For Tom Benson and the New Orleans Pelicans, it seems the second time’s the charm. On January 24, 2013, The New Orleans Pelicans unveiled their new logo and uniforms, changing both the team’s name and mascot from “Hornets” to “Pelicans.” There is actually a rich history in the "Pelican" name as well as Charlotte’s tie-in with current New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson. Fanatics brings you all the best in New Orleans Pelicans Gear, so you can cheer on your favorite team from The Big Easy.

The First Pelicans Attempt

In 1993, automobile and banking magnate Tom Benson bought the Charlotte Knights AAA baseball team and acquired the rights to use the “Pelicans” name for them. His intention was to relocate the minor league franchise – a move that would bring back a "New Orleans Pelicans" baseball team to the city – a team that hadn’t been in New Orleans since 1977. Unfortunately, with the city of Denver being awarded the Colorado Rockies that same year, legal issues prevented Benson from moving the Knights to New Orleans. Since Benson’s sole purpose was to move a baseball team to New Orleans and name them "Pelicans," he quickly sold off the team, but retained rights to the name.

In Come the Hornets

When Benson purchased the New Orleans Hornets in April 2012 for $338 million, he made no secret that he wished to change the NBA team’s name. Benson, who also owns the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, had originally wished to return the “Jazz” name to the city. Unfortunately, Utah’s owners showed no interest in relinquishing a name they felt held too much history. So, since Benson still owned the rights to the “Pelicans” name, he announced on December 4, 2012 that the New Orleans Hornets would change their name to the New Orleans Pelicans at the beginning of the 2013-14 NBA season.

Celebrate New Orleans history as well as the future with Fanatics and our New Orleans Pelicans Apparel. We have all the New Orleans Pelicans T-Shirts and Hats, so you can show the world you’ve been a NOLA fan forever.

The hottest NFL Jersey of the season came out of left-field as the 49ers Colin Kaepernick Jersey has become the must-have NFL clothing item of the year. Leading up to the 2013 Super Bowl, Colin Kaepernick’s Jersey has found it tough to stay on shelves and stocked for retailers, as customers want a piece of NFL’s current celebrity. It’s not just jerseys, though, as Colin Kaepernick T-Shirts are also in high-demand. In fact, the 49ers new starting QB even has his own meme. “Kaepernicking,” as it’s become known, is when the quarterback pretends to plant a kiss on his right bicep after scoring a touchdown.

A Brief Kaepernick History

When San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith went out with a concussion against the Chicago Bears last year, Colin Kaepernick took over – and he hasn’t been a back-up since. Many have been surprised by the sudden success of Kaepernick, but if you look at his college stats, it really shouldn’t surprise anyone at all:

Kaepernick was the first player in NCAA history to record back-to-back 2,000/1,000 yard seasons.

He’s also the only Division 1 FBS quarterback to have passed for more than 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a single season three times in a career (consecutively).

Also, Colin Kapernick is the only quarterback in the history of Division I FBS college football to have passed for more than 10,000 yards and rushed for more than 4,000 yards.

Even with amazing records like those, Kaepernick was still the sixth quarterback selected in the 2011 NFL Draft; taken after quarterbacks Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert.
For Kaepernick, the records didn’t stop after college:

In his first career postseason start, his 181 rushing yards set an NFL single-game record, breaking Michael Vick’s 2002 regular season game of 173.

Kaepernick also broke the 49ers postseason rushing record, regardless of position.

Keep in mind; these two milestones occurred in just his first nine starts. So, what does the future hold for Colin Kaepernick and the rest of the San Francisco 49ers? A 2013 Super Bowl win? It’s anyone’s guess. But, for right now, there’s no player hotter and no jersey being sold faster than the Colin Kaepernick Jersey.

The San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens are going head-to-head in a merchandise sales showdown at Fanatics.com leading up to Super Bowl XLVII. Whether the 49ers or Ravens take home the ultimate trophy, Super Bowl Championship apparel and merchandise will be available just seconds after the clock hits zero at Fanatics.com, one of the top e-retailers of officially licensed sports merchandise. While the 49ers and Ravens were winning on the field, fans jumped online to gear up their wardrobe, homes, cars and even pets this season.

