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New Orleans ditching Hornets name?


yauger72

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Thanks for the feedback. Very interesting thoughts. I love "Spirits" if they go for a ghostly, haunted theme.

Crawfish: Gothamite?s offering; very local in appearance, but do we REALLY want to name a team after something we enjoy EATING? About the closest I can see in actual use is the Omaha Beef, which sounds lame, amd the Montgomery Biscuits, which is a joke.

Well, there's the Miami Marlins and the Milwaukee Bucks. But your point is taken.

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Okay, here is this local?s take.

As I mentioned in a similar thread, I'm a little iffy on the whole notion of re-branding for the reasons stated therein. However, if we were to rebrand, here are my rather lengthy thoughts and insight on some of the names being bandied about:

Crawfish: Gothamite?s offering; very local in appearance, but do we REALLY want to name a team after something we enjoy EATING? About the closest I can see in actual use is the Omaha Beef, which sounds lame, amd the Montgomery Biscuits, which is a joke.

Blues doesn?t work; any one with musical knwledge will tell you there's a world of difference between blues and Jazz. New Orleans isn?t known for blues; that's more rural south and transplanted up the Mississippi River corridor to Memphis, St. Louis and Chicago.

Dukes was actually considered back in 1966-67 for the NFL team, both for the reasons mentioned by Brian in Boston, but also as a nod to the Dukes of Dixieland jazz band? Had nothong to do with Duke Ellington, and as NatsFan noted, the David Duke association pretty much ruins any notion of using that moniker.

Krewe is discussed a lot on local boards; I think a posting member here has done some mock-ups on the local Hornets board. It has some potential, but also drawbacks. First of all, to those who may not know, a ?Krewe? is a specific thing in this area, not just a funny spelling of ?Crew?. It refers specifically to a Carnival organization, one that can hold a ball, a parade, or both. The majority of organizations use this term (Krewe of Bacchus, Krewe d?Etat, Krewe of Thoth, etc.) while very few use an alternate name (Knights of Babylon, Knights of Sparta, Corps de Napoleon, etc.). In order for it to work, it would HAVE to be in the reverse presentation form similar a Mardi Gras organization: ?Krewe of New Orleans?. ?New Orleans Krewe? would not work. In that sense the team would be like the much like the old ABA ?Spirits of St. Louis?? Mardi Gras colors of purple green and gold would also be an almost given. There is a host of imagery that could be adopted into logos and artwork: crowns (for mardi gras kings), jesters/jester hats, beads, masks, fleur de lis, even brass instruments. Personally, though, I just don?t think it?s that great of an idea, and sounds a little too bush league. Plus, the truth of the matter is the team usually takes a pretty big road trip around carnival time anyway as they cannot compete with the event. While it?s cool for the Hornets to have special Mardi Gras unis that are worn around that time, it?d be silly to name the entire team after an event that in effect kicks you out of your home. (By the way, Buc, your syntax is parfait, but no one here speaks French anymore. Your idea of the "official" name being in French may work, but as you point out, not for everyday use. It'd work in Montreal, but not here. "Yat" dialect may be more appropriate, as in "Da Krewe a' Nu Awlins")

Sinners is just too silly to believe. A cute counterpoint to Saints? Come on, this is the big leagues we?re talking.

Creoles or Cajuns-- very different terms which some people use interchangeably, and neither of those would work. ULL already has the Cajuns, and for that matter New Orleans is NOT ?Cajun?. Historically, it is more urban, refined; less rural. To tell the truth it is ?Creole?. But the city, much less North America, has such a problem with defining Creole that it wouldn?t work (depending on what you are discussing, some say it?s it?s cultural, some say it?s racial, some say its lingual, and some say it?s a tomato. It?s not worth the trouble)

The whole pirate motif is very appropriate. Corsairs is not bad, as is the re-use of Buccaneers, but again, ?Buccaneers? has come to be associated with Tampa Bay of the NFL, there is the Milwaukee Bucks/ New Orleans ?Bucs? issue. ?Corsairs? goes over way too many heads, both here and nationwide. As a local, I actually like the idea of Rogues myself: it fits the city not just with its pirate/privateer motif, but in a general sense, from gamblers to rum runners to rascally politicians. Has potential and hasn?t been used since Memphis in the NASL (who used the non-herd elephant definition and motif instead of the brigand, which was stupid for a TEAM concept anyway).

