What’s more intimidating?

For some, when the Charlotte Hornets kept their name and moved to New Orleans, it was a bit tragic. It’s hard enough to see your team switch cities, let alone to keep the name. Even though Charlotte did end up getting a new team in the Bobcats (who are horrible, even with MJ helping out), the New Orleans Hornets have seemed a little out of place.

With rumors circling all season around the franchise, owner Tom Benson announced that he is changing the team’s name from the Hornets to the Pelicans.  Benson believes that the city of New Orleans has ties to the pelican, and by changing the name, there will be more pride in the team. He is quoted saying, “The Pelican represents New Orleans, just like the saints. They have incredible resolve. If they can do that, the team can do the same.”

Though the move has yet to be approved by NBA Commissioner David Stern, it seems New Orleans is ready to move forward. Along with the name change, the team will also change its color scheme. The new color scheme would revolve around blue, gold and red. This is a far cry from the team’s infamous teal, purple, gold and white. At the current time, there are no sneak peaks into what the uniform will look like. The city has seen different colors before though, having been the home of the Jazz franchise from 1974-79, before the relocated to Utah.

The brown pelican itself is the state bird of Louisiana, and after the hurricane, it became closely associated with restoration efforts. With the Hornets currently teetering dangerously low to the bottom of the standings, will a name change and a few years of experience under Anthony Davis’s belt be enough to make them into a playoff or title contender? Only time will tell.

Photo courtesy of All About Birds