B-Rich

Total brain fart... forgot it was NBA-centric. Moved them to new thread.

ditto....

post moved to new thread.....

A couple more from the old ABA New Orleans Buccaneers; found these from an old program when the New Orleans Hornets played in New Orleans Bucs throwbacks back in 2008: As the blurb at the bottom says, that's 1967-68 ABA All-Star game MVP ( later head NBA Coach) Larry Brown. ABA Commissioner George Mikan on the left, Rick Barry on the right. Center fold out (sorry for the line and staples). Neat color-on color game vs. Houston Mavericks; would have been 1968-69 season as that's the only year Ron Franz ( no. 11 in the pic) played for the Bucs when the Houston Mavs existed.

For some reason, the "Cougars" name was removed from the original for this Getty shot. I remembered that same shot being in the ABA history "Loose Balls", and also found it online-- original looked like this: I have it from a very good source (former legal counsel for the Superdome Commission and former Hornets team executive) that around the time of the team's return post-Katrina, just before the Hornets re-branded with the "creole blue" instead of teal, and when they introduced the "fleur-de-bee", that the former executive had in fact worked out a deal with Larry Miller to get the Jazz name back-- but the price (which he knew was reasonable) was considered to be far too high by cheapskate then-owner George Shinn, who wouldn't agree to it. Damn, if only THAT would have happened.

That's Henry Bibby, former USC head coach and father of Mike Bibby, wearing #21. Man, those New Orleans Jazz photos bring back some memories. The Jazz' existence in New Orleans pretty much coincided with my middle/junior high school years, and as my stepdad was a vice-president of a local grocery store chain, he often got GOOD free tickets from salesmen. Many were the nights he would come home and ask me if I had done all my homework, as he had tickets; and we would go to games in the Superdome (never saw them the 1st year). Here's a few more (non-Getty) old Jazz photos from my archives: First ever home game at the Municipal Auditorium. Rare shot of Pistol Pete with beard at the other 1st-year home arena, the Loyola Field House.... Those beloved warm-ups in a photo shoot at Jackson Square... The very '70s fashion sense of drunkard head coach Butch Van Breda Kolff... Yours truly at photo night with workman-like forward Paul Griffin....

Damn, what a gorgeous looking uni.

Went with my eldest daughter to see "Fantastic Beasts" the other night. The muggle/"no-maj" supporting character was a Polish baker; he carried a sample case with him and when trying to get a loan was trying to get the loan officer to try one of his paczkis-- "his grandmother's recipe... made with orange zest". mmmmmm....

Curious... why is that?

No, they're not-- as a lot of our board has posted here, they are quite tasty and some posters are wanting some now. Coco: Where did you have it? Where di it come from? What brand was it? Was the dough braided underneath the icing, or not? Sounds like it wasn't a REAL New Orleans King Cake..

The Owner(Part II) - The endgame So how did this happen? Why did an ownership group screw this up so badly? On the one hand, I think that the new GM, the new owner, and Brandiose, all being from out of town, were actually clueless in their efforts, and felt that this approach and nickname would be welcomed and "successful" as it has been elsewhere, not knowing how unique and "old school" New Orleans and New Orleanians are. On the other hand, I hear some comments that this is the deliberate equivalent of tanking, sort of like the owner in the movie "Major League" -- poisoning the well, as it were. I hadn't given it much thought, until I did a little more research into the owner. Lou Schwechheimer is also the head of the Caribbean Baseball Initiative, which also includes a sub-group called BaseballHavana, which was formed after Obama began working to normalize relations with Cuba last year. As per a recent New York Times article (A Pitch Is Framed by Diplomacy in Cuba): Schwechheimer "... has secured the exclusive rights from Minor League Baseball to return professional baseball to Havana. He has assembled this group, called the Caribbean Baseball Initiative, which includes two highly regarded former American ambassadors. He has obtained the necessary licensing from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. He has raised considerable capital. And, very quietly, he has built a baseball empire. As of this month, the Caribbean Baseball Initiative owns controlling interests in the New Orleans Zephyrs, a Miami Marlins franchise in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, and the Charlotte Stone Crabs, a Tampa Bay Rays franchise in the Class A Florida State League." The article goes further to say that, "None of these teams will be moved to Cuba, Schwechheimer said... But he also said, “We have the financial resources to acquire additional minor league teams, one of which may ultimately wind up in Havana — but only at the appropriate time.” I freaking read between the lines, to four five years in the future, when relations have normalized, and all the details are worked out, and the Triple A franchise of the MIAMI MARLINS (!?) -- formerly the "New Orleans Baby Cakes", who have run off their fan base -- is moved to 90 miles from the home club to become the first minor league ball club back in Cuba.

