It is hard to be so critical of free tickets, but in this case I feel justified. Wednesday, the Charlotte Knights were hosting a game that was billed as a businessperson's special. Businessperson is a terrible term that has no rhythm and should not exist. The use of 'man' in this instance has no gender specificity and this term implies the need to distinguish between the genders. As if calling Oprah a tremendous businessman doesn't do her justice, she must be a tremendous businesswoman. By doing so, she's not compared to men, thus diminishing the praise. Like calling Martin Luther King Jr. a great African-American, instead of a great American. Identifying LeBron Jamesas the best small forward in the NBA is accurate, but pales when compared to LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. Anyhow, this game was neither a businessman or businessperson's special, it was middle school madness.
The entire lower bowl of the castle was filled with middle schoolers from various schools around Charlotte. I love kids, but when there's thousands of kids hopped up on Cotton Candy, Hawaiian Punch, and sugar cookies screaming with that "i should be in school, but I'm not' fervor, they lose the cute factor. The seats I was given were incredible, three rows behind home plate, but the result was being perfectly placed in the center of the cacophonous noise that was thousands of kids armed with... wait for it... THUNDERSTICKS! It was as if a fifty pound bag of popcorn was being popped in my ears for two hours, interrupted only by screams of excitement that accompanied a foul ball. While the kids were wired, they were far from the only annoyance associated with my trip to the ballpark.
Early in the game the Durham Bulls leadoff hitter, who clearly suffered from a Pedroia complex, was hit with a pitch and took two steps towards the pitcher. The hurler, whose name was drummed out of my hand, had been having control problems and lost the handle on a curve ball, but Mini-Pedroia was not happy and intended to let everyone know it. Really dude, you're gonna charge a mound in front of thousands of middle schoolers? Stay classy.
After five innings, the majority of middle schoolers had headed for the exits, allowing finally for some peaceful enjoyment. Two innings later the rains came, for a whopping fifteen minutes, or just long enough to require the entire infield to be treated before the game could begin again. During this time, one of the 'I used to be a player, but I couldn't hack it' scouts decided to use the opportunity to hit on any and every female that walked by. Somehow, he would always end up waving his White Sox (the Knights parent club) championship ring, which he wore on his pinky, around. The ring was fitting of a championship ring, the kind a man wants to wave around, you know, the opposite of a wedding band. Upon further review, it was not a Chicago White Sox ring, but a Kannapolis Intimidator South Atlantic League championship ring (although it did have the Sox logo). You think your stuff doesn't stink because you have a Single A championship ring? Who wears a championship ring from 2005 on a daily basis anyway? Congrats on being slightly cooler than 20-something varsity jacket wearer guy.
The Knights used a 3-run homerun to trim the lead to one, but before they had their final swings in the ninth, mother nature rushed in once more. Another 15-minute rain, 50-minute rain delay thanks to the entire infield being needed to be treated again. I should use this opportunity to point out that there were two women on the "tarp" crew, and needless to say one of them became the focus of attention for the remaining 50 men in the stadium. You have to give props to ladies that aren't afraid to get dirty... you know since this a businessperson's special, I feel compelled to identify the differences in men and women.
Charlotte fell short in the ninth, ending a nearly five-hour saga whose high points consisted of two $1 hot dogs with chili and cheese and a rather attractive groundskeeper. Perhaps because I had endured the Thunderstick torture, I found myself truly disliking the Durham Bulls and their team of jockeys who appeared to be have received their uniforms as hand-me-downs from their big brothers that they haven't quite grown in to yet. I can't wait to go back tonight!
Thursday, May 7
A Hell of a Baseball Game
Wednesday, March 25
Newspaper Cutbacks Hit Close to Home
The Charlotte Observer has announced 82 job cuts and pay cuts for the rest of the staff. Unfortunately, many of those affected work in the newsroom. The vicious cycle facing newspapers is simple to understand, but hard to stop. In today's media environment, they receive reduced advertising leading to fewer employs leading to lower quality which results in... lower advertising (and subscriptions). This announcement comes just one week after the Raleigh News and Observer announced cuts of their own. In just seven days, two of North Carolina's largest newspapers have had their workforce reduced by fifteen and eleven percent, respectively.
While we've had fun with the local fishwrap before, I love newspapers. There's something special about having all the box scores on one page and that's something the current landscape of the internet doesn't allow. With most of the TV stations tied directly into the leagues they're supposed to be covering, newspapers should have filled the role (now being filled by Yahoo!) of being the watch dog. Sadly, most haven't and many have also failed miserably in making the transition to the internet for various reasons. Newspapers are important and while their medium may be changing, the people of this country should be better served by having them around. I for one, and hoping for many more great pieces out of the Observer, like this one by Rick Bonnell about Raymond Felton.
