http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Beelieve-Charlottetake-back-your-Hornets/110429122320741

Rare is the sort of unconditional love and undying devotion that was once the hallmark of the relationship between the city of Charlotte and her Hornets. Night after night, year after year, "The Hive" was alive; impassioned Beelievers wreaked a unique aural havoc upon all who dared to enter that hallowed hall. From the 20-win seasons of Rambis and Tripuka, to the genuine Eastern Conference contenders of the late 1990's, this city; this jewel of the New South; provided both the NBA and the nation at large a perfectly-executed blue print of the power of civic pride.

Then there were the lean years.

Our once beloved owner...let's just say he became somewhat less beloved. This was followed by the acrimonious arena issue. And in a matter of a few short seasons, the one constant in this city of flux, our beloved Hornets, was gone.

I defy any of you present for that final, crushing playoff loss to state that you didn't shed a tear as you filed into the parking lot.

But hope, as they say, springs eternal. B** Johnson managed to bring the NBA back to the Queen City in 2004. As my mother taught me to refrain from speaking of someone unless I had something complimentary to say, this will be the last I will mention of Mr. Johnson.

Let's cut to the chase. The B**Cats, from a marketing perspective, have been a PR disaster. The ownership has, in a round about way, admitted as much. Whether it was through their own doing (oh, I don't know...C-SET, anybody?!?) or factors outside of their control (the 'jilted-lover' scars of a fanbase done wrong), they've never taken hold in the city of Charlotte, much less on a national scale. Stroll through the streets of any major city long enough, and you're bound to see a hip kid sporting throwback Charlotte Hornet gear. I don't think I've ever seen any B**Cats paraphernalia outside of the metro area (and sadly, not much inside said area). The Honorable Sir Airness himself vented his frustrations in a recent Charlotte Observer article:

"Number one for 10 years!" Jordan said, his voice rising. "The community supported it and at that time, the Hornets supported the city. I want to duplicate that. I want us to be No. 1 in attendance and No. 1 in the community.

"If we ask people to invest in us, we must invest in them."

Let's face the facts, Mike. The swiftest, savviest, most crowd pleasing way to convince this community to "invest in (you)"?

GIVE US BACK OUR HORNETS.

Tom Benson has purchased the current New Orleans franchise, and he's made the fact that he IS changing that squad's name abundantly clear. Now, I could continue trying to be witty, keep trying to eloquently articulate what we all know needs to be said, or I could push the caps lock and let it rip...

GIVE US BACK OUR HORNETS.

That tiny fraction of the population who might qualify as 'naysayers' would have you to believe that 'it's all about winning'. Of course, on-court success (and with the young core this team is constructing, those wins are sure to come) is the number one goal. But the thing is, positivity in the win/loss column and a strong identity that is truly embraced and beloved by this community and fanbase don't have to be viewed as mutually exclusive.

In this case, we can have our cake AND eat it too.

We're not 'bobcats'. We're not 'cougars'. Or 'flight' or 'dragons' or friggin' diamond encrusted unicorns or any other sort of lame beast/means of transport. According to none other than that redcoat bastard Cornwallis himself, we're HORNETS. Don't talk about the money, don't talk about 'moving on'. This transcends both of those issues. It has nothing to do with petty nostalgias, and everything to do with RECLAIMING OUR BIRTHRIGHT.

Michael, David, NBA...nothing less will do.

GIVE US BACK OUR HORNETS.

And do it now.