Sports in Charlotte

[InSouthPark]

5 hours ago, rancenc said:

I guess this is good news for the NASCAR teams, but what is the point of having the race if fans are not allowed to attend?  

https://www.independenttribune.com/news/nascar-governor-says-coca-cola-600-may-be-held-without-fans/article_49becd82-899b-11ea-96ba-5f0b5d3b17a6.html

It gives millions of people something to look forward to and watch on the weekends.  Nascar makes their money from TV and sponsorship deals, not tickets (that how track owners make their money).  I am sure nascar has a deal in place to share revenue with the track owners to compensate them for no fans. 

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

Can someone who follows hockey better than I do...please explain why the Canes would cut ties with the Charlotte Checkers as their affiliate team and moving their affiliate to Chicago?  I mean from a logistics standpoint it makes zero sense to me.  The location and proximity of CLT & RDU make Checkers/Canes relationship a no-brainer.  Easily trade-up/down players who get injured/promoted etc.    Fans from Charlotte can make the easy drive to Raleigh and vice versa.  From a fan perspective/building a fan base...Ain't no one driving/flying from Chicago to Raleigh to see a hockey game.  Hell, the Checkers just won the Calder Cup last year...but I don't know anything about hockey except from what I've learned from the Mighty Ducks (Flying "V") and since playing Wayne Gretzky '98.

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/carolina-hurricanes-cutting-ties-with-charlotte-checkers/M62ZQTZ6GNBAVNG4LOCZ6CZYKU/

 

[eastsider]

9 hours ago, rancenc said:

I guess this is good news for the NASCAR teams, but what is the point of having the race if fans are not allowed to attend?  

https://www.independenttribune.com/news/nascar-governor-says-coca-cola-600-may-be-held-without-fans/article_49becd82-899b-11ea-96ba-5f0b5d3b17a6.html

It's great news for the television network that is broadcasting it. (guessing FOX?) 

[eastsider]

Not a surprise but the AHL has officially canceled the remainder of their season. So I guess this means that the Checkers will be the reigning champions again next season? 

[Yeahdoug]

On 4/29/2020 at 4:28 PM, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

Can someone who follows hockey better than I do...please explain why the Canes would cut ties with the Charlotte Checkers as their affiliate team and moving their affiliate to Chicago?  I mean from a logistics standpoint it makes zero sense to me.  The location and proximity of CLT & RDU make Checkers/Canes relationship a no-brainer.  Easily trade-up/down players who get injured/promoted etc.    Fans from Charlotte can make the easy drive to Raleigh and vice versa.  From a fan perspective/building a fan base...Ain't no one driving/flying from Chicago to Raleigh to see a hockey game.  Hell, the Checkers just won the Calder Cup last year...but I don't know anything about hockey except from what I've learned from the Mighty Ducks (Flying "V") and since playing Wayne Gretzky '98.

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/carolina-hurricanes-cutting-ties-with-charlotte-checkers/M62ZQTZ6GNBAVNG4LOCZ6CZYKU/

 

Money. Being a strong hockey market, the wolves probably need less money from their NHL affiliate to make their budget work. 

[Clemson16]

https://twitter.com/robhughes_/status/1260275031487250432?s=21

 

Mr Tepper have some news for us?

[lit]

On 5/12/2020 at 2:38 PM, Clemson16 said:

https://twitter.com/robhughes_/status/1260275031487250432?s=21

 

Mr Tepper have some news for us?

Might have to start a new thread: Former Charlotte Pipe / New Stadium Site

 

edit: there is one...

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by lit

[CLT2014]

Quail Hollow will host the PGA Championship again in 2025. 

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/scott-fowler/article242707761.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2020/05/14/pga-championship-back-in-charlotte-in-2025.html?iana=hpmvp_clt_news_headline

Edited May 14, 2020 by CLT2014

[Third Strike]

If a new stadium for the Panthers/MLS team happens within the next ten years, how much more likely are we to have a chance at hosting a major sports event like the Pan American Games, or even the Olympics? 

Also, I just realized that most of our biggest sports venues are, or will be, connected to our transit network. 
 

Spectrum Center-NBA (Blue/Silver Lines)

Various venues and sports fields at UNC Charlotte (Blue Line)

New Bank of America Stadium-NFL/MLS (Silver Line)

Bojangle’s Coliseum-AHL (Silver Line)

The Sportsplex in Matthews (Silver Line)

Memorial Stadium (Gold Line)

Various venues and fields at Johnson C. Smith University (Gold Line)

[Madison Parkitect]

1 hour ago, Third Strike said:

If a new stadium for the Panthers/MLS team happens within the next ten years, how much more likely are we to have a chance at hosting a major sports event like the Pan American Games, or even the Olympics? 

