Unnofficial Comments From Shinn

[scotplum]

Saw this post on Soonerfans a minute ago, sounds very promising:


I just met George Shinn about 10 minutes ago. I chatted with him one-on-one for a minute or two. Nice guy. He spoke at a meeting I attended, and said:

1. He feels even more strongly in his gut every day that the season will be a sellout. All 37 games.

2. Corporate participation has already far outstripped what they ever had in New Orleans. They already have 7 or 8 corporate partners locally who have spent $1 million plus for this season. He said that the notion that a city has to have a ton of fortune 500 companies is mostly a myth. The main thing is getting the butts in the seats, which he is confident they will do. Besides that, the main difference between a market of, say, New York and OKC is the television contracts. He said super large markets can make huge money off of TV, which the Hornets won't have the luxury of doing, but that puts them square in the same boat as many other teams.

3. OKC just passed Phoenix in group sales, taking over the number nine spot in the NBA. He believes we will end up in the top five, in rare air with New York, Miami, Dallas, LA... ...they all are pretty stunned by it.

4. He feels OKC will come very close to leading the league in average attendance, limited only by the fact that the Ford Center has 3-5 thousand seats less than a (very) few of the other arenas. Most of the arenas are the same size or even smaller than the Ford Center.

Overall, the OKC response has far exceeded their expectations, and ranks as one of the most impressive in the history of the NBA.

GO HORNETS!!!

[Karried]

woo hoo!! That's promising... see, if we only get the chance to shine... we just might do so!



Go Hornets!!

[floater]

Woo hooo!!

Hope this holds up after tickets take their regular NBA levels and novelty is gone

[mranderson]

Woo hooo!!

Hope this holds up after tickets take their regular NBA levels and novelty is gone

Since the league set the pricing, I would bet the ticket prices will remain the same. There will be a small amount of novelty people, however, the majority will be die hard fans and will stay.

[JOHNINSOKC]

I always felt that if a major league franchise came to OKC, it would cater to an untapped demographic that wouldn't really attend the Blazers or the Redhawks. Again, this just goes to show that this region is more wealthy than previously thought by most experts and especially the general population. Yes, the novelty MAY wear off after this season or next, but I doubt it will lag that much. This community and it's business leaders understand what this does for OKC not just right now, but in the future as well. It'll be the best exposure we could ever get aside from maybe the Olympics, which we will never have here, but I believe that our city will grow even faster because of this exposure. All we need now is that America West/US Airways hub and a major corporate relocation to downtown OKC and we'll be set. I think if the Hornets stay, Will Rogers is going to grow faster than we might think.

[Luke]

It'll be the best exposure we could ever get aside from maybe the Olympics, which we will never have here...

Don't count us out of the Olympics. Ya never know.

http://www.okctalk.com/t263-summer-o...homa-city.html

[jbrown84]

I think the biggest thing we've learned from the last 2 months is Never Say Never.

[Karried]

And I've learned not to move to the Gulf Coast anytime soon! Another Hurricane Cat 5 Wilma is brewing - Florida is getting ready to be slammed. Who could ever have thought or predicted we would be getting a pro team due to a hurricane?

What is the saying? Success is being prepared when the opportunity arises? Something like that!

:tweeted:

[mranderson]

Can we give this "pro" crap a rest, please. No matter the level of play, they get a paycheck. Hence pro.

Thank you.

[floater]

What is the saying? Success is being prepared when the opportunity arises? Something like that!

So true.

[scotplum]

Can we give this "pro" crap a rest, please. No matter the level of play, they get a paycheck. Hence pro.

Thank you.

LOL, seriously, you are the only one that brings it up. Besides, even according to your definition, what she said was still correct since, you know, NBA players actually get paid, therefore they are a pro team. Just sayin'.

[Intrepid]

Can we give this "pro" crap a rest, please. No matter the level of play, they get a paycheck. Hence pro.

Thank you.

This makes me laugh so hard!!!!!

[BDP]

Who could ever have thought or predicted we would be getting a pro team due to a hurricane?

I think mranderson said it. At least, he keeps saying "I told you so", so he must have predicted it.

[mranderson]

I think mranderson said it. At least, he keeps saying "I told you so", so he must have predicted it.

I will continue to say "I told you so" when I am correct also. I knew Oklahoma City could attract a MAJOR LEAGUE team. Regardless of how we did it.

[Karried]

Who could ever have thought or predicted we would be getting a pro team due to a hurricane?

Can we give this "pro" crap a rest, please. No matter the level of play, they get a paycheck. Hence pro.

Thank you.

'Pro' crap? I wasn't replying to you, I didn't even post this in the 'pro' team thread! A complete Freudian slip on my part - I wasn't even thinking of your aversion to the word 'pro' - but unless I'm mistaken the New Orleans/Oklahoma Hornets are a professional team and they are here due to a hurricane.

Thank you.

LOL

[BDP]

Sorry, it's too easy.