93 replies to this topic

[Lomez]

Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan admits his team has an image problem, and he's not referring to their 4-26 record.

It's something worse, in his opinion. Somehow, after eight seasons as a franchise, the Bobcats still are not considered a part of the fabric of the community.

This is partly the team's own doing, he said, due to some regrettable moves, including a 2008 decision by former owner Robert Johnson to lay off the entire community relations staff. They were the ones responsible for coordinating team donations, community service projects and other acts of kindness.

Read more here: http://www.charlotte...l#storylink=cpy

Decent article about MJ trying to reconnect with the community, something that has not really been done for the 8 years of the Bobcats' existence. What I find interesting are the comments, which are all about buying back the Hornets name. One person suggests that since NOLA may very well be moved to Seattle, they would become the Sonics again, leaving the Hornets name up for grabs (with a $15 million price tag). I know Stern has said he's not interested in moving that team, but something has to be done.

Every time I go into hat or sports stores in the mall here in Charlotte I see more Charlotte Hornets gear than Bobcats. Re-branding this team and changing the color scheme would be a hefty endeavor financially, but it would go a heck of a long way to re-energize this city and the fan base...especially if it comes along with a decent number 1 or 2 draft pick this year. I think this city really wants to love this NBA team badly, but the lingering effects of Bob Johnson make it hard to embrace.

Other comments are saying we should use the Cougars name and the red/light blue color scheme. Works for me. What we have right now just isn't working.

Oh, and we lost by like 40 tonight I think.

[KBRed]

It was 100-54 at one point. I think there would be a lot of 'past fans' that would come back to the Hornets brand. Buying new hats, jerseys, and apparel if the theme was reinvigorated.

[Nicbsbll2]

Bringing back the Hornets name will do more for the team than anything else they can possible do. But those cajun inbreds seem to think that the league is close to settling on an ownership group that will keep the team in New Orleans.

[Munch4455]

I think this city really wants to love this NBA team badly, but the lingering effects of Bob Johnson make it hard to embrace

http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance

Despite fielding the worst team ever put together in the NBA, or possibly any sport for that fact, we are 14th in the league in attendance. Imagine if they actually put a good product on the court.

[SOJA]

we need to draft well. Everything gets better with winning, and small market teams win through drafting well. See Oklahoma City.

[Daddy Uncle]

bob johnson is about as bad as george shinn. screw both of them. we have to lose the bobcats thing. it is a must. the whole organization needs an entire makeover to save the franchise. lots of work to be done. but it has to be done.

[Boner Champ]

[Panthro]

go hornets!

[cdandi1]

People in NO want whoever the new owner is to re-brand the team. They all hate the logo, name, colors, etc.

[mvp2011]

I'm not sure the Hornets name should be resurrected but the Bobcats never stuck and the fan experience was a shadow of the old Hornets games. We have a small uptown venue with a shitty team, so until that changes it doesn't matter how we package it. Must draft talent, something we have never done.

[Johnny Rockets]

Bringing back the Hornets name will do more for the team than anything else they can possible do. . [/URL]

If you believe that, then you really underestimate what winning can do.

Also, a big reason there is more Hornets merchandise than Bobcats in the stores is that "throwback" attire is big right now and very popular with the NBA fanbase.

Spend $15M on the rights to the Hornet name then go out and continue to win 1 out of every 10 games and nothing will change. I just think this whole "We need the Hornets name again" movement is highly overated. Changing the name will have no impact without putting something worthwhile to watch out on the court.

[King Taharqa]

Renaming this pitiful basketball team the Hornets will do nothing. I swear some of yall act like the Hornets won an NBA title with this nostalgia. I vividly remember people ready to see them go. Now you'd think we were in the Eastern Conference Finals every year.

If you change the name, you still will have MJ as the owner, still have NBDLers starting, and still have people saying "I know they're the Hornets now, but its just now the same I miss Zo and Mugsy!". Changing the name isnt a fix. There's a plethora of Hornets hats and gear on the market, why not just buy those?

