From its first season in 1971 through 2000, Shreveport's Texas League franchise was known as the Shreveport Captains. When Mandalay Sports Entertainment purchased the Captains in 2000, one of its first actions centered on changing the team's identity to better reflect MiLB's fun-centric team names and logos.
The Swamp Dragons' name was originally going to be used by the NBA's New Jersey Nets, but a last-minute change-of-heart by the Nets' ownership group made the unique moniker available.
The Nets' marketing lead during the proposed rebranding, Jon Spolestra, served as a creative lead for Mandalay, and effectively re-purposed the name for Shreveport starting in 2001. Shreveport's Fair Grounds Stadium never drew large crowds, so after the 2001 Swamp Dragons' season, the franchise relocated to Frisco (TX) where the RoughRiders continue to play today.
