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Charlotte Hornets and the Arena


Raintree21

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Clearly, it's superior to Greensboro in every way, except capacity, but I'm sure that the ACC will get good feedback on the overall experience of the venue and other events in the city. I do think the ACC will always try to move it around between Tampa, ATL, Charlotte, GSO, DC, and maybe even Boston. It's pretty timely that the St Patty's day events coincide with the ACCT. Lot's to do Uptown.

John Swofford, ACC Commissioner, was interviewed at half-time of the first ACC game today. He seemed to trully enjoy the Charlotte experience this week. They kept showing different parts of the facility. It's too bad the roof leaked water on to the side of the court during the second game. <_<

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As one who often goes "conventioneering," including a few events in Greensboro, I can attest to the fact that the overall experience is much better when everything is within walking distance (or in the case of DC, a Metro ride away). Too many people that have attended events in Greensboro never got a chance to visit downtown, because the major meeting facilities are in suburban locations and many of those people do not come to the city via private vehicle.

I don't think all sports venues should be lumped into the same category when it comes to the value of their contribution to downtown. I truly think the Bobcats Arena's Uptown location is justified due to how often it is used throughout the year. The arena is playing a significant role in Charlotte's national exposure and the ongoing downtown revitalization.

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That's the whole purpose of the tournament-to woo the rich alums. The television contracts add national exposure not only for the schools but also for the host city (would that it were always Charlotte.) But Greensboro will host many ACC tournaments and they do a pretty good job of that. I am looking forward to the post-tournament reviews of Charlotte's hosting ability. And yes, the lack of seats hurts which is why so many ACC Tournaments are going to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

GSO or CLT, or even Raleigh (RBC Center would be cool), whatever causes the tourney to stay focused here in our state, and not be something that we see going more and more to ATL. Greensboro's coliseum is lamentably not downtown, but it's visitors don't really care about that, see below.

The ACCT has received some rave reviews in the local media.

Cheryl Raper likes the convenience. "At the old site, you had to get into a car and drive," she said. "It's nice. You can walk around the streets. Restaurants, hotels, everything is very convenient."

Clearly, it's superior to Greensboro in every way, except capacity, but I'm sure that the ACC will get good feedback on the overall experience of the venue and other events in the city. I do think the ACC will always try to move it around between Tampa, ATL, Charlotte, GSO, DC, and maybe even Boston. It's pretty timely that the St Patty's day events coincide with the ACCT. Lot's to do Uptown.

It's great to see someone who takes note of this, but is angled to support the CLT getting the tourney more argument. Most of those who have the will and means to go to these tourney's could care less if they have to drive the mile and a half to go downtown and drink in GSO or the mile and a half back to their hotel at Koury. So it isn't superior to Greensboro yet, not until that mindset has changed to the point that boosters use their weight and will to make a Bobcats Arena the majority home. I am kind of surprised DC isn't used more though.

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But getting in the car and driving a mile and a half to get to things means having to drive in traffic after the event and also find parking twice. Conveniences of having sports facilities in urban areas just can't be ignored. It is more convenient to visitors and much more profitable to local businesses as more people are apt to drive home once already in their cars than if they have the option to walk a block and hang out for awhile.

Edited by aussie luke
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One of the fun aspects of the ACC here this weekend was the takeover of various bars and restaurants before and after events. The typical crowds were replaced with blue, orange, and red as the fans of the various teams took them over. Well, and green all over the place Saturday and Saturday night when everyone became Irish!

For the most part the people I saw seemed to be having a great time. We had drinks at Feast and Liv Saturday night and the out-of-towners seemed amazed that a place like that was in Charlotte. Those I talked to at the bar seemed to really enjoy the experience at the arena and downtown and all of them were staying in uptown hotels and walking to various places. They also mentioned the big events, Fan Fest, at the convention center -- I hadn't even heard about it -- and how convenient it was to be able to walk from that two blocks over to see the games.

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So on Fox Charlotte last night they reported rumors that Bobcats Arena is going to be renamed Time Warner Cable Arena (just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?) some time this week.

