NBA trademarks five potential names for Hornets
New Orleans Hornets owner Tom Benson might change the team name to the Pelicans, or something else. (Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Rougarou?
The attorney who typically represents the NBA when it comes to brand names for the league has filed trademarks for five potential team names for the New Orleans Hornets next year.
The five potential names are the Pelicans, Bull Sharks, Swamp Dogs, Rougarou — a beast from Louisiana folklore — and Mosquitoes. The trademarks were filed on behalf of the New Orleans Hornets NBA Limited Partnership, according to KL Chouinard of BehindTheBuckPass.com.
The Pelicans seem to be the leading candidate for the name change, according to a report earlier in December from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who said the team is also considering Krewe and Brass for its name. The change could come as early as next season.
NBA commissioner David Stern said in December once the news broke that “if it works for them, it works for me.” He said he’s sure whatever the name will be, it will be a fine name.
If it works for them, it works for me,” Stern said. “I don’t have any objections to anything that the Hornets want to do name-wise because I’m sure it’ll be sensible. … I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll be good. If (Pelicans) is what it is, that’s fine. … I think everything sounds good. I think Lakers, have you seen any lakes in Los Angeles? There’s the same amount of lakes in L.A. as there is jazz in Utah, or grizzlies in Memphis. I’m out of that business. Whatever works for a team works for me.”
Perhaps what makes the most sense is for New Orleans to execute a name trade with the Jazz, the team in Utah, which is known as the beehive state.
The idea being to surround 'Pelicans' with enough defective candidates that it begins to sound pretty good by comparison.
Jazz back to New Orleans, Utah becomes the Buzz.
I still can't believe they haven't already decided on the New Orleans Voodoo. That is such a cooler name than anything else I've heard. And I'm dumbfounded as to why I'm the only person to have come up with it.
@AlTheKiller
Considering that the New Orleans Voodoo have been operating in the Arena Football League for almost a decade, there's probably a good reason why the NBA isn't using that name.
@AlTheKiller There would be a lot of opposition to that by churches, Christians, and so forth.
Funny suggestion, but Utah is called the Beehive state because the people are inspired to busy as bees.
The best trade of all would be a FOUR WAY trade:
Jazz to New Orleans
Hornets to Charlotte
Bobcats to Toronto
Raptors to Utah
Here's why: http://sportchange.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/the-great-hoops-moniker-swap-a-vision-of-reversion/
I lived in New Orleans for seven years and have visited numerous times since then. I have never heard the term "Rougarou" and believe someone must have been misquoted. I think the correct term is "Loup Garou" which translates to "werewolf". The name "Pelicans" has a long history in New Orleans sports, particularly the minor league baseball team which preceded today's "Zephyrs". If an update is required I would offer the names "Gumbo", "Lagniappe" and "Satchmos"!
@Doug M I'm convinced that the other names are either distractions or will be sold to semipro leagues. The name will be Pelicans. No doubt.
I agree that the name should be Rouleaux for "Rollers" in deference to the Cajun saying: "Laissez les bons temps rouler" (Let the good times roll). Maybe that was too obvious?
I have been proposing this change since the Hornets relocated: Utah is the Beehive State, so swapping nicknames with New Orleans would be 100% appropriate.
@mcin412 That last sentence of the story wasn't there when I posted my comment. You're quite welcome, anonymous plagiariser. #theydontteachthisshyteinjschoolahole
You can check the cached version via google search. The original sentence was "Perhaps what makes the most sense is New Orleans buying the Jazz name from Utah."
#givecreditwhereitsduefromnowon
@mcin412 No....send the Hornets to Charlotte, the Bobcats to Toronto, and the Raptors to Utah.
In 1993, Raptors beat Bobcats for the Toronto team name simply because Jurassic Park was popular at the time. Apparently they would've been the Titanics if they had waited a few years. Or the Toronto Harry Potters. Point is: they should've been the Toronto Bobcats all along.
Raptors only makes sense in one place: Utah. There is actually a dinosaur called the Utahraptor.
If only this would actually happen....sigh....
http://sportchange.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/the-great-hoops-moniker-swap-a-vision-of-reversion/
All these names are silly.... You have to be told what one name even means! That is an instant fail!
@JulesG No kidding. Except for Pelicans, all the names are ridiculous. The Swamp Dogs? That would be a terrible Developmental League nickname. Mosquitoes? As if that's better than Hornets.
Tips
Crescents
Canes (sugar, marching, hurrixxxxx)
Hoodoo
Bon Temps
Rollers (Roulers?)
Po' Boys
Armstrongs
Roux
Claws
Beignets
Survivors
Hot Five of New Orleans
But can they assert bona fide intent to use for five different names under the United States Patent and Trademark Office rules of practice?
Mosquitoes? Now the fans will be lobbying for Pelicans. Where did these people come up with such dumb names?
http://www.sportmentary.com/2012/12/if-you-thought-pelicans-was-dumb.html
I think they wanted to name them Pelicans all along, so they came up with these other horrible names to make the Pelicans look that much better. Bull Sharks? With another franchise named the Bulls? Swamp Dogs? Is this a minor league baseball team? Mosquitos? No point addressing that one.
I would like to see them become the New Orleans Soul. I think it fits in with the community, soul in music, how the community searched their souls during Katrina and came together.... its something fans could feel inside of them. Not sure if this is trademarked by another league but if you can have other leagues with similar names why not?
@travis.long1977 Philadelphia Soul.
@travis.long1977 Would seem odd to name them after a form of music that was not created in New Orleans. They should get the name Jazz back from Utah, and then let Utah change their name.
@m.guszak @travis.long1977 Right on, brother.
LOL @ Mosquitos!
Mosquitoes, damn NBA can't spell, LOL.
New Orleans Bounce. Works as a reference to the Nola rap genre and as a basketball reference.
@breesnuts I usually don't like names that don't end in S.....Heat, Magic, Thunder, etc.
That said, Bounce is actually a pretty damn good name for a b-ball team. Nice.
@breesnuts More Bounce to the Ounce!