"MILL RATS" STAY THE SAME

Saint John’s new professional basketball team will have the same name as it did last season in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was announced this afternoon that the Professional Basketball League squad will be named the “Saint John Mill Rats” for the upcoming season.

Also at today’s press conference held at Brunswick Square, the Mill Rats unveiled their new logo for the 2011 PBL season (pictured above).

"From what I've learned since I've been here, the fabric of this city is an industrial heritage, hard work, people are proud of putting in a day's work,” said team president Ian McCarthy to the CBC.

Before mocking Station Nation about the EA Sports preview video, News 91.9 interviewed McCarthy, saying that he hopes merchandise will be available to buy by September 1. He also said a new, updated website is in the works.

Unlike when the team played out Manchester, the hoops unit will go with a mill worker theme rather then a rat theme.

"It's a person who looks like they have come out of a mill yard, as opposed to an animal," McCarthy said to News 88.9.

"They wear the number 3 which is in honour of Rip Seely who is a famous basketball player from Saint John".

The team, who sold over 200 season tickets in the first three weeks of sales, will begin training camp in December and the regular season in January – hopefully. There are reports that if the PBL and a Puerto Rican basketball league join forces, the league will begin play in October.

The Mill Rats and Saint John Sea Dogs have stated that they hope to create a partnership this year. That includes the possibility of playing a doubleheader at Harbour Station.

Finally, McCarthy gave the quote-of-the-summer to CBC New Brunswick:

"It's a person, he's got a hard hat, he's got a hammer hanging off his waist. He's ready for a hard day's work."