Tuesday, February 17
Hornets Still Owned by the Same Man
Forgive me, if I'm a little bit giddy today. I don't like to bask in other people's misfortunes, but when it's the team that ripped my heart out, I may have to do a little jig. The Hornets have abandoned all hope of relevance this season, by trading Tyson Chandler for Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox, and DeVon Hardin. When George Shinn's Hornets were here in Charlotte it became an all too common theme of watching one of the team's best players leaving town for monetary reasons (then GM Bob Bass was routinely overlooked as a top executive for his ability to bring quality players back, despite being in the position of being forced to make a move). The only justification for this most recent trade is those same monetary reasons. The Hornets tried to shed the albatross that is Peja's contract first, but with no takers, GM Jeff Bower had no choice other than trading the untouchables (Paul and West) than to move Tyson Chandler. On the flip side, the Thunder are looking like the new Blazers, with a solid young core and FIVE first round picks in the next two years. New Orleans fans, take solace in the fact that at least Mr. Shinn didn't order CP3 moved, like he did with Grandmama, Zo, and G-Money like he did here in Charlotte, just don't be fooled into believing that this move is solely because of the economy. This is who George is, and this is what he does.
Monday, February 2
The Mayor Talks and We Listen
Today, I had the pleasure of sitting down to discuss with Charlotte's mayor, Pat McCrory, some various issues about Charlotte and sports. Mayor McCrory has been instrumental in bringing the NBA back to the city, getting Charlotte selected as the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and the development of the light rail that was widely criticized during planning and has been a tremendous success since it's completion. Copious amounts of appreciation to Pam in the mayor's office for helping to facilitate the interview. Read after the break, for more about 'leaving it up,' baseball in Charlotte, and why Mayor McCrory thinks Andrew Bynum should have been suspended.
ASD: First, some great news for Charlotte sports fans, Jerry Richardson had a successful heart transplant last night. Have you spoken to anyone with the Panthers about how he's doing?
Mayor McCrory: No, I haven't, just what I read in the Observer. Jerry's got a heart of gold with or without the new heart and it's great news for the city.
ASD: The Bobcats have been playing for five years, why do you think they've continued to struggle to attract fans?
Mayor McCrory: Part of it is the economy, but the other part is they haven't had a good team. Any sports team needs to give fans that sense of hope of winning. Even the Panthers, when they weren't doing well, you couldn't give a ticket away. College or professional, fans need that.
ASD: As a former basketball referree, we need an official statement, should Andrew Bynum have been suspended for his hit on Gerald Wallace?
Mayor McCrory: Yes. He should be suspended for such poor defense. A pro should never be caught that flat footed. (laughing)
ASD: Several months ago, (Hornets owner) George Shinn, came out in the Observer and said he wished things had worked out differently in Charlotte, have you spoken to him since the tem left?
Mayor McCrory: No.
ASD: Attempting to exclude the tenuous end with the Hornets, how has your relationship with the Bobcats been different from your relationship with the Hornets?
Mayor McCrory: The Bobcats have never given me false information, good or bad. The Hornets, specifically one of the other owners, would tell me they weren't looking to move, but mayors from other cities would call me and tell me they'd already met with them.
ASD: The city has hosted both a Final Four and a NBA All-Star Game, are there any plans to try to bring other special sporting events to Charlotte?
Mayor McCrory: Not in the short time. Our primary focus has been to become the permanent home of the ACC football championship, and that's something we're working very hard at doing.
ASD: As a former basketball ref and as a sports fan, you must be familiar with the phrase, 'leaving it up,' like Michael Jordan. With as criticized as you were during the development and as successful as it's been, have you ever been tempted to 'leave it up' when talking about the light rail in Charlotte?
Mayor McCrory: No, we can't rest on our success. One of the lessons I learned coming from this was never to quit communicating. During the development we stopped, and all the public was hearing was the bad things. There was a repeal vote, which fortunately failed, but I learned that you can't ever quit communicating through a process like that. With some of the criticism I faced, it did feel at times like a contact sport, but no I never considered leaving it up.
ASD: In the last twelve years, or even longer, Charlotte's been repeatedly mentioned as a potential destination for major league baseball, how close were we to getting a team?