From September to December, the San Francisco 49ers ranked 4^th in NFL merchandise sales behind the Steelers, Cowboys and Packers, while the Baltimore Ravens ranked 10^th. However, fans started showing even more enthusiasm during the New Year amid NFL Playoff action and following the two teams securing a trip to New Orleans and Super Bowl XLVII. During January, the 49ers are the top-selling NFL team on Fanatics.com while the Ravens fall close behind at number two.

The star players on each team, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, are also bumping helmets off the field in merchandise sales on Fanatics.com. Since announcing his retirement on January 2, 2013, Lewis’ #52 Ravens jersey is the top-selling jersey on Fanatics.com during the month of January, up a resounding 2000% compared to last January.

While Lewis will be missed by Ravens fans, Niners nation found a gem in Kaepernick, who revealed his skill after replacing an injured Alex Smith mid-season and played a significant role in advancing the team to the Super Bowl. Not only did Kaepernick set a record for most rushing yards by any QB in an NFL game, his fan base also increased dramatically which reflected in merchandise and jersey sales. Kaepernick’s jersey has been the top-selling NFL jersey on Fanatics.com for the last two weeks.

Fans can continue to show their excitement for the 49ers and Ravens by choosing from thousands of NFL products, including Super Bowl jerseys, player name and number tees, Super Bowl hats, collectibles and much more. Enjoy free shipping on any order over $75, as well as fast 3-day delivery, 365-day returns and an Unconditional Satisfaction Guarantee. Click here for Super Bowl gear today and check Fanatics.com immediately following the game for Super Bowl XLVII Championship merchandise.

About Fanatics

Fanatics is a leading online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise and provides the ultimate shopping experience to sports fans. As a Top 50 Internet Retailer Company, Fanatics comprises the broadest online assortment offering hundreds of thousands of officially licensed items via its Fanatics (www.fanatics.com) and FansEdge (www.fansedge.com) brands, as well as the largest selection of sports collectibles and memorabilia through Fanatics Mounted Memories (www.mountedmemories.com). In addition, the Company powers the e-commerce sites of all major professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, PGA), major media brands (ESPN, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, FOX Sports) and over 200 collegiate and professional team properties. For more information, please visit www.fanaticsinc.com.

On January 20, 2013 the Ravens stopped history from repeating itself and defeated the Patriots to advance to the Super Bowl! Congratulate your Ravens on their big win over the Patriots with Baltimore Ravens AFC Championship Gear from Fanatics.

All reports leading up to the game speculated it would be a battle of the quarterbacks, and Joe Flacco bested Tom Brady to lead his team to a 28-13 win to secure his first ever Super Bowl appearance. Get ready for this momentous occassion for the Baltimore Ravens with Fanatics and our awesome collection of Super Bowl XLVII Merchandise that’ll have you ready for all the action in Nola.

The Ravens are looking to replicate their success from the 2000 season when they won their first AFC Championship and continued the momentum to take down the Giants to claim their first Super Bowl Championship. There’s plenty of motivation running through the Ravens locker room right now – Flacco is coming off some of the best games of his career in the playoffs, the Ravens are on a high after righting last year’s wrong in the AFC Championship Game by not letting any end of game plays end their Super Bowl dreams and Ray Lewis is ready to end his NFL career after this season. Get ready to cheer on the whole team with Ravens Jerseys, Sweatshirts, Ravens Champs T-Shirts and Hats, the same style Locker Room Gear you saw Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco and Ray Rice wearing on the field while they hoisted the Lamar Hunt Trophy. Make sure you stay tuned to Fanatics for the rest of the postseason, as we’ll have plenty of Ravens Champs Apparel rolling off the trucks daily, and of course we’ll have Super Bowl Champions Gear available for all the eager fans just minutes after the victors get to hold their Vince Lombardi Trophy high in the air.

