Yahoo Sports report pelicans name is the name {merged}

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Originally Posted by HunnyB

Here's just one Boston Celtics forum and their thoughts on the Thunder name when they first heard it. That's just one forum. Today, they probably couldn't care less.

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There are several online polls you can find about the Thunder at the time. Intense hate.

Now, no one cares.

And so it will be...

I like the Pelicans more than the Thunder. The Thunder is just generic and bad, regardless how much they won.

Great. I will have to cheer for the Charlie Weis of birds.

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Dean Kumagai: Anything but the Pelicans, they will lose a fan if they change to that, been a HORNETS fan since they began as an expansion team in Charlotte, but will not support the Pelicans......dumb name
26 minutes ago via mobile · Like

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I can't help but laugh at people who say they won't support a team anymore because of the name, hahaha.

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Originally Posted by CP3nDX30

ESPN is just making a mockery of this whole franchise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmoaF_TYbS0

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Man, ESPN can {edited - veiled language}

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Originally Posted by Miss_318

But thats the thing. These names were given during a certain era (and half of the names you threw out are fit the sport ie baseball) where those were good names for teams at that time. Its a different time now and Pelicans IMO fits more with something from a Knickerbockers era. I realize some people here don't care for how things are seen are done as far as social media in this day and age but thats what it is....the baby boomer demographic doesn't run things anymore....if the last 2 elections didn't show you exactly where this society is at this moment when it comes to the country being taken over by the young population then I don't know how else it could be explained.

The world is different....opinions seem to actually matter more than back in the day because the consumer has an outlet where their opinions can be heard in real time....social media can make or break businesses now a days. Not saying this is going to break the team or anything but from the backlash on social media users in NOLA alone about this name tells you everything you need to know about your targeted fanbase. Its the age of technology and social media....yes you have those people that just want to be the first to make negative comments but it also have people who genuinly voice their actual opinion. Everyone thats complaining on the social media outlets that everyone hates is the targeted fanbase like it or not.

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Yeah, names have to be slick and cool, cuz you gotta be down with the kids, yo. How about the New Olreans #YOLO? That's bound to resonate with the kiddies.

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Originally Posted by Miss_318

But thats the thing. These names were given during a certain era

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Utterly irrelevant. The name is what it is. If we're going to strictly talk about a name, and not history, then all names must be considered in a vacuum.

KNICKERBOCKERS. Think about that.

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Originally Posted by AD23forMVP

I can't help but laugh at people who say they won't support a team anymore because of the name, hahaha.

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Their loss, once the New Orleans Pelicans are NBA champions I'll laugh at them again.

As far as ESPN goes, all they're doing is make a mockery of themselves, like usual. If the uniforms and logo looks good, and the team starts winning, all the whiners will come around...

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Originally Posted by AD23forMVP

I can't help but laugh at people who say they won't support a team anymore because of the name, hahaha.

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It's like breaking up with your girlfriend because of the way she dresses. Ridiculous.

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Originally Posted by NolaHornets23

It's like breaking up with your girlfriend because of the way she dresses. Ridiculous.

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What if she wears knickerbockers?

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Originally Posted by NolaHornets23

It's like breaking up with your girlfriend because of the way she dresses. Ridiculous.

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More likely to break up with her because of the way she doesn't undress, yes?

I don't know if anyone's said it or not but the mascot would have to be rusty the pelican

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Originally Posted by 42

More likely to break up with her because of the way she doesn't undress, yes?

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Not if you like it with clothes on.

My first reaction was shaking my head. It just doesn't have a good ring to it.

But I guess I shall reserve judgement until colors and logo/uniform. This could change my opinion.

But like many have said, many common names would be silly if it came out today, but you grow to accept it. I hope I do.

