MrSparkle wrote:ImSlower wrote:MrSparkle wrote:
I recall a lot of dissention when their name was chosen. I don't see the problem, to be honest. There are plenty of non-aggressive animals as mascots out there. It's the state bird of Louisiana. One of my only memories of a childhood visit to NO was seeing a pelican on the lake. I wish they could have stolen the Jazz back from Utah, sure! But it makes more sense as a team name than the Raptors, who only got that because kids my age thought Jurassic park was super cool. Or any number of incidental team names out there, really. The Penguins got their name because an old arena sort of looked like an igloo. Now that's just dumb.
Ha - well I kind of appeal to the side of avoiding the obvious.
I think Utah Jazz is more interesting than NO Jazz. LA Lakers vs Minny. It’s fun(ny) having a story behind the name of which the root has nothing to do with its present.
I feel the Raptors name is a home-run. For one thing, Jurassic Park was indeed the craze of the early 90s, the purple Barney colors made no sense, and it’s still a cool name for a team.
Pelicans are interesting predator birds, but... these are sports, not nature documentaries. You need some toughness in the name, and I know Pelicans are no push-over, but it just sounds soft, not to mention 3 syllables is too much for a team unless it has a catchy short (Tampa Bucs, Knickerbockers, etc.). Seeing as we’re 32 teams in, it’s the more license to go kooky imo: from names proposed, I liked the NO Skulls or NO Gulf. New Orleans has all kinds of culture and history plus mythology - seems they went the easiest route ever (the state bird).
I can't dispute your logic in something so entirely subjective as team names! That said, the team I support more than the Bulls are also an illogical three-syllable bird. I can literally see a cardinal in the tree outside my window as we speak. But blue jays also are around, as are wrens, chickadees, and finches. None of which make for a very fearsome team name. At least the Raptors have that. Same as the Grizzlies, which were an awesome name for a Vancouver team (albeit, if you don't like obvious names, I guess it's better they're in Memphis now, hah).
The New Orleans Gulf? Egad. The original Lakers moniker worked great - the Chicago Lake or St Louis River, not so much. You're outta yer damn mind!
On an aside, my Irish best mate is of the opinion that attaching a moniker to a team in any regard is dumb. He's a diehard Man U supporter, and hates when people call them the Red Devils. What a tosser!
