The New Orleans Pelicans.
It’s official.
As of next season — 2013-14 — the Hornets logo, born in Charlotte where that name was a good fit, will be gone. In its place will be a new logo, a new brand and new colors — red white and gold.
Before Tom Benson even bought the New Orleans franchise from the league more than a year ago he told David Stern it had to be rebranded to something local, something that fit New Orleans.
The Pelican is local, it is the Louisiana State bird and is plentiful along the city’s shoreline. And as Benson said on video at the press conference announcing the change, the bird’s resilience (it was once on the Endangered Species list and thousands died a couple years ago as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill) matches the city’s.
“It’s a symbol of the state, it’s a symbol of our resolve, to come back too,” Benson said. “Gee, we’ve done it. That’s what’s great.”
The name change has taken a pretty good beating online — it’s not the most intimidating of sports teams names and that it’s almost a joke. It didn’t play well outside the Gulf Coast. The franchise admitted they have some education to do on that front. That said, I kind of like it because it’s local, because it something that’s a part of the state’s heritage. In a league with the Jazz in Utah, Grizzlies in Memphis and Lakers in the former desert of Los Angles, this name at least fits the area.
The colors… I liked the teal better, personally. It fit New Orleans and that Mardi Gras image. The blue is in the state flag and the other colors had significance as well, we were told. Okay. The look is clean and sharp. It’s not bad.
As for the Hornets name, could it go back to Charlotte? There a lot of fans there that hate the Bobcats name and want it changed. The Charlotte franchise issued a formal statement.
The NBA could have a few new name changes in the coming years — Pelicans, Hornets in Charlotte again and Sonics back in Seattle.
