flyingcowz
09-14-2005, 11:56 PM
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View Full Version : NBA for OKC- Hornets Relocating flyingcowz 09-14-2005, 11:56 PM http://toolooney.goldenagecartoons.com/sylvesterfiles/sylvester/sos.jpg Karried 09-15-2005, 08:27 AM http://images.snapfish.com/34499%3B%3B523232%7Ffp64%3Dwp%3E2325%3D949%3D%3C5% 3A%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3A%3B3878243wp1lsi This is how most of us @ OKC feel about this potential decision. swake 09-15-2005, 09:26 AM Quote: The team name "Oklahoma City Hornets" rolls off the tounge a lot better than "New Orleans Hornets," in my opinion. Kind of sounds like the name of an Arena Football League team filled with a rag-tag bunch of unruly players from the wrong side of the tracks... http://nbaweblog.com/nbanews/2005/09/oklahoma-city-hornets.asp PUGalicious 09-15-2005, 09:34 AM Quote: The team name "Oklahoma City Hornets" rolls off the tounge a lot better than "New Orleans Hornets," in my opinion. Kind of sounds like the name of an Arena Football League team filled with a rag-tag bunch of unruly players from the wrong side of the tracks... http://nbaweblog.com/nbanews/2005/09/oklahoma-city-hornets.asp I wonder why Oklahoma City Hornets would sound like that, but not New Orleans Hornets or Charlotte Hornets. I don't like "hornets," but I can't see how adding Oklahoma City in front of it gives the impression of " a rag-tag bunch of unruly players from the wrong side of the tracks." gqofoklahoma 09-15-2005, 10:06 AM hey...ill buy one of the shirts...for sure mranderson 09-15-2005, 10:15 AM hey...ill buy one of the shirts...for sure Count me in!:congrats: Hey Todd. Do you think the Oklahoma City Hornets will give us permission to use their logo for some OKC Talk supports the Hornets shirts? floater 09-15-2005, 10:18 AM We'll still welcome them as the New Orleans Hornets. BDP 09-15-2005, 11:42 AM We'll still welcome them as the New Orleans Hornets. And that's what they'll be. We will be hosting the New Orleans Hornets just as various venues are hosting the New Orleans Saints. This is not a relocation. This is still a temporary plan. I think Karried's image accurately displays how we should be handling this. I think Cowz image unfortunately displays how some here are portraying themselves. IMO, our goal here should be to be the best hosts to our guests as we can be with an eye to impressing the NBA. Again, we are not trying to take the Hornets away from a devastated New Orleans, but trying to use the position we have put ourselves in to assist them in their time of need and show off the best of our city and state to the NBA world. The best scenario would be for the Hornets to have a smooth and successful stay in Oklahoma with a timely return to New Orleans. This would put us at the top of the list for the NBA in the future and would also mean that New Orleans and LA has recovered enough to welcome back their team. I just want to say welcome to the New Orleans Hornets and I hope that we can live up to the level of hospitality and kindness that Oklahomans are known for. Karried 09-15-2005, 12:15 PM BDP I couldn't have said it better - my thoughts exactly! Welcome New Orleans Hornets - I hope we can all support you, provide a temporary safe and successful haven, and help you get through this time of loss for your state. PUGalicious 09-15-2005, 12:30 PM And that's what they'll be. We will be hosting the New Orleans Hornets just as various venues are hosting the New Orleans Saints. This is not a relocation. This is still a temporary plan. I think Karried's image accurately displays how we should be handling this. I think Cowz image unfortunately displays how some here are portraying themselves. IMO, our goal here should be to be the best hosts to our guests as we can be with an eye to impressing the NBA. Again, we are not trying to take the Hornets away from a devastated New Orleans, but trying to use the position we have put ourselves in to assist them in their time of need and show off the best of our city and state to the NBA world. The best scenario would be for the Hornets to have a smooth and successful stay in Oklahoma with a timely return to New Orleans. This would put us at the top of the list for the NBA in the future and would also mean that New Orleans and LA has recovered enough to welcome back their team. I just want to say welcome to the New Orleans Hornets and I hope that we can live up to the level of hospitality and kindness that Oklahomans are known for. :iagree: Very well put. I agree 100%. floater 09-15-2005, 12:58 PM :bow: John 09-15-2005, 01:35 PM I wonder why Oklahoma City Hornets would sound like that, but not New Orleans Hornets or Charlotte Hornets. I don't like "hornets," but I can't see how adding Oklahoma City in front of it gives the impression of " a rag-tag bunch