P.S. Boss-man Shinn and Boss-man Wooldridge, I didn't receive my salary of $1,000,000 last week. And I won't take "the check's in the mail" as an excuse this time!
 |
| . |
|
When did the Hornets organization take over this website?
http://www.gastongazette.com/portal/news/news02.htm
Will they or won't they?
By Richard Walker, AP photos
Gazette Sports Reporter
It’s perhaps the best soap opera to hit Charlotte since Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and their ministry crumbled before our eyes in the 1980s.
It also has the prospect of setting history in professional sports, as no group of fans has ever succeeded in forcing an ownership group out while keeping its team.
Yet, no matter whether the Charlotte Hornets stay in town or leave for New Orleans after this season, the storyline will be one that has tongues wagging for years to come.
Who doesn’t have an opinion on the ongoing saga of the George Shinn and Ray Wooldridge Hornets?
Shinn is the main character of the story.
A winner of the Horatio Alger Award in the 1970s for his "rags-to-riches" success at turning business colleges into enough wealth to bring the first major professional sports team to the Carolinas, Shinn has seen his star virtually disappear in recent years.
Only a few years after buying out three wealthy Charlotte businessmen as his partners following the team’s first year in 1988, Shinn threatened to move the team if the city didn’t give him a new uptown arena.
Starting in 1995, a roster shuffle that has continued to this day began with an eye on keeping player salaries low.
It led to popular players like Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues, Glen Rice and Eddie Jones being traded away. Or, in the case of others like Vlade Divac, Dell Curry, Matt Geiger, Brad Miller and Eddie Robinson, popular and talented players left without compensation via free agency.
Off the court, Shinn’s image took a worse beating.
The author of religious-oriented books and an owner whose team remains the only in all of professional sports with a pregame prayer, Shinn was accused of sexual assault in 1998. The subsequent broadcast of the trial on CourtTV brought to light several unsavory truths about Shinn’s now-broken marriage.
Then, in the spring of 1999 — or after team officials contended new arena talks were imperative for the team’s future — Shinn began and then broke off talks with Michael Jordan to become his partner.
Instead of Jordan, Shinn chose Wooldridge, an Atlanta businessman.
With majority owner Shinn now living in Jupiter, Fla., Wooldridge was entrusted to get the team a new arena.
However, Wooldridge was caught — and continues to be caught — in misinformation or out-and-out lies that led to an overwhelming defeat last June in the city’s referendum to designate funds for a new arena.
Since the Hornets’ relocation application to New Orleans in January, Shinn and Wooldridge have made disparaging remarks about city leaders and Hornets fans. They’ve even started a Web site called "neworleanshornets.com" that gleefully tells of Charlotte’s shortcomings while offering one-sided accounts of the team’s personnel decisions and negotiations with Charlotte leaders.
Gastonia’s Marshall Rauch, a 12-term state senator, has bought Hornets’ season tickets since the team’s first season in 1988.
Rauch, a former business owner himself, is remorseful about the prospect of the team leaving. NBA owners have until May 17 to vote on the issue.
"Sometimes, a fella builds a real wonderful business and he doesn’t take care of it," Rauch said. "It can be in any field. Unfortunately, Shinn had a great thing going here — then he made a number of mistakes.
"We’re all human, which is why I don’t condemn him. But, in the end, it’s going to be our loss in Charlotte if they leave. And it’s sad."
There is reason to believe the team won’t be leaving.
At least 15 NBA owners must vote to approve or block the Hornets’ request to move to New Orleans.
Given this franchise has eight of the top 12 attendance seasons in league history, many around the league wonder how any ownership group could have its fan base sabotaged to this point.
Also, Charlotte-based banks Wachovia and Bank of America have underwritten many loans to NBA owners and are two-thirds of the businesses to have put up $100 million for a new uptown arena; Duke Energy is the other.
Charlotte venture capitalist Nelson Schwab has spent much of the past two years trying to organize an ownership group that could buy the team from Shinn and Wooldridge and keep it in Charlotte.
