Name Change?

[Porn Shop Clerk]

Bob Johnson's biggest mistake was hiring those retards that told him C-Net would work here.

Then everyone cried tears of blood when he fired their asses.

Then he did everything he could to fix what he could possibly fix through naming rights, lowering seat prices, and getting the games on networks that were more available than News 14.

What would Shinn have done? Thrown a fit, blamed the local market and business owners, then move the team.

[Britneck]

Dude, stop taking generalizations so personally. If they don't apply to you, then they don't apply to you. Be secure in that knowledge.

Nowhere did T implicate you as an individual in this.

Zo knew he was a better player than LJ and deserved more money. He also couldn't stand Shinn because he was a meddling douchebag rapist. Glenn Rice did pretty well after he left, and so did Eddie Jones. Trading LJ was the only good decision Shinn ever made.

He let Matt Geiger and Vlade walk so Derrick Coleman could come in even though Dave Cowens DID NOT WANT HIM.

The Hornets had their most successful coach ever walk out the door because of Shinn. He brought on Ray Woolridge as a partner instead of Jordan because Jordan would have stolen the spotlight. And Woolridge is arguably the biggest douchebag every associated with Charlotte professional sports.

I have to wonder why you take it so personal when its brought up that the area has a lot of people in it that are uncomfortable with the Bobcats because of race.

In fact, I don't think I've ever seen T pick one of your posts out the way you do his. Stop baaaaaawwwwwwing like a baby everytime someone points out that a white owner would be treated much differently. Because its true.

Ok i take my one apology back you're a moron. Have fun blowing King T every chance you get.

[Mesmer]

Bob Johnson's biggest mistake was hiring those retards that told him C-Net would work here.

Then everyone cried tears of blood when he fired their asses.

Then he did everything he could to fix what he could possibly fix through naming rights, lowering seat prices, and getting the games on networks that were more available than News 14.

What would Shinn have done? Thrown a fit, blamed the local market and business owners, then move the team.

Absolutely agree here. Johnson handled that mistake well. Shinn was absolutely terrible and anyone trying to glorify his stay in Charlotte is just insane.

When I say Johnson just didn't have what it takes... I mean like to come here in the Charlotte market, and make this franchise as popular as the Hornets were when they were near the top of the league in attendance figures. Make Charlotte hype as hell about NBA ball again.

Hopefully MJ can build off of the foundation laid, which was not bad at all by Mr. Johnson. I just don't feel like if Johnson would have kept the team for shits and giggles that this team would have stepped forward much at all from here.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

I dunno, with the way we were headed, trying to build a team of hard workers from day one, (something Bob demanded and saw through) the sky is the limit.

Bob handled the marketing side pretty badly, and drafting Ammo was pure stupidity, and nobody knew Brook Lopez would set the world on fire, but the team was mostly built right, with players that are gritty and want to be here.

It has been suggested in this forum by some that Bob was the worst owner in the league, that all the black people working at the arena and hip hop makes them feel 'unwelcome'.

The only thing King T and I have in common I think are we read the retarded comments posted on the Observer then come here wanting to discuss the issue with rational adults, only to have the same ignorant statements flung around.

And the statements are eerily similar to those made by people I know IRL (yes it exists and I has experience with it) that are former hornets fans, and blatantly racist around other whites.

Spend as much time here, and you'll see people indulge those insanities sooner or later. Been in this forum almost every day since it was opened. One of the original 10, probably. I've seen all kinds of stupid poo. Go read this thread http://www.carolinahuddle.com/forum/charlotte-bobcats/30095-thank-you-bob-johnson.html for gems like these:

I'm thankful he brought us the Bobcats but that's about it. Now I'm thankful that he's selling and getting out of town. He's one of the worst owners in the league.

Makes honkies feel insecure to see a black man succeed far past their own capabilities.

I never liked Bob. It seemed like he did everything with racial implications in mind. I don't like anybody that operates that way. I know that I felt excluded from the Bobcats for the first few seasons because of the overwhelming racial elements at play. Mostly black cheer squad, mostly black coaching staff, mostly black employees, partners with Nelly, the games aired on UPN for goodness sake. It seemed to me that Bob went too far out of his way to promote black people to fill roles and that made me feel like an outsider and as a person that didn't belong there. I don't consider myself to be a racist person and I am honored that the first black owner of a sports franchise was in North Carolina, but at some point it became obvious that Bob was simply operating this way because of his own personal motivations and that was disheartening.

