Humpback Chubs Not Coming to Grand Junction

The GJ Rockies are not going to become the GJ Humpback Chubs.

We know that because the GJ Rockies told us so.

Next question, why would they be telling us that.

The answer is because of a petition drive that was started with the aim of getting the name of the Rockies mascot changed to reflect an endangered fish species in the Colorado River called the humpback chub. The fish has a light gray back, silversides, and a white belly. The name comes from the hump located between the head and the dorsal fin.

The petition drive to try and get the GJ Rockies was started by a local fan, Iann Lumis, who told Deadspin, he thought the name "Rockies" just wasn't very creative and did not accurately represent Grand Junction or western Colorado.

To make a long story short, Lummis reportedly reached out to the Rockies on more than one occasion until finally the team blocked his Twitter account and sent out a tweet of their own which stated in part "The GJ Rockies are not considering changing their name and never have, suggesting we would be called the GJ 'Chubs' is offensive and a slang sexual term."

Well, it is true, according to Urban Dictionary, the work 'chub' is a slang sexual term, but that is clearly not what Mr. Lummis had in mind. Still, it's understandable why the Rockies would not be interested in being called the "chubs". Never mind the fact that there is no desire or need to change the team's name.

The GJ Rockies are an extension of the Colorado Rockies, and while "Rockies' certainly doesn't reflect anything Grand Junction-ish, the name does give us a sense of connection to Major League Baseball and the Colorado Rockies. Meanwhile, we wish nothing but the best to the humpback chub and hope it inhabits Colorado waters for generations to come.

[DEADSPIN]