ESPN: Move to New Orleans is a done deal

[CHICAGOGRIZZLY]

I apologize if this has already been mentioned, but the new ESPN magazine (the one with what could have been New Orleans Timberwolves on the cover) has the following note in the "3 Seconds" section of their NBA report:

"Despite the Charlotte city council's recent decision to allocate funds for a new arena, sources close to the NBA relocation committee say the Hornets move to New Orleans is a done deal."

Now take this with a grain of salt. ESPN is the same source for such accurate reports as "VanExel to the Knicks" and "Coret Magette will be traded from the Clippers" and other nonsense I can't remember. Glad I didn't pay to be an "Insider" for crappy info like that (they charge for Rumor Central now).

ANYWAY, it was there, so I reported it.

[spongey]

Sweet! Thanks for the info Chi

[Harvey Hornet-x]

Originally posted by CHICAGOGRIZZLY

"Despite the Charlotte city council's recent decision to allocate funds for a new arena, sources close to the NBA relocation committee say the Hornets move to New Orleans is a done deal."

I know that this is indeed factual. Anyone want to bet? I am more than willing to take some Charlotte green.

[West Coast Hornet]

I know that this is indeed factual. Anyone want to bet? I am more than willing to take some Charlotte green.

No, but you can tell us how you know it is factual. Anything can be called a fact. The question is whether it is a true fact. I don't listent to assertions that are not based in fact, and that is what we have right now, although, I hope it is an accurate assertion.

[Harvey Hornet-x]

Originally posted by West Coast Hornet


No, but you can tell us how you know it is factual. Anything can be called a fact. The question is whether it is a true fact. I don't listent to assertions that are not based in fact, and that is what we have right now, although, I hope it is an accurate assertion.

You are right. I will be quiet. You will see a different Harvey though. I am not concerned about any of this one bit. I could care less what Charlotte has to say either. Their words and made up stories are meaningless at this point. I am going to start getting to know the team better and not worry about anything. I will be going to 43 Hornet games in the New Orleans Arena next season. I should have not thrown out my info without being able to spill the beans. My bad. I am just so happy.

[N.O. HornetsFan]

Originally posted by Harvey Hornet


You are right. I will be quiet. You will see a different Harvey though. I am not concerned about any of this one bit. I could care less what Charlotte has to say either. Their words and made up stories are meaningless at this point. I am going to start getting to know the team better and not worry about anything. I will be going to 43 Hornet games in the New Orleans Arena next season. I should have not thrown out my info without being able to spill the beans. My bad. I am just so happy.

I'd rather that you spill and withhold the source rather than not spill it at all!

[CHICAGOGRIZZLY]

Ha. Facts can be funny, though. We can pull a Bill Clinton.

I can guarantee this is a fact, too:

"Sources close to the NBA relocation committee say the Hornets move to New Orleans is a done deal."

But this isn't as easy to guarantee:

"The Hornets move to New Orleans is a done deal."


For all we now -- technically -- the source could be a guy in the building next to where the NBA relocation committee meets -- geographically close but not necessarily close to the situation.

That's how the tabloids get away with so much BS.

Mainstream media is getting that way, too. Unfortunately. Like how ESPN slaps a "David Aldridge has confirmed" in front of a word-for-word AP story and calls it their own.

Or Chris Mortensen for NFL, Peter Gammons for MLB, etc.

[Harvey Hornet-x]

I have a very strong belief that the NBA and it's owners will not be making the decision regarding the relocation application. I believe they are relying heavily on their lawyers to make this decision for them. Regardless of how they feel, bad owners, bad fans, median income, I could go on for ever......They cannot deny the move. I can also say that I believe that we will easily meet ALL of our ticket goals. Suites, club level, floor and the good ol' Joe Fan seats. The only hope Charlotte has is Smith and the Magic, or someone willing to pay an incredible amount of money for the Hornets. Shinn and Wooldridge hold the cards. If you never believed them before, now would be a good time to start.