The Unveiling of the name, logo and uniform Yesterday, the name, logo and uniforms were unveiled: New Orleans Baby Cakes. As I posted on this board, it was preceded by about two weeks' worth of teasers referencing the finalists names. During the on line vote period, a description of the name was given: "A tribute to the Mardi Gras king cakes where small plastic babies are sought after, the Baby Cakes celebrates a unique Louisiana tradition." As I wrote back then, the name (1) was derived, (2) does not exist as a thing in New Orleans and (3) is STUPID: "The term is "King Cake Babies" not "Baby Cakes". And they are not "sought after"; you don't want to get the baby in your piece of cake; that means you have to buy the next cake at your office or for your classroom.... "Baby Cakes" is a freakin' term of endearment, fer cryin' out loud, not a baseball team! The logo, color scheme and such were as would be expected/predicted from Brandiose. Colors of Mardi Gras purple green and gold, with navy and (white) "flesh" for the baby itself. Primary logo of a scowling baby, coming out of a king cake, wearing a crown and swinging a bat. A few "wacky" secondary logos. Uniforms that read "'Cakes" and or New Orleans, with Mardi Gras beads hanging off of the nameplate. Blecch. The only interesting thing is the proposed use of not one, but TWO different New Orleans Pelicans throwback uniforms that look extremely authentic (I would not be surprised if they just ordered the two jerseys and caps from Ebbetts Field for the unveiling-- I doubt the whole team replica set will look that good on the field). The Reaction The reaction has been EXTREMELY NEGATIVE on social media both nationally and more important, locally. A local online poll is showing more than a 91% disapproval rating for the new name. Many online, like myself have stated that they will not spend any money on the team - not just merchandise, but also actual game attendance. There have been some calls for a formal boycott of the team by fans, which could really hurt the owners by hitting them in the pocketbook, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, they are tied into a lease for the next 4 years. It will be interesting to see where this all pans out. i am of the opinion that attendance will DEFINITELY go down, and while they may see SOME rise in merchandise sales initially, it will not be what it might have if they picked a better-liked name, and in the long run (over the next 4 years of the lease) I think it will be a wash as to what it would have been if they kept the Zephyrs name. Team officials even noted the name change was for a quick buck: "Schwechheimer said the sale of new team apparel will bring a much-needed infusion of cash."

The "Name the Team Contest" I went over a lot of this in an earlier post or two: (http://boards.sportslogos.net/topic/95576-minor-league-indy-summer-collegiate-baseball-logo-uni-changes/?page=76#comment-2620673). In short, the so-called "contest" was a farce. The requests for new names was limited to a not-quite 2 week period between April 25 and May 6. In June, the seven "finalists" were announced. Local newspaper reported (with Brandiose and team official quot) that some of the 'finalists" were not submitted but MADE UP by Brandiose staff: "Klein and White then came up with the nicknames from those submitted. Baby Cakes was derived from a combination of king cakes, which as we know contain a plastic baby, and area people referring to each other as “baby,” which Klein and White noted during their tour They counted the times people would say, ‘It’s OK, baby,’ or ‘That’s right, baby,’” Rojas said. “So that was from a cultural aspect.” This was after the Brandiose duo came to New Orleans for LESS THAN 2 DAYS to get a "flavor" for the area. During the online vote on the 7 "finalists" it was made clear that the online fan vote was in fact, pointless. As local newspaper accounts reported, even Brandiose themselves gave away the lack of 'democracy' in the process: "Klein said it’s a long process even after the fan vote. “The fan vote is an important factor, but it’s not the only factor,” he said." As was evident by the team and Brandiose never showing a results bar chart or anything of that nature during or following the process.

New Orleans Baby Cakes... where to begin? So much to talk about with this-- Brandiose-- the team owner-- the folks in New Orleans metro area-- and my own thoughts, worries, and plan of action. I guess I'll begin (and end) with the owner. For ease in reading, I will break this up into several posts. We begin with The Owner, (part 1): The Owner (part 1) Lou Schwechheimer bought the team (well, a 50% controlling interest share) almost a year ago. This was right after the franchise and the state agreed to a new 5 year lease and supposedly $10 million worth of improvements to be done to Zephyr Field during that 5 year period. Also, with the new lease, the state entity that runs the Superdome and the Arena would now handle stadium maintenance and management. -- not the Zephyrs, who had done so since the stadium opened in 1997. His "formal announcement" as the team's owner came in April of this year, and at nearly the same time as this formal announcement, he and team general manager Cookie Rojas came out with the statement that the team name would be (not might be, but would be) changed. I do need to add that according to personal experience, there has been some changes to the stadium and the organization already. Water fountains and ceiling fans were removed from the concourses (probably to help spur concession sales) and many full-time employees were let go and replaced with unpaid or low-paid college interns.