Also, I just realized that most of our biggest sports venues are, or will be, connected to our transit network. 
 

Spectrum Center-NBA (Blue/Silver Lines)

Various venues and sports fields at UNC Charlotte (Blue Line)

New Bank of America Stadium-NFL/MLS (Silver Line)

Bojangle’s Coliseum-AHL (Silver Line)

The Sportsplex in Matthews (Silver Line)

Memorial Stadium (Gold Line)

Various venues and fields at Johnson C. Smith University (Gold Line)

Not a chance we could host the Olympics, and that's a good thing.

[kermit]

So the Independence just sent me an email saying that Memorial renovation is on track and awesome and they will start play there in Spring 2021.

http://broadcaster.crowdconnect-tickets.com/dm

Seems kinda strange, but I hope this happens. I am a much bigger fan of drinking beer outside than I am of soccer, so I’ll enjoy minor league games at Memorial much more than MLS.

Edited May 21, 2020 by kermit

[Hushpuppy321]

Carolina Hurricanes signed new 5 year lease for PNC Arena in Raleigh.  Was there ever a chance it’d move to CLT or was that new Canes Owner eyeing elsewhere?

[dylansukkert]

2 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

Carolina Hurricanes signed new 5 year lease for PNC Arena in Raleigh.  Was there ever a chance it’d move to CLT or was that new Canes Owner eyeing elsewhere?

Canes just got out of Charlotte by no longer having connections with the Checkers. I don’t think there was ever intentions of the Canes moving to Charlotte. 

[kermit]

Charlotte has zero buzz as a potential NHL city. It is never mentioned in discussions of relocation or expansion. In addition, the cable box can't be used as a decent (meaning profitable) NHL arena due to bowl dimensions.

All this is a shame because we have a decent fan base for a Sunbelt city and Checkers crowds are (believe it or not) relatively knowledgeable about hockey.

Edited May 30, 2020 by kermit

[eastsider]

Kansas City and Quebec have NHL ready arenas, Houston, and a 2nd franchise in the Toronto area get mentioned a bit. Never heard Charlotte mentioned for NHL anywhere other than from speculation on this forum.

[Rufus]

On 5/29/2020 at 5:33 PM, eastsider said:

Kansas City and Quebec have NHL ready arenas, Houston, and a 2nd franchise in the Toronto area get mentioned a bit. Never heard Charlotte mentioned for NHL anywhere other than from speculation on this forum.

And to add to this: with the failure of the Atlanta Thrashers, and the middling Florida Panthers, it's really tough to sell NHL to the SunBelt. I'd be surprised is Charlotte is ever mentioned unless the Hurricanes move, but it won't be a good look on their organization. Even Houston is problematic. Kansas City could be interesting, but I believe the NHL is increasingly moving back towards Canada where it remains the most popular sport. The new Seattle franchise is close to the border, and I do think Hamilton, Toronto #2, and maybe the Atlantic or Saskatoon provinces have more interest. I would even be surprised to see if somewhere like Cleveland or Milwaukee are more attractive than other markets in the SunBelt. Hell, I am just waiting to see how long the Vegas Golden Knights last after the first 5 years. 

[kermit]

3 hours ago, Rufus said:

And to add to this: with the failure of the Atlanta Thrashers, and the middling Florida Panthers, it's really tough to sell NHL to the SunBelt. I'd be surprised is Charlotte is ever mentioned unless the Hurricanes move, but it won't be a good look on their organization. Even Houston is problematic. Kansas City could be interesting, but I believe the NHL is increasingly moving back towards Canada where it remains the most popular sport. The new Seattle franchise is close to the border, and I do think Hamilton, Toronto #2, and maybe the Atlantic or Saskatoon provinces have more interest. I would even be surprised to see if somewhere like Cleveland or Milwaukee are more attractive than other markets in the SunBelt. Hell, I am just waiting to see how long the Vegas Golden Knights last after the first 5 years. 

up in Canada I have heard this sentiment more than once:

"Why do the Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes exist? So Canadians can watch hockey on TV every night of the week."

I think the Sportsnet--Hockey Night in Canada TV contract pays the majority of league's bills.

