Are the Pelicans the worst franchise ever?

[Lalouie]

The New Orleans Pelicans, a Pelican as the mascot of a sports team. Before even talking about the basketball stuff, I want to give the name a moment of recognition. It is really the worst name of all the teams in the NBA.

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The name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. .

it is the dumbest name in sports. no one wants to say "pelicans" so everyone says "pels"
the one word i associate with lousianna is "cajun". to ME cajun feels like a regional description of everything involved in the culture and has no racial undertones imo

,,,,,though i prefer "the steamboat willies" myself


and no the worst sports franchise ever were the sterling clippers and timberwolves

[Jon1798]

Because it’s the “Knicks” and it’s easy to say, not some 3 syllable nonsense “Pel-I-Can”

Knickerbockers is easier than Pelicans?

And Knicks is easier than Pels?

We are stretching

Dude, no one says “knickerbockers” lol. 99.9% of folks just say “Knicks”. Even if you go on espn or nba.com where scores are listed it will just say “Knicks”. And for New Orleans it will say “Pelicans”.

Even when it’s on line TV it will say “Knicks”. And for New Orleans it will say “Pelicans”.

These are not the same.

Are you trying to prove the point? The name is so bad that no one uses it?

[Effigy]

Focusing strictly on the name- it's probably one of the worst in all professional sports (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB and WNBA).

IMO

Is it really worse than 'Fever'?

[NO-KG-AI]

We’re competing with the Blazers for worst medical teams for sure.

[Doctor MJ]

Focusing strictly on the name- it's probably one of the worst in all professional sports (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB and WNBA).

IMO

Is it really worse than 'Fever'?

Fever is a great name for an Indiana basketball team. It harkens back to the Hoosier Hysteria based around the state-wide high school basketball tournament that made Indiana the single most important place for basketball in the entire world.

Pacers, by contrast, is meh. It references the Indy 500 which is a nice local reference, but the "pace car" is something that exists basically to delay the actual race cars from going fast prematurely. It's a symbol of pre-meditated mediocrity.

[D.Brasco]

Focusing strictly on the name- it's probably one of the worst in all professional sports (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB and WNBA).

IMO

Utah Jazz is FAR worse. If the two cities swapped names, not only would NO go from almost the worst to the best, but Utah would be slightly less bad.

The Utah franchise has done a good job of creating a positive brand identity (mostly due Malone and Stockton), where you don't focus much on the oddness of the name with reference to the team location; similar to the LA Lakers. Abstractly, what is a "laker"? and LA is not known for lakes at all. Again, they built up a super strong franchise brand in spite of the name.

The Pelicans brand is associated with mediocrity and star players continually leaving, so yeah, you focus on the bad name as there is nothing else to focus on.

[mg]

Just move the Pels to Seattle or Las Vegas.

Actually I'd move the Pels to Seattle and the Jazz to Las Vegas.

[Doctor MJ]

Focusing strictly on the name- it's probably one of the worst in all professional sports (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB and WNBA).

IMO

Utah Jazz is FAR worse. If the two cities swapped names, not only would NO go from almost the worst to the best, but Utah would be slightly less bad.

The Utah franchise has done a good job of creating a positive brand identity (mostly due Malone and Stockton), where you don't focus much on the oddness of the name with reference to the team location; similar to the LA Lakers. Abstractly, what is a "laker"? and LA is not known for lakes at all. Again, they built up a super strong franchise brand in spite of the name.

The Pelicans brand is associated with mediocrity and star players continually leaving, so yeah, you focus on the bad name as there is nothing else to focus on.

You're absolutely right that the Lakers represent an example that your name doesn't really matter once you get really established, and the present NBA Utah basketball club has done just that with decades of good management...

but I will still bash the name "Jazz" every chance I get. It's shame-worthy in a way other basketball nicknames just aren't, and people in Utah should feel uncomfortable about it.

[Doctor MJ]

Just move the Pels to Seattle or Las Vegas.

Actually I'd move the Pels to Seattle and the Jazz to Las Vegas.

Oh Utah's earned its basketball franchise and there's no reason to even think about moving the team away, they just need to change the nickname.

I wouldn't actually advocate for the NBA to move the NO franchise - I think expansion to 32 teams should have always been the final destination and we're ready for it now. I just think eventually the ownership of the NO franchise will choose to move elsewhere.

[Chanel Bomber]

Yes

[DwayneSchintzus]

the name is great, its unique and as others have posted Pelicans are metal AF.

the franchise is a disaster.

[amcoolio]

Your excuse for the Hornets is that Duke and UNC exist.

It's us. Its not close.

[Godymas]

Focusing strictly on the name- it's probably one of the worst in all professional sports (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB and WNBA).

IMO

Is it really worse than 'Fever'?

yes, I actually find the Fever to be an acceptable name

it's a little old school but for those that know what "Fever" refers to outside of illness it's a solid name. Fits the state of Indiana imo

[Doctor MJ]

the one word i associate with lousianna is "cajun". to ME cajun feels like a regional description of everything involved in the culture and has no racial undertones imo

Oh Cajun certainly has White overtones. You're talking about a culture (Acadian) that began in French Canada and was there more than a century before the British expelled them and then those Acadians largely settled in the southwest corner of Louisiana whereas New Orleans was founded at the mouth of the Mississippi which is at the eastern border. Understandable to think this was all one culture because it all comes from France originally, but not quite.

