Aviators to salute Nevada’s unofficial state flower, the traffic cone
It was only a matter of time before orange traffic cones — the unofficial state flower for long-suffering Nevada drivers — became the name of an area professional sports team. For one night, at least.
The Aviators are making a playful spin on the the Las Vegas Valley’s ubiquitous lane closers, becoming the Las Vegas Cone Jesters as part of a “What If” promotional night for their Aug. 15 game against the Tacoma Rainiers at Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin.
“Cone Jesters” is an ode to traffic cones and the “cone-gestion” they cause on the road, Aviators creative director Edward Dorville told the Review-Journal. Instead of simply going by the Las Vegas Traffic Cones for the night, the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics put some more thought into the process and added the jester spin to it to give the name its double meaning, Dorville said.
“This one is truly out there and the quirkiest yet,” Dorville said.
The logo on the ball cap for next week’s game features a surly orange cone wearing a jester’s hat, waving a fist like it is defending itself from negative comments hurled its way, Dorville said.
“He’s wearing a jester’s hat, alluding to the comedic tone we’ve taken with this one,” Dorville said. “Are we in on the joke? Are we part of an experiment?”
The jersey for next week’s game will be a play on the fluorescent green construction worker’s vest, with “Cone Jesters” displayed across the chest on an orange construction sign. The jersey is sleeveless, but the players will wear an undershirt for the game. The jerseys, hats and other T-shirts are on sale on the Aviators web store and will be available for purchase at the Aug. 15 game.
Having lived in multiple areas including the Dominican Republic, New York and New Jersey, Dorville said not all areas see the volume of road work common to Southern Nevada. So, although the name is in jest, he said it’s also a positive message, appreciating all the work needed to keep up with the significant growth seen in the Las Vegas Valley.
“It’s truly astonishing seeing the growth of this valley firsthand and what it’ll be in the next 10 to 20 years,” Dorville said. “Traffic cones represent growth, improvement and a community that’s moving forward. As much as we get upset at the short-term inconvenience, they represent progress.”
Twice a season, the Aviators go by an alternative team name for “What If” nights, that play off local themes. Last season’s Gamblers name was a hit with fans, with some even hoping the team would take the name on a permanent basis.
Just like road work that doesn’t occur in an instant, a lot of planning goes into the “What If” night team themes. To that, the Aviators already have several other name ideas for future seasons lined up.
“These alternate identities take about two years to implement,” Dorville said. “It’s a huge undertaking, rooted in deep research and understanding of the region, while going through a trademark approval process.”
All jesting aside, Dorville said most Southern Nevada drivers could take the “What If” night name to reeducate themselves and take a better approach to merging where traffic cones reduce lanes, instead of waiting until the last possible minute to try and make their move.
“I do believe we need to get better at merging in traffic,” Dorville said. “Once traffic has slowed down, we should merge like sand in an hourglass. If it hasn’t, we should be proactive and merge earlier… This series is done with a lot of love, for the city we love, for those who love it as much as we do.”
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.