Bob Johnson Says Charlotte is not doing enough to support his Team

[Andyc545]

3. Tickets may seem afforable if you are single or go with a friend. For a working family of 4 or more, it may not seem affordable (depending on tix price, sur-charge, food, parking, etc.)

[Justadude]

Regardless of the price of tickets, nobody will go to see them until they are a good team. You can't GIVE away Bobcats tickets most nights. Even if you get the tickets free, you're looking at an expensive night on the town (parking/Lynx tickets + dinner + arena snacks + beer + souveniers) especially if you are bringing 2 or 3 kids along. Going through all that to watch a 30-point loss to the Warriors isn't going to attract many customers.

Cheap tickets < Good team

[tozmervo]

it's extremely affordable to go see the team, granite souvenirs and food are moronic.

[bgoo_man]

There is one problem that no one (newspaper, radio talk shows) seems to want to mention regarding the Bobcat's struggle with attendance, support, etc. That problem is Bob Johnson's agenda of making the face of the team African American. First, there's nothing wrong with having an African American head coach, GM, and all of the front office. However, Johnson has made it obvious that this is his first priority and putting together a winning team is a distant second. Let me be clear - I'm not saying that African Americans can't be successful in these positions. Indeed they can be and they have been with other professional teams. However, when the positions were in the process of being filled by the Bobcats, only African Americans were considered, which basically tells the Charlotte community that that is priority number one. Fill any position that is considered the face of the franchise with African Americans. If they turn out to be good hires and the team is successful - great!! If not, and the team is mediocre or worse, at least you've accomplished your first priority. As someone mentioned earlier, this isn't/wasn't your normal expansion situation. People here were used to a winning team. And when the owner comes in with the attitude that Johnson has, it will not be well received. I know many of you reading this will want to say these are racist comments. Believe me, they're not. They're reality. Bob Johnson and the Bobcats need people from all sectors to be successful here, including the white community. When he basically tells them he needs their support and money, and then shows that he's more concerned with pushing an African American agenda, people will become very apathetic. For example, they had a perfect opportunity to disprove this agenda last season when they were looking for a head coach. Larry Brown was interested in the job. Brown has had a very successful NBA head coaching career, and has been especially successful in rebuilding teams into contenders. However, even though he was interested there was one problem - he's white and wasn't considered for the job. Does anyone who knows anything about basketball really think that Sam Vincent was the best candidate out there??? Of course not. He got the job for one reason. Thing is, this shouldn't sit well with anyone, black or white, who wants to see the team successful.

[Spartan]

Unfortunately, the owners will approve the move if it gets put up for a vote. When the Hornets were up for relocation, many NBA owners said it did not make sense to move the team to New Orleans. Mark Cuban was very outspoken on local radio interviews saying that there was no way that he would vote to approve the move. But when time for the vote came, it was unanimous in approval of the move. The owners will not restrict a fellow owner in the chance that they in up in a similar circumstance, plus it doesn't hurt that they all got to split up the hefty relocation fee.

[monsoon]

What is galling about this, for the $300M used to build the arena and when matched with federal and state funds which were available in the early 2000s, we could have had an operational NE light rail extension built by now. There are many who said that it was more important for Charlotte to have another NBA franchise and this time, it will be different. It would be different because of the downtown arena. Guess what, it isn't different. The NBA is still dying in Charlotte, just like it was when the Hornets were here, and pouring $100s of millions in tax money into the enterprise hasn't changed things. Now we are stuck with yet another NBA team owner saying the city needs to do more or presumably, "or else".

I am guess that McCroy is praying this doesn't blow up more during his race for governor.

[Justadude]

There is one problem that no one (newspaper, radio talk shows) seems to want to mention regarding the Bobcat's struggle with attendance, support, etc. That problem is Bob Johnson's agenda of making the face of the team African American.

