Pelicans New Uniforms: Something Is Missing

I think they forgot something…

In January the New Orleans Hornets announced their plan to change the team name to the Pelicans. The name change comes 11 years after the team was relocated to New Orleans from Charlotte, where they had been since entering the league as an expansion team in 1988.

The new moniker was the end result of a very extensive brainstorming process in which over 100 other possible nicknames were ultimately ruled out. Louisiana is known as the “Pelican State,” which likely helped elevate the name over all the other options in the end.

In April they launched their new website and social media accounts and team owner Tom Benson was seriously enthused about the change at the time. Said Benson: “The Pelican is a symbol for our city and region and we’re excited to start a new era in Louisiana basketball history. This offseason is going to be a special time for the Pelicans.”

That was just four months ago, but it seems enthusiasm for the name might be fading a bit in The Big Easy. On Friday the Pelicans unveiled their new uniforms to the world and one thing was conspicuously absent from both the home and away version—a freaking pelican. The boring blue and white duds look more like college basketball uniforms with “New Orleans” spelled out in the plainest font known to man.

Which makes you wonder if the months of mocking in the media has been slowly chipping away at their once robust Louisiana pride. The reaction to the name change was definitely mixed, however, its detractors spoke louder any longer than its defenders—isn’t that always the case! But since when do those crazy Cajuns give a boiled crawdad what anyone else has to say?

After months of being told their new name was stupid and the pelican wasn’t tough enough to be a mascot, I expected the Pelicans to slap the biggest bird money could buy on those uniforms. They could have gone with a super angry, rabid-looking pelican with red eyes and foaming at the mouth. Or they could have gone the F U route and gone with a cartoonishy goofy pelican.

Either way a pelican really should’ve been involved. These new uniforms are like a blue and white flag of surrender.