Two months ago, Schwab and his investors set up billionaire Robert Johnson, the founder of the BET network, as a majority ownership candidate.
However, Johnson’s offer of $250 million was declined by Shinn. And Shinn and Wooldridge have repeatedly said the team is not for sale.
Last week, Schwab, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and Charlotte City Manager Pam Syfert flew to New York City to make an hour-long presentation to the NBA Board of Governors’ relocation committee.
Schwab told Charlotte radio station WFNZ-AM 610 the owners in the meeting wanted to know the viability of the proposed new arena.
So bad are the relations between the city and the Shinn-Wooldridge Hornets’ ownership, both they and the NBA’s relocation committee understand any new arena would be for a new ownership group.
"Well, it was a good meeting and it was actually with the entire relocation committee," Schwab told WFNZ’s "Prime Time with the Packman" syndicated afternoon talk show audience on Tuesday. "Basically, there was a short presentation made by the mayor and the city manager, and then we answered questions. It was just a good give-and-take. There were some issues that needed to clarified and some various questions from the owners."
Schwab also thinks the NBA’s decision to continue extending deadlines for Shinn and Wooldridge to sell season tickets in New Orleans isn’t as bad as some may think it appears.
After all, Schwab and others understand the NBA would go ahead and grant the relocation if it was truly the league’s choice.
"I think that’s probably the best thing we have going for us," Schwab said. "This is a very tough decision for them, and they’re taking their time on it. They are really struggling with it. It is not an easy one where they say, ‘Oh, well, this is such a great market that we’re going to fire on down there.’ They are really weighing a lot of factors back and forth. It’s a close call."
Rauch and Dr. Edward Silvoy, another Gastonian who has held season tickets from the beginning, think a change in ownership would make Charlotte one of the league’s top markets again.
"If somebody bought the Hornets and they stayed, I think it would be received wonderfully and I think we’d go back to where it was packed every night," said Rauch, in reference to a 364-game regular-season sellout streak that lasted nearly nine years.
Added Silvoy, an ear, throat and nose surgeon in Gastonia the past 24 years: "I think if new owners came in, the fans would come back. They’d fill the house again."
The team, which will make the playoffs for the third straight year, has been adversely affected by the talk of relocation all season long, said head coach Paul Silas.
"As much as you say it doesn’t matter, it matters," Silas said. "Every day, it seems, there’s something different going on, and it’s just hard to ignore. You talk about it or hear about it every day. The thing we all need is some closure, just so we’ll know what’s going to happen.
"This is sort of like being the child in a divorce. If affects you even if you have nothing to do with it."
You can reach Richard Walker at jrwalk22@aol.com
P.S. Boss-man Shinn and Boss-man Wooldridge, I didn't receive my salary of $1,000,000 last week. And I won't take "the check's in the mail" as an excuse this time!
See, this is just like the charlotte observer to... Oh wait. For once this isn't them.
This whole town needs a damn psychiatrist or some kind of mental help. I need help too. Someone, anyone, show me where Johnson FACTUALLY offered 250M for the team. No reportedly, could have offered as much as, we hope he offered, you know what I am asking for. SHOW ME WHERE IT IS FACT.
Before you write an article, you may want to get your facts straight. I wonder how many other things the owners were accused of that are just not true. This is just a great example of how the press and civic leaders of CLT continue to mislead the people. They have been groomed to hate these guys so much, they will jump at the chance to believe anything negative that is written or said. "Shinnridge", as they are derogatively called in CLT, is the creatioin of the press and politicians. The people have been lead to the "kool aid" and don't know any better than to drink it. They are the reason this team is leaving and you know it would be political or professional suicide to ever admit it. So what do they do, continue to misrepresent the facts to the people who believe in them. The sad thing is, the people of CLT do believe in them, whether they think they do or not.
I can't wait until this is over. Not for my sake. It gets sadder each day to see the stages of grief play themself out on this board. It is worse at CLT.com. These people rejoice in each article like this that has zero to very little fact and prolongs their false hope. Fot God's sake Stern, put them out of their misery.
