It's official. The New Orleans Hornets have announced that they will rebrand themselves to become the New Orleans Pelicans. The NOP held a press conference this past week to reveal the new designs that were done by the agency RARE.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the rebranding. Sure, a pelican doesn't sound cool or tough but it has meaning and purpose. What does a hornet with sneakers bouncing a basketball mean?

“The Pelicans will be more than a namesake for the franchise, as New Orleans, the State of Louisiana and the Gulf South have a rich history connected to the name. Represented on Louisiana’s state flag and seal, the Pelican has been the state bird for over a century. The Pelican symbolizes the determination to not only survive, but thrive even when the odds are stacked against them as our region has demonstrated over and over.”

— http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/benson-family-unveils-new-orleans-pelicans-colors-and-logos

Fans will be upset to say goodbye to the Hornet name but really, they're upset to lose one of the most iconic color palettes in sports – teal and purple. Snap back hats with throwback logos may be ironically cool these days, but in my adolescence prime, the Charlotte Hornets owned the 90s. They had the best-selling Starter jacket, a 5'3" point guard by the name of Muggsy Bogues, a star athlete who dressed up like an old grandma, and by far the best team to play with on NBA Jam. To read more about the impact Teal & Purple played, check out this Grantland article written by Rembert Browne.

Larry Johnson as Grandmama; LJ, Muggsy & Zo; NBA Jam All-Stars

And let's be honest. Things can be worse than having your team change it's name to the Pelicans. You could have traded away a rookie that would go on to become a 15-time All-Star, win 5 championships, 2 olympic gold metals and one of the league's all-time scores.