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One other thing from an outside perspective: Why on earth are the Hurricanes based in Raleigh instead of Charlotte? Isn't Charlotte the premier city in North Carolina?
Charlotte's arena at the time of the move was not conducive to a hockey rink, therefor was never an option. But the Hurricanes have done well for themselves in Raleigh. They are a one man show when it comes to pro sports in the triangle.
And here in Charlotte we have the Checkers - tickets are quite inexpensive. For some games every season we sit in the Royal Box seats at the arena - for the Bobcats they are $10k a piece as season tickets, but for the Checkers we can get them for $30 - and those are the expensive seats. You can get good tix for $10-$15 each. So take the kids to a hockey game. They have a very vocal crowd and you get to actually see a winning team playing at the arena.
You are comparing apples and oranges. Don't get me wrong, I like hockey, acually love it, even more than basketball, but the Checkers are a lower level minor league team. The vast majority of their payers will never reach the NHL, while the NBA is the best in the world. The ticket prices reflect the situation proportionally. You just can't compare the two.
By the way, you can get a Bobcats season ticket, upper deck, center court (the best in the arena) for $820. That's for 41 games. Which is a little less than I pay for my Panther tickets for 10 games (really 8, but you have to pay for the worthless pre-season). The same seat for a Hurricanes season ticket, $1,182 (42 games).
They are the best players in the world. How is that a poor product?
Expensive? I guess that's relative. I know that with all the deals they run, there's hardly a time when you can't get a ticket for $10. So what that it's in the upper deck. The place is small enough to where every seat is a GOOD seat. Do you really think it matters anyways to a kid?
And how exactly do they market the young urban crowd? By hiring young black players?
Well for starters, there is very little if any defense, the players routinely "travel" and "palm" the ball. There isn't even that much teamwork. The best players in the world have nothing to do with the product. It is inferior to the college game and grossly inferior to many if not most other team sports. Oh learning to shoot would help many players improve the game, too.
Hiring young black players has nothing to do with marketing. Sounds like you have a big chip on your shoulder. I am sorry. Not every issue is racial, believe it or not, certainly not the sorry state of Bobcat basketball. Try your race baiting somewhere else.
I mean a place where much of the population has kids and paying what it costs to take a family to an NBA event is more than what most are willing and/or able to pay for a evening's entertainment. It's a broad generalization, I agree, but beyond a few high profile places in the city, much of the metro is made up of families where budgets are tight, very tight. I think it is fair to make this statement since the rationale for having the NBA here was the size of the population.
Going to a professional sporting event is going to be expensive, but I think if the Bobcats put a good product on the floor and keep ticket prices down, it is worth it. Yes, everything is relative, but there's no reason why they can't be successful. We have a case study in the Hornets so it has been done here...
Don't live in Charlotte, but thought I'd chime in. I hate today's NBA, and won't pay to see it. I grew up in the 80's and 90's when the NBA was at it's peak.......back when 7 footers actually played in the paint instead of sitting at the 3 point line heaving bricks for 60 minutes. Back when guards could actually dribble the ball without blatantly carrying it, and had the ability to pass the ball in ways other than the alley-oop. There are no positions in the NBA anymore. Guards play center, centers play forward, forwards play anything. Very few players give a hoot about making free throws, which are a critical part of a winning strategy in basketball. It's all about tattoos, headbands, and dunks now, and who in their right mind wants to see that junk....especially if the team stinks?
One other thing from an outside perspective: Why on earth are the Hurricanes based in Raleigh instead of Charlotte? Isn't Charlotte the premier city in North Carolina?
Northman I grew up in the same time period and there were teams who played zero defense back then...you'd routinely have games in the 110's and 120's....There were good defensive teams (ie bad boys are the 1st that comes to mind) then and there are some good defensive teams now. The Bobcats are much improved defensively thanks to Larry Brown.
Northman I grew up in the same time period and there were teams who played zero defense back then...you'd routinely have games in the 110's and 120's....There were good defensive teams (ie bad boys are the 1st that comes to mind) then and there are some good defensive teams now. The Bobcats are much improved defensively thanks to Larry Brown.
