A GREAT article about the Bobcats

[King Taharqa]

You know its really sad when a non-paid blogger does better write ups of the Bobcats and the NBA than paid writers for the local rag tag newspaper. This is a piece that was written today by a Bobcats fan and hits the nail so hard on the head it isnt funny. This should be mandatory reading for any Bobcats fan or anybody who doesnt understand the uber-paranoid small town mentality of Charlotte. Here's a few paragraphs....

Which is why I think the natives feel, explicitly or not, that the region is under attack. With so many transplants (me, included), the Carolina Way is disappearing. It doesn't matter as much to the Massachusetts people or the New York people or the Pennsylvania people or the California people that the local NBA franchise owner isn't particularly personable and doesn't really mingle among the people because that's not his expected role to us. To the native folks, it was a major affront to their way of life that Bob Johnson didn't see that as one of his responsibilities, leading to debacles such as the moment he chided local businesses for not stepping up and supporting the local team, even though from their point of view he was acting like an arrogant jerk because he wasn't stopping by the storefront to shake hands and shoot the bull. He didn't even make a show of respecting the local culture.

The Cats are, like it or not, a symbol of outsider influence in Charlotte. The Hornets were of and by Charlotte, the beloved firstborn, whereas the Bobcats are, to too many people, a weak excuse for a replacement child. An outside, New York-based, organization had a hand in yanking the Hornets away, and then that same organization saw fit to "grant" the locals another franchise to make up and make nice, only they didn't really consult with what the locals wanted -- they didn't stop by the storefront, shoot the bull, and really attempt to smooth over hard feelings. And then the outside organization sold the team to an outsider owner, and those outsiders convinced the local government to finance and hand over a brand new arena, despite a non-binding resolution vote against it.

All of which is why I keep saying that it's a good thing the Bobcats have massive penalties attached to leaving Charlotte, because they'd be in Seattle, Kansas City, or Pittsburgh by now without those stipulations. And it's also pretty much a given that, unlike the Mets, or any other expansion franchise in American sports history, the Bobcats will have to wait for children to embrace the team and grow up as fans in order to become an institution in the community. The adult transplants won't do it because they're, by and large, fans of other teams already. Worse, the adult natives won't do it because becoming a fan of the Bobcats is something akin to befriending the murderer of one's child. That may be melodramatic, but if you were one of those people who loved the Hornets with all your heart and are now a passionate Bobcats fan, well... good luck finding many other people like you.

http://www.rufusonfire.com/2010/2/27/1329230/charlotte-business-and-the-bobcats?ref=yahoo#add-comment

Excellent work Mr.Arnott.

[cdandi1]

its parnoid small town, but everything he said is right. out of town people who don't embrace the culture fail, especially when they try to replace something as beloved as the hornets. I was a huge hornets lover, now a bobcats lover...i guess im one of the few.

[Wolfcop]

I admit I do not have the passion yet for the Cats that I did with the Hornets. But, I have supported the Cats from day 1 and I will continue to regardless of the record. That's just the way I am. Support the HOME team. It burns me up to still see so many Redskins fans around here when the Panthers have been more successful lately AND they have been the home team for the last 15 years. Idiots!

[King Taharqa]

I admit I do not have the passion yet for the Cats that I did with the Hornets. But, I have supported the Cats from day 1 and I will continue to regardless of the record. That's just the way I am. Support the HOME team.

It seems so simple, yet for so many here its a difficult task. REP!

[CatMan72]

I'm a native and while there are some interesting "theories" in that blog, I think it's way off base.

One of the main reasons the Bobcats are having trouble taking root in the community is that this community is made up of many transplants that already have allegiances to other teams. You combine that with the fact that this is fundamentally a college basketball town and the one taste this town had of an NBA team ended badly and it means an owner is going to have to go out of his way to set down roots here... but what did Bob Johnson do?

1. Started out by putting the Cats on his own TV network which most folks don't have.

2. Priced the tickets as if this was Boston or LA.

3. Assembled a bargain-bin team to replace a contender like the Hornets.

Only when Mr. Johnson felt the pinch of losing tens of millions of dollars did he finally make deals to get the Bobcats on mainstream TV, lower ticket prices and pay for elite talent (starting with Larry Brown).

I do think the Bobcats will eventually take root here, but they got started off on the wrong foot in many ways - so it delayed that process.

[TyHillPanthers]

I'm a native and while there are some interesting "theories" in that blog, I think it's way off base.

One of the main reasons the Bobcats are having trouble taking root in the community is that this community is made up of many transplants that already have allegiances to other teams. You combine that with the fact that this is fundamentally a college basketball town and the one taste this town had of an NBA team ended badly and it means an owner is going to have to go out of his way to set down roots here... but what did Bob Johnson do?

1. Started out by putting the Cats on his own TV network which most folks don't have.

2. Priced the tickets as if this was Boston or LA.

3. Assembled a bargain-bin team to replace a contender like the Hornets.

Only when Mr. Johnson felt the pinch of losing tens of millions of dollars did he finally make deals to get the Bobcats on mainstream TV, lower ticket prices and pay for elite talent (starting with Larry Brown).

