Before the Mudbugs, there were the Crawdads.
Different sports, same city.
Thirty years ago today, mayor Hazel Beard helped reveal the name of the new professional basketball team in town.
The Shreveport Crawdads.
According to team owner, Eli Jacobson, more than 650 names were submitted for consideration.
“It was difficult. It’s like a referee’s call,” Jacobson said.
The logo featured a red crawfish with its claws around a purple net with an orange basketball passing through the goal. “Shreveport” was written in purple cursive about “CRAWDADS,” which was in green block letters with orange trim.
“We were looking for a name that would promote novelty and represent Louisiana and Shreveport,” Jacobson said.
Local fans had mixed reactions.
“I’m speechless,” Phillip Escude said. “It sounds like a baton twirling team.”
Said Gene Funk: “It’s interesting, original and surprising, although I wanted Pelicans.”