Hornets fans push to bring the name back to Charlotte basketball team

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - The logo, the colors, the mascot.

It was electric.

Fans were in love with the Charlotte Hornets and so was John Morgan.

"Not to be cliche, it was magical, it was electric. This whole town unified behind a common goal and that was backing this team," said Morgan.

That all dissipated when the Hornets left town in 2002.

Then along came the Bobcats.

Hopes were high.

The NBA was back in the Queen City, but the excitement didn't last.

There were few wins and few ticket sales.

It seems without the name, the love affair was over.

But now if the New Orleans Hornets find a new buyer, the name could be up for grabs.

"The time is right assuming New Orleans goes through a re-brand too, which is a big assumption but it's possible," said Morgan.

Morgan seized the momentum and launched a Facebook  to bring back the Buzz.

His online petition has more than 1800 signatures.

But is it only a dream?

This is what Bobcat President Fred Whitfield said in 2010.

"If that name does happen to become available we'll research it. We'll talk to our fans, we'll figure whether we got enough brand loyalty in the Cats and decide whether we need to just continue to move forward with the brand we've built," said Whitfield.

A source with the Bobcats told WBTV changing a team name is easier said than done.

There's no guarantee a name change will work miracles.

Buyers are trying to keep the Hornets in New Orleans, right now the name isn't for sale.

The cost of a makeover is estimated at $4 million.

But fans are just getting started on their journey to bring the hornets back.

"It's our team, they never stopped being our team," said Morgan.