That whole Louisiana Purchase story keeps getting repeated, and I was here at the time that whole Timberwolves thing went down, and I never, NEVER heard of it back then as being considered as a name. I think it?s an invented story that was repeated so much people now think it was true.

Re: swamps, while we are surrounded by swamps and marsh (and water), we rarely use it as iconography. Swamp Monsters, Swamp Dragons, Bayou Beast, etc. are very bush-league. Possibly the best mascot team name to reference this would be Gators, but that has been so married to U of F that I think you won?t see any pro team ever use it, much like you?ll never see a pro Longhorns or Wolverines. Plus Lafayette already had the Louisiana Ice Gators in hockey?

My idea? IF they do a name change-- is SPIRITS. New Orleans is probably the country?s most haunted and ?supernatural? cities. We are known for our above-ground cemeteries, there are haunted history tours in the French Quarter, voodoo and zombies, the whole Anne Rice vampires and witches and ghosts milieu, etc. Plus, ?Spirits? has a double meaning; it can also refer to alcoholic beverages, the imbibing of which is also a New Orleans trademark or selling point. In imagery, I?d play up the ghost/spectre/cemetery aspect, maybe use ?absinthe green? (a neon/lime green), ?midnight black? and ?moonlight silver? as colors.

My paternal grandfather was born in Avoyelles Parish, so I'm a local, twice removed LOL

Rogues, with the Mardi Gras colors would work well, the logo being a good representation of Jean Lafitte, his cutlass out.

I never thought of Spirits. It works, works damn well!!

tumblr_nulnnz7RCV1r5jqq2o1_250.jpg

Oh what could have been....

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I like the name Spirits, but it feels awkward to saw with a city name that also ends in "s." Saying "New Orleans Spirits" feels clumsy, but that might only be me, and taking the plural off of Spirits wouldn't work. "Louisiana Spirits" works better, but I think identifying with the primary market is better in this case.

I can understand the appeal of "Krewe," especially to locals. But my fear is that it's almost too hyper-local. The challenge here, in my mind, is to come up with a brand that tells a story to locals, but might also be strong enough to appeal to out-of-market consumers. Certainly the team is a local business, but it's a local business in a league with global reach. "Krewe," in my mind, might need too much explanation to be relevant to fans in, say, China who the eventual team owners might want to cultivate as fans.

Of the names suggested, "Rogues" to me has the most potential. It's got local relevance, multiple meanings, and is a name that could have appeal for out-of-market fans, which could provide a boost to apparel sales.

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How about Louisiana Purchase? Wasn't that the name the Minnesota Timberwolves were going to be if they would have moved to NOLA in 94?

That is correct. I worked on the swag that was in the works but it never happened. Wish I would have saved my files on that one. Logo was a stylized $. At least that was what I was given to work with for caps, shirts, and rally rags.

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Thanks for the insight B-Rich.

The more I think about it the more I think they need to keep the Hornets name, as odd as it sounds.

In a way, it's good to have some of these odd names. They serve as a good reminder of franchise relocation history and the turmoil that has caused over the years to fans losing their team.

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I really like Krewe. Great New Orleans specific name, but I can also see where it could be too local.

Something like Chiefs, Big Chiefs or something that references Mardi Gras Indians could have a similar very local feel but open up more possibilities for mass appeal. Part of that would depend on if it's possible to really capture a Mardi Gras Indian in a logo. One potential positive is that a name inspired by Indians would insist on very bold uniforms and multiple alternates, so plenty of merchandising possibilities.

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Okay, here is this local?s take.

A buncha really really detailed opinions on possible names

I agree with most of what you said, but I don't think "Creole" needs to be clearly defined to work as a team name. I'm of Creole descent and as someone who can also be considered somewhat of a local, maybe I can speak on this a bit better. Creole is my heritage. It's an amalgamation of African, Caribbean, French and even a bit of Spanish culture. Some consider it a race, but not so much so that it'd be racist to use the name. You don't have to be of Creole ancestry to associate and/or appreciate the name. If you've lived in the New Orleans metro area long enough, you've experienced the people, language, and cuisine. Because of its special significance to this area (like Cajuns to Lafayette and the Acadiana region), I think Creoles would be a great name for a New Orleans franchise.

Also:

? Still like Krewe.

