Charlotte Hornets Goodbye

[PELICANSFAN]

For those of us who are old enough (as someone referred to us in another post) to remember the Jazz leaving, it was extremely difficult and heartbreaking. And to think, we only had the team for 5 years. I can only imagine what the true Hornets fans are feeling right now. I know it must be tough.

[Blair]

What the hell? I'm gone for a couple of days on business and this board has turned into a damn love fest. Say What, say something mean about me or my city..quick. Good luck w/the Hornets and go CAROLINA Hurricanes! Damn, I'm actually having to follow hockey.

[bdiddyx24]

The Lakers Plague shows its head!!!!!!!!!!!

[say-what-x]

Originally posted by Blair
What the hell? I'm gone for a couple of days on business and this board has turned into a damn love fest. Say What, say something mean about me or my city..quick. Good luck w/the Hornets and go CAROLINA Hurricanes! Damn, I'm actually having to follow hockey.

Okay - WTF -

Damn Charlotte whiners. Quitcha *****in and go back to CLT.com if you can't face the truth.


Feel better now.

Peace and good luck.
Uh...Go Canes!...

[Blair]

Say What:

AAHHHH, thank you. I do feel much better now. I am now gonna search my data base full of "high crime rate, bad schools, immoral drunks" remarks to use as retaliation. I, of course, will expect you to reply with the "hillbilly, inbred, NASCAR loving, Mayberry" shots. C'mon Say What, it is up to us to keep the bashing going!
BTW, somebody make me a drink!

[AcrossTheLake]

Originally posted by Blair
Damn, I'm actually having to follow hockey.

Good point... I haven't been a hockey fan, but now I have no other choice. Go Canes.

The only silver lining here is that maybe with the Hornets leaving, my Charlotte 49ers will have no trouble in filling Halton Arena to the brim. I guess we can still count on spanking the Green Wave time and again, but that's not much consolation.

Good luck NOLA, and welcome back to the NBA.

[West Coast Hornet]

Originally posted by Blair
Say What:

AAHHHH, thank you. I do feel much better now. I am now gonna search my data base full of "high crime rate, bad schools, immoral drunks" remarks to use as retaliation. I, of course, will expect you to reply with the "hillbilly, inbred, NASCAR loving, Mayberry" shots. C'mon Say What, it is up to us to keep the bashing going!
BTW, somebody make me a drink!

Do you want me to contribute? Do you, COULLION? Huh?

[Blair]

WCH:

Educate my redneck *****. What is a COULLION? Or should I not ask?

[jukes]

Is it time for a group hug now?

[Abbie]

Just wondering for those of you there when the Jazz relocated, where you able to still support them? I love & I hate them right now. Those that saw the tribute last night, when they played LJ carrying Mugsy off the court I lost it! Those were some good memories I will never forget. Thank you Hornets for the good times!

[Harvey Hornet-x]

Originally posted by Blair
WCH:

Educate my redneck *****. What is a COULLION? Or should I not ask?

Don't ask. It's confidential. If we told you, we would have to kill you.

[NYKF Hornet]

Just wondering for those of you there when the Jazz relocated, where you able to still support them? I love & I hate them right now.

When the Jazz left, I was old enough to be upset but too young to understand any of the reasons behind the move, my Dad just started taking me to Tulane basketball games. I didn't really follow them after they left, and I just learned that my Dad was really mad when they left town. From that point I got really into college ball (Ewing was my favorite college player). Then when I moved to NY, I became a Knicks fan. This is weird for me because I no longer live in NY, although still religiously follow the team, but now I'm very excited about New Orleans getting a team (I just can't drop the Knicks, but I will go to Hornets games in NO when I come it to visit and follow them from a distance, League Pass and newspapers).

[West Coast Hornet]

Originally posted by Blair
WCH:

Educate my redneck *****. What is a COULLION? Or should I not ask?

I think you got your answer, but it is worth repeating:

Don't ask. It's confidential. If we told you, we would have to kill you.