Last edited by Harvey Hornet-x; 04-14-2002 at 01:57 AM.
I seem to have messed up the bold/quoting feature. I think you can still get it.
(I don't expect anyone to respond to this since it has been said before but)..I wonder how many times the owners have said things that the people of charlotte believe in that were not true. And I dare you to ask for examples, because I can think of 2 right off the bat.Originally posted by Harvey Hornet
wonder how many other things the owners were accused of that are just not true.... The sad thing is, the people of CLT do believe in them, whether they think they do or not.
The gaston gazzete (or any other paper) has nothing to gain by "grooming" people to belive anti-owner propaganda. There is no reason for newspapers to put it out. People will watch a blooper just as soon as they will watch a top play.Originally posted by Harvey Hornet
They have been groomed to hate these guys so much, they will jump at the chance to believe anything negative that is written or said.
I will enlighten NO posters more as I see fit. Thank you.
C'mon State Fan. What I am saying here is this is irresponsible reporting. Pure garbage. Many of the things written are here say at best and unadulterated lies. How can you make excuses for this kind of trash. You don't like it when Shinn or Wooly lie, but it is OK for your media and politicians?!?!How can this type of "reporting" possibly help your current situation? Does it make you feel better to be lied to and mislead?
Last edited by Harvey Hornet-x; 04-14-2002 at 02:09 AM.
Without writing a diseration, I don't know how to prove to you that the NC papers aren't lying. You can take little staments and prove how they could go any way, but that would take all day. I can however, with confidence, say that they owners lied. Lying in any case is not justified; and I would like someone to give me an examlple of an :unadulterated lie. (I'm so excited to see what I get.)Originally posted by Harvey Hornet
C'mon State Fan. What I am saying here is this is irresponsible reporting. Pure garbage. Many of the things written are here say at best and unadulterated lies. How can you make excuses for this kind of trash. You don't like it when Shinn or Wooly lie, but it is OK for your media and politicians?!?!
BTW, I think this is a vivid illustration of how people believe what they want to believe. This isn't just a CLT trait, we've been guilty of it also. I don't understand how this reporter could claim that this site has gleefully pointed out Charlotte's shortcomings and praised Shinn and Wooldridge. On the front page, save for the 3 or so articles I've written, all we do is offer a news clipping service. Every one of those articles are written by other people and I put the good with the bad.
Maybe he's talking about the forum but I find it hard to believe that he would assign responsibility for every post on here to the owners of the Hornets...oh, wait...I guess it isn't that hard to believe.
Also, StateFan, it's a well known fact that newspapers sell more copies with negative articles rather than positive ones. It's in their best interest to exaggerate and speculate. How many copies of the Charlotte Absurder would be sold with the front page headline, "Hornets owners build 4 houses today for underpriveleged families" and how many more would be sold with the headline, "Hornets owners hand out Mardi Gras beads at home games by mind-controlling Observer staffers"
Spongey, you are right that you have not reported biased news at all. Your site is awesome and I'm thankfull you let me stay on it even though I disagree with you and a lot of people. This guy gots his facts wrong, but they weren't a staple of his argument. I'm asking for someone to point out "unadulterated lies" involving the move.Originally posted by spongey
BTW, I think this is a vivid illustration of how people believe what they want to believe. This isn't just a CLT trait, we've been guilty of it also. I don't understand how this reporter could claim that this site has gleefully pointed out Charlotte's shortcomings and praised Shinn and Wooldridge. On the front page, save for the 3 or so articles I've written, all we do is offer a news clipping service. Everyone of those articles are written by other people and I put the good with the bad.
Maybe he's talking about the forum but I find it hard to believe that he would assign responsibility for every post on here to the owners of the Hornets...oh, wait...I guess it isn't that hard to believe.