Monty: "My thing has always been the name on the front of the jersey. As long as it’s New Orleans, I’m happy. The league controls all that stuff. I’m pretty sure there is some local creativity going on, and that’s great. Personally, I’m more concerned with the fact that we are a New Orleans franchise, because we all care deeply about the city. As long as the team is here, I’m cool with whatever name we have.”

http://www.nba.com/hornets/blog/shoo...s-lakers-12512

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Originally Posted by Millán

Monty: "My thing has always been the name on the front of the jersey. As long as it’s New Orleans, I’m happy. The league controls all that stuff. I’m pretty sure there is some local creativity going on, and that’s great. Personally, I’m more concerned with the fact that we are a New Orleans franchise, because we all care deeply about the city. As long as the team is here, I’m cool with whatever name we have.”

http://www.nba.com/hornets/blog/shoo...s-lakers-12512

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IB4 "this is spin, what do you expect Monty to say about the team he works for?"

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Originally Posted by NolaHornets23

Not if you like it with clothes on.

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Well, yeah!

But there's got to be a little undr . . . . oh . . . hiiiiyyyyyooooo!!!!

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Originally Posted by LAHornet85

All,

This is seriously bad. You can tell no test groups were done about this. NBA teams need to be marketed to young guys, and no young guy wants to sport a Pelicans hat.

Join my facebook group against it: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Ben...1567805?ref=hl

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Most of the people with season tickets are adults and I just asked 45 young people if they would want to sport a Pelicans hat and 42 of them said yes. Next.

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Originally Posted by HornetsFaninKY

On behalf of everyone outside of Louisiana we don't care that you don't care what we think.

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This message board is awesome.

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Originally Posted by Penuckle

Most of the people with season tickets are adults and I just asked 45 young people if they would want to sport a Pelicans hat and 42 of them said yes. Next.

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Coincidence?

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Originally Posted by Penuckle

Most of the people with season tickets are adults and I just asked 45 young people if they would want to sport a Pelicans hat and 42 of them said yes. Next.

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Bull, you're a comedian, this name is right up your alley.

Kind of a rough job, but this was originally purple and I used photoshop to change it to red:

http://www.sportzin.com/forums/uploa...748-U10500.jpg

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Originally Posted by hornetstime247

Can I also say that Hornets international fans and fans in US outside of New orleans might outweigh the amount of fans in New Orleans and I am not kidding.. I don't think I could say this about any other team.

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Can I also say that the above post might be inaccurate? Also that anything might be better/worse than something else? I am not kidding either.

Can we also also say that the only fan that matter is Tom Benson? And maybe the BoG?

And maybe none of this matters?

And maybe I'll be thrilled when it's over?

"Nobody gives Pittsburgh grief about the Penguins. At least Pelicans can fly. I'm just saying."

saw this on twitter. lol'd

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Originally Posted by 42

And maybe the BoG?

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If they end up not liking the name we could end up with something far worse....

This is too funny, had to post:

Zac Kimble ‏@ZacKimble
I heard people asking how they would draw a pelican as a fleur de lis so I did a sketch @LarryHolder @JeffDuncanTP
http://pic.twitter.com/dFOKMizT

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A9X4Ub5CIAAFqAd.jpg:large

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Originally Posted by LuckySunday

If they end up not liking the name we could end up with something far worse....

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Now THAT is a point.

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Originally Posted by LuckySunday

If they end up not liking the name we could end up with something far worse....

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Well, if you let some people tell it, apparently there isn't anything worse.

A few Fleur De P's (as 42 called it) Pelican can easily turn into a Fleur De Lis.

http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...eur-de-lis.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i...P4EN45BHpUEMFg
http://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server41....1280.1280.jpg

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Originally Posted by LuckySunday

If they end up not liking the name we could end up with something far worse....

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Gayle Benson: I told you we should've been the Spirit.

Tom: I guess you were right.

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

Gayle Benson: I told you we should've been the Spirit.

Tom: I guess you were right.

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:hihi: Have mercy.

Honestly why do we need a Fleur De Lis that has something to do with a Pelican?

http://i.imgur.com/6Bhjo.png

That looks fine.

hahahahah. I didn't realize how much this was blowing up on facebook. I think it's safe to say everyone I know hates it!! Pretty funny.

