Pick a city. Any city. How about any city with a regional population of around a million people? Try, say...Oklahoma City. Then try building an arena in the downtown area, close to the restaurants, the canal, the river, the freeway, and the metro transit system. How about an arena as large as the Los Angeles Lakers' Staples Center? Yes, that's right the Ford Center in downtown Oklahoma City can seat 20,000. Just like the Staples Center.
Did he say, "Just like the Staples Center"? Well, actually he did. You see, I was there on opening night for the Oklahoma City Hornets. They played the Sacramento Kings and had so much emotion and excitement going in that arena that they didn't even score for the first three minutes of the game. And the crowd thanked them by...sitting down! Yes, the crowd, all 19,163 fans (a sellout at the time in that particular configuration) were standing from the National Anthem to the player introductions to the tip-off through the next three minutes.
They ended up blowing the Sacramento Kings out by 26 points. And the crowd wouldn't shut up about it!
Oklahoma City fans didn't know any better. They're a college type of town. They get excited for their teams. I know, it's a shocker, but they were actually into the game. They cheered loudly for the Hornets and they booed when the other team did something well or the referees didn't.
I've been to other professional sporting events around the country and I have never seen anything like it. Noise from start to finish. Excitement throughout the game. "But that was just Opening Night", you might say. Well, how about two weeks later when I went to another game. Yes, well it was another sellout, another win, and another sore voice for all involved. You see, when everyone around you is yelling for your team, you're a lot more likely to do it yourself. Oklahoma City was that type of host for the Hornets. Two years of mostly sellouts. Two years of true FANatics!
Then they left and went back to New Orleans. Honestly, at the time I thought that was where they belonged; it was the right thing to do. However, the city of New Orleans has proven me wrong. One of the best records in the NBA. One of the best players in the league (Chris Paul for MVP, anyone?). High scoring games and emotional players. Yet, an average of 13,925 fans are showing up for this incredible team. Unfortunately, that's 13,925 documented fans. On the television, it sure looks like a lot less than that are actually showing up. When most of the lower level is half full, it's not a good sign.
I'm not blaming New Orleans for this; I'm just stating a fact. It's likely that the locals have more to worry about and definitely a lot more to pay for.
I was in New Orleans about two weeks after Hurricane Katrina as part of the relief effort. It was and still is, in most respects, a mess. It's not the local residents' fault that the Hornets are not being supported by fans or local business sponsorships. It's just a fact. Meanwhile, one of the best teams in the league is going largely unwatched by their own fans.
Am I the bad guy to say that the Hornets should be somewhere else? Or, am I the realist? The people of that city don't have the fiscal capacity to support an NBA franchise and an NFL franchise. Eight home games for the Saints is a lot easier to fill than 41 home games for the Hornets, regardless of the stadium versus arena capacities argument.
New Orleans simply can't do it. They're proving it every night when a good team like the San Antonio Spurs come to town and the announced crowd is five percent under capacity. That’s a paltry 16,319. Compare that to an enthusiastic crowd of 20,000 in Oklahoma City.
Yes, I was there when they first came to OKC. Yes, I got a stinkin' t-shirt. And yes, I'll be there when the Hornets move back to the Ford Center to a rockin' sellout crowd that refuses to sit down until the first Hornet basket is scored.
13 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
Your one dumb pos if you think the hornets are going back to OK. If you did some research you would find out that shinn wants to get a LONG TERM deal done in the next 10 weeks because things are going so well. The arena has been sold out about 6 of the last 8 games with only 250,000 people in the city. One quarter of the population of OK. The reason the seats aren't sell during the game is due to people working late. They still go the game but don't there untill half-time. They are paying the money for the seat only for half the game. If you did a little more research you would find out that that the northshore, or the white people with money, can't even watch the game on tv. How do expect people to become fans when they can't even watch the games to become fans. You should also know that the attendance requirement will be met and soon surpassed this Friday with the sellout against the Lakers meaning the Hornets will stay according to the current deal. If you did a little more research you would find out that all the expensive seats including the court side, lower level, and box seats are always sold out. It is the $10 tickets that are at the top of the arena that don't always sell. That means that they are making plenty of money. I believe, even with the 2 years away from New Orleans and the problems from the storm, the Hornets will have the best fans around just like the Saints and LSU once people see enough of them to start to like and follow them. Its only been 3 months they have been back, I think its a little pre-mature to judge. The attendance has turned around even without the northshore fans being able to see them. I suggest you try not to add your slant to a story and get your facts straight before you write an article and make a prediction because you look like a complete fool.
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Michael Venning about 1 year ago
Everything in the article is a fact. Mainly taken from your local newspapers in New Orleans. And normally a fact is not preceded by the word "about" such as your "about 6 out of 8". The Hornets have been on national TV twice this year, and I've watched both. The lower level was not even close to full. And these absences were not people getting food for visiting the latrines. There were entire ROWS that were empty in the lower level. Main reason I remember is that the commentator mentioned it.
You seem to have taken this article personally. I explained that within. New Orleans is not to blame; I'm just saying if you do look at the FACTS, New Orleans is not going to the games.
Don't bring Shinn into your argument. You should know better than I that the man is an idiot.
My main point was not to slam New Orleans, but simply to state there are other cities in this country that could support an NBA franchise above and beyond what New Orleans is doing. You said it yourself, "250,000". That's not enough to support your "LONG TERM deal".
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Haha, this article would have made sense in December but you obviously could care less about the present. This article isnt even worth a critique.
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Joe Willett about 1 year ago
yet you still gave it one
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
You should try actually watching the games instead of spreading half-truths and lies. New Orleans has sold out 6 of the last 8 games, their attendance is being counted differently than other teams this year due to the lease.
