Alright, let’s talk about this here… uh… Pelicans logo thing. You know, the bird, the one they got on their shirts. I ain’t no fancy city folk, so I’ll tell ya what I know, plain and simple.
First off, they didn’t always have that bird. Way back when, they was somethin’ called the Hornets. Yeah, like them stingin’ bugs. They was buzzin’ around Charlotte, North Carolina, before they flew down south to New Orleans. I heard tell they had a little fella, quick as a rabbit, name of Muggsy somethin’-or-other. And Dell Curry, that fella who shoots the ball real good? He was there too. But, bless their hearts, they didn’t win much. Just like my prize-winning rooster, looks good, but ain’t much of a fighter.
Then, in 2002 or somethin’, they come down to New Orleans. Still Hornets, though. Buzz, buzz, buzz. But then, somethin’ changed. Like when the weather shifts and you gotta change your clothes. They decided they wanted a new name, somethin’ that really said, “Hey, this is New Orleans!”
- So, they looked around. They looked high, they looked low. And what did they see? Birds! Big ol’ birds with big ol’ beaks. Pelicans, they call ’em. And wouldn’t you know it, that bird’s the state bird of Louisiana. Smart fellas, them decision-makers.
- They had this big to-do, a press conference, like them fancy folks do on TV. Showed off the new name, the new logo, the whole shebang. January 24, 2013, that’s when it happened. Marked it down on my calendar, right next to the county fair.
Now, this logo, it ain’t just some bird they slapped on there. It’s got meanin’, or so they say. They say New Orleans is called the Crescent City ’cause of the way that river bends, you know, the Mississippi. And that city, it sits right at the tip of that bend. They say that’s lucky, like findin’ a four-leaf clover in the pasture.
So, the logo, it’s supposed to show that. Strength, they say. Culture too. Like them fancy beads they throw at Mardi Gras, all shiny and colorful. The logo’s got colors, too. Blue, gold, red… Pretty colors, I reckon. They say it all means somethin’. Like blue for the water, gold for the riches, red for the fire or somethin’. I don’t know, sounds like a lot of hooey to me, but they’re city folk, so what do I know?
They play their games in a big building, the Smoothie King Center. Sounds like a place that sells fancy drinks to me. It’s right next to where them Saints play football. Big place, holds a whole lotta people. More folks than you’d see at the county fair, that’s for sure. They can squeeze in even more for them playoff games, when things get real serious.
So, there you have it. The story of that Pelicans logo. From Hornets to Pelicans, from Charlotte to New Orleans. A whole lotta fuss over a bird, if you ask me. But hey, as long as they play good ball, I guess it don’t matter what they call themselves or what picture they put on their shirts. Just give me a good game and a hotdog, and I’m happy.
Now, about them colors and lines… they call it ‘logo magic’, these city folks. To me, magic is when my tomatoes grow big and juicy without me doin’ much. But they say them lines and colors, they tell a story. I guess that story is about New Orleans and them Pelicans. It’s like lookin’ at the clouds, everyone sees somethin’ different. You see strength, you see culture, you see whatever you wanna see. Me? I see a bird. A big, ol’ bird with a big, ol’ beak.
And that’s all I gotta say about that.
Tags: [Pelicans Logo, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA Logo History, Pelicans History, Charlotte Hornets, Smoothie King Center, Louisiana Pelicans, NBA Team Logos, Pelicans Rebrand]