Problem is...NBA franchise names have a different vibe. If you were talking about a New Orleans baseball franchise, Pelicans would be a great pick. Lots of bird names in the MLB, and baseball is a slow-moving, pastoral sport. These days NBA is urban and slick. Name trends over last twenty years go away from animal symbols and more towards things like the Magic, Thunder and Heat. Okay, Bobcats is an exception, but that to me is the worst name in the league.

Obviously, it kills all of us that our true and best name--and one of the best names in the league--is being held hostage in Salt Lake City. But if we can't have the Jazz moniker back (sob!), and I guess we can't, then go with something a little hipper, like VooDoo or Brass, both or even Krewe or Carnival, any of which, to me, would be better than the Pels, which sounds very old-timey...

I just want to say something really quickly. Take it, disect it, hate it, cry about it, either way I dont care.

Arguments that matter when renaming a team:

Apparel Revenue
Television Revenue
Ticket Sales
Sponsors


Apparel Revenue - May not fare so well nationally, but I'm sure the kiddo's would love to sport a Pelicans hat. Its different, its new, and it says NBA on it. If its a SnapBack and the right colors, many people are going to buy it. Especially if it has a little cartoony looking character on it. Same goes with the shirts.

Television Revenue - The NBA is a PLAYER driven league. A team name truly does not matter when it comes to wanting to watch guys like Durant, Lebron, Chris Paul, Kobe, and hopefully Anthony Davis. Tell me all about how well the Cavs rate on television these days, post lebron era.

Ticket Sales - I truly don't see how the name is going to affect ticket sales in any way. If anything I think more people would get behind it because its "New Orleans". Our city has proven that if you represent us, and love us, we will certainly love you back. Locals influence ticket sales, and the big teams are going to draw regardless of our name. If someone is a Laker fan living in New Orleans, they are still going to go to the Laker game regardless of if theyre playing the Hornets, Pelicans, Brass, or Krewe.

Sponsors - Sponsors will put their name on anything that they can make money off of. If the team is doing well, or their future looks promising, sponsors are going to continue to roll in. Tom Benson, or his BoG, know what he/they are doing when it comes to running a franchise, and this has shown in many business operations with the Saints and Hornets.


I really have been rambling to some extent, but I just wanted to show in a nutshell, that the National media and the fans from outside of New Orleans, dont really matter in a name change. So for everyone being snipey and ....well, standoffish. Eat spit. Buy the Hornets Jerseys/Apparel you love, that the NBA will probably still sell, and the Pelicans will share that revenue with the rest of the NBA regardless, in the meantime bringing in new fans.

A few reactions from people in social media who got to see the logo idea after railing on name:

"That logo might actually make me change my mind. I'd change the colors up to make it Mardi Gras-themed, though."

"Seeing "Pelicans" in plain text just looked boring. Dat looks cool."

"New Orleans Pelicans... Ok, so this is not so bad"

"cooler than I predicted but a little busy. Nice"

To Da Throne...you're complaining about how ESPN, national fans, and people you know are hating the name and that "there's a reason why." I'm contending that a large part of the reason why is because there is no brand attached to it, although you say that a brand has no effect on the name. So when you think of the Lakers' name, do you just think of it in plain 12 point Times New Roman, do you think about a mythical person called a Laker, or do you think about the regal purple and gold, block italic font that is used with the team name? Branding definitely goes hand in hand with a name.

Some people say that the mascot is stupid because it is perceived as a goofy, cartoony bird and not "fierce." Well, what's the comeback for a Nugget? A Celtic? A Laker (WTH is that anyway)? A Net? Outside of the Celtics, none of these teams even use their actual mascot, just the name itself, and they intimidate just fine.

I think it's unfortunate that just the name by itself was leaked...kind of a PR blunder IMO. Should have had more rolled out at one time...logo, local history, etc.

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Originally Posted by djpaul89

A few reactions from people in social media who got to see the logo idea after railing on name:

"That logo might actually make me change my mind. I'd change the colors up to make it Mardi Gras-themed, though."

"Seeing "Pelicans" in plain text just looked boring. Dat looks cool."

