The NBA D-League team that starts play this fall will be called the Erie BayHawks. They will play in the Tullio Arena.

“This team is going to be something special for the citizens of Erie,” said majority owner and managing partner Steve Demetriou. “We’re going to deliver great family entertainment and a high level of competitive basketball, and we now have a great name and logo to go along with that.”

You can learn more about the BayHawks on their website, eriebayhawks.com.

If you read the complete press release, you’ll also find this info:

The colors black, red, and gold all have meanings beyond the history. Gold symbolizes royalty and the highest level of award one can have bestowed on them. This is significant since the team and logo are meant to represent the Erie community as a proud representative of the region while striving always to be a championship organization both on and off the basketball floor. Black represents authority and power as well as the aggression needed to win for the fans of Erie. The color also represents the respect the BayHawks players and organization will demonstrate for the community. Finally, red represents the fierce intensity and passion of BayHawks Basketball.

Jean-Luc was stunned.