Could Raleigh support a NBA franchise like the Sacramento Kings? (Charlotte: chapel, to buy)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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no....why? Charlotte Bobcats and the number of teams already in the east...
FYI, the Maloofs are douchebags for doing that to the city. That fanbase has been very loyal to the team throughout the years....very sad they would move...
I don't think so. Honestly the last thing NC needs is another third rate NBA team. The Charlotte Bobcats are enough of a dissapointment.
There is a long story behind that. Much like Sacramento, Charlotte also used to set NBA attendance records. After the mess with Hornets owner George Shinn and the departure of the Hornets, the city never felt the same way about the NBA (this is why the Panthers are actually worse than the Bobcats yet the Panthers are still loved more).
Anyways, I think Raleigh can support an NBA team. Duke and Chapel Hill aren't even in Wake county (and NC State is NEVER mentioned when it comes to basketball). Charlotte already having a team could hurt, but other than that Raleigh could support its own team. Also, Raleigh should put the city's name on the team. The Carolina Hurricanes are often thought to be a Charlotte team by many folks unfamiliar with Hockey. I often have to tell people on the city vs city thread that Charlotte only has 2 pro teams, not 3. The name "Carolina" really doesn't make sense in Raleigh anyway. Raleigh is North Carolina through and through. Charlotte is the only city in the state where NC and SC state flags can be found flying. Thus the reason why a "Carolina" pro team in Raleigh is a bit confusing.
There is a long story behind that. Much like Sacramento, Charlotte also used to set NBA attendance records. After the mess with Hornets owner George Shinn and the departure of the Hornets, the city never felt the same way about the NBA (this is why the Panthers are actually worse than the Bobcats yet the Panthers are still loved more).
Anyways, I think Raleigh can support an NBA team. Duke and Chapel Hill aren't even in Wake county (and NC State is NEVER mentioned when it comes to basketball). Charlotte already having a team could hurt, but other than that Raleigh could support its own team. Also, Raleigh should put the city's name on the team. The Carolina Hurricanes are often thought to be a Charlotte team by many folks unfamiliar with Hockey. I often have to tell people on the city vs city thread that Charlotte only has 2 pro teams, not 3. The name "Carolina" really doesn't make sense in Raleigh anyway. Raleigh is North Carolina through and through. Charlotte is the only city in the state where NC and SC state flags can be found flying. Thus the reason why a "Carolina" pro team in Raleigh is a bit confusing.
The reason why the Hurricanes are called "Carolina" instead of "Raleigh" is a gesture toward the rest of the Triangle, not the state (or states). Frankly, I doubt that the same gesture would have been offered if the team were in Durham. But, we'll never know since it's not.
That said, I completely disagree that Raleigh would support a NBA team. ACC basketball is way too big in the Triangle, despite your assessment of NC State's program and its support. Just because Duke and UNC are not in Wake County doesn't mean that the support of those teams end at county lines. It's way more integrated/intermingled than that. The same is true for NC State. The Triangle already has nearly 50,000 seats of ACC basketball to sell and 130,000+ seats of its football. There's not a business model for introducing either pro football or pro basketball that would make sense. BTW, the same is true for Austin, TX; Columbus, OH and other similar sized markets that are big time college sports.
I just don't see the NBA ever making it here. Too much competition from ACC bball and now the Hurricanes. There's only so many things people will do in the same season and given the population it would be spread too thin.
Now, maybe a major league baseball team might do ok here at some point given football and basketball are off for the summer. I would assume the Bulls have enough name recognition they could just become a major league team but they'd probably have to buy out or at least pay off the Mudcats. Heck the Bulls pull in more than the Rays do sometimes but whether the attendance here would quite be enough to make it work I don't know.
Do we really need another taxpayer-subsidized entertainment company in the Triangle?
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