Qwikshot
05-06-2003, 04:08 PM
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2003-05-06-charlotte-nickname_x.htm
Charlotte narrows nickname list to three
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte's new NBA team is ready to take Flight. Maybe.
Charlotte "Flight" was one of three finalists announced Tuesday for the name of Bob Johnson's expansion franchise. "Bobcats" and "Dragons" are also being considered.
"We have three distinct possibilities with those names, three distinct directions we can go in," said team vice president Ed Tapscott. "We're looking for something that's unique, something that people will respond positively to and something that will offer us the ability to effectively merchandise our product."
A winner is to be announced next month after feedback from the public. However, Johnson, who paid $300 million for the expansion team, will make the final decision.
"Flight" would link to North Carolina's status as "First in Flight," a motto found on the state's license plates. This year marks the centennial of Wilbur and Orville Wright's first powered flight on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
"Bobcats" would be a nod to Johnson and would continue the feline theme established by Charlotte's other pro team, the NFL Panthers.
"Dragons" has no obvious local link.
"Bobcats is a more traditional name, it's animal, a cat and it is indigenous to this country," Tapscott said. "Dragons is not used by any other pro sports team in this country. It's a mystical figure, so it represents quite a bit of freedom to do some interesting logo and merchandising concepts.
"And Flight is a concept name. Of course here in North Carolina it is part of the license plate and it gives us a unique branding element."
The team is to begin play in 2004-05, taking the place of the Hornets, who moved to New Orleans last year.
The three finalists for the team name were whittled down from a list of nearly 1,200 suggestions the team received from the community. Johnson's group used several focus groups and spent nearly $100,000 researching the names and their trademark status and designing possible logos.
Team officials cut the list to 10 to 12 names, then matched them with potential colors, graphic designs and mascots.
Johnson has hired Chicago's NVU Productions to help develop the logos.
Noticeably missing from the list of finalists was "Cougars," a nickname widely speculated to be the frontrunner because of Charlotte's old ABA team.
"You have some folks who really buy into Cougars," Tapscott said. "The age demographic that goes for Cougars is a slightly older age demographic, people who recognize the Cougars from the ABA days.
"But among a lot of the younger people, there was not a lot of reference to the Cougars."
Initial reaction on local Internet message boards to the three finalists was lukewarm.
"Those names are all horrible," one posting read. "I really hope the team somehow ends up with a name that is not now on the final list."
That's what happened in 1987 when owner George Shinn was naming his Charlotte NBA team.
Originally "Spirit" was selected, but Shinn changed it to Hornets, a name sparked by General Charles Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War.
Here's my complaint, why haven't the New Orlean Hornets change their name to the Voodoo! I think that's a great name for a franchise...anyone with me on this?!?
Charlotte narrows nickname list to three
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte's new NBA team is ready to take Flight. Maybe.
Charlotte "Flight" was one of three finalists announced Tuesday for the name of Bob Johnson's expansion franchise. "Bobcats" and "Dragons" are also being considered.
"We have three distinct possibilities with those names, three distinct directions we can go in," said team vice president Ed Tapscott. "We're looking for something that's unique, something that people will respond positively to and something that will offer us the ability to effectively merchandise our product."
A winner is to be announced next month after feedback from the public. However, Johnson, who paid $300 million for the expansion team, will make the final decision.
"Flight" would link to North Carolina's status as "First in Flight," a motto found on the state's license plates. This year marks the centennial of Wilbur and Orville Wright's first powered flight on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
"Bobcats" would be a nod to Johnson and would continue the feline theme established by Charlotte's other pro team, the NFL Panthers.
"Dragons" has no obvious local link.
"Bobcats is a more traditional name, it's animal, a cat and it is indigenous to this country," Tapscott said. "Dragons is not used by any other pro sports team in this country. It's a mystical figure, so it represents quite a bit of freedom to do some interesting logo and merchandising concepts.
"And Flight is a concept name. Of course here in North Carolina it is part of the license plate and it gives us a unique branding element."
The team is to begin play in 2004-05, taking the place of the Hornets, who moved to New Orleans last year.
The three finalists for the team name were whittled down from a list of nearly 1,200 suggestions the team received from the community. Johnson's group used several focus groups and spent nearly $100,000 researching the names and their trademark status and designing possible logos.
Team officials cut the list to 10 to 12 names, then matched them with potential colors, graphic designs and mascots.
Johnson has hired Chicago's NVU Productions to help develop the logos.
Noticeably missing from the list of finalists was "Cougars," a nickname widely speculated to be the frontrunner because of Charlotte's old ABA team.
"You have some folks who really buy into Cougars," Tapscott said. "The age demographic that goes for Cougars is a slightly older age demographic, people who recognize the Cougars from the ABA days.
"But among a lot of the younger people, there was not a lot of reference to the Cougars."
Initial reaction on local Internet message boards to the three finalists was lukewarm.
"Those names are all horrible," one posting read. "I really hope the team somehow ends up with a name that is not now on the final list."
That's what happened in 1987 when owner George Shinn was naming his Charlotte NBA team.
Originally "Spirit" was selected, but Shinn changed it to Hornets, a name sparked by General Charles Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War.
Here's my complaint, why haven't the New Orlean Hornets change their name to the Voodoo! I think that's a great name for a franchise...anyone with me on this?!?