Going back to the "Hornets"

[dnbman]

I really don't think it's going to make a big difference. For every fan brought in with the Hornets, they will be fans who will want to be part of the rise of something new-- the finally emerging Bobcats-- as they win.

As an organization, I really don't think it would make much of a difference outside of the cost of rebranding.

The ex-girlfriend and kidnapped girl are both problematic metaphors. However, in the end, there is a team that went away and we'd be reacquiring that team-- in name and spirit-- after a rocky start to the existing team. While the players will ultimately be the main focus by fans, the brand just feels funny going back to the old thing when you finally are on the precipice of respectability.

By the way, here's an example of a team that left and came back to a historic and ravenous fan base:
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2012/11/...flags-steelers

[Adam42R]

I am of mixed mind. I think for those that have been loyal to basketball in Charlotte when the name wasn't that palatable, the Bobcat name became far more likable when MJ became the majority owner as it then no longer had the association of being Bob's team. And for that, I know I have come to really like the name. I personally prefer it to the Hornets as far as names go.

But I hear the argument that it will bring in new/old fans and that revenue rules the day and if the team can make 1.x the revenues just by swapping out two colors and going back to a bee from a cat, they'd have to be crazy to pass that up even if there's an initial cost of the name change.

In the end however, I - and think some of you too - don't buy that any honeymoon surrounding "we're fans cause we got our name back" will last very long. The fans that have followed the Bobcats since its inception are the folks that will be more disrupted by the name change than the "I won't cheer until we're bees again" crowd. Not only in merchandise but in identity. I identify myself as a Bobcat/Cat fan - I have spent a number of years now loathing the Hornets - I don't want the name back. Give the name back to the Greensboro Bats or Crickets or whatever they went onto become since giving it up to Charlotte (Lord knows, they need a better name than whatever they have settled on now I am sure) so it stays in the triad but I don't want it (or better said, I don't "need" it) to be a Charlotte pro hoops fan.

I do hope that if we do end up re-becoming the Hornets, we do maintain some homage to the Cat even if it doesn't make sense in the animal kingdom.

[CampNightmare8]

Lets stick with the bobcats..

[QC Thundercats]

There's been so many debates on this subject back and forth for the past couple seasons, and some good points pro and con. But honestly, I'd say for the sake of board sanity, lets just look at it like this - Jordan is either going to change it back or he isn't. We can't do anything about it except repeat the same arguments as we have the past couple years. There's no use anymore of arguing the economics, the history, the children. If it changes, great. If it doesn't, great. Let's just worry about it whenever they make a formal announcement, because every argument has been made, and nobody's minds are going to be changed anymore.

Now that said, I'm not very good at photoshop, but I like messing around and pretending I'm digital Bob Ross. I decided to see what a potential new Hornets' uniform could look like, using the side panels as a template, keeping the same design, and keeping the same colors instead of going back to purple and teal.

[SWedd523]

I'm all for going back to Teal and Purple if we take the name back. Would like to Keep the orange though, perhaps in a small way to "pay homage" to the beginning

Current Teal we're using, Darkish Purple, and a neon/dayglo orange as the accent.


Need to get ammofan or some other photoshop person to mock up our jerseys in different color possibilities. Could probably leave the home jersey white and just change the dark blue to a purple and change the away to teal dominant with purple outlines on Charlotte and the number. A purple alternate would also have to be in play

[Plowright]

You guys know what this will mean don't you? Every tv reporter and NBA writer out there would call us the Bobcats instead of the Hornets... We would suffer from the same problem we do now... All over again! It will never end!

[JGib23]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...f-hornets.html

Article today from Bonnell.


As far as jersey's here is the mock up that Big Dub did and ESPN featured.
http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/vis...e-hornets-unis

I wouldn't mind a "Alternate" jersey that looks like this season's home jersey but, maybe instead of saying CATS, it says BUGS or BUZZ

I also like the design of the new jersey's, it would be fun to see what someone with great Photoshop skills could do to marry the new jersey's and the Hornets colors. ( or as Thundercats suggested- use the new side panels as the base line for a redesigned Hornets jersey.

[westbrook08]

I don't really care either way, but i think some people are missing the point. This isn't just about if fans would come out if the bobcats win(which they would) or not. It's about alot of people who were butt hurt over losing the hornets that aren't supporting us now that would come back. If seen tons of people leave comments every time the observer writes an article on this who say they haven't supported the bobcats at all and they would come back day one if we had the hornets name. And i agree that they may still be fair weather fans ultimately, but this would definitely boost season ticket sales and generate interest, not to mention that the team is fully aware that hornets merchandise would outsell bobcats gear by a huge margin. They're not just gonna leave that money on the table. I'm sure mike would like to find long term ways to get back some of his investment and i think this certainly qualifies. I don't care either way. Part of me wants the hornets back because it was a huge part of my childhood and another part of me wants the bobcats name because i feel like it's a symbol of me being a true fan regardless of all the bandwagon jumpers in this town. I think it's probably gonna happen though. Whatever. Go Horcats! lol.

[Adam42R]

I don't really care either way, but i think some people are missing the point. This isn't just about if fans would come out if the bobcats win(which they would) or not. It's about alot of people who were butt hurt over losing the hornets that aren't supporting us now that would come back. If seen tons of people leave comments every time the observer writes an article on this who say they haven't supported the bobcats at all and they would come back day one if we had the hornets name. And i agree that they may still be fair weather fans ultimately, but this would definitely boost season ticket sales and generate interest, not to mention that the team is fully aware that hornets merchandise would outsell bobcats gear by a huge margin. They're not just gonna leave that money on the table. I'm sure mike would like to find long term ways to get back some of his investment and i think this certainly qualifies. I don't care either way. Part of me wants the hornets back because it was a huge part of my childhood and another part of me wants the bobcats name because i feel like it's a symbol of me being a true fan regardless of all the bandwagon jumpers in this town. I think it's probably gonna happen though. Whatever. Go Horcats! lol.

Basically my point as well (bold) about it being an identity. Guess we'll need to come up w/ some Bzzcat/Buzzcat paraphernalia for the died-in-the-wool pro basketball fans of Charlotte.

[JGib23]

Basically my point as well (bold) about it being an identity. Guess we'll need to come up w/ some Bzzcat/Buzzcat paraphernalia for the died-in-the-wool pro basketball fans of Charlotte.

Don't forget that many of the Die Hard Pro-Hornet people are Bobcats fans.

No matter what side of the fence you are on in this debate, you can't deny that this subject gets people talking about the NBA & the Bobcats more than almost anything else. The Bobcats are hardly ever discussed on the radio and this subject loads the lines, the possibility of the name change is right now on the front page of ESPN's website.

This subject stirs the pot and gets people talking about the NBA in Charlotte and that is a good thing. No publicity is bad publicity....