Are The Hornets Leaving?

The New Orleans Hornets have become the first team purchased by the NBA. That’s embarrassing. According their financial statements the team is bleeding money. I had a feeling this day was coming. I knew George Shinn wasn’t going to make it. I just figured by now someone would have stepped up to buy the team and move them another city. I think the recession saved the Hornets in New Orleans. I would love for the Hornets to stay here. I know Gary Chouest has to be disappointed after trying to buy the team for a year. Nobody spends that much time on something if they don’t really want to do it. I hope someone or a group of people step up and put the money together to make that happen.

At the time the Hornets moved here I had Saints season tickets. I knew there was no way I could afford both and when it comes down to the choice I will always choose football. If I had the money I would both even though I wouldn’t make half of the games because of my lifestyle. I think that might be some of the reasons the Hornets have trouble with attendance except for big games. People drive from all over the Gulf Coast for Saints games and that’s only 9-10 times a season. The Hornets have to sell tickets because we don’t have the corporate sponsorship around here to guarantee enough money where our arena can be empty like the other places I see and still be profitable. There’s no way they can survive without a strong season ticket base. It will be interesting to see what happens. Chris Paul and his teammates are doing so many good things for the inner city youth. It would be ashamed to lose that at this point.

I realize as a market we have to ultimately take responsibility if the team isn’t successful but I think the NBA needs to take some too. I’m addicted to sports and will watch a sport I like on any level. I love NBA basketball but when the Hornets moved here I never got totally into them as my hometown team because the NBA and the NBA media never really acted like they wanted the team to be here. Maybe they saw some of the issues the team has now on the horizon and were too worried to be enthusiastic but I have always expected the team to be gone at any minute. I could have probably purchased a few more tickets and got more into the team on a consistent basis but I never thought that made sense when I thought the league was trying to figure out a way to get them out of here. If the ownership thing gets worked out I will try to do better. I hope it's not too late.