Registration Number 1082936
Registration Date January 17, 1978
Owner (REGISTRANT) New York Apples, Inc. UNKNOWN New York NEW YORK
(LAST LISTED OWNER) NEW YORK APPLES, INC. CORPORATION NEW YORK 230 PARK AVE. NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017 NEW YORK NEW YORK 10017
Disclaimer NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE "NEW YORK" APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator DEAD
Cancellation Date June 12, 1984

Posted by Barry Popik
Sports/Games • Sunday, February 19, 2006 • Permalink


Commenting is not available in this channel entry.