Also, a lot bigger than a doughnut-- they are, as hjwii says, more like a larger, glorified cinnamon roll in terms of consistency and taste. You don't pick it up; you cut and eat a piece, like cake. Some-- the more traditional ones -- have a glaze with colored sugar ( #1 below); some others now have way too much thick icing and colored sprinkles (# 2 below, which I don't like). And rarely are they round anymore; most are oblong: I will have a long rant ( and plan of action) about this after I go give blood at lunchtime...

Latest 2 on the Zephyrs: Again, references to King Cakes and Red Eyes. Wonder if they are going to do this ridiculousness every day for the remaining week until the 15th? If so, I'll stop with the updates. It's getting tedious... looks like they are beginning to repeat the background images, too. ...these are coming out on their Facebook page daily, which only seems to serve as a posting opportunity for almost all the fans to say how stupid the suggested names are, and that the Zephyrs should remain...

The two most recent teases: referencing "Baby Cakes"; looks like the top left edge of a fleur-de-lis on right side.... Pretty sure that is referencing the stupid early name "Red Eyes", re: crawfish, which is not only physically incorrect but also used by NO ONE... With this hint, they are now going back to ones which supposedly didn't even make the "final cut".... Which would probably mean a "tailgators" reference hint is next. Please, please, please announce you are keeping Zephyrs as the name...

New one just released. Okay, now they're just screwing with us... Of course, referencing the "Night Owls" finalist. Cheesy. Bet the next one says "Our new name really takes the cake!" (Baby Cakes) On this teaser, I think we are seeing a stylized fleur-de-lis in the back ground.

More on the Brandiose front; the New Orleans Zephyrs organization has put out a teaser ad stating that the new name/logo is to be announced November 15th. Previously it was announced (not widely) that of the 7 listed this summer, it was down to 3 finalists: Baby Cakes, Po' Boys and Night Owls. The following graphic teaser, I think, may be not just hinting at the new name but giving it away: The use of 'BOYS (with the obvious apostrophe) pushes the idea that it will be Po' Boys. But what about the slight color differences in the background? Not sure what the darker shape is on the left-- it appears to be a close-up of a logo element-- but the lighter shape in the upper right appears to be the bottom of the Zephyrs' traditional 'Z". This could mean a couple of things. One (and I can only hope) this whole thing is a red herring, and they will come out and say "We listened to the fans, and we are sticking with Zephyrs, with new colors (a dark teal combining the historical Zephyrs colors of blue and green), new logo, fonts (like the one used above) and maybe even some better connections to the old roller coaster at Pontchartrain Beach." But part of me can just see their babbling narrative now: "As an homage to the Zephyrs history and their iconic use of "Z" not only for the last 23 years in New Orleans, but also before that in Denver, we have decided to honor and include that iconic letter by naming the team the "PO'BOYZ"

Ad, old buddy, old pal, I assume/hope you're being sarcastic, as i expect you would . That's NOT a sailboat-- (and just for reference, the "poles" or what someone may confuse as "masts" fold out for use in trawling with nets):

Jeez, in looking at that strip in detail I'm shaking my head again. One of the "finalists" (which I thought would have been great, and much better than "Shuckers"), was "Biloxi Schooners". Like Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers and Florida Panthers, it not just a placename-mascot name combo, but also refers to an actual thing in toto, a specific type of historical sailing boat design that is not in common use anymore (although the city has built two used for charters and historical purposes). To whit, this: And here I see Brandiose with a photo and cartoon drawing of a modern motorized "Biloxi Lugger" used in shrimping: I sure as heck hope they weren't planning on using THAT as the possible "Biloxi Schooner" logo. Though with the made-up BS names for New Orleans that no one here uses ("Baby Cakes" for King Cake babies, "Red Eyes" for crawfish), and the fact that the Shuckers' "oyster" shell looks more like a symmetrical clam shell, I wouldn't have put it past them.