of unruly players from the wrong side of the tracks." They were saying New Orleans Hornets and Charlotte Hornets sounded like the ones from the wrong side of the tracks and that Oklahoma City Hornets sounded appropriate. They're still the New Orleans Hornets, though, unless we borrow from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or whatever they started going by this year ;) flyingcowz 09-15-2005, 02:32 PM Well said BDP. mranderson 09-15-2005, 02:50 PM "They're still the New Orleans Hornets, though, unless we borrow from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or whatever they started going by this year ;)" For now. PUGalicious 09-15-2005, 03:47 PM To the point, see post #181. Patrick 09-15-2005, 04:28 PM If we support the Hornets well, there's no question that we'll be on everyone's list for either an expansion team or relocation of an existing NBA or NHL team. I think what we need to show here is that we can support a major league team.......our goal shouldn't be to steal the Hornets. PUGalicious 09-15-2005, 04:30 PM If we support the Hornets well, there's no question that we'll be on everyone's list for either an expansion team or relocation of an existing NBA or NHL team. I think what we need to show here is that we can support a major league team.......our goal shouldn't be to steal the Hornets. Absolutely, right on, amen, agree 100%! gqofoklahoma 09-15-2005, 09:19 PM stolen from NOLA Website VENUE UPDATE: Sources familiar with the process said the NBA will file a mostly favorable report on the Pete Maravich Assembly Center as a possible site to host up to a dozen Hornets games this season, splitting time with Oklahoma City as a home court until the team can move back into New Orleans Arena. A tour of the PMAC was completed Wednesday, as well as possible practice sites for the displaced Hornets by team representatives and Peter Fink, the NBA's vice president of NBA events and attractions. Fink was scheduled to forward his findings to league headquarters Thursday. An announcement from the Hornets and the league as to just how the schedule will break down, and what games will be held in Oklahoma City and Baton Rouge, could be forthcoming early next week, Shinn said Thursday. With damage to the team's New Orleans Arena home said to be minor enough that the building may be operational by the NBA All-Star break, Shinn said he'd like nothing better than to play some games there under the right circumstances. "I just got off the phone with (NBA commissioner) David Stern and he'd just spoken with the mayor (Ray Nagin)," Shinn said. "I've spoken to David every day. He's been a real rock to me through this whole situation. He's assured me they're going to stand behind us the whole way and make the right decision. "When we come back and what we do is a real good question. We're looking at Oklahoma City and here in Baton Rouge. Playing in the Arena has good and bad possibilities. If we could do it in a way that we'd have a full crowd, it would be ecstatic. If we have 1,500 people, it would be horrible. That might send a signal there was no hope there." venture 09-15-2005, 09:23 PM BDP great post and I agree with you completely. Definitely a much more mature and appropriate approach to the situation versus the parasitic approach of... "They're still the New Orleans Hornets, though, unless we borrow from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or whatever they started going by this year " For now. or Hey Todd. Do you think the Oklahoma City Hornets will give us permission to use their logo for some OKC Talk supports the Hornets shirts? If anything is going to put a black eye on Oklahoma City, it is going to be comments and motives backing the comments such as these. Let this be a chance for OKC to show we can support the major leagues, but let the NEW ORLEANS HORNETS, return to their home town in grand fashion. Then as a future expansion or relocation opportunity arises, the NBA will be familiar in OKC and have the positive experience to go back on. Patrick 09-15-2005, 11:56 PM It would make more sense for them to play their entire schedule here in OKC for the entire season. It's difficult to sell season tickets when you're splitting your schedule up among different venues. HOT ROD 09-16-2005, 12:56 AM I think playing in LA is more of a "hometown" thing than anything else. Surely, they dont expect to make any $$ in Baton Rouge, that is OKC's job. Congratulations OKC, I will come to town for a game or two! BDP 09-16-2005, 07:41 AM It's difficult to sell season tickets when you're splitting your schedule up among different venues. It's going to be difficult doing that with only about 45 days or so until the first game of the season, no matter how they split it. gqofoklahoma 09-16-2005, 12:14 PM New Orleans Hornets Are To Call Oklahoma City