DDT

The New Orleans Fish
A DDT special report

The NBA draft tabbed several underclassmen in their annual draft, including freshman Anthony Davis of Kentucky who was chosen by the New Orleans Hornets as the number-one overall pick.

The Hornets, in addition to looking for ways to rebuild their team after another losing season (only 21 wins in 66 games), are also seeking a new name. “Hornets” doesn’t say anything about the city, say change agents. Two new names have emerged as possibilities: Louisiana Spirit and Louisiana Angels.

Spirit, sure: spirit of recovery, Katrina, Rita, BP spill, all that. Angels: sounds too Catholic, like something Huey Long would suggest as panderment to Louisiana voters since much of the state is Catholic.

The best name the team could have—and had—is/was Jazz. Unfortunately, that franchise moved to Utah, a state where jazz is about as understood as boudin. Names, however, haven’t really mattered much in the NBA. We learned that years ago when the Minneapolis team moved to LA and kept the name Lakers.

A good name for the New Orleans team would be Fish, the term Texas Aggies use for freshmen. Since most top NBA picks are freshmen in these times of “one and done” (one year in college, then done and gone to the pros), Fish fits. And since south Louisiana is known for seafood, the possibility of cross-selling the NBA and tourism for the state opens up.

Geaux Fish! Gig ‘em.

DDT: Unfair and unbalanced, old school and out of touch.