? Don't like Spirits. Very minor league/WNBA vibe. Dance team will be the Spirit Squad. I can see Morris Bart and Mayor Landrieu in commercials now: "Show some Spirit!" "We've got Spirit! Do you?!" "Share the Spirit-ual experience!"

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Any thoughts on using a regional nickname like "Crescent City" instead of "New Orleans"? Like the Golden State Warriors, for example.

What about something like these?

Crescent City Krewe

Crescent City Steamers

Crescent City Royals

Crescent City Corsairs

Crescent City Explorers

Crescent City Spirits

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New Orleans Showboats referring to the boats along the Mississippi and a very showy way of playing basketball.

I like Krewe. If the idea is to get the city behind the team, then you pander to the city. And using it as New Orleans Krewe is no worse than Miami Heat or Orlando Magic.

Isn't there a list of team names the NBA keeps trying to force on new teams? I know Dragons was being pushed for Charlotte.

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Okay, here is this local’s take.

As I mentioned in a similar thread, I'm a little iffy on the whole notion of re-branding for the reasons stated therein. However, if we were to rebrand, here are my rather lengthy thoughts and insight on some of the names being bandied about:

Crawfish: Gothamite’s offering; very local in appearance, but do we REALLY want to name a team after something we enjoy EATING? About the closest I can see in actual use is the Omaha Beef, which sounds lame, amd the Montgomery Biscuits, which is a joke.

retro_logo_11.jpg

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Okay, here is this local?s take.

As I mentioned in a similar thread, I'm a little iffy on the whole notion of re-branding for the reasons stated therein. However, if we were to rebrand, here are my rather lengthy thoughts and insight on some of the names being bandied about:

Crawfish: Gothamite?s offering; very local in appearance, but do we REALLY want to name a team after something we enjoy EATING? About the closest I can see in actual use is the Omaha Beef, which sounds lame, amd the Montgomery Biscuits, which is a joke.

Blues doesn?t work; any one with musical knwledge will tell you there's a world of difference between blues and Jazz. New Orleans isn?t known for blues; that's more rural south and transplanted up the Mississippi River corridor to Memphis, St. Louis and Chicago.

Dukes was actually considered back in 1966-67 for the NFL team, both for the reasons mentioned by Brian in Boston, but also as a nod to the Dukes of Dixieland jazz band? Had nothong to do with Duke Ellington, and as NatsFan noted, the David Duke association pretty much ruins any notion of using that moniker.

Krewe is discussed a lot on local boards; I think a posting member here has done some mock-ups on the local Hornets board. It has some potential, but also drawbacks. First of all, to those who may not know, a ?Krewe? is a specific thing in this area, not just a funny spelling of ?Crew?. It refers specifically to a Carnival organization, one that can hold a ball, a parade, or both. The majority of organizations use this term (Krewe of Bacchus, Krewe d?Etat, Krewe of Thoth, etc.) while very few use an alternate name (Knights of Babylon, Knights of Sparta, Corps de Napoleon, etc.). In order for it to work, it would HAVE to be in the reverse presentation form similar a Mardi Gras organization: ?Krewe of New Orleans?. ?New Orleans Krewe? would not work. In that sense the team would be like the much like the old ABA ?Spirits of St. Louis?? Mardi Gras colors of purple green and gold would also be an almost given. There is a host of imagery that could be adopted into logos and artwork: crowns (for mardi gras kings), jesters/jester hats, beads, masks, fleur de lis, even brass instruments. Personally, though, I just don?t think it?s that great of an idea, and sounds a little too bush league. Plus, the truth of the matter is the team usually takes a pretty big road trip around carnival time anyway as they cannot compete with the event. While it?s cool for the Hornets to have special Mardi Gras unis that are worn around that time, it?d be silly to name the entire team after an event that in effect kicks you out of your home. (By the way, Buc, your syntax is parfait, but no one here speaks French anymore. Your idea of the "official" name being in French may work, but as you point out, not for everyday use. It'd work in Montreal, but not here. "Yat" dialect may be more appropriate, as in "Da Krewe a' Nu Awlins")

Sinners is just too silly to believe. A cute counterpoint to Saints? Come on, this is the big leagues we?re talking.