Also, I think you might be joining the terms "cajun" and "creole" together, which makes sense because there's certainly been a lot of cross-pollination between the two, but the former has white overtones while the latter has mixed race overtones. I believe that technically the term Creole is officially broader category name and includes the Cajuns as a sub-set, but still use of the term "creole" tends to imply mixed race.

[Lalouie]

the one word i associate with lousianna is "cajun". to ME cajun feels like a regional description of everything involved in the culture and has no racial undertones imo

Oh Cajun certainly has White overtones. You're talking about a culture (Acadian) that began in French Canada and was there more than a century before the British expelled them and then those Acadians largely settled in the southwest corner of Louisiana whereas New Orleans was founded at the mouth of the Mississippi which is at the eastern border. Understandable to think this was all one culture because it all comes from France originally, but not quite.

Also, I think you might be joining the terms "cajun" and "creole" together, which makes sense because there's certainly been a lot of cross-pollination between the two, but the former has white overtones while the latter has mixed race overtones. I believe that technically the term Creole is officially broader category name and includes the Cajuns as a sub-set, but still use of the term "creole" tends to imply mixed race.

oh, ok.. I thought Cajun had no racial overtones. creole does for sure, without regard for whether it's good or bad. I don't think using ANY race as a face of a sports enterprise is ever a good idea.. howz about gumbo. the "new Orleans gumbo"... it fits the org

[Baz]

The one Pelicans fan might get upset by this

[K N U C K L E S]

The New Orleans Pelicans, a Pelican as the mascot of a sports team. Before even talking about the basketball stuff, I want to give the name a moment of recognition. It is really the worst name of all the teams in the NBA.

The name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. The worst part about the team name is the difficulty when it comes to shortening it with a nick name. I mean "Pels" or "Pellies" doesn't exactly come across as interesting or intimidating. You can't really call them the "'Cans" or the "Icans" Saying the full "Pelican" is too much. It's a 3 syllable word, generally sports team want to be 1-2 syllables to make them easy to say. Pelicans don't exactly ignite fear. It isn't something rolls off the tongue easy as an apex predator like the "Hawks". Look at other bird teams in sports, they're really iconic birds. "Falcons", "Eagles", "Cardinals". Even the "Seahawks" sounds much more intimidating than a "Pelican" I mean of all the bird name sports teams the Pelicans is the worst one, right? I can't think of a single one worse.

They should take the Jazz name from Utah and bring it back to New Orleans.
When did the Jazz leave New Orleans and why? Since you never hear about the New Orleans Jazz, it must've been a really long time ago. The early 60's?

[Jon1798]

The one Pelicans fan might get upset by this

Twelve

[K N U C K L E S]

Then the other classic throw-ins like the Kings, TWolves, Clippers, well these teams have turned leafs around or have had enough iconic eras and players that they have legitimate fandoms today.

So yes, the Pelicans might be the worst franchise in the NBA and it really sucks.

So I think an earnest discussion here has to really put up front that franchises who began earlier need to be judged differently than those who started later.

The Kings for example began as the Rochester Royals, who had great success in the early years as a small market in part because of the money they made barnstorming. The franchise can always point to what it did in the 1940s/50s to avoid the "worst ever" designation.

Meanwhile the Clippers were absolutely the worst run franchise in sports for their first few decades, but if you stick around long enough in a major market, you're eventually going to have some success.

I think it makes sense to just look at cume W-L% to just give a sense of average badness, so of teams that still exist:

1. Timberwolves .412
2. Clippers .424
3. Hornets .431
4. Grizzlies .436
5. Nets .439
6. Wizards .444
7. Kings .458
8. Pelicans .465
9. Magic .470
10. Raptors .470

So then from this perspective, the Pelicans haven't really been an outlier in badness, they just are an expansion franchise that's mostly struggled.

In terms of their specifics across the Paul/Davis/Zion eras, I think they've mostly just been unlucky. I wouldn't say they've been particularly well-run, but honestly I wouldn't say their failures have been about outlier levels of incompetence.

How come expansion teams in the NBA don't have the success that expansion teams in other leagues do? In the NHL and MLB, expansion teams have won a championship within the first few years of their existence. The Marlins in 1997 and 2003 for one. The Las Vagas team in the NHL has been to the finals twice, winning once in their first 3 seasons. Sombody will have to tell me if this has happened in the NFL. I can't think of an example. But the Carolina Panthers got to the Super Bowl fast. Their first season maybe.

[K N U C K L E S]

the one word i associate with lousianna is "cajun". to ME cajun feels like a regional description of everything involved in the culture and has no racial undertones imo

Oh Cajun certainly has White overtones. You're talking about a culture (Acadian) that began in French Canada and was there more than a century before the British expelled them and then those Acadians largely settled in the southwest corner of Louisiana whereas New Orleans was founded at the mouth of the Mississippi which is at the eastern border. Understandable to think this was all one culture because it all comes from France originally, but not quite.

Also, I think you might be joining the terms "cajun" and "creole" together, which makes sense because there's certainly been a lot of cross-pollination between the two, but the former has white overtones while the latter has mixed race overtones. I believe that technically the term Creole is officially broader category name and includes the Cajuns as a sub-set, but still use of the term "creole" tends to imply mixed race.

Here in South Florida, Creole means Haitian people. Where do you get mixed race from? I though most of the black people in New Orleans were Haitian. That's not the case? They're black people from France or French Canada?