Despite the fact that the Hornets hardly wowed the sports world with their wins, the fans in Charlotte were absolutely crazed when it came to “Hornets Hysteria,” and a ticket to a game at “the Hive” was all but impossible to come by.

By the end of the season, 950,064 people had attended games in Charlotte, and the Hornets were named the NBA attendance champions for 1988-89—a feat they would repeat from 1990-91 through 1996-97.

In 1999, however, things started going sour.  Owner George Shinn started demanding a brand-new coliseum to replace the one that had been opened during the Hornets’ first season, which the city simply could not justify.  To make matters worse, Shinn became a pariah due to allegations that he had raped a former employee.

While Shinn ultimately won the lawsuit, the evidence that was presented hardly made him look like the innocent victim.  Overnight, the Hornets went from top of the heap to bottom of the pile in the hearts of many due to Shinn’s actions and statements.

Thus, in 2002, George Shinn picked up his ball and went home—his new home, that is, in New Orleans…

Of course, Shinn falling out of favor with the citizens of Charlotte was probably as much to blame as anything, but Shinn hardly ennobled himself when—in the wake of Hurricane Katrina—he quietly considered the possibility of relocating the Hornets permanently to Oklahoma City, their temporary home while New Orleans tried to rebuild.

Bowing to pressure from the NBA Commissioner David Stern, the Hornets did return to New Orleans.  What’s more, in recognition of the fact that Shinn had completely alienated every living soul in Charlotte, the NBA did award Charlotte a new franchise—the Charlotte Bobcats—only two years after the Hornets left town.

Regardless of how things turned out in the end, the whole process of watching the team pull up and leave left me with a lingering bad taste in my mouth.  After that, I decided that I simply wasn’t willing to invest the time, effort, or dedication into any professional team.

Now make no mistake, the right to have a professional sports franchise in your hometown is anything but a right—it is a privilege.  Still, the list of teams which were plucked from their fans is long.  Some were moved because the town simply did not support the team—I really do not have much of a quarrel with that.

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