I do think the Bobcats will eventually take root here, but they got started off on the wrong foot in many ways - so it delayed that process.

I hope the fans start showing up to the games more. I feel the Bobcats should of been put in Greensboro or Raleigh.

[Kurb]

TV deal was the biggest problem.

No way for people in the east of the state to keep up with games.

[King Taharqa]

I hope the fans start showing up to the games more. I feel the Bobcats should of been put in Greensboro or Raleigh.

They would definitely get more fan support. Charlotte has never been able to prove it can support 2 major sports franchises at the same time.

[King Taharqa]

I'm a native and while there are some interesting "theories" in that blog, I think it's way off base.

One of the main reasons the Bobcats are having trouble taking root in the community is that this community is made up of many transplants that already have allegiances to other teams. You combine that with the fact that this is fundamentally a college basketball town and the one taste this town had of an NBA team ended badly and it means an owner is going to have to go out of his way to set down roots here... but what did Bob Johnson do?

Keep in mind the writer of this blog is a "transplant" himself. Me myself Im a native and have rooted for the Hornets, Panthers, & Bobcats the minute we were awarded those franchises. I agree 110% with this article. Most transplants here dont give a damn about the Bobcats and tend to look down on Charlotte sports teams overall. Someone who just moved here 5-10 years ago from New York, New Jersey or Florida doesnt really know who Shinn is or has the emotional attacment to the Hornets that a native would. The main people who romanticize the Hornets ARE natives. These are the people who bring up an arena referendum from 8 years ago. These are the people who might've went to school with Shinns kids, or worked for the Hornets, or might've been original season ticket holders. These are the people who would care enough to comment on the Charlotte Observer website EVERY day.

Shinn to this day is more popular in Charlotte amongst natives than Bob Johnson. And he's the only owner to move a pro team away from here. Thats very telling and is proof that the "local good ole boy" network is in full effect here. Being a local product goes a long way. So the people who never were willing to trust Bob and wont trust Mike dont care how much good the Bobs do or if they're in a playoff hunt, because those guys arent "one of us". Basically people want Mike to be Shinn (without the controversies of course) and I dont think thats realistic. The flip side to that is, no matter how badly the Panthers front office is mismanaged or how dull the BOA gameday atmosphere is, people arent willing to hold our owner accountable because he's a local and is entrenched in the "good ole boy" network here. MOST markets dont operate that way. Owners DONT HAVE to live in the market their franchises are in. And just because one is, doesnt excuse them from putting out a winning product.

After 6 years of excuses and getting 2 owners to bail in less than 10 years, the honus is on Charlotte to prove its a real sports town. There's only so many owners people can blame for being too lazy to support their city's sports teams.

[BOBCATS_BALL!]

Nice read. I think I'm one of the few who are more into the cats then the hornets.

[King Taharqa]

Nice read. I think I'm one of the few who are more into the cats then the hornets.

We need more people like you here who realize its 2010 and not 1988 anymore.

[bLACKpANTHER]

i used to support the Hornets - i love the Cats.. and im from DC :out:

figure that one out

[davos]

I think that author hit a major point that should be explored more: The diminishing local culture.

If you ask someone outside of the Carolinas to relate Charlotte to something that is unique apart from other cities in the Carolinas, they will have a heck of hard time. The most you can come up with is 'banks'. And that right there is the problem. The banks are full of these transplants with teams they already are true fans of.

I honestly think most people are over the Hornet saga, but the problem is that there isn't a distinct Charlotte way anymore. I have lived in Charlotte since 1990, and its clear that people just don't care about the Bobcats. Their is a disconnect within the city and its a mash-up of conflicting cultures (Hence the terrible drivers ) and the overall lack of city hot spots/public areas. There basically aren't general cultural hubs anymore. In the early 90s, these places included Lake Wylie, Knight's Castle, Carrowinds/Balloon Mall, The Colosseum, The Baker family waterpark, etc. They were accessible for all ages and fun. Nowadays, the city is full of young bankers who flood the lackluster bar/club scene and could care less about sports. I'm sorry to say this but the banks have diminished the culture and are really the problem. The lakes have become ritzy neighborhoods surrounding filthy water, barely anyone knows who the Knights are anymore, and of course the Colosseum is torn down.

If the Bobcats want to succeed, they need to work with the city, developers and organizations like the Panthers to create new traditions and generate excitement. We need areas where all of these different people from all over the nation can interact and generate common ideas and generate a new culture. The Cats need to use all of that season ticket holder money to do some cool stuff and become something new that can mold into a growing culture.

Personally, I like the Bobcats as a team, but not as an organization and that sentiment is evident across the board.

Hopefully that wasn't too sporadic.

[CatMan72]

I think the bottom line is when the Bobcats start playing consistently over .500 people will get interested. All a new team needs is a few years of success for folks to start to buy in.

Look at the Saints, you couldn't find anyone that was willing to admit they were a Saints fan 5 years ago and now they are coming out of the woodwork.