Los Angeles Times takes unironic and extremely belated shot at Angels to back up swept boys in blue

Early Wednesday evening, the Los Angeles Times published a heavy hitter. The title read, “Los Angeles Angels? Disingenuous team name is as laughable as ever” by one esteemed Arash Markazi. Yes, the organization was under intense fire yet again for deigning to soil the good name of California’s largest city.

In his scathing, long-awaited review of the name change that happened literally three years ago, Markazi lambasted the “laughable” nature of such a name.

The worst part about the team’s name — outside of its complete disregard for geographic accuracy — is that it remains the most disingenuous name in sports. The Angels want nothing to do with Los Angeles outside of enjoying the economic benefits of being associated with the city.

He would go on to explain why this was disingenuous.

Pointing out that the recently transplanted Rams at least have merchandise with the city name on it, Markazi noted that no Angels merchandise has the city or its abbreviation written out on it. For whatever reason, he neglected to mention the original logo of the Los Angeles Angels and how usage of that or any variation today on official merchandise might infringe upon Dodger trademarks or earn a lawsuit, but we will let that slide. They could certainly have added the painfully long Los Angeles name in some other way that would look good with the current Haloed A.

Markazi followed this with a paragraph saying in so many words that wherever the Angels end up, they should take that city’s name. If Los Angeles is willing to dish out money to accommodate an Angels team that will likely bring them practically nothing in return other than more traffic and less land, then they can have that name.

I have to imagine this unbiased patron saint of integrity will write follow-up pieces and send them to Tampa Bay Times and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Rays and Braves are also housing their ballparks in St. Petersburg and Cumberland, respectively. This travesty must be stopped. You’ve got this.

The crux of the issue is that Markazi, along with the Dodgers fans he represents, believes that the name is a lazy marketing ploy by Arte Moreno as a means to expand his organization. Who would have thought that businesses liked profit and growth? How dastardly.

That gives me a thought though. If the Angels are disingenuous for having Los Angeles in their name despite not being in Los Angeles, is it not disingenuous of a writer and their employer to call themselves the Los Angeles Times and write about a “team without a city” in Anaheim to attract more readership? Yikes, did I write that and then not delete it?

A cheap three year-old potshot on the heels of a disgraceful two-game sweep is the best that a lazy Dodger fan with a press badge can do to make fun of the Angels. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Los Angeles Times. Twitter replies were not overwhelmingly positive.