C’mon N’Awlins, the Pelicans?

The New Orleans Pelicans. Seriously.

That is what the team currently known as the New Orleans Hornets could be known as. It hasn’t been officially announced, but several reports say the name change could happen as early as next season.

On one hand, the Pelican isn’t exactly a fierce animal – the type that teams are usually named after – and it’s not particularly inspirational either. Are kids really going to hit the playground dreaming of one day becoming a Pelican? Doubtful.

On other, the Pelican is the state bird of Louisiana, so they have that going for them.

Could they not think of a better name? Apparently not. Here are two of the other reported names that were options: The Krewe or the Brass. While the Brass isn’t a terrible name – although still bad – the Krewe could have been an all-time terrible name. While I do realize it’s a regional thing for New Orleans, that name would have either been interpreted as a gang thing, a nautical thing or just a terrible misspelling.

At the very least, the team will likely abandon the very 90s-looking teal and purple. But swapping it in for a red, blue and gold combo? Don’t we have enough of those in the NBA? It seems like half of the teams in the NBA have some combo of red and blue in at least one variation of their uniforms.

Now, here’s an interesting idea: Let’s play NBA name roulette!

How about instead of using this ridiculous Pelicans nickname idea, why not trade with the Utah Jazz? That name never made sense for Utah and originated in New Orleans. As the said in Baseketball, “Utah became the Jazz, where music is outlawed.”

Then Charlotte could re-adopt the Hornets nickname – something that current owner Michael Jordan has said he wouldn’t be opposed to – and Utah could pick a name more appropriate to their culture. What Utah could be called, who knows, but it couldn’t be worse than the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans or Charlotte Bobcats – who were partly named for former owner Bob Johnson.

Now that would be an NBA that makes sense.