Good point, Jack. I remember the old Denver Nuggets teams with Alex English....they used to play those ridiculously high scoring games.
Maybe it's just me getting old, but I still think today's NBA is inferior to the one of the 80's & 90's in every other way.
You are comparing apples and oranges. Don't get me wrong, I like hockey, acually love it, even more than basketball, but the Checkers are a lower level minor league team. The vast majority of their payers will never reach the NHL, while the NBA is the best in the world. The ticket prices reflect the situation proportionally. You just can't compare the two.
Gee....the Checkers are a minor league team and the bobcats are a pro-level team. I had no idea of that difference. Thank you so much for making me aware of that.
Well for starters, there is very little if any defense, the players routinely "travel" and "palm" the ball. There isn't even that much teamwork. The best players in the world have nothing to do with the product. It is inferior to the college game and grossly inferior to many if not most other team sports. Oh learning to shoot would help many players improve the game, too.
Hiring young black players has nothing to do with marketing. Sounds like you have a big chip on your shoulder. I am sorry. Not every issue is racial, believe it or not, certainly not the sorry state of Bobcat basketball. Try your race baiting somewhere else.
lln
The best college team could not even sniff staying close to the worst professional team but that's besides the point.
Obviously you haven't watched many Bobcats games lately because of your blanket statements regarding palming, and the "sorry state" there in...etc...just an fyi there are many teams who play very good defense (just like back in the 90's and 80's...) but that would take some watching of some NBA games lately to know that....
Many people here love college basketball being tobacco road and the many successful college programs they have here, and will NEVER like the pros...that's all understandable. As mentioned earlier, some people don't like the current NBA players because of "tattoo's/ink" on their body, or because of the minority element, etc or other reasons......just man up and admit it if you do...(not YOU personally, just to everyone in general)
Good point, Jack. I remember the old Denver Nuggets teams with Alex English....they used to play those ridiculously high scoring games.
Maybe it's just me getting old, but I still think today's NBA is inferior to the one of the 80's & 90's in every other way.
It's almost IMPOSSIBLE to compare players from different generations, so you will have bias in almost every response...
Nuggets teams? Oh yeah, Dan Issel too....blast from the past...
I agree..I used to watch Utah (Jazz) games when they had griffith, dantley, etc...those guys played great offensive, but they sleptwalked on the defensive end....remember Mark Eaton? He was just a 7-4 log w/no movement....several big men today could play rings around him....
Again, when you grew up in the era of Bird, Magic, Kareem, etc..its very easy to just say "basketball stinks today", but its really not the case if you do watch the games...also, I think its a joke that people get upset at today's players and think the guys back in the 80/90's were "angels"..... please people, don't be that naive......
Well for starters, there is very little if any defense, the players routinely "travel" and "palm" the ball. There isn't even that much teamwork. The best players in the world have nothing to do with the product. It is inferior to the college game and grossly inferior to many if not most other team sports. Oh learning to shoot would help many players improve the game, too.
Hiring young black players has nothing to do with marketing. Sounds like you have a big chip on your shoulder. I am sorry. Not every issue is racial, believe it or not, certainly not the sorry state of Bobcat basketball. Try your race baiting somewhere else.
lln
I think you are misusing the word inferior. Perhaps, in your opinion, the style of play is less desirable for you to watch than the college game. But in no way could it be considered inferior, when it's made up of the best of the best.
Now, I'll admit that I'm not much of an NBA enthusiast myself, for many of the reasons you mention above. But, I do think this team is different. They play hard, they play together and they play fundamentally sound. Not to mention, they play for my city. So I will support them.
Now, as for the huge racial chip I have on my shoulder....I'm as white as snow my friend. Nice try though.
You said "And face it, marketing to the young, urban crowd is not necessarily attractive to the older, family crowd"
Sorry, I just haven't seen this trend. To me, the marketing has always been corporate first, family second. Why? Because that's where the money is. Which is no different than any other pro sport. If anything, the NBA has tried to distance itself from the young urban crowd.
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please people, don't be that naive......