Creoles or Cajuns-- very different terms which some people use interchangeably, and neither of those would work. ULL already has the Cajuns, and for that matter New Orleans is NOT ?Cajun?. Historically, it is more urban, refined; less rural. To tell the truth it is ?Creole?. But the city, much less North America, has such a problem with defining Creole that it wouldn?t work (depending on what you are discussing, some say it?s it?s cultural, some say it?s racial, some say its lingual, and some say it?s a tomato. It?s not worth the trouble)

The whole pirate motif is very appropriate. Corsairs is not bad, as is the re-use of Buccaneers, but again, ?Buccaneers? has come to be associated with Tampa Bay of the NFL, there is the Milwaukee Bucks/ New Orleans ?Bucs? issue. ?Corsairs? goes over way too many heads, both here and nationwide. As a local, I actually like the idea of Rogues myself: it fits the city not just with its pirate/privateer motif, but in a general sense, from gamblers to rum runners to rascally politicians. Has potential and hasn?t been used since Memphis in the NASL (who used the non-herd elephant definition and motif instead of the brigand, which was stupid for a TEAM concept anyway).

That whole Louisiana Purchase story keeps getting repeated, and I was here at the time that whole Timberwolves thing went down, and I never, NEVER heard of it back then as being considered as a name. I think it?s an invented story that was repeated so much people now think it was true.

Re: swamps, while we are surrounded by swamps and marsh (and water), we rarely use it as iconography. Swamp Monsters, Swamp Dragons, Bayou Beast, etc. are very bush-league. Possibly the best mascot team name to reference this would be Gators, but that has been so married to U of F that I think you won?t see any pro team ever use it, much like you?ll never see a pro Longhorns or Wolverines. Plus Lafayette already had the Louisiana Ice Gators in hockey?

My idea? IF they do a name change-- is SPIRITS. New Orleans is probably the country?s most haunted and ?supernatural? cities. We are known for our above-ground cemeteries, there are haunted history tours in the French Quarter, voodoo and zombies, the whole Anne Rice vampires and witches and ghosts milieu, etc. Plus, ?Spirits? has a double meaning; it can also refer to alcoholic beverages, the imbibing of which is also a New Orleans trademark or selling point. In imagery, I?d play up the ghost/spectre/cemetery aspect, maybe use ?absinthe green? (a neon/lime green), ?midnight black? and ?moonlight silver? as colors.

My paternal grandfather was born in Avoyelles Parish, so I'm a local, twice removed LOL

Rogues, with the Mardi Gras colors would work well, the logo being a good representation of Jean Lafitte, his cutlass out.

I never thought of Spirits. It works, works damn well!!

New Orleans Zombies. Done.

rbze43.jpg

23vhpba.jpg11r3n9f.jpg

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Okay, here is this local?s take.

As I mentioned in a similar thread, I'm a little iffy on the whole notion of re-branding for the reasons stated therein. However, if we were to rebrand, here are my rather lengthy thoughts and insight on some of the names being bandied about:

Crawfish: Gothamite?s offering; very local in appearance, but do we REALLY want to name a team after something we enjoy EATING? About the closest I can see in actual use is the Omaha Beef, which sounds lame, amd the Montgomery Biscuits, which is a joke.

Blues doesn?t work; any one with musical knwledge will tell you there's a world of difference between blues and Jazz. New Orleans isn?t known for blues; that's more rural south and transplanted up the Mississippi River corridor to Memphis, St. Louis and Chicago.

Dukes was actually considered back in 1966-67 for the NFL team, both for the reasons mentioned by Brian in Boston, but also as a nod to the Dukes of Dixieland jazz band? Had nothong to do with Duke Ellington, and as NatsFan noted, the David Duke association pretty much ruins any notion of using that moniker.

