New Orleans Hornets change their name?

       The New Orleans Hornets change their name? Yes. They've changed their nickname to the "Pelicans". The new nickname, colors and logo will be used during the 2013-14 season. The colors will be blue, gold and red. Sports first reported the expected change Dec. 4. The Hornets had been expected to change their identity since being purchased by Tom Benson on April 14. Shinn sold the Hornets to the NBA in December 2010, and the league spent more than a year looking for a buyer who would keep the team in New Orleans long term.Last April, Benson, who also has owned the NFL's New Orleans Saints since 1985, agreed to purchase the club for $338 million. As part of the purchase, he agreed to a lease of the state-owned New Orleans Arena through 2024, ending several years of speculation that the club would be moved again to another city looking for an NBA franchise. The team petitioned for five names: Pelicans, Mosquitos, Swamp Dogs, Bullsharks and Rougarou, but it appears Pelicans is the one Benson prefers. The Pelican is the state bird of Louisiana, which is known as the Pelican State, it symbolizes Louisiana's environmental recovery from oil spills. The name "Pelicans" has received a lot of criticism from Hornets fans and NBA followers, but a video will soon be up telling the history behind the name.

"If it works for them, it works for me," Stern said. "I don't have any objections to anything that the Hornets want to do name-wise because I'm sure it'll be sensible. … I'm sure whatever it is, it'll be good. If (Pelicans) is what it is, that's fine. … I think everything sounds good. I think Lakers, have you seen any lakes in Los Angeles? There's the same amount of lakes in L.A. as there is jazz in Utah, or grizzlies in Memphis. I'm out of that business. Whatever works for a team works for me."  There was a similiar problem when the Seatte SuperSonics changed their nickname to Thunder when the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, but now the nickname is widely accepted.  Some fans are hoping the Charlotte Bobcats change their name back to the Hornets, considering the change in New Orleans.  They're going to announce everything on Thursday, 3pm.