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The Bobcats is a poor excuse for a replacement to the Hornets. I am still unpleased with that. I would be happier if we could have at least kept the name and uniform.
Do we really need another taxpayer-subsidized entertainment company in the Triangle?
Right on. You should talk to the folks in the Eastern-most reaches of Hillsborough County, Florida, about their contributions (via the tax man) towards the TB Devil Rays and the TB Buccaneers.
There was a good study a couple of years ago that looked at all the major metro markets and analyzed how many sports franchises each could support based on size and income of the area. Based on the study, we were at our limit with the Canes and did not have the total income available to support another franchise. And that is without taking things like college basketball or proximity to Charlotte teams or anything else into account.
BTW, someone mentioned the Mudcats. I guess they hadn't heard the news that the Mudcats are moving to Pensacola after this season.
I think Raleigh and the Triangle are "big enough" per se to support a pro basketball team, but that doesn't mean one would be successful in the Triangle or that the NBA would consider relocation.
The Triangle market itself is already bigger than Memphis, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City (3 I could think of), but the city of Raleigh alone is smaller (although it will probably pass some of them over the next 20 years), which could present a challenge in terms of naming the team, etc.
But beyond that, market size alone does not necessarily determine the success or lack thereof of a pro team. Some smaller market teams like Oklahoma City have better fan support than larger market teams like the Atlanta Hawks. The Charlotte Hornets had some of the best attendance in the league. The Charlotte Bobcats have some of the worst for several reasons.
The Triangle already has 3 universities (2 of which are the most well-known nationally for college BB- sorry Wolfpack fans), which contribute through their alumni to a rabid and loyal fan base. There is also huge support and interest throughout NC. Most pro teams don't do as well in a market that is already saturated with college sports.
Beyond that, there is a litany of reasons why pro teams don't work in certain places. First off, in a city full of transplants, it takes a long time, even generations, for a team to generate loyal fan support on the pro level.
Having lived in Charlotte, I can tell you our experience with pro basketball. The Hornets were a big deal with they first came to Charlotte in the late 80's. They were the first pro team in Charlotte and the first chance people here had to attend a sporting event on a major level outside of NCAA's games. The Hornets had a huge amount of support here (similar to OKC now), and even led the league in attendance for years.
I grew up on the Hornets, and it really was a messy divorce when that POS George Shinn left town b/c taxpayers wouldn't give him everything he wanted.
Most people still haven't gotten over that, and the Bobcats have not ever been embraced the way the Hornets were. Jordan buying the team will help in the long-term I think, but the Bobcats at least for me will never have the sentimentality the Hornets did.
One more point, even as much as the Hornets were once supported here, Duke/UNC has been and will always be king throughout Charlotte and NC, not just the Triangle. As far as what Charlotte sports fans currently care about, it neck-and-neck between UNC/Duke and the Panthers. Everything else is a distant second.
College basketball will always be king throughout the state, and that alone is probably enough reason why I can't see another pro team in NC. Even though it would be really cool from a rivalry standpoint to have a Charlotte team and a Raleigh team. One can only wish...
I think Raleigh and the Triangle are "big enough" per se to support a pro basketball team, but that doesn't mean one would be successful in the Triangle or that the NBA would consider relocation.
The Triangle market itself is already bigger than Memphis, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City (3 I could think of), but the city of Raleigh alone is smaller (although it will probably pass some of them over the next 20 years), which could present a challenge in terms of naming the team, etc.
But beyond that, market size alone does not necessarily determine the success or lack thereof of a pro team. Some smaller market teams like Oklahoma City have better fan support than larger market teams like the Atlanta Hawks. The Charlotte Hornets had some of the best attendance in the league. The Charlotte Bobcats have some of the worst for several reasons.
The Triangle already has 3 universities (2 of which are the most well-known nationally for college BB- sorry Wolfpack fans), which contribute through their alumni to a rabid and loyal fan base. There is also huge support and interest throughout NC. Most pro teams don't do as well in a market that is already saturated with college sports.
Beyond that, there is a litany of reasons why pro teams don't work in certain places. First off, in a city full of transplants, it takes a long time, even generations, for a team to generate loyal fan support on the pro level.
Having lived in Charlotte, I can tell you our experience with pro basketball. The Hornets were a big deal with they first came to Charlotte in the late 80's. They were the first pro team in Charlotte and the first chance people here had to attend a sporting event on a major level outside of NCAA's games. The Hornets had a huge amount of support here (similar to OKC now), and even led the league in attendance for years.
I grew up on the Hornets, and it really was a messy divorce when that POS George Shinn left town b/c taxpayers wouldn't give him everything he wanted.
Most people still haven't gotten over that, and the Bobcats have not ever been embraced the way the Hornets were. Jordan buying the team will help in the long-term I think, but the Bobcats at least for me will never have the sentimentality the Hornets did.
One more point, even as much as the Hornets were once supported here, Duke/UNC has been and will always be king throughout Charlotte and NC, not just the Triangle. As far as what Charlotte sports fans currently care about, it neck-and-neck between UNC/Duke and the Panthers. Everything else is a distant second.
College basketball will always be king throughout the state, and that alone is probably enough reason why I can't see another pro team in NC. Even though it would be really cool from a rivalry standpoint to have a Charlotte team and a Raleigh team. One can only wish...
Great points. Another one to add is that when the Hornets came along there was not any major college basketball in Charlotte to compete with.
I will also add, the even though I don't think the NBA would ever succeed in the Triangle, I have watched more NBA playoff games this year than at any time since Jordan quit playing for the Bulls and the level of play is outstanding especially considering how mediocre the college product has been the last two years (and really the last 10 years).
As far as TV markets Raleigh is ahead of San Diego/Kansas City/Cincinnati(to name a few)and they all have at least two pro sports teams.
Not split in half it isn't. Like I said, we're in Charlotte's NBA TV market and they wouldn't just give it away for the same reason the Kings were not permitted to move to Anaheim (which is a real TV market).
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