Mayor McCrory: With the economic downturn, our major goal should be to hold onto what we have and grow it. With the Wachovia Championship and NASCAR we have four major sports in the market, and maintaining those is our priority.
ASD: There's been some talk of an uptown ball park for the Knights or for major league baseball, do you see that as a possibility or should we focus on growing the events that we have?
Mayor McCrory: Not growing, maintaining. With this economic reality we need to focused on keeping what we have and making it stronger instead of trying to expand.
ASD: Looking ahead, what does the new mayor need to do to continue to grow sports in Charlotte the way you have, at all levels?
Mayor McCrory: I've been in activist for sports in the city, as a way to brand Charlotte to outside businesses and industries. I love sports, but it was to brand the city and to foster economic development, not just for the sake of sports. Sports brings in revenue and travel and tourism dollars, but sports is a way to make the city attractive to outside industries and businesses and that's why it's important.
Thanks again to the both the Mayor as well as his staff for their time and effort to make this happen. It should be noted that my digital recorder decided to take a personal day (typically reserved for exam reviews), so the answers were all handwritten. Any errors in grammar should be attributed to my hand's inability to write clearly and not the Mayor.
Friday, January 9
Ahh, Editors! (part 2)
This won't (may) be a regular feature here at ASD, because a local radio show did this about ten years ago, but this was too easy. With the Carolina Panthers back in the playoffs, the local paper has taken full advantage to take readers on a trip down memory lane. Always a sucker for flashbacks (the ones that don't involve Charlie), I perused the Supe Bowl recap from 2004. Yes, there was a game and not just a "wardrobe malfunction." The second sentence had me reeling, "Adam Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal with one minute, four seconds left gave the Patriots their winning points." What makes his kick most impressive (according to this account), was that it was a mere four seconds after Ricky Proehl's game-tying touchdown. Sadly, despite being the pinnacle season of the Panthers franchise the fish wrap is mistaken. Vinatieri's kick was with a mere four ticks left on the clock, hence the reason He Hate Me's 21 yard kickoff return was the final play of the game.
Tuesday, January 6
Ahh, Editors!
Hving a editor would bee a tremindous luxry to we here,, at ASD. Unfortunately, our budget prevents us from having a grammar and spelling nazi to overlook our work. Newspapers, allegedly, do still employ them, which is why I bring up this little nugget. Just after Christmas, Duke assistant basketball coach Chris Collins just so happened to show up at a high school game featuring the top point guard recruit, who just so happens to be undecided as to his future. The game was held the day after Christmas, which is a recruiting dead period and therefore a violation by Coach Collins. The significance of the violation is not why I brought you here, but because of the editing of the local paper and the headlines that were used. Two local papers, the Charlotte Observer, and the Greensboro News and Observer share writers, but each handles their own editing and headlines. Let's take a quick gander at the differences in the exact same article written by Ken Tysiac.
Charlotte Observer- Headline: "Duke says Collins broke NCAA rule"
and an important quote, "Friday was the final day of the recruiting period when NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from attending high school games."
Greensboro News & Observer- Headline: "Duke to self-report violation"
and the same quote, "Friday was the final day of the Dec. 24-26 recruiting “dead period,” during which NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from attending high school games."
Not only is the Charlotte papers headline more inflammatory, but they edited out a crucial piece of information, "Dec. 24-26", why is it so important? Because UNC head coach had been in Florida to watch three of his prized recruits on Dec. 23. Obviously, they weren't considering that when they edited it out, but in doing so they cut out a piece that makes the writing much less informative. Anyone who reads the Observer knows their headline writers are also severely lacking, but that is more stylistic than anything. Papers wonder why their relevance is decreasing, but after reading their article any curious sort would turn to the internet to find the answer, and to find that they edited out the piece of info sought, is laughable.
Thursday, December 4
The Season of Giving for the Bobcats
It's the holiday season again, which means once more it's time to dust off all the classic Christmas movies. One blog has already given Plaxico the lead role in a remake of A Christmas Story, so here's a little Frank Capra inspired post about our city's NBA team.
It’s a common cliché, particularly at this time of year that it’s better to give than to receive. This selflessness has been on display with the Charlotte Bobcats, both on the court and off. For Thanksgiving the team served dinner to underprivileged children and their families. This week the team has been again active in the community, with Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley visiting children of all ages in Presbyterian Hospital and providing smiles along with presents and holiday cheer. Emeka Okafor took a more global approach, kicking off a new campaign for the One Million African Lives Initiative, with a goal of saving lives in Africa by cleaning up the sub-Sahara blood supply, to prevent the spread of diseases through tainted blood transfusions. With the amount of coverage each of these acts has gotten, their work borders on altruism.
