The Bobcats’ woefully orange unis had to go. From the moment the concept was drawn up, they absolutely, positively had to go. Their particular hue of fluorescent orange may be useful for a crossing guard, a night cyclist, or someone working on a tarmac, but barring the obvious safety benefits of wearing bright, reflective clothing, they were among the worst uniforms any NBA team has trotted out this decade.
So it’s more than appropriate that this season’s uniforms are the first of a new era in Bobcats basketball. Maybe pinstripes aren’t the first thing that come to mind when you think of Stephen Jackson’s wild card career or Nazr Mohammed’s tendency to play below expectation. But both of those players have looked more at home in Bobcat blue than any, and though Charlotte will have to fight and claw to hold on to a playoff seed, the evolution of the Bobcats franchise from last season to this more than warranted a substantial aesthetic change.
Out with the old — the bad seasons, the bad memories, any remembrance of Jeff McInnis — and in with the new — the playoff hopes, the defensive excellence, new ownership, and a new direction.
Maybe all that’s needed to really complete the metamorphosis from struggling, small market upstart caterpillar into playoff-bound butterfly is not only a new man at every post save point guard and small forward, but a moniker change to accompany the face lift. ‘Bobcats,’ like the miserable threads that once bore the name, has to go. It’s not even a D-League-esque team name, like Moore mentioned. It’s the name of a seven-year-old’s soccer team, and one that probably couldn’t even make the playoffs at that. Bobcats aren’t just about as unferocious and unintimidating as ferocious cats get, but naming a team after an animal just isn’t NBA practice. It’s amateur. If you’re going to name an entire franchise after an animal, at least disguise it; not the Milwaukee Deer, but the Milwaukee Bucks. Not the Detroit Flaming Horses, but the Detroit Pistons. There are enough teams named after animals, I admit, but most have enough tradition that they no longer seem out of place. The two obvious exceptions are the Toronto Raptors and the Memphis Grizzlies, but dinosaurs are awesome and hilarious and Memphis Grizzlies still reads and sounds infinitely better than the Memphis Bears.
For the most part in professional basketball, we go inanimate (Nets, Nuggets, Spurs), confounding (Celtics, Lakers), or nonsensical (Pacers). It’s time that Charlotte buys into the tradition, and there is no better time than now. Regardless of what happens in the rest of this season, the Bobcats have been reborn. They’ve constructed hope without much potential, and they’ve created a culture and a family where there was nothing but confusion. I’m not saying anyone should buy into MJ and Larry Brown’s world like they buy into Pop and Buford’s, or Phil Jackson and Jerry Buss’, or Sam Presti and Scotty Brooks’. But there’s something going on in Charlotte that’s worthy of your attention, and it’s worthy of a far better name than the Bobcats.
…Wait, you mean you have to pay to have your name changed these days? With that roster and those ticket sales and in that market?
I think ‘Bobcats’ is starting to grow on me.