Not surprising but disappointing. It seems to me given that the taxpayers paid for this building it could be named something with Charlotte in the name instead of promotions for yet another corporation that nobody really likes.

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I wish it didn't have to happen, but these naming deals can generate a pretty significant amount of revenue so I think it's hard to turn down. The naming rights deal with RBC for the arena in Raleigh is worth $80 million (over 20 years) for example.

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But getting in the car and driving a mile and a half to get to things means having to drive in traffic after the event and also find parking twice. Conveniences of having sports facilities in urban areas just can't be ignored. It is more convenient to visitors and much more profitable to local businesses as more people are apt to drive home once already in their cars than if they have the option to walk a block and hang out for awhile.

Absolutely. Any time I attend an event, especially a game or concert or convention, in an unfamiliar city the first thing I do is research whether the venue is in a walkable area. If it is, I am much more likely to book my hotel nearby, and to make plans to spend time out on the town. If it's in the suburbs, I'll more than likely check to see if I can drive back out of town the same night and make it home for a decent night's sleep. The difference is vast.

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Not surprising but disappointing. It seems to me given that the taxpayers paid for this building it could be named something with Charlotte in the name instead of promotions for yet another corporation that nobody really likes.

I completely agree. Such as, the Charlotte Coliseum. You'd think wealthy people in Charlotte who love this town (Hugh? C.D.?) would pony up the dollars necessary to do that.

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We knew it would eventually be named with a corporate name, and at least Time Warner is a national company that many people are familiar with, but we had quite a long run with 'Charlotte Bobcats Arena'. It is laughable, though, how they got to the point of naming it Time Warner Cable Arena... that is, they are trying to get OUT of a deal with them and are admitting that they can't get a high paying sponsor to buy the rights anyway. It is the epitome of mismanagement by Bob Johnson, sadly.

I've never been that much for NBA basketball, but I think the economic generation and urban revival promised by the new arena have come. It is just a shame that the path to get there was so full of errors and mistakes.

I'm fine with the name. Just think, it could have been something like Family Dollar Arena or something. In the end, I think Time Warner Cable will get far more out of that deal than the Bobcats will.

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We knew it would eventually be named with a corporate name, and at least Time Warner is a national company that many people are familiar with, but we had quite a long run with 'Charlotte Bobcats Arena'. It is laughable, though, how they got to the point of naming it Time Warner Cable Arena... that is, they are trying to get OUT of a deal with them and are admitting that they can't get a high paying sponsor to buy the rights anyway. It is the epitome of mismanagement by Bob Johnson, sadly.

I've never been that much for NBA basketball, but I think the economic generation and urban revival promised by the new arena have come. It is just a shame that the path to get there was so full of errors and mistakes.

I'm fine with the name. Just think, it could have been something like Family Dollar Arena or something. In the end, I think Time Warner Cable will get far more out of that deal than the Bobcats will.

I'm just glad it's something other than a bank... Although I agree TWC benefits more from it, I also believe the Bobcats will get something out of it that is worthwhile to them. They will now have their games on Fox Sports South which has a much broader reach than the botched TV network BJ was trying to start.

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I'm glad there is a name, but why not just the 'Time Warner Center' or something. the TWC arena sounds so dumb. just because its an arena doesnt mean they have to use the word "arena." Coorporate types should never have the right to excersise creativity in naming, because they have no originality.

Edited by southernyank
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I'm glad there is a name, but why not just the 'Time Warner Center' or something. the TWC arena sounds so dumb. just because its an arena doesnt mean they have to use the word "arena." Coorporate types should never have the right to excersise creativity in naming, because they have no originality.

I assume because Time Warner has many divisions, and the one that can use an attachment to the arena would be cable. Time Warner Periodicals would seem odd to attach to the arena. Nothin' says hig energy basketball like gossip magazines and romance novels.

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I wonder if we can those little sperm guys from their commercials at our games :).

On a different subject, I'm sort of annoyed that they have covered the windows of the practice court on the 5th street side. The whole point was to LET people watch. Do the Bobcats really have people monitoring them for their fancy advanced plays?

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