Last night in New Orleans the fans booed the Spurs from the middle of the 3rd quarter all the way until the end of the game, the Hornets won by 25 pts. The fans were loud, and made a difference. Only a small town vulture would want to move the Hornets now.
I guess this guy also missed the All Star weekend last month that was a huge success.
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Michael Venning about 1 year ago
I'm not sure what angle you're coming from, but my information is coming from YOUR media. And I've seen your postings on other sites complaining about the OKC lovefest. You're not related to Shinn are you?
By the way, the All Star weekend will always be a success, even if they hold it in Des Moines, Iowa. It's a great weekend, regardless of the location.
The proof is in the nightly attendance. Your official attendance last night was 16,319. NOT A SELLOUT. Read the official box score. Or maybe the scorer was lying. Or maybe Yahoo is wrong. Or maybe the Times-Picayune is wrong. Sorry, mate - Get over it!
And, on the flip-side, you've got to realize what you're reading sometimes. A little satire in life can ease your mind. This is not a persuasive piece or a documentary. It's one fan's view of one issue with a satirical outlook.
I don't even live in Oklahoma City! I'm simply a sports fan that loves the game.
Last thing for you - I was wearing that "stinkin'" t-shirt last night. I didn't even realize it until I was done with the article.
Respond all you want, just please use facts with sources stated. I'm not a fan of your abusive hatred without any substantial backing.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Michael its 3 different people commenting on your article not 1. I'm the first poster and tried to post a rebuttal to your message twice but it kept messing up so i gave up but I'll try one more time. Why are you making a big deal about 700 unsold $10 tickets when its pretty darn close to a sellout and all of the expensive seats are sold out. Secondly, the point you tried to make in your article is false. The Hornets will not be moving back to OK because they are about to sign a LONG TERM DEAL in the next 10 weeks because things are going so well. Yes you are getting your facts from OUR media but the facts are out dated and things have changed. Try to write the same story with data and stories from the last month and a half.....you can't. Another beef I have is the thought that a team should be relocated if attendance is low for a few months. I guess that means the pacers should move because their attendance sucks huh? The Hornets have only been back for 5 stinkin months jeez let the fans get reaquainted with the team. Even with a low population, which will increase dramaticly in the coming months and years, the hornets are selling out and will continue to sellout. Get off your slanted high horse and admit you are wrong and your info is wrong.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I had to cut the comment into 2 parts so here is the second part..... In response to your issue with empty seats I will give you an explanation. I live and work on the Northshore and don't get off until 5. It takes me an hour to get home, with traffic, to pick up my roommates and head to the game. It takes another hour and a half to get to the arena with traffic. For a 7:00 tip, we don't get there until about 8:00. We miss the entire 1st half but still pay full price for the tickets. This is the case for many of the workers and business people that attend the game that live in NO and the metro area. I think that is commitment and passion towards the team. To prove my point go to youtube type in hornets vs spurs and look at the highlights. There are empty seats in the lower section during the 1st half of the game but it is full halfway through. My point is that you can't take the short term view of low attendance and think you should yank the team. If that was the case no team would stay in a city for more than 7 years. Get your messed up FACTS straight and updated before writing an article that people who don't know the truth will read and think you are correct. I love how you want sources stated when you didn't even cite sources in your article. I'm not a fan of your pure ignorance...read some up to date material or better yet come down and go to a game. I bet it will be twice as loud as the 20,000 people in lame ass OK. Your just mad OK can't even get one pro sports team. You have to try and steal somebody else's team after a natural disaster...thats pretty sad.
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Michael Venning about 1 year ago
Wow. Nevermind. I'm not going to spend any more time proving to you what has already come from your own media within the last week. I may have learned my lesson on this one to cite my sources within the article, but most of the time people don't have the audacity to call someone a liar when if you would simply Google the facts, you'd find them word for word.
Finally, if you're that enthusiastic about your Hornets, then get a real name and profile and spread your thoughts. I honestly am appreciative of your love of your team. But do it with a full article. Don't just trash me because I happen to oppose your ideas.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Well its a shame i type in "new orleans hornets" on google to find out news and what people say about the game and it comes up with this. I would love if your could cite your sources that published their articles about the team within the last week. That would be great. You will find that kind of stuff in 07 but not recently. I acutally google the hornets, saints, and lsu about 3 times a day to look at articles and news. I read all the articles from nola ,wwl, fox, and espn daily so I don't know where you get your info from.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
This "article" is a joke. Sounds like someone misses being major league, don't worry your business leaders are in the process of the worst heist in pro basketball to help you and others with your inferiority complex. They are taking a franchise from a VERY LARGE market and moving it to a VERY SMALL market where the owners have actually said they "hope to break even".
Explain this .... if OKC is so great then are the Hornets making twice as much money this season in sponsorships? You can bash on attendance all you want, people watching the games know the truth.
Also, if Shinn was in such dire straights, why did he contact the state of Louisiana for another new lease without benchmarks or out clauses?
Your "facts" or old but the intent is still the same. Stealing a franchise. You would think the Sonics would be enough but OKC will not be happy until the league moves their headquarters to OKC.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
If you think the OKC Arena is anything like The Staples Center then you are sadly mistaken and shouldn't be allowed to write for any sports related website. The Staples Center is one of the best arenas in the world, the Ford Center is not even the best arena in Oklahoma.
Everyone knows the OKC numbers were fudged to improve OKC's future NBA chances, Clay and his cronies have been exposed in Seattle.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I wonder why the Okies are working on a lease with the Sonics? If the Hornets are going back it seems like a lot of time and money wasted.
This article is a disgrace, Bleacher Report should be more careful about what it publishes.
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