Also, StateFan, it's a well known fact that newspapers sell more copies with negative articles rather than positive ones. It's in their best interest to exaggerate and speculate. How many copies of the Charlotte Absurder would be sold with the front page headline, "Hornets owners build 4 houses today for underpriveleged families" and how many more would be sold with the headline, "Hornets owners hand out Mardi Gras beads at home games by mind-controlling Observer staffers"
How about the statement in the article that says site is owned by Shinn and Wooldridge?I would like someone to give me an examlple of an :unadulterated lie. (I'm so excited to see what I get.)
If the writer of this "article" cannot substantiate Johnson's supposed offer, what would you call that. I know he can't. If he could, he would.
Last edited by Harvey Hornet-x; 04-14-2002 at 02:19 AM.
I think Johnsons offer is a huge sticking point for you, and I don't know why. Ok, Johnson didn't offer 250, he offered 4 bucks and a sucker, what difference does it make in the scheme of things. These are closed door operations. All these articles are full or NBA sources and such. NO articles use the term as well.Originally posted by Harvey Hornet
How about the statement in the article that says site is owned by Shinn and Wooldridge?
If the writer of this "article" cannot substantiate Johnson's supposed offer, what would you call that. I know he can't. If he could, he would.
Johnson's alleged offer is not the sticking point. It is the fact that anyone can quote unsubstantiated and obviously biased sources. Then they quote it and print it as though it were absolute fact. And to make it worse, they do it knowing you want to believe every last word of it. Your 4 bucks and a sucker is just as believeable and just as substantiated as the 250M.
Ok. Your worried about people taking what they heard as truth as truth. "The hornets are not talking to any other city." Anyone can take that and report it as truth. Thats why we consider that so important.
You lost me on this one!Originally posted by StateFan
Ok. Your worried about people taking what they heard as truth as truth. "The hornets are not talking to any other city." Anyone can take that and report it as truth. Thats why we consider that so important.
Contributor
what ever happened to doing research before writing an artical for a paper???? anyone can make up stuffOriginally posted by spongey
http://www.gastongazette.com/portal/news/news02.htm
Since the Hornets’ relocation application to New Orleans in January, Shinn and Wooldridge have made disparaging remarks about city leaders and Hornets fans. They’ve even started a Web site called "neworleanshornets.com" that gleefully tells of Charlotte’s shortcomings while offering one-sided accounts of the team’s personnel decisions and negotiations with Charlotte leaders.
Brad... when you get that check, don't forget to send me my halfOriginally posted by spongey
P.S. Boss-man Shinn and Boss-man Wooldridge, I didn't receive my salary of $1,000,000 last week. And I won't take "the check's in the mail" as an excuse this time!
This is hilarious!
Andrus
the check's in the mail, Big AOriginally posted by Andrus
Brad... when you get that check, don't forget to send me my half
This is hilarious!
Andrus
Harvey what are you honest feelings about Shinn and Woolridge, aside from the fact that they're finally bringing you a team again, do you not have any misgivings or at the least questions about how they run their business at all?
So far, I cannot complain about what has happened here. While the "deadlines" mean so much to CLT, getting it done in enough time is all that matters to me. The commish even said it, the things accomplished here in a short amount of time is impressive. It is hard for me to judge the goings on in CLT. Mistakes were made on both sides. I cannot expect an unbiased opinion from CLT. Of course the media, politicians and fans will blame the owners entirely. I have never seen an owner relocate who was given a blessing to leave. All I can really expect from CLT is total blame and negatives. From the way I see it, Shinn asked for a new arena and got turned down. CLT did not think his request was fair in spite of similar deals being made in professional sports. From that day forward, the relationship was damaged and doomed. No matter what Shinn did, it would be wrong or not enough. The city used a series of issues ranging from personel moves to personal transgressions to fight the arena deal. It is kind of funny that the city is now willing to build an arena for someone else without Shinn's baggage, but could have built it for him when he asked and not loaded him up with the baggage to begin with. Don't get me wrong, Shinn is no saint. Who is? Cuban, being far from one himself, is one in 29 owners. There is not much difference between the rest or potential future owners. Actually Cuban is quite the same. It is about profit. His fan friendly approach is marketing at it's best. I really think Charlotte put Shinn in a no win position. Never admitting to their own mishandling of the situation until it was completely destroyed. They really still haven't admitted to doing anything wrong. This will damage their chances with the NBA in my opinion. The denial about CLT's mistakes early on, have made me leary about trusting the opinion of someone from CLT. It is jaded. Try to forget what has happended since Wooly showed up. What was the original catalyst? Was Shinn wrong to ask for the arena? Was the city wrong to turn him down? What if they just would have built it? Is anyone entirely at fault? Should the city have seen the potential for relocation and called off the dogs? Should CLT have tried to make it right sooner? See where I am going?Originally posted by HIMCDONNOUGH
Harvey what are you honest feelings about Shinn and Woolridge, aside from the fact that they're finally bringing you a team again, do you not have any misgivings or at the least questions about how they run their business at all?