Temporary Home 09-16-2005 5:55 AM (Oklahoma City, OK) -- The management company which operates the Ford Center in Downtown Oklahoma City is reportedly preparing for a Monday news conference regarding the New Orleans Hornets playing basketball in the arena. KFOR Television cites sources indicating there will be a news conference involving the NBA, SMG arena management, and Oklahoma City officials to announce the Hornets will call the city their temporary home. Mayor Mick Cornett will not confirm such a news conference is planned, but expects a firm decision on the matter in 72 hours. BG918 09-16-2005, 12:44 PM You can definitely count me in for a handful of games if the Hornets are indeed going to play at the Ford Center. It's a good opportunity to see stars like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Shaq, Yao Ming, etc. mranderson 09-16-2005, 12:53 PM You can definitely count me in for a handful of games if the Hornets are indeed going to play at the Ford Center. It's a good opportunity to see stars like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Shaq, Yao Ming, etc. In addition. If KOCO and I are incorrect and this IS only temporary, if we fill the Ford Center or come close, you can just about gurantee Oklahoma City will get the next franchise. Relocation or expansion. BDP 09-16-2005, 04:22 PM If KOCO and I are incorrect Is KOCO saying they are going to announce this a permanent? mranderson 09-16-2005, 04:28 PM Is KOCO saying they are going to announce this a permanent? Yes and no. They are saying the team is expected to be permanant. They have not reported it as a fact. BDP 09-16-2005, 04:50 PM Ok. So, it's largely speculation. I couldn't imagine the Hornet's making such a decision at this time. They really have nothing to gain from it. mranderson 09-16-2005, 04:57 PM Ok. So, it's largely speculation. I couldn't imagine the Hornet's making such a decision at this time. They really have nothing to gain from it. Actually, they would have a lot to gain. I have read in many publications that the Hornets nor the league are really happy in New Orleans. They would gain a very large fan base, one of the newest arenas in the nation, and an untapped major league market. I bet permanant status is close. I really can not see the league taking as close of a look as they did without something larger being on their minds. I know business practices better than that. Luke 09-16-2005, 06:24 PM I think HOT ROD said it best. They're probably considering splitting time between OKC and Louisiana simply for the "hometown" thing. OKC is where they will make the money. There's just not much going there for an NBA team. Of course, the arena is messed up, the roads to the arena are probably all messed up, most of the citizens of New Orleans have left and we can't forget the the state of mind in which an NBA game is probably going to be the last thing on their mind for a long time. I can guarantee that an NBA team expansion here in OKC would have succeeded despite of the horrible circumstances. But, with OKC's empathy, understanding and persevering spirit through many tragedies of our own, in some strange way I think the fan support will be even greater than it would have been. I'm really excited about all this, but let's never forget why they're coming. jbrown84 09-16-2005, 09:45 PM mr. anderson, I think what BDP is saying is that there is nothing to gain in announcing at this time that the move is permanent. Even if that is their plan, they would never say it at this time because it would look like they are being unsupportive of NO in this time of crisis. And it is looking more and more like the Hornets will return to New Orleans, even if they have to play in OKC for two seasons. mranderson 09-16-2005, 10:18 PM mr. anderson, I think what BDP is saying is that there is nothing to gain in announcing at this time that the move is permanent. Even if that is their plan, they would never say it at this time because it would look like they are being unsupportive of NO in this time of crisis. And it is looking more and more like the Hornets will return to New Orleans, even if they have to play in OKC for two seasons. No. He or she said there is nothing to gain. Period. To intrupret those words any other way is speculation on your part. If your expanination was definately what those words meant, then your words would have been used. They were not. jbrown84 09-16-2005, 10:43 PM Whatever. This whole discussion is based on your speculation about what the Hornets and the NBA will do. venture 09-16-2005, 11:24 PM jbrown... Just stop when you are ahead. There are some battles that can't be one, and one with a close-minded and selfish "screenname" isn't going to win anything. Some people just like to argue, some just like to "hear" themselves talk...but when its a combination of both you