One of my thoughts on conference expansion is that the BEST conferences are contiguous (at least on the basis of state presence) while the worst are disjointed and spread all over the place. Nothing scientific, it just seems and looks right. Some positive examples: Big 10: SEC: The Big XII (and both of its predecessors, the Big 8 and Southwest Conference) used to be that way, but now they are not: The AAC has to be the worst: Strangely enough, Conference USA -- which started off as a loose amalgam of teams all over the place -- has now become a contiguous one: : Damn Maryland for leaving the ACC and giving them that narrow gap between Virginia and Pennsylvania:

I'm so old, I can actually say I saw Wichita State's football team before they dropped the program (in 1984, vs. LSU)

You know what, I'm getting REALLY ticked off about this now. Especially after today's article in the New Orleans Advocate The big and small of it is that we are ALL getting played. The so-called "contest" is and has been a farce. The average Joe's submission didn't mean squat, and this online vote doesn't mean squat (just as it was with the selection of the Biloxi Shuckers): Officials said they expect to unveil the new nickname after the season ends. Klein said it’s a long process even after the fan vote. “The fan vote is an important factor, but it’s not the only factor,” he said. These out-of-town know-it-all cutesy-mongers from San Diego are making up stuff themselves. There is NO WAY anyone with a connection to New Orleans would EVER come up with the name "Baby Cakes" related to king cake babies, or "Red Eyes" related to crawfish, or even "Tailgators". Listen to their process: Brandiose owners Jason Klein and Casey White visited New Orleans on May 10-11. They met with Zephyrs officials and toured the New Orleans area speaking with season ticket-holders, corporate and community leaders, then local historians. Klein and White then came up with the nicknames from those submitted. Baby Cakes was derived from a combination of king cakes, which as we know contain a plastic baby, and area people referring to each other as “baby,” which Klein and White noted during their tour. “They counted the times people would say, ‘It’s OK, baby,’ or ‘That’s right, baby,’” Rojas said. “So that was from a cultural aspect.” REALLY? So now we have Brandiose coming in FOR TWO DAYS (and I'm being generous; I wouldn't be surprised if those days included flight time here and back) and interpreting OUR culture for our AAA team nickname. A one-year job for them; several years of stupidity foisted on us. The current name has far more LOCAL history, culture and attachment to locals than their three made-up names (Red Eyes, Baby Cakes, Tailgators) and is also a much better name than the remaining four finalists.

All seven of these are TERRRRIBBBLLLLE! Let's go through each of them: New Orleans Baby Cakes: A tribute to the Mardi Gras king cakes where small plastic babies are sought after, the Baby Cakes celebrates a unique Louisiana tradition. "Baby Cakes?" This is just STUPID and shows that whoever is running this renaming effort has NO CLUE about New Orleans. The term is "King Cake Babies" not "Baby Cakes". And they are not "sought after"; you don't want to get the baby in your piece of cake; that means you have to buy the next cake at your office or for your classroom.... "Baby Cakes" is a freakin' term of endearment, fer cryin' out loud, not a baseball team name. Even if it were "King Cake Babies"; yeah let's name the team after a cheap plastic thing that's like a booby prize... New Orleans Crawfish: Pays tribute to those lovable and tasty critters we hold festivals for, and who call New Orleans home. Knew this one would be in there. When did it become popular to name a team after something harmless that you EAT as opposed to something intimidating that may eat YOU (Tigers, for example)? New Orleans King Cakes: The King Cake tradition bring families and community members together to celebrate the joyous season of Mardi Gras, just like Minor League Baseball draws families together. Again with the food? And it's a seasonal thing, to boot-- with that season being NOWHERE near baseball season. New Orleans Night Owls: Both a play on words and an alliteration, Night Owls celebrates the New Orleans nightlife and a night out at the ballpark. No it's not really a play on words; only a few types of owls are diurnal, and nearly all owls are nocturnal and thus automatically "night owls". So you are naming a team after bar-hoppers and people who stay out late. Fantastic. Can't wait to see Brandiose or whoever make a drawing of a drunken owl holding a beer bottle, go-cup or Styrofoam daiquiri cup. New Orleans Po’boys: A tribute to the culinary capital of the Gulf Cost, this fun name falls in line with other wacky names Minor League Baseball is known for. Again with the food... Oh yeah, let's have a "wacky, fun" team name. Not to mention there's even a discussion among locals as to whether the sandwich even should be called "Po' Boy" or "Poor Boy". New Orleans Red Eyes: New Orleans Red Eyes honors Louisiana’s crawfish festivals, and the bright red crawfish New Orleans love. Still, no clue. How in the hell does "Red Eyes" honor crawfish festivals and crawfish, when NO ONE EVER has called crawfish "red eyes"? THEY DON"T EVEN HAVE RED EYES!! Just beady black ones. New Orleans Tailgators: Alligators are synonymous with Louisiana, and tailgating is synonymous with baseball. What a forced contrivance. While gators are common here, tailgating is not "synonymous with baseball", and certainly not around here. It's more like, 'park the car and get inside in the concourse under the shade and ceiling fans, to alleviate the 95 degree heat and humidity-- at sunset'.