Charlotte Hornets - The Brand Returns!!!

[bobcats3wallace]

I think it has to be inevitable at this point that a change will be made. I like that they are doing their due diligence, but i think it is already clear what the results will turn up.

Once the decision is made, I for one, will be interested to see if they don't try to update/change some of the aspects of the current hornets logo, colors, court design, and in-game happenings.

With the Kings likely moving to Seattle and becoming the SuperSonics and the Hornets obviously becoming the Pelicans, I wonder if we too could re-brand in time for next season? Seems to me like that if New Orleans can become a completely new name in the matter of an offseason, then we should be able to switch to an already used name in an offseason. For the NBA, it would be nice to get all 3 changes in affect at the same time, I woudl think.

[chabber]

The survey had lots of questions about the Bobcats/Hornets. What you think of when you hear each name?
What effect would each have on you buying season tickets/attending games'/buying merchandise.
How does the each name fit with the current ownership, team/players etc..

Do you like the current Bobcat colors, would you add or drop any. What if the named changed to Hornets, should it keep the current colors or go teal & purple.

Plenty more but that is the basic gist of it.

[JGib23]

I bought 2 season tickets today as I wanted to make sure my voice was counted...

[fatlever]

where is my survey

not in inbox, not in spam folder. i feel so left out.

[amcoolio]

I just posted on Hornets Report. Apparently I made my account in 2002...jeez.

Can you believe the general sentiment there is that the Hornets name should die and they do not want it returned to Charlotte?

I guess they feel threatened that Charlotte Hornets would be a much bigger brand than either New Orleans Hornets or New Orleans Pelicans.

I was going to say I liked their logo too (I love it actually. The colors are not great because they are so widely used already)

[JGib23]

where is my survey

not in inbox, not in spam folder. i feel so left out.

FATS- I was told they would be emailed tomorrow... not sure why some today and some tomorrow.

[Liver_Pooty]

Can they legally begin to send our surveys over the name change until the Pelicans name is official? I thought it wasn't official until tomorrow?

[JGib23]

Can they legally begin to send our surveys over the name change until the Pelicans name is official? I thought it wasn't official until tomorrow?

I think all that legal talk was mumbo jumbo.. I don't believe that Tom Benson would bring a lawsuit against MJ over this issue.

[fatlever]

my dog took a huge dump on the floor today. it was awful. my kids were screaming, my neighbors called the police due to the smell. it was too horrendous to clean it up. so instead i spray painted the turd teal and purple and told my kids it was a toy. my kids have been playing with it ever since and my neighbors brought me a bottle of wine to apologize for calling the police.

obviously that story is fake. i dont have a dog, or kids and i dont drink wine.

[SWedd523]

my dog took a huge dump on the floor today. it was awful. my kids were screaming, my neighbors called the police due to the smell. it was too horrendous to clean it up. so instead i spray painted the turd teal and purple and told my kids it was a toy. my kids have been playing with it ever since and my neighbors brought me a bottle of wine to apologize for calling the police.

obviously that story is fake. i dont have a dog, or kids and i dont drink wine.

So basically what you're saying is, you took a huge dump on the floor today and blamed it on the dog you don't have?

[Liver_Pooty]

This is getting ridiculous. Im so tired of certain people, none on this board that I've seen, state that changing the name back would bring thousands of fans back. That is ridiculous. Charlotte is a different town now than it was in the late 80s and 90s. The Hornets were the first, and only pro sports team in Charlotte before the Panthers arrived. I think a majority of people are wanting to relive their days when the coliseum was sold out and it was insane. Sorry, that will never happen until we field a decent team. Hell even then we did in 2010 and the attendance wasn't that great, actually it was terrible. No one can honestly tell me that the attendance would rise from the lower 3rd tier, the very lower 3rd tier to being as it once was because of a name. Charlotte only gets behind a winner these days. Look at all of the empty seats when the Panthers are always bad.

That being said I wouldn't mind a name change, if only that it would bring perhaps some kind of juice to this franchise, because the way this team is currently constructed, and the upcoming horrible 2013 draft with the exception of maybe a player or 2 this team is just getting painful to watch.

[fatlever]

yes, obviously. but the important part is that i painted it teal and purple and now its OK.

[fatlever]

i would much rather we spent our money luring bob bass out of retirement to run this franchise.