just need to walk away and let the reputation maintain itself. I think the overwhelming opinion is that this is a good thing for the Hornets to continue on in some fashion, but also to showcase OKC as a good NBA city. If we get a team out the performance of the city in this matter, great. If not...at least we offered our assistance when needed. Patrick 09-17-2005, 02:08 AM At this point I'd say there's about a 0.000001 percent chance of the Hornets staying in Oklahoma City. Folks, they're only staying here temporarily until they get their arena back. That probably won't take as long as everyone's making it out to be. PUGalicious 09-17-2005, 04:16 AM No. He or she said there is nothing to gain. Period. To intrupret those words any other way is speculation on your part. If your expanination was definately what those words meant, then your words would have been used. They were not. I'll let BDP say what was originally meant. But I read it the same way jbrown84 did. PUGalicious 09-17-2005, 04:29 AM At this point I'd say there's about a 0.000001 percent chance of the Hornets staying in Oklahoma City. Folks, they're only staying here temporarily until they get their arena back. That probably won't take as long as everyone's making it out to be. I agree. There is an overabundance of presumptive speculation treated as if it were fact. Some think they have inside information or can predict the future. However, "there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." To BDP's point, it would be highly premature to be making "permanent" decisions while it's still so soon in the recovery/rebuilding process. None of us knows what will happen in or around New Orleans in the coming year. They've already made amazing progress, much more than anyone would have anticipated at this point. BDP 09-17-2005, 11:39 AM All I meant was that they would have nothing to gain from making that decision at this time. When you buy a car, you test drive it, right? Even if you already know it's a great car, you still drive it first. Well, even if the Hornets love OKC already, they have a chance to test drive it and there would be no advantage from them announcing a permanent move before doing so. If they do want to relocate, they are in a unique situation where they can actually know how they would do in at least one market (OKC) before making any commitment. So, why would the Hornets make such a decision at this time? As I said, they would have nothing to gain from it. That in no way is a statement on what they might have to gain by moving to OKC eventually. BDP 09-17-2005, 11:41 AM Bill would have state help Hornets with move By Michael McNutt The Oklahoman The state of Oklahoma would help pay the cost of relocating the New Orleans Hornets basketball team to Oklahoma City if a bill filed by a state legislator is passed next year. House Bill 2061 would provide state money to Oklahoma City if it is successful in landing the Hornets, said state Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs. If the team decides to come to the state, Oklahoma City likely would bear the costs associated with the move, he said. His bill, if passed during next year's session, would help alleviate some of Oklahoma City's burden, he said. "Even by a conservative fiscal estimate, Oklahoma would receive a $9 million boost to our economy if the Hornets move here -- even if it's only for a year," Dorman said. "We will get new revenue from hotels, restaurants, concession sales and from new payroll. If we can spend a little to make a lot more, I want to make sure we do everything possible to get the Hornets here." Dorman said the cost of moving the Hornets to Oklahoma should be minimal. "Even though it's a one-year situation, if we put on a good show for the team, Oklahoma could become a possible site for an NBA expansion team in the near future," Dorman said. Oklahoma officials have met with the Oklahoma City mayor's office on what the state can do to help bring the Hornets to Oklahoma City. "The governor is very interested in being helpful on this project, and we're looking for ways that we can assist the city," State Treasurer Scott Meacham said Thursday. Meacham said the state is looking at several different options, including possible economic incentives. "There's legal constraints on what we can and can't do," he said. "It will be a little premature for me to go into specifics right now because I don't know what they're actually going to put in their package. From everything I've heard, it's going to be a very attractive package." http://newsok.com/article/1618327/?template=sports/main BDP 09-17-2005, 11:43 AM And there another advantage for not making a permanent decision now. It gives local politicians the time to dream up incentives that wouldn’t be necessary if they were already committed. mranderson 09-17-2005, 