[dxartist]

There is one problem that no one (newspaper, radio talk shows) seems to want to mention regarding the Bobcat's struggle with attendance, support, etc. That problem is Bob Johnson's agenda of making the face of the team African American. First, there's nothing wrong with having an African American head coach, GM, and all of the front office. However, Johnson has made it obvious that this is his first priority and putting together a winning team is a distant second. Let me be clear - I'm not saying that African Americans can't be successful in these positions. Indeed they can be and they have been with other professional teams. However, when the positions were in the process of being filled by the Bobcats, only African Americans were considered, which basically tells the Charlotte community that that is priority number one. Fill any position that is considered the face of the franchise with African Americans. If they turn out to be good hires and the team is successful - great!! If not, and the team is mediocre or worse, at least you've accomplished your first priority.

[bgoo_man]

The issue has been touched before on radio a while back on WFNZ. Only African Americans considered for front offic jobs? Really? I suppose it can be perceived that way because the top 2 positions that get public face time most are filled with AA, currently Jordan and Whitfield (Jordan's buddy). So what? The current Bobcats front office staff is half black/white. In 06-07, most of the front office were white. The team attendance struggle not because of some sort a racial agenda, it struggles because of the reasons listed on this thread by other posters.

Again, I seriously doubt he's pushing an AA agenda (Bashing Obama certainly doesn't qualify). To me, he's pushing a money and attendance agenda, ie begging for people to come. The last thing he wants to do is alienate customers.

side note: Larry Brown wasn't considered NOT because he was white, here are general reasons for not hiring him:

1) He's a vagabond coach what stays with a team on average 3 years

2) Baggage. Jawhawks getting on probation, feud with Allen Iverson, flirting with other jobs while still coaching current time, huge bust up with the Knicks, US Olympic team fiasco.

3) Bob Johnson wasn't going to pay a lot money for a coach. That's why Bernie Bickerstaff had the role of GM and Coach.

[dxartist]

The only time I heard anything about race, with regards to the Bobcats, mentioned on radio is when African Americans call in and blame whites for not supporting the Bobcats simply because the owner is black.

[brianrri]

Hmm. I was told we all should be color blind, that race should not matter. That we are a more advanced and sophisticated generation compared to our predecessors. I believe the real reason for lack of support is that this expansion team has no real star attraction. If the Bobcats had someone like Lebron we would see many, many sellouts at the arena.

Considering this team is made up of a bunch of "no name" players isn't attendance about where it should be for an a second time expansion team and for the size of the Charlotte market, at number 24 in attendance?

[monsoon]

It should be noticed that Bob Johnson is a very vocal Hillary Clinton supporter. If what is being said about him is true would he not be for Obama?

[Charlotte_native]

Hmm. I was told we all should be color blind, that race should not matter. That we are a more advanced and sophisticated generation compared to our predecessors. I believe the real reason for lack of support is that this expansion team has no real star attraction. If the Bobcats had someone like Lebron we would see many, many sellouts at the arena.

Considering this team is made up of a bunch of "no name" players isn't attendance about where it should be for an a second time expansion team and for the size of the Charlotte market, at number 24 in attendance?

[swh1972]

Warning...Long rant coming up...

I completely agree with the comments about needing a "star" player that will draw fans. The NBA is about individual personalitites more than it is about teams. That's why they advertise "Come see Kobe Bryant" when they are playing the Lakers. When the Cavs were in town at the beginning of April, 30% of those in attendance were openly rooting for Cleveland - these were people there specifically to see LeBron play. The Bobcats don't have that "star" yet. They have good players, but none that I would go out of my way to see. The biggest draw for this team is when other good teams come to Charlotte...that has to change or this team will not succeed.

The marketing of this team is also way off. I probably couldn't recognize most of the players on the Bobcats. Are the games even broadcast in HD? Why is this? Maybe the deal with Time Warner will help next season, but the broadcasts up to this point have looked grainy and amateurish (I think I spelled that wrong). I go back to my point about the NBA being primarilly a league of individual stars.

[fortyniner]

Warning...Long rant coming up...

I completely agree with the comments about needing a "star" player that will draw fans. The NBA is about individual personalitites more than it is about teams. That's why they advertise "Come see Kobe Bryant" when they are playing the Lakers. When the Cavs were in town at the beginning of April, 30% of those in attendance were openly rooting for Cleveland - these were people there specifically to see LeBron play. The Bobcats don't have that "star" yet. They have good players, but none that I would go out of my way to see. The biggest draw for this team is when other good teams come to Charlotte...that has to change or this team will not succeed.