"New Orleans Pelicans... Ok, so this is not so bad"

"cooler than I predicted but a little busy. Nice"

To Da Throne...you're complaining about how ESPN, national fans, and people you know are hating the name and that "there's a reason why." I'm contending that a large part of the reason why is because there is no brand attached to it, although you say that a brand has no effect on the name. So when you think of the Lakers' name, do you just think of it in plain 12 point Times New Roman, do you think about a mythical person called a Laker, or do you think about the regal purple and gold, block italic font that is used with the team name? Branding definitely goes hand in hand with a name.

Some people say that the mascot is stupid because it is perceived as a goofy, cartoony bird and not "fierce." Well, what's the comeback for a Nugget? A Celtic? A Laker (WTH is that anyway)? A Net? Outside of the Celtics, none of these teams even use their actual mascot, just the name itself, and they intimidate just fine.

I think it's unfortunate that just the name by itself was leaked...kind of a PR blunder IMO. Should have had more rolled out at one time...logo, local history, etc.

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I couldn't agree more.

I was going to throw so much into my post above, but I felt like I started to ramble. I feel like this way taken directly out of my head. Lol.

I bet a pelican larger than the sun causing planets to explode when it flaps its wings with feathers made of plasma and a beak made of solid gold would turn a few heads.

OMG. That's how you can tell we have a culture down here. Most of us are pretty much thinking the same way. The more people hate it, the easier it is to love it. Exactly how I been thinking. Yes!!!!:2thumb2:

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Originally Posted by Millán

Monty: "My thing has always been the name on the front of the jersey. As long as it’s New Orleans, I’m happy. The league controls all that stuff. I’m pretty sure there is some local creativity going on, and that’s great. Personally, I’m more concerned with the fact that we are a New Orleans franchise, because we all care deeply about the city. As long as the team is here, I’m cool with whatever name we have.”

http://www.nba.com/hornets/blog/shoo...s-lakers-12512

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Thank God Monty is the coach for this team.

Pelicans is just LAME. Sorry but thats just how i feel. WEAK nick-name. VooDoo was my top choice and fitted perfectly!

Wonder how many players will want out because of the name change? Any chance of EG returning was just thrown out the window.

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Originally Posted by AD23forMVP

I can't help but laugh at people who say they won't support a team anymore because of the name, hahaha.

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I wonder why they feel a need to let it be known. I'm like, BYE! C'ya! They won't be missed. They can say hello to all the Italians that left with Belinelli and all the Mexicans that left with Gustavo and all the CP3 fans that left with Paul, and so on and so forth. The rebrand was inevitable. I am tired of walking into Walgreens, Walmart, Dollar General, etc. seeing only Saints and LSU merchandise. I'm on Magazine St. and the business only has an LSU and Saints flag. I think it will be pretty hard for local businesses to ignore the Pelican...pretty darn hard.

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Originally Posted by hornetsfanjc24

Wonder how many players will want out because of the name change? Any chance of EG returning was just thrown out the window.

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If I hear this argument one more time... :shakehd:

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Originally Posted by hornetsfanjc24

Wonder how many players will want out because of the name change? Any chance of EG returning was just thrown out the window.

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Gonna go ahead and guess 0. $$$$

Ryan Smith ‏@captryansmith
Good thing with the name change is that Eric Gordon thinks he's been traded & will suit up tomorrow. #Pelicans

:hihi:

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Originally Posted by djpaul89

If I hear this argument one more time... :shakehd:

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And everyone thinks they're original when they say it. :hihi:

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Originally Posted by Ceedee M

I wonder why they feel a need to let it be known. I'm like, BYE! C'ya! They won't be missed.

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Not sure about that. Have you been to a game this season?

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Originally Posted by hornetsfanjc24

Pelicans is just LAME. Sorry but thats just how i feel. WEAK nick-name. VooDoo was my top choice and fitted perfectly!

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Maybe it fit, but it was unavailable.

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Originally Posted by hornetsfanjc24

Wonder how many players will want out because of the name change? Any chance of EG returning was just thrown out the window.

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So dumb...

"Ewww my game check says PELICANS on it!! I don't want to play for this team anymorrrrrrre.... Trade me to the Magic! At least their checks have sparkly glitter on them!"