The fact that I'm so pale I glow and I have a red beard will never change the fact that I'm a proud black man.

That whole thread is full of lulz and category error.

[Mesmer]

I just don't like being lumped in with racist sentiments, because I don't approve of the overall job that Bob Johnson did with this team.

To make myself 100% clear, this is one of the hardest jobs in the NBA, IMO. I mean, you're talking about coming into a small market where people are still hostile towards the NBA and professional basketball... where there's already an NFL team.. and on top of that you're the first minority owner in the game?

It's going to be hard to win over these fans. And there's not a ton of them, like in a NY market or something. This could have been a complete disaster. But it wasn't. So Johnson deserves some credit for that. But I also don't feel like this team would have been very successful in the long run under Johnson. Marketing is so, so important, and he just didn't have a good grasp of it.

I'll shut the hell up now.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

I think if we'd made the playoffs in year 3, everyone would have shut the hell up about Bob Johnson.

[X-Clown]

So which one of those had an LJ or Zo caliber player?

Oh, Dwight Howard.

He's not a big man, but I think Brandon Roy (or even Rudy Gay) would have given us a much greater chance at making the playoffs than Morrison. Even the guy picked right after him who we happened to trade for two weeks ago would have been a better choice in Tyrus Thomas. If we take Roy or Gay, there's no need to trade next year's #8 pick overall for another SG in Jason Richardson.

The trade we left on the table to deal the picks that ended up being Felton/May for Chris Paul also could have gotten a franchise type in the door.

The point is, both the Panther and Bobcat front offices have made some mistakes, both in the distant past and in recent years. To pretend that either is head and shoulders above the other is ridiculous.

[cdandi1]

I just don't like being lumped in with racist sentiments, because I don't approve of the overall job that Bob Johnson did with this team.

To make myself 100% clear, this is one of the hardest jobs in the NBA, IMO. I mean, you're talking about coming into a small market where people are still hostile towards the NBA and professional basketball... where there's already an NFL team.. and on top of that you're the first minority owner in the game?

It's going to be hard to win over these fans. And there's not a ton of them, like in a NY market or something. This could have been a complete disaster. But it wasn't. So Johnson deserves some credit for that. But I also don't feel like this team would have been very successful in the long run under Johnson. Marketing is so, so important, and he just didn't have a good grasp of it.

I'll shut the hell up now.

I can see both sides of the argument here in this forum, just becuse I might not see Johnson as a great owner doesn't mean im racist. Mind you this is coming from a person whos been to multiple Bobcats games since their conception, even back to the Coliseum days when ESPN made fun of our poor audio system. So its not like I hopped on the wagon now or thought Shinn was god. Shinn took our team away, hes a ***. I don't like him personally. Now Johnson just made some bad moves from a standpoint of starting off a new franchise and it was probably right to move on and sell the team. All im saying, or reiterating what Mesmer said, is that just becuase I questioned some of Johnsons decisions and tactics doesn't mean I am a racist it just means i felt that way based on the facts. The cats wern't on TV, ticket prices were high (which didn't keep me away too much) and like it or not the city cheered for Flight the most and he picked Bobcats anyway. Which in the end does seem a lil arrogant, in the same way the Browns being named the Browns seems a high and mighty too.

[X-Clown]

I agree with most of your sentiments JR. Another thing that kind of soured me on Bob, was in 2008 that he was ready to remove radio broadcasts of the game to cut costs and it took league officials to talk them out of doing that. How is that going to help you gain fans, especially when so many of them can't see your team on TV?

[panthersphan]

Michael Wilbon from Pardon The Interuption suggested:

"Carolina Cougars"

"Charlotte Flyers"

"Charlotte Airmen"

I'd be down for the Cougars (but NOT Carolina) or Flyers...but the "Airmen"...seriously...

[Matt Foley]

Charlotte Knights

All other names suck.

[panthersphan]

Charlotte Knights

All other names suck.

I like it...but the actual Charlotte Knights might not...

I say (wishful thinking) rename the Bobcats to the Knights and eventually relocate the Kansas City Royals to Charlotte

[Matt Foley]

I like it...but the actual Charlotte Knights might not...

I say (wishful thinking) rename the Bobcats to the Knights and eventually relocate the Kansas City Royals to Charlotte

St. Louis had a baseball and football Cardinals. New York had a baseball and football Giants. And the Knights aren't even major league.

[King Taharqa]

Carolina Plantations.