[Eoghan]

A name change of any kind would help to placate those (Please Use More Appropriate Word) retards that retardedly hold a grudge against the Bobcats simply b/c "Bob" is in the name. And if you're going to change it, might as well change it to a brand people used to really like.

But like Liver Pooty is saying, I bet a lot of those retards that use Robert Johnson as an excuse to not support the 'Cats will just use the excuse "they suck" instead b/c most of those retards really just want something to complain about.

[Diop]

[Diop]

A name change of any kind would help to placate those (Please Use More Appropriate Word) retards that retardedly hold a grudge against the Bobcats simply b/c "Bob" is in the name. And if you're going to change it, might as well change it to a brand people used to really like.

But like Liver Pooty is saying, I bet a lot of those retards that use Robert Johnson as an excuse to not support the 'Cats will just use the excuse "they suck" instead b/c most of those retards really just want something to complain about.

I'm glad that first use of the word retard is blocked by the filter.

[fatlever]

bashing the NBA in charlotte is the cool thing to do. the name change will only mask that for a short period of time, then the haters will be right back at it, finding a reason to complain about the team. maybe instead of the name they will refuse to go to the games because one of our stars gets arrested.

but whatever... i will still support the change. in the short term it will really be annoying to see a spike interest for this team by those who will try to pretend like they had everything to do with the name change and talking about the time they saw kurt rambis at southpark or the fancy hornets starter jacket they got from xmas back in 1993 and how awful the bobcats were. but 10 years from now, when all this is basically forgotten i will be happy to have the name back.

[Air Poohdini]

When I think of the Hornets I think of Muggsy and the old purple Charlotte jersey's. When I think of the Bobcats I think of Tyrus Thomas.

[dmutombo321]

http://blogs.charlotte.com/inside_the_n ... rnets.html

Latest Bonnell Blog on the name change survey sent to season ticket holders. As usual, the comments section overwhelmingly supports Hornets:

With the New Orleans Hornets announcing Thursday afternoon they’ll change their nickname to the Pelicans, the Charlotte Bobcats face this question:

Would adopting “Hornets,’’ the nickname first associated with NBA basketball in Charlotte, drive up sales of game tickets and team merchandise?

The Bobcats are already engaged in market research to find out. They’ve hired Harris Interactive, a nationally prominent polling company, to survey both current Bobcats customers and the general Charlotte sports market about a possible change.

The Observer obtained a copy of the survey Harris emailed to various Bobcats season-ticket holders Wednesday. The electronic survey takes about 30 minutes to fill out, and asks all sorts of questions about the Bobcats, the Hornets and the general perception of what would sell more game tickets and team gear.

One question, about halfway through Harris’ survey, is the crux of the issue:

“If the Bobcats were to change their nickname to the ‘Hornets,’ would you attend more games than you currently do, attend fewer games, or attend about the same amount?’

The Bobcats aren’t commenting on the situation in New Orleans, since the name change won’t become official until a Thursday afternoon news conference. However, an NBA source confirmed to the Observer Tuesday night that Hornets owner Tom Benson has been given permission to switch the nickname to the Pelicans, an iconic bird in the state of Louisiana.

A grassroots effort called “Bring Back the Buzz’’ has lobbied for a name change from Bobcats to Hornets for over a year. Several hundred members of that group attended Saturday’s home loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Sitting mostly in the upper deck, they wore Hornets teal-and-purple merchandise and occasionally chanted “Charlotte Hornets’’ during the game.

That group was heartened when Benson, who also owns the NFL New Orleans Saints, said he wanted a nickname more associated with Louisiana.

The Hornets name is seemingly now available. NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said in April that if the Bobcats want the Hornets name, “it’s something we would clearly look at.’’ Silver added that a switch would be relatively simple since the league already owns all the trademarks.

Bobcats president Fred Whitfield told the Observer last month that a name change would cost the team at least $3 million to implement. Whitfield added that the team’s current stakeholders – season-ticket holders, sponsors and suite-holders – would have a big voice in any decision.

“Some of them have invested in us for nine years as Bobcats fans,’’ Whitfield said.

The issue isn’t just whether “Bobcats’’ or “Hornets’’ is more appealing to the Charlotte public. It’s whether a name change would actually drive sales of tickets, merchandise and general interest in this team.

Or as one item on the Bobcats’ survey posed, “When you think of the team nickname ‘Hornets,’ what comes to mind?’’

That is the $3 million question.

[fatlever]

still no survey in my inbox