The marketing of this team is also way off. I probably couldn't recognize most of the players on the Bobcats. Are the games even broadcast in HD? Why is this? Maybe the deal with Time Warner will help next season, but the broadcasts up to this point have looked grainy and amateurish (I think I spelled that wrong). I go back to my point about the NBA being primarilly a league of individual stars.

[Andyc545]

Are the games even broadcast in HD?

[swh1972]

^ The other issue is that most "stars" will not sign up for a deal that lowers their visibility nationally. I doubt the Bobcats could woo a top 5 player with just money without addressing the supporting cast. Kind of like the chicken and egg argument. Which came first, the superstar, or the good team.

[Justadude]

Nearly every other team (except for those who are chronically mismanaged) manages to put together a good supporting cast and woo a star player within a 5 year cycle. The Bobcats are out of excuses... this offseason will show us how serious they are, as they pursue both a coach and a superstar to make them competitive. At that point we'll see how strong the market really is for NBA basketball in Charlotte.

[bgoo_man]

The perception you present doesn't hold up. I spent enough time reading forums, listening to the radio, and talking to all sorts of people your and "Bob Johnson agenda of hiring only AA" issue is almost nonexistent rarely comes up. When the "face of the franchise job" does become available, no one cared who got hired in the front office.

[bgoo_man]

Hmm. I was told we all should be color blind, that race should not matter. That we are a more advanced and sophisticated generation compared to our predecessors.

[Durhamite]

I can only assume that this is in reference to my initial post and I'm surprised that it took this long for someone to post something like this. This is exactly why people do not want to bring it up on the radio talk shows, on message boards, etc. Race doesn't matter. As I said, no one who I've spoken to who feels this way cares if the entire organization is made up of African Americans. The problem is that, if people feel that he is only considering African Americans for these positions, then he is obviously putting that as his first priority; and putting winning as his 2nd priority. Just to clarify that last statement. It's not that people feel that African Americans can't do the job, but if he is intentionally only considering and/or interviewing African Americans for these positions, then how does he know there aren't better candidates out there? Therefore, he's not putting winning first, and if that's the case, people will not support them.

[schmopperX]

I can only assume that this is in reference to my initial post and I'm surprised that it took this long for someone to post something like this. This is exactly why people do not want to bring it up on the radio talk shows, on message boards, etc. Race doesn't matter. As I said, no one who I've spoken to who feels this way cares if the entire organization is made up of African Americans. The problem is that, if people feel that he is only considering African Americans for these positions, then he is obviously putting that as his first priority; and putting winning as his 2nd priority. Just to clarify that last statement. It's not that people feel that African Americans can't do the job, but if he is intentionally only considering and/or interviewing African Americans for these positions, then how does he know there aren't better candidates out there? Therefore, he's not putting winning first, and if that's the case, people will not support them.

[schmopperX]

Actually Jordan was there the whole game, just in the sky box in the second half. From my vantage point, he looked much happier hanging out up there with the ladies.

Unfortunately, the owners will approve the move if it gets put up for a vote. When the Hornets were up for relocation, many NBA owners said it did not make sense to move the team to New Orleans. Mark Cuban was very outspoken on local radio interviews saying that there was no way that he would vote to approve the move. But when time for the vote came, it was unanimous in approval of the move. The owners will not restrict a fellow owner in the chance that they in up in a similar circumstance, plus it doesn't hurt that they all got to split up the hefty relocation fee.

[schmopperX]

When the original Hornets were marketing their first season, they used such phrases as:

"Buy your season tickets now, and this Bird will fly South" (Larry Bird)

"Buy your season tickets now, and this Doctor will make house calls" (Julius Erving)

So, even from the beginning of pro basketball in Charlotte, it's always been about the "stars".

[Appetite for Construction]

I suspect some of you are aware of the You Write the Caption contest that Kevin Siers at the Observer has been doing every week. The winner this week pretty much sums up this topic ...