Closer to home, I don't think the Sunbelt hockey situation is entirely bleak. The Predators have done a really good job of becoming an important part of the community and consistently sells out. Dallas has also been near the top of the league in attendance as well. Even the Hurricanes have their moments, although only when they are winning. I think part of the problem with Sunbelt hockey is crappy arenas. The Florida set up in Sunrise is arguably the worst arena location in all of sports, PNC arena is far enough away from anything else that people just don't want to turn out for a bad team. There is even a Canadian team that shows how bad a crappy arena location can be. Ottawa has been in the basement of league attendance for a while (granted the Checkers, or even the Greenville Swamp Rabbits could beat them on the regular). While Charlotte is invisible to the NHL, I do think it would be a decent hockey town (better than Raleigh anyway) -- unfortunately its on no ones radar and I suspect that is unlikely to change. 

The Thrashers were a slightly different story.  Atlanta is simply the worst sports town on earth for any team not named the Falcons or United . Since nearly everyone in Atlanta is from somewhere else (and most are Southern) nobody really gives a crap about the local team. To illustrate the crappy nature of Atlanta as a sports town, back when the Braves won the world series in 95, I was able to walk up to the box office just before a game and buy a ticket -- they couldn't even sell out their World Series home games!

Edited June 1, 2020 by kermit

[eastsider]

The USL Championship (Independence) is looking to begin its season on July 11 in what would likely be a 16 game season. They are going to be playing at home stadiums where possible instead of a neutral site tournament like other leagues are doing. Would be nice to have a local team to root for, even if you have to watch online.

[CLT2014]

The NASCAR All Star Race is going to move to Bristol, TN this year and temporarily leave Charlotte due to the upward trend of coronavirus cases in our region.

"While Charlotte will always be recognized as the birthplace and traditional home for the All-Star Race, the current data surrounding the pandemic in North Carolina makes Bristol a better option for fan access this summer,” said Speedway Motorsports, Inc. CEO Marcus Smith. Speedway Motorsports said the move to Bristol will be safer for the 30,000 fans expected to attend the race in person given current trends, and the unlikely scenario North Carolina is able to move into Phase 3 by July 15 to allow fans to attend in person.

70 people have gotten COVID-19 in Sullivan County, TN (home to Bristol), with 2 deaths. 67 people have already recovered and there is only 1 active case in the whole county.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/article243553812.html

Edited June 16, 2020 by CLT2014

[navigator319]

Not the reason they moved it.  They wanted some fans able to attend and was not granted.

[kermit]

This is genuinely beautiful:

Quote

Organizers of Charlotte’s bowl game started spreading the news Thursday that Duke’s Mayonnaise will be the new title sponsor beginning with the 2020 season. The agreement is estimated to be in the range of $3.5 million annually, according to an industry source.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2020/06/18/dukes-mayo-to-sponsor-charlotte-college-bowl-game.html

Edited June 18, 2020 by kermit

[CLT2014]

The 2020 Minor Leage Baseball season is officially canceled as of yesterday, rather than delayed. Knights should be back in 2021.

Edited July 1, 2020 by CLT2014

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

1 hour ago, CLT2014 said:

The 2020 Minor Leage Baseball season is officially canceled as of yesterday, rather than delayed. Knights should be back in 2021.

I'm mentally preparing myself for zero sports this fall.  I mean, without a vaccine...it's inevitable that a player will get covid and/or cause a locker room breakout.  I was more optimistic previously, however & sadly, this may be just the start of more leagues following suit.    

[KJHburg]

from the Biz Journal this morning move over Carolina Panthers there is a new Panther in town the Florida Panthers....

""The Charlotte Checkers have a new big-league affiliate. The team announced yesterday it has agreed to a multiyear affiliation with the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, starting with the 2020-21 season. That move comes after murmurs earlier this spring that the NHL Carolina Hurricanes, which had been affiliated with the Checkers, were looking to move on from that partnership. The Hurricanes announced yesterday that they're teaming up with the Chicago Wolves, which, like the Checkers, is part of the American Hockey League.""

[RugbyPike#11]

On 5/29/2020 at 5:33 PM, eastsider said:

Kansas City and Quebec have NHL ready arenas, Houston, and a 2nd franchise in the Toronto area get mentioned a bit. Never heard Charlotte mentioned for NHL anywhere other than from speculation on this forum.

I would settle for the Hurricanes playing an outdoor game once a year at BoA and a couple home games at Time Warner.  I don't know how feasible an outdoor game would be in Charlotte when you can have the random 70 degree day in winter, but it would be nice to get some use out of BoA after the football season is over.