On the court selflessness has been a positive for the team as well. During their two-game winning streak more than two-thirds of the team’s field goals have been assisted. While most of the coverage has been on the resurgence of Emeka or the return of Sean May, the team’s success has been driven by playing as a team. The Cats have won four of their last six, with each victory having a different leading scorer. During Wednesday night’s game, Jason Richardson scored his 10,000th NBA point and was acknowledged by the PA announcer and the crowd (the loudest cheer of the night), but J-Rich did not stop to bask in his accomplishment. He went to the huddle with the rest of his team to listen to Coach Larry Brown. There was still work to be done.
This team may not be a title contender, but one thing they are is a quality group of young men. They deserve more than this city gives them on a nightly basis. They deserve more than their owner has given them. Many Charlotteans lament the loss of the Hornets and are unwilling to give this team a shot, but unlike this city’s other team, there are no prima donnas, they are a group of hardworking, talented young men that give of themselves both to the team and to our city. They are the athletes we decry there aren’t enough of in sport, and yet there remains a disconnect between the team and the city. If the people of this city were made more aware of the persons in those uniforms and their actions in the community, they’d be hard pressed not to fall in love with this team. As this is the season of giving, I hope that the fine citizens of our city will see fit to give this team a chance, for if they do, they’ll be proud that these fine young men represent our city.
On a personal note, I would like to extend a thank you to the gentleman that provided me tickets to see our team play. For the first time, I walked down to my seats, a thrill I won’t soon forget.
Thursday, November 27
Happy Thanksgiving!
We here at the ASD want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving (we're under order not to call it Turkey Day, because that's like calling Christmas, Presents Day).
A quick tip of the cap to both of Charlotte's professional teams. On Tuesday, many of the Carolina Panthers rookies and cheerleaders visited Uptown Shelter to serve a Thanksgiving lunch for some of the city's homeless. The Panthers website has the story as well as a video and HERE's some coverage from the perspective of the shelter.
Before departing on their current road trip the Bobcats and Jillian's hosted a Hoops and Hopes Dinner in conjuction with A Child's Place. The event featured all of the players and Lady Cats serving dinner to underprivileged families. After the dinner, the players took the time to play games with the kids as well as sign autographs. A video and a photo gallery of the event can be found on the Bobcats homepage.
Great job by both teams. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the leftovers.
- The ASD
Tuesday, November 11
Bobcats Ticket Changes
Believe it or not, we here at the ASD are not rolling in the dough. So, when we attempted to procure some Bobcats tickets we were looking for the bargain tickets in the upper bowl, but we were unable to find any for less than $35. Much to our chagrin the ticket office told us there were fewer of the bargain tickets available this season.Without actually raising prices the Cats have raised the average ticket cost for fans. The image above shows the differences in the pricing chart from last season to this one. More specifics after the break. (Click pictures to enlarge)
As for the $10 dollar tickets (represented by the dark blue), you can see the number has shrunk from last season to this one. There are none along the sidelines, six rows have been removed from each of the east sections, and between four and six rows on the west baseline.
On the east baseline you can see the $20 tickets (orange) have been reduced to the $15 dollar beige, but in the corners, you can see the $20 ticket section has grown. So they decreased prices by five dollars in three small sections and raised prices by five in sixteen.
The first nine rows are now $20, where $15 tickets were the norm. Along the sidelines in the upper bowl, the most expensive tickets were reduced $10 from a year ago, but the (purple) section has grown from two rows to nine. This means that while the front two rows got a ten dollar break this year, seven rows are paying between ten and fifteen dollars more per ticket.
Prices in the lower bowl on the corners and along the baselines have shifted dramatically as well, with some prices higher and lower, but they're all well above our price range.
Original seating charts: 2008-09 season (notice the lack of single game pricing) 2007-08 season
Sunday, November 2
High School Football and Head Injuries: An Emerging Epidemic?
Football in North Carolina faces some serious issues. No, it’s not Butch Davis possible relocation or Wake’s offensive ineptitude, but the health and well-being of high school players. Three of these young men have lost their life playing this season, two to brain injuries. While the NCHSAA has been quick to respond, the state needs to face the reality that the safety of the players must be protected or the Friday Night Lights need to be turned off until they can be protected.