[St. Rock]

What IS significant about the report -- whether or not it is true -- is that it is the first national sports publication to make this prediction, so far as I know.

Sports Illustrated speculated the opposite result (that the relocation was doomed) in a recent issue, as I recall.

[CajunCrippler]

Originally posted by CHICAGOGRIZZLY
Mainstream media is getting that way, too. Unfortunately. Like how ESPN slaps a "David Aldridge has confirmed" in front of a word-for-word AP story and calls it their own.

Or Chris Mortensen for NFL, Peter Gammons for MLB, etc.

I know this is totally off the subject, but I must say that Peter Gammons is a total flake who has no right to call himself a journalist.

A monkey could do more accurate baseball reports than this guy!

[Ellis Hugh]

Originally posted by CHICAGOGRIZZLY
Now take this with a grain of salt. ESPN is the same source for such accurate reports as "VanExel to the Knicks" and "Coret Magette will be traded from the Clippers" and other nonsense I can't remember.

Also that they were POSITIVE that Nick Saban would be the new head coach of the Colts, the Redskins, the Bucs...

[Adam the Legend]

A couple ESPN "experts" thought the Saints would challenge for the NFC crown. Remind me to never take stock tips from these guys...

[PSULions]

Originally posted by Harvey Hornet
Shinn and Wooldridge hold the cards. If you never believed them before, now would be a good time to start.

I will never believe a word that George or Ray say. Now I think you know that I have pretty much concluded that you are indeed going to land the team in NO, but that doesn't change the fact that George and especially Ray can not be trusted one iota.

You need to remember that when they start promising things to you, their new fans, once the team has been officially approved to move to NO.

[Malaysak1982]

Now is the moment of truth for the NBA. The choice is a simple one. Do you take a vibrant, growing city with the 25th largest TV market and growing at a 31% rate every 10 years and has proven beyond any doubt that it can support the NBA? Or do you take a city with a 4% growth rate every 10 years, the 47th TV market, a low per capita income, and an iffy record of NBA support? If you take the former, two of the sleaziest people that have ever owned a sports franchise will have to go. The business side of the decision would be easy. The personal side (if the other owners have loyalty to Shinn) may be a little more difficult. Is keeping Shinn in your little fraternity worth going to a much more inferior market? You need to make up your mind. You NBA people know better than the people in NC how sleazy Shinn is. Do you remember right after he bought the team and it took off how he cheated his other partners out of their share. Nasty little episode, wasn't it? I know he has to be an embarussment to the league. I know you can't trust him. Are the fans more important than the owners? If you NBA people cannot see what Shinn is and you think you can go to inferior markets just because they are willing to be conned by him, then I have doubts about the long term viability of the league. Maybe we should hold out for baseball.

[PELICANSFAN]

Originally posted by Malaysak1982
Now is the moment of truth for the NBA. The choice is a simple one. Do you take a vibrant, growing city with the 25th largest TV market and growing at a 31% rate every 10 years and has proven beyond any doubt that it can support the NBA? Or do you take a city with a 4% growth rate every 10 years, the 47th TV market, a low per capita income, and an iffy record of NBA support? If you take the former, two of the sleaziest people that have ever owned a sports franchise will have to go. The business side of the decision would be easy. The personal side (if the other owners have loyalty to Shinn) may be a little more difficult. Is keeping Shinn in your little fraternity worth going to a much more inferior market? You need to make up your mind. You NBA people know better than the people in NC how sleazy Shinn is. Do you remember right after he bought the team and it took off how he cheated his other partners out of their share. Nasty little episode, wasn't it? I know he has to be an embarussment to the league. I know you can't trust him. Are the fans more important than the owners? If you NBA people cannot see what Shinn is and you think you can go to inferior markets just because they are willing to be conned by him, then I have doubts about the long term viability of the league. Maybe we should hold out for baseball.