07:22 PM I never said the Hornets move is definitely permanent. I said I BET it is. I base this on the fact many sources have said the Hornets and the NBA are not happy with New Orleans. Plus, the Hornets were to look at Oklahoma City in 1999 when they moved from Charlotte. However the Tornados put the kybosh to that and New Orleans got the nod. KOCO HAS said they think the move is permanent. I also do not see a businesses executive staff taking this much care to select a home for just one year. They would have agreed to a place faster and without as much effort. Could I be incorrect? It is always possible. However, please do not discount my feelings because I use a lot of logic based on years of teachings rom business people. How many years have YOU been taught by major business people? Were you raised by a man who started a business with his weeks lunch money and grew to be one of the premier people in his profession? Think about that. BDP 09-17-2005, 07:54 PM Who are you talking to, mranderson, and why do you feel the need to talk to them that way? mranderson 09-17-2005, 08:06 PM Who are you talking to, mranderson, and why do you feel the need to talk to them that way? I am not "talking" to anyone. I am replying to the people who are blasting me for saying what I feel. I have a business background that should be respected. That is why I reply as I do. PUGalicious 09-17-2005, 08:14 PM I am not "talking" to anyone. I am replying to the people who are blasting me for saying what I feel. I have a business background that should be respected. That is why I reply as I do. When you show respect for others' experience and expertise, then others will respond in kind. BDP 09-17-2005, 08:15 PM OK, you just asked direct questions and I thought maybe you'd like us to know who you wanted to answer them. And I don't think anyone is blasting you. You're speculating, they're speculating. That’s all. gqofoklahoma 09-17-2005, 08:45 PM we all need to come together and support this team...infighting is not what we need at this time....positive...not negative gqofoklahoma 09-18-2005, 10:53 PM City nears deal with Hornets By Steve Lackmeyer The Oklahoman Oklahoma City has reached a tentative agreement with the New Orleans Hornets to play at least part of the upcoming season at Ford Center, Mayor Mick Cornett confirmed Sunday. Cornett, when asked, confirmed both sides have agreed they want to see the Hornets play at Ford Center. Cornett also said Sunday the lease is still being drafted, and couldn’t assure that the public will get to look at it before the council is asked to approve it in a special meeting scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Cornett also said he expects an announcement to occur before then by the NBA and team owners that the Hornets will play at least part of its home season in Oklahoma City. “Everything is going well, but we still have a few details to work out,” Cornett said Sunday. “I am confident everything will be completed by Wednesday.” The Hornets have been searching for a temporary home since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, making it unfeasible for the team to play its season, which starts in November, in its hometown. The agreement between the New Orleans Hornets NBA Limited Partnership and the city will set out all the conditions of the relocation. Cornett previously said the agreement will include some undisclosed expenses that the city and state will be asked “share” in as part of the team moving to Oklahoma City. The last time the city council was asked to approve a lease with less than a week to review it was in 1997, when Mayor Ron Norick pushed one through between the city and Oklahoma RedHawks for the SBC Bricktown Ballpark. One uncertainty Sunday remained how many games, if any, might still be played in Louisiana - possibly Baton Rouge. The Times-Picayune on Sunday reported that the team would establish most of their base operations in Oklahoma City, but would also keep a smaller office in either New Orleans or Baton Rouge. If the team moves to Oklahoma City, the team is expected to relocate 100 employees from Louisiana and also hire 50 people locally to do a “rapid ramp-up” of telemarketing and ticket sales promotions. Combined with the players, the team would bring an approximate $50 million payroll to the state - an incentive, Cornett told The Oklahoman, for the state to share in providing support for the team’s expenses. Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, told The Oklahoman Friday he plans to file legislation that would provide state money to the city to help pay for the team’s relocation costs. Oklahoma City isn’t the only city that has offered the team a new home in the wake of Hurricane Katrina devastating New Orleans. Other cities offering their arenas include Nashville, San Diego, Kansas City, Louisville and Las Vegas. Those cities, however, do not have what Oklahoma City has: A relatively new NBA-ready arena with an open schedule able to accommodate all the team’s home games. The city has already secured a commitment by the Oklahoma City Blazers to play any overlapping dates at the Cox Convention Center arena across the street from Ford Center. The council will meet in its third-floor chamber at City Hall, 200 N Walker. gqofoklahoma 09-18-2005, 11:51 PM Hornets to base operations in Oklahoma, source says Sunday, 2:55 p.m. By Jimmy Smith Staff writer The Hornets will announce early this week that they will base their operations this season in Oklahoma City, keeping a smaller satellite office in either Baton Rouge or New Orleans, a source familiar with the plans said Sunday. The team will have a split staff working both locations, with a larger group in Oklahoma City, where the NBA will announce that the team will play many of their "home" games this season in the 19,000-seat Ford Center downtown, a facility opened in 2002 that can accommodate the need for club seat and luxury suite sales. It remains unclear, however, just how many games will be played in Oklahoma City this year and how many at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. Hornets officials are hoping that between eight and 12 games can be played at the recently renovated PMAC, which for two weeks served as a medical evacuation facility for Hurricane Katrina survivors. Peter Fink, vice president for NBA events and attractions, toured the PMAC last Thursday and filed a mostly favorable report to league headquarters in New York, outlining the plusses and minuses of staging games there. The primary drawback was lack of club seats and suites, and some of the other amenities customarily available in NBA arenas. But the league and the Hornets hope to retain something of a local tie for the team this season, since it's likely the Hornets could not play again in New Orleans Arena until the February All-Star break, if at all. SMG officials, managers of the Arena, report just minor damage to the facility and the hope that those can be quickly repaired under optimal circumstances. Hornets owner George Shinn said last week he remains open to the possibility of playing games in the Arena this season under the right circumstances. Shinn said he would not like to play games there if the team's fan base is still spread around various evacuation points. Mayor Ray Nagin has implemented a re-population plan going into effect this week in which citizens who live in areas of the city least damaged by Katrina can begin to return to their homes and businesses. Those living in Jefferson, St. Tammany and the River Parishes, areas from which the Hornets draw heavily, are already returning to their homes. The question remains whether the city's infrastructure can be repaired sufficiently to house visiting NBA teams in luxury hotels downtown and whether the Arena can be made playable in time to play part of the home schedule as originally planned. Team president Paul Mott could not be reached for comment Sunday. And while Shinn has repeatedly said he remains committed to play in New Orleans beyond this truncated season, officials in Oklahoma are seizing the opportunity to make the Hornets’ temporary relocation permanent. One state legislator, according to The Daily Oklahoman newspaper, has filed a bill aimed at the state picking up relocation costs if the team decided to move there next season. Oklahoma House Bill 2061, filed by Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush, calls for the state to absorb relocation costs should the Hornets seek to move to Oklahoma City. "Even by a conservative fiscal estimate," Dorman told the newspaper, "Oklahoma would receive a $9 million boost to our economy if the Hornets move here, even if it's only for a year. We will get new revenue from hotels, restaurants, concession sales and from new payroll. If we can spend a little to make a lot more, I want to make sure we do everything possible to get the Hornets here." BDP 09-19-2005, 09:50 AM http://newsok.com/article/1619405/?template=sports/main State ready to fullfull its hoop hopes By John Rohde The Oklahoman The New Orleans Hornets have a new hive -- and we're it. Please allow me to explain what their part-time relocation to Oklahoma City is about ... and what it is not about. What it is about: This is about seeing what we've missed all these years ... It's about seeing the greatest athletes in the world. Yes, greater than Lance Armstrong ... It's about seeing the best in the business, especially now that foreigners have helped save the game ... It's about seeing up-close exactly how monstrous Shaquille O'Neal is ... How insanely talented LeBron James is ... How crafty Manu Ginobili is ... How incredibly tall