This is not an attempt at sensationalism, but an opinion shared by Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz, one of the nation's most prominent concussion researchers and chairman of the Department of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of North Carolina. In his meeting with a panel of North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) representatives, Guskiewicz, "said the issue was so important that the alternative would be for high schools to eliminate football, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls soccer and wrestling until a system has enough money to hire a full-time trainer." (Greensboro News and Observer)
The first death this season was of Greenville Rose running back, JaQuan Waller. Waller suffered a concussion during a practice, and played in a game two days later where he collapsed. He was pronounced dead the next day. Waller’s death was determined to be from Second Impact Syndrome, which occurs following two (sometimes minor) brain injuries in a short time. His story was profiled on ESPN’s Outside the Lines:
The second death was of Matt Gfeller, a sophomore linebacker at RJ Reynolds High in Winston-Salem. “State athletics officials said they couldn't recall any football injury in the state as severe as Gfeller's, reports said. The doctor operating on him said the force of a blow to his chest likely whipped the athlete's head backward, causing a key blood vessel to tear and his brain to swell, an accident that he said is a million to one chance of happening.” (source)
The unfortunate passing of both young men only tell a portion of the story. New Jersey has also had three football related deaths, two of which were the result of brain injuries(1,2). Reports from California, Massachusetts, and Ohio all involve high school football players taking multiple hits and resulting in at least trips to the hospital and in two of the cases brain surgery. Two other local North Carolina kids have been seriously injured in recent weeks. Anthony Gomenis, a senior linebacker and fullback at Marvin Ridge High School collapsed after a hit to the head. This was his second game back after suffering a previous concussion. Chris Williams, an East Gaston senior, also collapsed and required surgery after sustaining multiple hits to the head. While football-related deaths are easy to track, concussions are as hard to track as they are to accurately diagnose.
The shear numbers of high school football players certainly contributes to some of these incidents, but the fact that both the college and pro ranks are virtually devoid of this types of deaths and surgeries points to a problem in either diagnosis, equipment failure or both. The human body is still developing in the high school years, but this alone cannot be attributed to this increase in severe traumas. The NCHSAA appears to be recognizing this and has promptly begun taking action.
The NCHSAA's quick response has involved enacting three new measures to help protect the safety of the athletes. Now, schools are required to have an emergency plan for all injured athletes. Any player exhibiting concussion symptoms will be required to present written permission from a doctor to return to the field of play, and lastly schools will be required to verify that their trainers/first responders are qualified for the position. As quick as the board was to act, some schools have been slow to respond. A page on the NCHSAA website reveals that 186 High Schools have failed to comply with the trainer verification to this point. The complete list can be found HERE. One of the schools that has failed to comply: RJ Reynolds, where Matt Gfeller played.
NCHSAA's information on concussions falls far below what should be acceptable. This painfully generic document serves as the lone information source on concussions on the site, and offers no explanation of possible effects. The board has been swift in response to this, and it should continue to include increased education for all coaches and players.
Much of the discussion, like this Greensboro News & Observer article, focus on requiring certified athletic trainers at schools and the projected cost of $18 million, but in the cases of head and brain injuries, the value of trainers is preventing second incidents. Is there something that can be done to prevent the initial brain injuries?
A complete review of helmets being worn needs to be conducted. Advances in helmet technology have been occurring in recent years, but with budget restrictions is the technology reaching the prep levels? As it stands now, individual schools are responsible for selecting and purchasing helmets. Several questions should be looked at: the age, fit, and effectiveness of particular models should all be considered. The best way to prevent these types of injuries would be to prevent the first concussion. While they are a part of any sport, every possible precaution needs to be taken. Experimental devices such as accelerometers have been placed in helmets and while not cost effective for the masses, these technologies must be monitored and pro-actively sought if it can mean the prevention of one surgery or death.
Comprehensive training should also be instituted. Coaches and players need to be educated on the potentially devastating effects of these hits. While the tough guy mentality can never be removed from football, making teammates aware of the warning signs should aid in getting effected players out of the game, or keeping them out if symptoms linger. Parents should also be made aware of the warning signs and the importance of honesty in this regard.
Nothing will bring the young men who died playing this fall back, but their deaths and the injuries of countless other should serve as a nation-wide warning. Already in Ohio, one player heard of JaQuan Waller's death and removed himself from the game after suffering a concussion. It's impossible to know if it saved his life, but thankfully for that young man's family, friends, and school they'll never have to find out. It's a tough time economically right now, but this is one area we should not cheap out on. Due diligence must be done to ensure the safety of the players and if people are not willing to invest in that, then the only responsible thing to do is shut it down.