Last edited by Harvey Hornet-x; 04-14-2002 at 01:14 PM.
You're killing me! Please Stop!!!
I had to laugh when I read the part where they credit S&W with ownership of this site. Oh yeah, it's nothing but a site that "gleefully tells of Charlotte’s shortcomings while offering one-sided accounts of the team’s personnel decisions and negotiations with Charlotte leaders."Originally posted by spongey
BTW, I think this is a vivid illustration of how people believe what they want to believe. This isn't just a CLT trait, we've been guilty of it also. I don't understand how this reporter could claim that this site has gleefully pointed out Charlotte's shortcomings and praised Shinn and Wooldridge. On the front page, save for the 3 or so articles I've written, all we do is offer a news clipping service. Every one of those articles are written by other people and I put the good with the bad.
Maybe he's talking about the forum but I find it hard to believe that he would assign responsibility for every post on here to the owners of the Hornets...oh, wait...I guess it isn't that hard to believe.
I guess all of the board members from NOLA are assumed by the Gazette to be paid employees of S&W. Where's my check. LOL
I thought the Observer had low standards when it came to fact checking, but this is one instance where all the author of this piece had to do is read the Observer article on this site and the "board wars" to check his facts. It's pretty bad when the Observer can be cited as a factual source. I guess this article goes a long way to proving that you can't rely upon much that you read in the Gaston Gazette - $100 million dollar relocation fee, $250 million dollar standing offer by Johnson for the team, Cuban off on a fact finding mission to torpedo the move.....
Truly amazing. If newspaper editors only insisted upon factual verification before going to print. It's not like revealing the ownership of this site would be a major reporting scoop!
It seems as if the responsibility of some writers during this entire process has slowly but surely deteriorated. The responsibility to print factual accounts or at least admit if you were wrong, by print. The emotions of a lot of writers are getting the best of them. I would be hurt too if my team were leaving, yet as an employee of a respected newspaper, the job of printing fact, not opinions, come first. If not, then they should apply for a position at the National Enquire.
PEACE and
This is just too damn funny. Next thing you know, they'll be saying that Andrus is Tom Benson
Stay Hard
Guys, we are hearing the WLW is also using some home cooking in reporting as well. I heard a local Radio Station (WBT) saying they have been trying to work with WLW to share news and info between the cities, but that WLW has not been forthcoming. Could it be they are also putting their (potential) profits ahead of the a news organizations purpose of reporting facts? They are probably hoping for the new contract with the Hornets... So the Cht Disturber is not the only crap reporting tool.....
Contributor
If you are referring to WWL, I would be surprised. WWL always has reporters from other cities (i.e. opposing teams in football season) and has had CLT reporters on in the past.Originally posted by NC Dude
Guys, we are hearing the WLW is also using some home cooking in reporting as well. I heard a local Radio Station (WBT) saying they have been trying to work with WLW to share news and info between the cities, but that WLW has not been forthcoming. Could it be they are also putting their (potential) profits ahead of the a news organizations purpose of reporting facts? They are probably hoping for the new contract with the Hornets... So the Cht Disturber is not the only crap reporting tool.....
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
