In the past several weeks some Pelican officials spoke concerning how the general public has accepted the name change with gusto and how the city has related well with the name change and that it was a natural. This writer is prepared to take issue with the name change.
As a teen ager and young boy who loved baseball, I was part of a generation (young and old) who spent many a day and night at Pelican stadium watching the "Pels" play baseball. There were no major league teams to watch on TV because there was no TV. But major league teams did come to Pelican stadium to play the Pels an exhibition game so we were able to see in person some major league teams. I had an opportunity to see the Yankees when they had Joe DiMaggio when they came to Pelican stadium. It is a game I will never forget.
I lived on the West Bank and it was a thrill to be able to see a professional team play a game I loved. I can still recall the magic atmosphere as I entered the stadium and I still remember many of the players name. Sixty five years later and I still have magic thoughts when I think about the Pels, as we fondly called them. Mr. Bensen owns the right to the Pelican name and had the authority to change his teams name. I happen to think it was a bad decision.
There is no way I can relate to the basketball team being called the "Pels." The "Pels" will always be ingrained in my mind as the New Orleans Pelicans baseball team. I have reasons to believe a good part of my generation feel the same way.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