By the way, what is a "redneck *****"? I've never seen that before.

[Blair]

It was supposed to be "redneck a**". Damn SPONGERIDGE strikes again!

[West Coast Hornet]

Originally posted by Abbie
Just wondering for those of you there when the Jazz relocated, where you able to still support them? I love & I hate them right now. Those that saw the tribute last night, when they played LJ carrying Mugsy off the court I lost it! Those were some good memories I will never forget. Thank you Hornets for the good times!

Didn't support them again until I moved out of the city. Then had no choice when they came to town in the same uniforms except they carried some name on it called UTAH. It was my team, got behind them, but never felt like the stars were aligned with them. Wasn't completely my team anymore. How could you not support them when they went to the NBA Finals twice? I couldn't, but I am sure that others hated them.

Be mad at the owners for moving your team. Then get over it and if they are your team, they can continue to be your team until CLT gets a replacement. That's the way I look at it. Easier said than done, though. Goodluck, Abbie.

[West Coast Hornet]

Originally posted by Blair
It was supposed to be "redneck a**". Damn SPONGERIDGE strikes again!

I still don't know what that is. You haven't answered the question. Man, you must be a real coullion! What did I ever do to you. Geez...

[Abbie]

You know I have tried to think if there is another team that I can support & I just dont think so, possibly Detriot (goes back to the whole ACC thing & Carlisle is my man from Virginia, I think I even had a crush on him as a little girl) But I just cant get the fuzzies another team yet. In a way I am over being mad but I still feel like I just went through a divorce with someone I am still very much in love with. I guess I wont really know if I can still support them until the 1st tip off next year.

[Slidell Hornet]

Originally posted by Abbie
Just wondering for those of you there when the Jazz relocated, where you able to still support them? I love & I hate them right now. Those that saw the tribute last night, when they played LJ carrying Mugsy off the court I lost it! Those were some good memories I will never forget. Thank you Hornets for the good times!

Abbie...I became the biggest ANTI-JAZZ fan you could imagine. I hated everything about Utah. I refused to believe that the NBA would allow the move and was certain that the team would be back (hey...I was only 12...I really thought they were coming back).

It was tough losing the team. But the Jazz team that played in New Orleans broke up pretty quick. Truck Robinson was traded in the Jazz's last season in New Orleans. Pistol Pete might have played a few games in Utah, but was injured a lot after leaving New Orleans and played out his career in Boston after being traded to the Celtics during that first season in Utah. Gail Goodrich retired and Aaron James started bouncing around...as did Rich Kelley.

So, it wasn't like the Hornets today. Without Pistol Pete and a select few other guys, the Jazz team just didn't stay together in Utah (not surprising...they were horrible in their last season here). The Jazz acquired Adrian Dantley and he became the big star in Utah...and he never had any New Orleans connections.

I carried that grudge against the Utah Jazz for 23 years Abbie. I felt it lift a little bit last Friday. I'm planning on unloading it for good when the Jazz come to town next season. 23 years of frustration...you can't imagine what that is like.

[Abbie]

Okay whether I still pull for the Hornets next year or not I sure hope they kick some jazz A** next year for you. In however many years it takes I know I will be pulling for the Charlotte whatevers to kick some Hornets blank!

[Slidell Hornet]

In general to the Charlotte fans. Know well what you are going through right now. I'm truly sorry that you lost your team.

I've been thinking a lot about how it felt to lose the Jazz and what I would have wanted to hear back then that nobody said. I just wanted some acknowledgement that it wasn't our fault. Maybe that sounds silly. But we held NBA attendance records...we had the Pistol...everyone loved the Jazz and loved the Pistol...and loved the freeeeeefrennnnnnnchfriiiiiiiies. So it was such a hard blow when we lost the team.

And then the real gut-punch came....the stigma. For 23 years we had to hear...."New Orleans already failed once with the NBA..."

God....that is what really hurts about it. The unwarranted stigma of having somehow failed the NBA because of a crazy owner and a disagreement over dates and the lease in the Superdome.

