New Orleans Hornets Change Name to Pelicans: No Ruffled Feathers Here

The New Orleans Hornets franchise officially became the Pelicans today. The new logo was unveiled as well and, fortunately, it's not going to ruffle anyone's feathers anytime soon. 

At first, people scoffed at the idea of naming a sports franchise after such a dopey-looking bird. But the pelican in the logo is anything but. The bird has a long red beak and its eyes are red with a dark blue border. The whole effect is menacing. 

Team owner Tom Benson said the mascot was changed to a Pelican because there was no connection between the city of New Orleans and the name "Hornets." He said the Pelicans would form a better bond with the city.

This was a successful change. Others in the NBA haven't been so successful, however. 

The Brooklyn Nets were stuck with an outdated logo last season. This season, with the help of Jay-Z, the organization came up with a safe, black and white color scheme to go along with a fresh, yet somewhat boring logo. 

The Philadelphia 76ers changed its logo a couple of seasons back so that it could honor its past with a more retro look. The result was stunning. 

The Washington Wizards shook things up in 2011 and ended up with a look that showed some love to the old Washington Bullets teams. While the logo never went through a huge change, the uniforms and home court of the Wizards sure did. Replicating the Bullets was definitely one of the more positive things the Wizards have done in the past several seasons. 

By changing up its look, the Pelicans have made people excited for next season. I sure am.