Michael Jordan's recent purchase of the Charlotte Bobcats has been coupled (by a Charlotte Observer writer) with a desire to rename the young franchise:

If Michael Jordan listens to his customers, and potential customers, he'll seriously consider a name change from "Bobcats" once his purchase of Charlotte's NBA franchise is complete.

Personally, I agree. "Bobcats," as has been noted so many times in so many places, sounds like a high school or college team. It doesn't have that "pro" feel to it, whatever that means (I think Wittgenstein had something to say about "resemblance" that might help here). But all the good pro names are taken - the generic stuff (Hawks, Grizzlies, etc.) is being used in the NBA itself, while it just feels weird to take one of the NFL or baseball's generic names (Bears, Lions, Tigers).

Fortunately, the NBA's internet community is here to help. BDL's Trey Kirby has some ideas:

- Michaeljordancats: Keeps with the tradition of naming the franchise after its owner.

- Sonics: Hey, it's available.

- Mints: Refers to the Charlotte Mint, which was founded in 1837 after that nation's first gold rush. They'd have to wear those green jerseys all the time though.

- Limoges: This is a shout-out to one of Charlotte's sister cities in France. It has the added benefit of keeping Boris Diaw(notes) happy, which means it'll keep Boris Diaw skinny, which means it'll keep Boris Diaw good at basketball.

- Grahams: Charlotte is the birthplace of evangelist Billy Graham, and giving him a nod would be great for the rabid Christian fan base that's so important in that region.

...while Rob Mahoney at Hardwood Paroxysm has some of his own.

I think Rockets fans (and Dreamshakers in particular) can help out our fellow NBA fans. Let's put our heads together and come up with something. Here, I'll get us started:

• Charlotte Jordans - a similar theme as the Kirby's "Michaeljordancats" and HP's "Mikecats," but this emphasizes MJ a lot more, I think. Do you think Nike would pay Charlotte to use the name, or would the team have to pay Nike? I'm going with the latter, but I think it would be a good investment for the team. Think about what "Jordans" would represent: grace, quality, glamor, overpriced products based on artificial scarcity -- all things that any NBA team needs.
• Charlotte Flyers - nobody really watches hockey (nobody important, anyways), and I'm pretty sure the airplane was invented in North Carolina.
• Charlotte Fighters - If I were creating an MLB team, this is what I'd name them. Sure, the Japanese "Nippon Ham Fighters" have sucked throughout their history (and have mostly served to confuse American baseball fans about a team named "Ham Fighters"), but it's a pretty cool name, I think. Besides, they could make the logo something awesome and self-referential, like Stephen Jackson punching a fan, or a beer cup.
• Charlotte Ham Fighters - Come to think of it, "Ham Fighters" is a pretty cool name, too. It's what I name most of my fantasy baseball teams. I've even got a logo - a pig in boxing gloves. Go ahead, MJ, you can use it.
• Charlotte Avatars - It's the most popular movie in the world, MJ, and capitalizing on pop culture fads has worked out spectacularly for the Raptors.
• Charlotte North Carolinians - Trust us, Bobcats fans, this naming scheme is nothing but sweet.