Yet no one ever acknowledges that.

So, Charlotte...I'll give you this. You were a damn fine NBA city. You supported your team well. It's a shame that arena issues and petty politics had to turn ugly on you and cost you your team. I hope you don't have to go as long as we did without a team. And I hope you don't get labeled as an NBA failure.

Because nothing hurts more than that label.

Chin up guys. Get your (arena) ducks in a row. And get back in this game as soon as you can.

Good luck.

[Abbie]

Thank you & ya'll just prove them wrong. I know when we get our second chance we will too! I think one thing lead to the next and before we knew it thing had just snow balled out of control. I dont think we will loose control again. I sincerely hope both citys NBA comebacks knock the NBA out!

[COCajun]

Originally posted by Slidell Hornet
In general to the Charlotte fans. Know well what you are going through right now. I'm truly sorry that you lost your team.

I've been thinking a lot about how it felt to lose the Jazz and what I would have wanted to hear back then that nobody said. I just wanted some acknowledgement that it wasn't our fault. Maybe that sounds silly. But we held NBA attendance records...we had the Pistol...everyone loved the Jazz and loved the Pistol...and loved the freeeeeefrennnnnnnchfriiiiiiiies. So it was such a hard blow when we lost the team.

And then the real gut-punch came....the stigma. For 23 years we had to hear...."New Orleans already failed once with the NBA..."

God....that is what really hurts about it. The unwarranted stigma of having somehow failed the NBA because of a crazy owner and a disagreement over dates and the lease in the Superdome.

Yet no one ever acknowledges that.

So, Charlotte...I'll give you this. You were a damn fine NBA city. You supported your team well. It's a shame that arena issues and petty politics had to turn ugly on you and cost you your team. I hope you don't have to go as long as we did without a team. And I hope you don't get labeled as an NBA failure.

Because nothing hurts more than that label.

Chin up guys. Get your (arena) ducks in a row. And get back in this game as soon as you can.

Good luck.

Everything that I want to say myself has already been put forth quite eloquently by Slidell Hornet, say-what, and all the other NOLA members posting here. But I'll give it a try.

Charlotte fans, I'm truly sorry you lost your team. Yes, I wanted an NBA team for New Orleans, but this isn't the way I wanted things to work out - us getting a relocating team, that is. I'd sooner have had an expansion team rather than take in a franchise that had already entrenched itself deep into the hearts and souls of its original fans.

But, this is the hand we are dealt & I'll take it. The Hornets will play home games in the Crescent City, yes, and NOLA fans will strongly stand behind them - myself included. I just wish things didn't have to be this way is all.

Perhaps in time Charlotte politicians will learn what they're missing and move forth with firm plans for a new arena and - possibly - an NBA expansion team. I hope so - you Charlotte basketball fans surely deserve as much.

My heart goes out to all of you.

Brad

[alon504]

I was just a kid when the Jazz left, but the only thing I CAN say about them moving, is that ever since, I have been aware, very aware of how they're doing. I always listen to the sports (any channel) if they mention the Jazz, and I always read about them (any paper). It's some kind of sub-conscious thing, I guess. It'll probably be the same for those in Charlotte.

[Pantherfan79]

hey i tried to watch the Canes the other night...ESPN was showing something else instead of the Canes game...i have cable and it wasnt on my espn, but a friend of mine has satelite and the game was on espn...i guess they blacked it out...but Charlotte is 3 hours from raleigh....oh well.

[SuperDome]

I too remember when the Jazz left...I remember the empty feeling. I will pledge to the fans of Charlotte the those of us who do remember the Jazz will do our best to influence the front office here to give Charlotte back the name "Hornets" and the team records a la Cleveland in the NFL. Believe it or not your ace in the hole might be George Shinn. Being from the area, unlike the owner of the Jazz, he knows the history behind Hornets and NC...I only hope that the "flamers" didn't p**s him off THAT MUCH. See ya' at the Panthers-Saints game here...if the NBA has any sense the Hornets will play here that Saturday night.