Krewe is discussed a lot on local boards; I think a posting member here has done some mock-ups on the local Hornets board. It has some potential, but also drawbacks. First of all, to those who may not know, a ?Krewe? is a specific thing in this area, not just a funny spelling of ?Crew?. It refers specifically to a Carnival organization, one that can hold a ball, a parade, or both. The majority of organizations use this term (Krewe of Bacchus, Krewe d?Etat, Krewe of Thoth, etc.) while very few use an alternate name (Knights of Babylon, Knights of Sparta, Corps de Napoleon, etc.). In order for it to work, it would HAVE to be in the reverse presentation form similar a Mardi Gras organization: ?Krewe of New Orleans?. ?New Orleans Krewe? would not work. In that sense the team would be like the much like the old ABA ?Spirits of St. Louis?? Mardi Gras colors of purple green and gold would also be an almost given. There is a host of imagery that could be adopted into logos and artwork: crowns (for mardi gras kings), jesters/jester hats, beads, masks, fleur de lis, even brass instruments. Personally, though, I just don?t think it?s that great of an idea, and sounds a little too bush league. Plus, the truth of the matter is the team usually takes a pretty big road trip around carnival time anyway as they cannot compete with the event. While it?s cool for the Hornets to have special Mardi Gras unis that are worn around that time, it?d be silly to name the entire team after an event that in effect kicks you out of your home. (By the way, Buc, your syntax is parfait, but no one here speaks French anymore. Your idea of the "official" name being in French may work, but as you point out, not for everyday use. It'd work in Montreal, but not here. "Yat" dialect may be more appropriate, as in "Da Krewe a' Nu Awlins")

Sinners is just too silly to believe. A cute counterpoint to Saints? Come on, this is the big leagues we?re talking.

Creoles or Cajuns-- very different terms which some people use interchangeably, and neither of those would work. ULL already has the Cajuns, and for that matter New Orleans is NOT ?Cajun?. Historically, it is more urban, refined; less rural. To tell the truth it is ?Creole?. But the city, much less North America, has such a problem with defining Creole that it wouldn?t work (depending on what you are discussing, some say it?s it?s cultural, some say it?s racial, some say its lingual, and some say it?s a tomato. It?s not worth the trouble)

The whole pirate motif is very appropriate. Corsairs is not bad, as is the re-use of Buccaneers, but again, ?Buccaneers? has come to be associated with Tampa Bay of the NFL, there is the Milwaukee Bucks/ New Orleans ?Bucs? issue. ?Corsairs? goes over way too many heads, both here and nationwide. As a local, I actually like the idea of Rogues myself: it fits the city not just with its pirate/privateer motif, but in a general sense, from gamblers to rum runners to rascally politicians. Has potential and hasn?t been used since Memphis in the NASL (who used the non-herd elephant definition and motif instead of the brigand, which was stupid for a TEAM concept anyway).

That whole Louisiana Purchase story keeps getting repeated, and I was here at the time that whole Timberwolves thing went down, and I never, NEVER heard of it back then as being considered as a name. I think it?s an invented story that was repeated so much people now think it was true.

Re: swamps, while we are surrounded by swamps and marsh (and water), we rarely use it as iconography. Swamp Monsters, Swamp Dragons, Bayou Beast, etc. are very bush-league. Possibly the best mascot team name to reference this would be Gators, but that has been so married to U of F that I think you won?t see any pro team ever use it, much like you?ll never see a pro Longhorns or Wolverines. Plus Lafayette already had the Louisiana Ice Gators in hockey?

My idea? IF they do a name change-- is SPIRITS. New Orleans is probably the country?s most haunted and ?supernatural? cities. We are known for our above-ground cemeteries, there are haunted history tours in the French Quarter, voodoo and zombies, the whole Anne Rice vampires and witches and ghosts milieu, etc. Plus, ?Spirits? has a double meaning; it can also refer to alcoholic beverages, the imbibing of which is also a New Orleans trademark or selling point. In imagery, I?d play up the ghost/spectre/cemetery aspect, maybe use ?absinthe green? (a neon/lime green), ?midnight black? and ?moonlight silver? as colors.

Very good post. Also being a local, I agree with the vast majority of what you've stated here. I would love to see a rebirth of the ABA Buccaneers name but that will most certainly not happen. I would like Privateers too...but you can't use that with UNO already having claimed that name. Rogues is a very good choice IMO and is at the top of my list from what's ben proposed on here.

I actually like your justification for the SPIRITS proposal. But something about it just screams WNBA! I mean no disrespect. But I just can't imagine an NBA team with that name. I think the best idea would be to go with some nautical theme. They could go the route of pirates/privateers or the route of river boats. Either way would be a good choice.

gYH2mW9.png

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I would like to see the NBA have a rule that if a team moves, it must relinquish its nickname and come up with something new, like what happened when the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City. But put it in writing.

Nah. You could make that argument possibly if the nicknames had been developed "organically" by the fanbase but most, if not all, modern basketball nicknames have been developed by focus groups and consultants prior to staged votes that are so divorced from fan input that fans don't get to claim ownership of the moniker.

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