The Quest for Six is alive and well in the City by the Bay. You’re 49ers are traveling to New Orleans to play in Super Bowl XLVII and hopefully win their 6th league championship in team history. Be right there in all the action with Fanatics and our collection of San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship Gear.

It’s been 18 long years, but you’re 49ers are NFC Champions again! Maybe you’ve been there since the beginning; during the days of Montana and Rice. Maybe you witnessed the 49ers in all their glory as they won the 1981, ’84, ’88 and ’89 Super Bowls under the command of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana. Did you root for the Bay Bombers when Steve Young took the helm and propelled them to another Super Bowl win in 1994? If you’ve been there through it all, then you need a 49ers NFC Champs T-Shirt to show the world you are and have always been a Niner at heart.

The 2011 San Francisco 49ers came so close to reaching Super Bowl XLVI, but a 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the 2012 NFC Conference Championship game ended their season. It’s a new team this year, but with the same Niners attitude of greatness. 2012 began a great year for the Niners, as Alex Smith led them to a 6-2 record before a concussion sidelined him and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh elected to go to second-year backup Colin Kaepernick for the remainder of the season. Kaepernick would go 5-2 down the stretch, mold a formidable partnership with running back Frank Gore and wide receiver Michael Crabtree, and lead the Niners to their first Conference Championship in 18 years. Now’s the time to grab a 49ers NFC Champs Hat, T-Shirt or Sweatshirt or shop our collection of NFC Championship Gear, and let everyone know you believe that nobody has it better than us. Don’t forget to get the jump on all the latest Super Bowl XLVII Merchandise from Fanatics.

Starting January 13, 2013 the players hit the ice to play in what will be the official start to the 2012-2013 NHL season, which was originally scheduled to begin October 11, 2012. More than 50% of the NHL season (625 regular season games) is lost due to the lockout, as the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) couldn’t come to terms with team owners over the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA). This makes for the third NHL lockout in 19 seasons, including the 2004-05 lockout that resulted in the cancelation of the entire season. The lockout also delays the NHL’s 60th All-Star Game until January of 2015. Terms of the NHL agreement included setting limits on contracts and extensions: eight years on extensions and seven for new contracts. A $60-million salary cap was set that will go into effect after a two-year transitional period. Celebrate the return of Hockey with Fanatics and our entire line of NHL Gear. Celebrate the return of hockey with NHL Apparel for all 30 professional hockey teams with NHL Jerseys, T-Shirts and more.

You can’t spell “Back to Back Champs” without “B-A-M-A”. In fact, you can’t even discuss college football without mentioning the dynasty that is the Alabama Crimson Tide. On January 7, 2013, the University of Alabama became the first-ever team to win two consecutive BCS Titles when they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 42-14 and were crowned 2012 National Champions. Celebrate this epic win with Fanatics and our collection of Alabama Championship Apparel.

It’s great being a Crimson Tide football fan, as their list of accomplishments and records just keeps growing and growing. For instance: No school has won more SEC Football Titles than the University Alabama. No school in NCAA history has more Football National Championships than the 15 claimed by the Alabama Crimson Tide. In fact, with this latest BCS Championship win, Alabama has won 3 National Championships out of the last 4 years – a record that could prove near impossible for anyone to best. Cheer on your favorite record-setting team with Alabama BCS Championship Gear today.

Fifty-nine. That’s how many Bowl appearances the Crimson Tide have made to date. Is that a record? You betcha! The University of Alabama has appeared in more Bowl games (59) and has won more Bowl games (35) than any other school in NCAA History. How is this possible, you may ask? Well, for one, Alabama has a lengthy history of strong recruiting. Winning isn’t only done on the field; it’s also done on the road, which is why they travel from state to state, recruiting the absolutely most talented high school players to play at UA. Also, Alabama has been gifted to have some of the best Hall-of-Fame coaches in the history of NCAA football. It’s for these reasons and many more that make the University of Alabama’s football program one of teh best football programs in the land. Show you root for #1 with an Alabama National Champs T-Shirt or Hat from FansEdge. Yea, Alabama!