The moment everybody got a look at New Orleans mascot, Pierre the Pelican, there was collective gasp as we all realized our nightmares had come true. With the All-Star game headed to New Orleans next month, the team thought it might be smart to revamp their terrifying new mascot.
Famed mascot enthusiast, Zach Lowe of Grantland, broke the news on Twitter a couple days ago:
Real mascot news: Hearing Pellies are re-designing Pierre's head to make him "less scary," hopefully by All-Star weekend in New Orleans.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) January 22, 2014
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(To be clear: that tweet is not a joke. They are actually re-designing Pierre's head).
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) January 22, 2014
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The team has confirmed to the Times-Picayune, they’re looking to refurbish the mascot from hell:
“Any good ornithologist (zoologist who studies birds) will tell you that a young Pelican is constantly evolving!” said a team source, who has knowledge of the planned redesign.
The new look likely will be unveiled during NBA All-Star Weekend next month in New Orleans.
While he’s been criticized nationwide, Pierre the Pelican hasn’t exactly been a fan favorite at home, either. He’s been deemed too scary for children to embrace and was mocked heavily via social media.
We’re really happy the team is bowing to public pressure and releasing us from the waking nightmare any time Pierre appeared on the court during games. Pierre was basically the anti-Anthony Davis, in that we never wanted to see him. This goes double because we’re heading down to Nola next month, and coming face-to-face with Pierre would have kept us up all night.
Bleacher Report found some of the more humorous takes on Pierre since his ghastly introduction:
RT @jortle: @HPbasketball THIS THING NEEDS AN EXORCISM https://t.co/9d3wmiVL3z pic.twitter.com/uEeAAfiSv7
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) October 31, 2013
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Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. pic.twitter.com/yOYOQZbrMA
— Steve McPherson (@steventurous) October 31, 2013
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it's not from this planet. pic.twitter.com/T1AAJ0FkkU
— Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) October 31, 2013
LOOK, THEY'RE FRIENDS! pic.twitter.com/UpFl4sXa7Y
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) October 31, 2013
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