This article is by no means comprehensive, but there are several sources from which to learn about concussions in sports (CSM Foundation), the Annual Survey of Football Injury, and the equipment requirements for high school sports (NOCSAE) which includes possible revisions to helmet requirements.
Wednesday, October 29
My Hero is Missing
Earlier this week when I beseeched my fellow Charlotteans to embrace our Bobcats, I had no idea how quickly my points would prove out.
On Saturday, the Bobcats held their second annual My Hero Gala. The party served as a fundraiser for the Presbyterian Hospital Community Care Cruiser, a mobile health clinic that provides comprehensive primary and preventive medical care to un- and underinsured youth. The event was emceed by ESPN's Linda Cohn, Director of Player Development Dell Curry as well as ALL of the players and coaches were in attendance. There were two members of the Bobcats organization conspicuously absent...
Bob Johnson, "was called away at the last minute for undisclosed reasons." MJ was just a no show. I headed over to the Bobcats website, and while I did find information about Adam Morrison's new haircut, there was no mention of the gala. Under Community Relations it's listed as an upcoming event, and this .pdf file has information about the program. This .pdf outlines the cost of attending, but the contact listed is no longer with the organization. Compare this coverage with last year's photo gallery and write-up. The story outlines a tremendous relationship between the team and the hospital.
The effects of the budget and job cuts for the Bobcats are becoming clear. Even on nights when the players and coaches show up to do raise money for the community, there is no one to chronicle the event or to make the public aware. The lone mention in the local newspaper was by the pop culture writer. Based on the brochure Deloitte shelled out $25,000 to be the "presenting partner," but got no mention on the team's website or the local newspaper for their efforts. It's not hard to wonder why businesses in the area aren't rushing to partner with this team.
Shortly after being awarded the new Charlotte franchise, Bob Johnson was asked about how to build a "good standing relationship with the fans." He responded, "...We have to demonstrate to the citizens of Charlotte that we are committed to the community..." It's clear that several people in the organization are, but as for the two most prominent owners, they're not.
Congratulations, a thank you and a tip of the cap are in order for education advocate Sue Gorman, healthcare provider and medical missionary Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown and youth mentor Dell Curry, who all received My Hero Gala Awards in honor of their contributions to the Charlotte community.
News Release from Presbyterian Hospital about the event.
Saturday, October 25
Charlotte, Support Our Team
It's not uncommon to hear politicians say, "I support our troops, but not the war." It's with this mantra in mind that I now reach out to my fellow Charlotteans and Bobcat fans. We should back our team, even if we don't support the owner. Some people are not happy about how the way the team ended up in the Queen City, but the players played no role in that and should not be held accountable. Not only are the Bobcats the lone major league franchise that bears the name of our beautiful city, but they're a team composed of quality young men.
As fans, we long for "good guys" to root for, but annually we've ignored the ones in our backyard. The team boasts two academic All-Americans: fresh face DJ Augustin and the face of the franchise, Emeka Okafor. The leader of our team, Jason Richardson, has been described as, "the noblest Warrior," and the former dunk champion has worked tirelessly to evolve into a complete player. There's little doubt that he will take on Larry Brown's challenge to become a better defender with the same vigor. The roster boasts a young man, Jared Dudley, who was not recruited out of high school, but through persevearance went on to earn ACC player of the year honors, despite not being the most athletic player, even on his own team. Team captain Gerald Wallace has earned the nickname, "Crash" by playing with reckless abandon, a trait rare amongst stars in the NBA. Any one of these guys has the make-up to become a fan favorite and in Richardson's case, he was with Golden State. As much as there is not to like about the front office, there's just as much to like on the floor.
Some may say, "they're nice guys, but if the team doesn't win, so what?" The wins will come. Panthers players have noted the difference that the home crowd makes and for the Bobcats it should be no different. Fans need to understand the season is going to start slow. The Bobcats have a tough schedule early on, but as they become more comfortable with the demands of their new Hall of Fame coach, who couldn't be more different from his predecessor, they have the heart and the ability to make a playoff run. Seriously.
Bob Johnson is a tough owner to love like. He's chosen to not embrace our city, and has made countless choices with everything but basketball in mind. The good news is he appears to be looking to sell, regardless of what he says. Some are still upset about paying for the new arena, but we're one of only 29 cities in the United States with multiple pro sports franchises and that serves as a point of civic pride. Many fans use words such as "we" and "our" when referring to our other team, the Panthers, well the Bobcats are our team too and we should embrace them as such. I don't like the ownership, but I support our team, and I encourage everyone to do the same.
