Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome yooooour New Orleans Pelicans!

The Hornets are apparently going to change their nickname to Pelicans. And, no, they won't be trading it to Utah for the rights to the Jazz name and a furry, dunking mascot to be named later.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--nola-hornets-to-change-nickname-to-pelicans-231227843.html

 

Once upon a time (late 1970s), the New Orleans Pelicans were a minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Played their home games in the Superdome.

 

Probably unknown in the rest of the country, but Hornets is a Charlotte-specific nickname. Not that the Bobcats are likely to adopt it ...

 

I believe I read in the NY Times on Sunday that the Charlotte Observer reported that Jordan is interested in bringing back the Hornets name in the future. Or that he is at least open to it.

 

Hmm. Interesting.

 

Found it.

"It's definitely an interest down the road...We would definitely entertain the opportunity. That's as much as we can say right now. We've heard the community ask the question, and we would listen."

 

People in North Carolina are pretty excited about the idea that the Bobcats might re-claim the Hornets name.

 

As said elsewhere, Jordan is open to changing the Bobcats' name.

NBA should really do some name shuffling ...

New Orleans Jazz
Charlotte Hornets
Utah Grizzlies
Memphis Emptyarenas (Blues?)

But really, as long as a major league was willing to accept a team named the Mighty Ducks and another took in a team called the Ravens, I can't rip on Pelicans too much.

 

The Pelicans name for baseball goes much further back than the 1970s.

 

Story I read said Benson was picking between Pelicans, Krewe and a few other names.

 

There was a minor league team from the 19th century until the 1950s, with a few years hiatus here and there. They even played at a place called Pelican Park.

To further confuse matters, the Charlotte Hornets were orignally a WFL team.

 

At least New Orleans is known for pelicans.

Utah Jazz?
Los Angeles Lakers?
... or Clippers?
... or Dodgers?

Seems to me when a franchise with a location-specific nickname moves cross-country, it ought to come up with a new nickname.