Also, the pink elephant in the room. MJ is not the owner or spender that Bob Johnson was. He handed that man a playoff team and 2-3 years later MJ has made it infiinitely worse with no set destination in sight. He's more "likeable" and people want to "support" him more, but I challenge anyone to tell me how we're better now with MJ as our owner than we were with Bob. Our FOUNDER was willing to spend and try to make this work, MJ still hasnt shown that. I used to blame "fans" for lack of support and deep apathy, but right now with the recent moves we made, I dont blame people NOW.

[Boner Champ]

Renaming this pitiful basketball team the Hornets will do nothing. I swear some of yall act like the Hornets won an NBA title with this nostalgia. I vividly remember people ready to see them go. Now you'd think we were in the Eastern Conference Finals every year.

If you change the name, you still will have MJ as the owner, still have NBDLers starting, and still have people saying "I know they're the Hornets now, but its just now the same I miss Zo and Mugsy!". Changing the name isnt a fix. There's a plethora of Hornets hats and gear on the market, why not just buy those?

Also, the pink elephant in the room. MJ is not the owner or spender that Bob Johnson was. He handed that man a playoff team and 2-3 years later MJ has made it infiinitely worse with no set destination in sight. He's more "likeable" and people want to "support" him more, but I challenge anyone to tell me how we're better now with MJ as our owner than we were with Bob. Our FOUNDER was willing to spend and try to make this work, MJ still hasnt shown that. I used to blame "fans" for lack of support and deep apathy, but right now with the recent moves we made, I dont blame people NOW.

I whole heartedly agree...Bob did spend more money than MJ. However, nobody went to the games and there were no fans showing up to support a "playoffs" team. The reason no one came to the games is because Bob was a total ass to the city of Charlotte and the people who support the team. On the flip side, Whatever MJ has done since he bought the team is working, as far as fan support. Now given, we have the worst product in the NBA on the floor right now, at least people are coming to the games.

The title of this thread is Jordan wants to restore the bobcats image.....my question is restore it back to what??? The bobcats and Charlotte never reached any great height under Bob. Most people want the old hornets name and logo back....that is fine, but without putting a winning product on the court, the image will always be the same....garbage.

[mvp2011]

I whole heartedly agree...Bob did spend more money than MJ. However, nobody went to the games and there were no fans showing up to support a "playoffs" team. The reason no one came to the games is because Bob was a total ass to the city of Charlotte and the people who support the team. On the flip side, Whatever MJ has done since he bought the team is working, as far as fan support. Now given, we have the worst product in the NBA on the floor right now, at least people are coming to the games.

The title of this thread is Jordan wants to restore the bobcats image.....my question is restore it back to what??? The bobcats and Charlotte never reached any great height under Bob. Most people want the old hornets name and logo back....that is fine, but without putting a winning product on the court, the image will always be the same....garbage.

I think there was a better following before MJ took over. We weren't built to do anything but at least people paid attention a little bit. Jordan has let it be known that he is very cheap and no one wants to play here. I don't think he would be cheap if we had a team to build around but thanks to his hirings and awful talent evaluation we have no one.

[Lomez]

I understand that throwback apparel is popular now, but I'd bet anything that if Jordan re-branded this team, no one would be buying and throwback Bobcats gear in 10 years.

And yes, of course winning must accompany this sort of change. No one is suggesting you should just slap the Hornets name on this atrocity--what was that Barry Obama said about lipstick on a pig? Instead, you could be looking at a perfect storm of events over the next couple of years. Re-brand the team, get the fan base excited and energized about the team again. Then have a couple of successful drafts in a row. Build the team with young talent, establish a great home court advantage, and take off from there. I didn't live in the city when the Bobcats were in the playoffs, but I really don't remember it being that big of a deal...as in no one really cared. Re-branding will convert a lot of the fans that were alienated by the horrible mascot name, ugly colors and logo, and high school basketball broadcast style on UPN back in the day. Pair that with winning...here we go.