WRONG!!! It boils down to cocky political leaders who ran off a team. They cannot exist financially in the arena they play in, but they were told "tough, if you do not like it, go somewhere else!" Now that they have gone somewhere else, these leaders are trying to CYA.

[N.O. HornetsFan]

Originally posted by Malaysak1982
Now is the moment of truth for the NBA. The choice is a simple one. Do you take a vibrant, growing city with the 25th largest TV market and growing at a 31% rate every 10 years and has proven beyond any doubt that it can support the NBA? Or do you take a city with a 4% growth rate every 10 years, the 47th TV market, a low per capita income, and an iffy record of NBA support? If you take the former, two of the sleaziest people that have ever owned a sports franchise will have to go. The business side of the decision would be easy. The personal side (if the other owners have loyalty to Shinn) may be a little more difficult. Is keeping Shinn in your little fraternity worth going to a much more inferior market? You need to make up your mind. You NBA people know better than the people in NC how sleazy Shinn is. Do you remember right after he bought the team and it took off how he cheated his other partners out of their share. Nasty little episode, wasn't it? I know he has to be an embarussment to the league. I know you can't trust him. Are the fans more important than the owners? If you NBA people cannot see what Shinn is and you think you can go to inferior markets just because they are willing to be conned by him, then I have doubts about the long term viability of the league. Maybe we should hold out for baseball.

Inferior market? Last time I checked the Hornets were losing 15-20 million per year in Charlotte. Not to mention the fact that charlotte has been stalling the new arena for 6 years (since 1995). Compare that to a new state of the art arena in New Orleans, and guaranteed profitability for 10 years in New Orleans. What market is inferior?

[Malaysak1982]

And don't forget about the sex scandals that were all over court TV. It really makes NBA owners look very classy doesn't it? I know most NBA owners are fine men. The new owners like Mark Cuban are one of the leagues greatest assets. They are men of class and of vision. We all know Shinn does not belong in your fraternity. He has neither the means nor the class that it takes to belong. Make the right decision.

[Harvey Hornet-x]

Originally posted by Malaysak1982
The new owners like Mark Cuban are one of the leagues greatest assets.

I understand Stern is big fan of Cuban!!

[RENFO]

No offense Malaysak, but the reality is that you don't KNOW any of these owners any more than you know me.

[Malaysak1982]

First of all the Dallas fans love Mark Cuban. He does what it takes to make the team successful. They're the only ones that count. It is true that I do not know any NBA owners personally, but my American sponsors father knows Shinn's family very well. As for the others, if they were involved in shenanigans like Shinn, it would be all over the TV just like Shinn's were.

[RENFO]

I think what I struggle with is that you can't color the whole NBA league/owners based on the actions of one person. George Shinn definetly did not LOOK good in regards to the scandal. However, he didn't or doesn't make the other owners look bad in my opinion, because that's something he has to deal with personally. The other owners have things they have to deal with in their personal lives as well. Whether it would be all over television we don't really know, but that still doesn't fail to make it personal. But the thing that I see posted here a lot is that some want to hang this guy for this.

We've all done some things we shouldn't have done. That's all of us. But I don't think what he did is a sentence rewarding elimination from his job, unless of course this is all agreed to among all the NBA owners, and I doubt that seriously. Now, if you're a Charlotte fan and you don't like the fact that he's trying to move the team, that's one thing, but to come up and out with all this other stuff in my opinion is irrelevant to him conducting his business. We have no right to tell him what club or fraternity he BELONGS in or out of.

[CHICAGOGRIZZLY]

I agree that the NBA will look at the bottom line and little else. It doesn't matter if 10 people show up -- if they are guaranteed to make money instead of lose $20 million -- and I did say IF -- by moving, and the NBA will benefit from it, then the move is "a done deal" as ESPN says, even if it's only a 10 year stopover. They might not have anything to lose.