Yao Ming is ... How short Earl Boykins is ... Realizing how great the last player on the bench truly is ... It's about the subtle greatness of Tim Duncan ... It's about being able to whisper behind Kobe Bryant's back ... It's about seeing Allen Iverson's competitiveness and teammate Chris Webber's laziness ... It's about watching Rasheed Wallace blow a gasket ... It's about measuring the height of Ben Wallace's hair ... It's about getting to know the lesser-known players ... It's about seeing who can fly highest ... It's about Desmond Mason, Eduardo Najera, Tony Allen and Joey Graham coming back to the 405 area code ... It's about showing Gerald Green what he missed ... It's about showing the NBA the heartland of America ... It's about showing who we are and that we care ... What this is not about: It's not about how bad the Hornets were last season (18-64) ... Or how bad they'll likely be this season ... It's not about hyperventilating over the high ticket prices. Going big-time costs big money, people ... This is not about heckling the home team, though visiting teams will have much greater star power ... This is not about being territorial ... And this is not about trying to steal what's not ours ... Remember, the NBA wants this relocation project to succeed. New Orleans is a toxic gumbo, and the Hornets' ownership is drowning in it. That city needs to know its NBA team is in good hands, for however long necessary. The Hornets hail from the Big Easy. And that, most important, is what this is about. Our city has been entrusted to make some extremely hard times as easy as possible. John Rohde:475-3314, jrohde@oklahoman.com; John Rohde can be heard Monday-Friday from 6-7 p.m. on WWLS-FM 104.9 and WWLS-AM 640, and on KYAL-AM 1550 in Tulsa. PUGalicious 09-19-2005, 10:37 AM (Quoting John Rohde's article) What this is not about: It's not about how bad the Hornets were last season (18-64) ... Or how bad they'll likely be this season ... It's not about hyperventilating over the high ticket prices. Going big-time costs big money, people ... This is not about heckling the home team, though visiting teams will have much greater star power ... This is not about being territorial ... And this is not about trying to steal what's not ours ... Remember, the NBA wants this relocation project to succeed. New Orleans is a toxic gumbo, and the Hornets' ownership is drowning in it. That city needs to know its NBA team is in good hands, for however long necessary. The Hornets hail from the Big Easy. And that, most important, is what this is about. Our city has been entrusted to make some extremely hard times as easy as possible. Very important points that we ALL can heed. venture 09-19-2005, 10:57 AM I'm very glad to see that published. Far to often people get greedy and want to lay claim to what isn't theirs. This isn't the land grab...this is a neighbor helping a neighbor. BDP 09-19-2005, 11:24 AM I agree. I think Rohde nailed it on several points. gqofoklahoma 09-19-2005, 01:59 PM here's the way i see it...the city of New Orleans was not supporting the hornets. Why do you think they had the leagues "WORST" attendance. If we make them feel home here...we're not forcing the owner to decide to stay here permanantly, thats a decision made by the league and the owner, George Shinn. Calling it stealing, robbing and whatnot is the wrong terminology. Just my two cents. TStheThird 09-19-2005, 02:33 PM :woowoo: Karried 09-19-2005, 02:56 PM :cheerlead :Welcome: New Orleans! http://www.okctalk.com/images/Smailies%2001-28-08/congrats.gif :cheerlead flyingcowz 09-19-2005, 03:23 PM here's the way i see it...the city of New Orleans was not supporting the hornets. Why do you think they had the leagues "WORST" attendance. If we make them feel home here...we're not forcing the owner to decide to stay here permanantly, thats a decision made by the league and the owner, George Shinn. Calling it stealing, robbing and whatnot is the wrong terminology. Just my two cents. ...and it's just our two cents that you and Mr. Anderson are acting greedy. BDP 09-19-2005, 03:24 PM Why do you think they had the leagues "WORST" attendance. Honestly? Because they weren't very good. mranderson 09-19-2005, 03:34 PM ...and it's just our two cents that you and Mr. Anderson are acting greedy. No. I am just viewing this on a business level. PUGalicious 09-19-2005, 03:51 PM No. I am just viewing this on a business level. There can be greed in business just the same. venture 09-19-2005, 04:00 PM No. I am just viewing this on a business level. If thats the case, hopefully some day you can be schooled on how to business on a ethical and compasionate level. You can actually do business on a level that doesn't involving taking advantage of a situation at the loss of someone else. http://www.okctalk.com/images/smilies/Smilie1/omg.gif |