Wanna Kick Charlotte's Dog too, John?

You may have heard, things in Charlotte have been tough. The Panthers have done a goo job of providing the locals with a release each Sunday, but we need more. I had high hopes for the start of the Bobcats season. Unfortunately, they had to start their first game of the pre-season against their Kryptonite.

After one quarter the Cats were down 40-9. They never recovered. Transition defense and rebounding proved to be the Achilles' heel. New coach, same flaws. I'm by no means in Chicken Litte mode, but Sean May still has a way to go, on several possessions they ended up with atrocious defensive match-ups, and DJ Augustin shot more than he assisted. It got to the point where I was considering whether or not Ajinca would be getting significant playing time. After the game finally ended, I went to the four-letter to check the box score, but I was greeted with Hollinger's PER rankings and team previews. The Bobcats preview had these two choice nuggets:

"2007-08 Recap
It was a wasted opportunity, really. Charlotte had all the pieces in place to finally make a push for the playoffs and establish itself as a real, live, NBA franchise, but the front office bungled it with some bizarre moves that included typical frugality and a disastrous coaching hire."

"That's not to say it's all fine and dandy in the Queen City. The Bobcats' operation still smacks of minor league from top to bottom, and one doesn't get the impression that management will make any cagey in-season moves -- especially any that involve spending money. But between having so many high draft picks in recent seasons and finally getting a real coach, I give them a slightly better than 50-50 shot of making their first-ever playoff appearance."

Great, we've got the Durham Bulls, but we might make the playoffs. The bigger issue remains, Hollinger's right. Last season, they hired a disaster of a coach and they missed the playoffs by five games. This year, every Bobcat fan may hope that the team will pull the trigger on a big trade, but we would never expect it.

This morning on the local sports morning show, they discussed whether or not the Bobcats brand is poison. Through no fault of the players, coaches, or even front office the Bob'scats brand has become synonymous with a negative reaction for most locals. I'm still excited about the upcoming season, but I don't know if winning will be good enough deodorant for the damage that has been done.