Bobcats Team President Says: Community is Starting to Embrace Team

Bobcats Team President Fred Whitfield says that the team is starting to be embraced more by the community, which is good. As time goes on, I think fewer and fewer people will stop holding the 2001 Arena Referendum against the Bobcats (except the folks who continue to call into WBT and bitch about it . . . ) and folks will start supporting the team more. Though it would help them a lot to get a better cable TV deal, but I'll save that rant for another day . . . .


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Bobcats president feeling city's embrace

Floor seats sold out, but Whitfield says he still has work to do

LEIGH DYER
[email protected]

Fred Whitfield, president and chief operating officer of the Charlotte Bobcats, says the team is working on being involved in more community outreach. It is planning initiatives to help with health care, youth and fitness, and education.Fred Whitfield, president and chief operating officer of the Charlotte Bobcats, has been busy trying to build support -- and ticket sales -- for Charlotte's NBA team. He's also been overseeing efforts to make the Bobcats Arena into a hub for uptown entertainment.

Facing stiff competition with other cities for booking top concerts and other acts, he's considering hiring outside management for the arena or at least contracting with a consultant.

"What we're trying to do is find a way to make our building a must-play. If a major concert or a major family event does only two appearances in North and South Carolina, we want to be at least one of those two; if they only do one appearance, we want to be that one," Whitfield said. When the organization finishes researching arena management options, it'll bring a proposal to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, he said.

The Bobcats organization is also readying to launch a new marketing campaign on radio, TV, billboards and Web emphasizing both basketball performance and connections with fans and the community.

Whitfield, who recently celebrated his first anniversary in the job, recently granted an interview to discuss the challenges he's faced --and is still facing -- as a relative newcomer to the business community.

The Greensboro native lived in Charlotte from 1995 to 2000 and was a season ticket holder for the Charlotte Hornets, Charlotte's first NBA team. The 6-foot-4 Whitfield, now 48, returned last year to a city he barely recognized. A longtime friend of Bobcats part-owner Michael Jordan, Whitfield's resume also includes stints with the Washington Wizards and Nike's Brand Jordan division.

Questions and answers are edited for length and brevity.

Q. Bobcats Arena was constructed after a lot of initial public resistance. Has that added to your challenges?

I once heard (NASCAR president) Mike Helton say if he happened to be coming into our building to watch a pinochle tournament, he'd be thrilled. It's something we want more people to see, and we're trying to do whatever we can to book our building more and make it more for everybody in Charlotte, and make it part of the core of uptown.

Q. What's the latest news with naming rights?

It is really difficult to find the right partner to enter into a long term, 10-year or more relationship with. We've taken that back in-house rather than having an outside firm contracted to do it. We're going out looking for the right corporate partners that can afford, No 1, to be involved that long with a substantial amount of money; and No. 2, share the same core values with us. And we feel confident we'll find that in the not-too-distant future.

We've also been able to identify some other corporate partners who may not want a deal that long or as costly. That, cumulatively, could equal as much as a naming rights partner.

Q. After the hard feelings in Charlotte when the Hornets left the city, what difficulties have you faced in the public perceptions of the Bobcats?

One of the challenges we have has been being what I call a re-expansion team. When you're an expansion team, you get the benefit of people never having seen that particular sport up close, and so there's a lot of excitement built around that.

Well, when you come in as a re-expansion team, you still have to build your team through the same process. You're building your roster on players other teams aren't willing to protect or are willing to let go. You're getting the lower echelon of talent, often times, and you're having to build your team through the draft. You have to hope your fans will be patient.

Winning 33 games this year, I think the focus was lost on the fact that that was the most wins a third-year expansion team has had in 25 years. Being a re-expansion team, the expectations were already so high for us to win in the 50-game range, which is what the great Hornets teams were doing.

Q. Are you satisfied with the level of fan support in Charlotte?

The city is really starting to embrace us. It's been exciting to watch us finally start to create some scarcity with our tickets and completely sell all of our floor seats out for the coming season. It's exciting to see that people are willing to pay full-market value for our product.

Q. What kind of community initiatives are you pursuing?

We've selected three key initiatives that we think are really important: health care; youth and fitness; and education. So we partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. We've partnered with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation to start refurbishing some of the outdoor basketball courts and bring them Bobcats basketballs. (And last month, the team announced plans with Presbyterian Hospital for a Community Care Cruiser, a 40-foot mobile clinic that will travel into low-income neighborhoods for primary and preventive health care.).

Q. How does your role as team president mesh with (owners) Bob Johnson and Michael Jordan?

What I've been charged to do by Bob and the other owners is to manage the overall day-to-day operations of the business side of Bobcats basketball and Bobcats Arena. So that includes every facet of business -- ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, community relations, public relations, management of the operation of the building, the booking of the building -- literally anything that would fall on the business side of what it takes to run an NBA franchise and the building they play in.

Q. How did your longstanding working partnership with Michael Jordan come about?

We've known each other for almost 27 years now. I met him when I was a college player at Campbell University down at Buies Creek and he attended our basketball camp the year before he went to college. We just hit it off and built a friendship, but we've also been a great support system for each other.

Q. How did you end up at the Bobcats?

I'm sure Bob (Johnson) had a candid conversation with Michael about what my work ethic was, how I helped his brand at Nike grow, and hopefully Michael gave me a positive recommendation.

Q. Do you expect to see Michael more involved in the community here?

I do. I think you'll see him at more games. You'll see him at local restaurants. We're very fortunate to have one of the most recognizable faces in sports history on our team.

Q. Where do you like to hang out?

I really like Ruth's Chris. I also like Del Frisco's. I'm a steak guy. All the restaurants in the (Piedmont Town Center) area are great.

I also love (Lowe's Motor Speedway). I'm a huge NASCAR fan. From day one, I felt even if I weren't a NASCAR fan, I felt we had to make a connections to the NASCAR community.

Q. Until Bob Johnson came along, the NBA didn't have a lot of minority leadership, and NASCAR doesn't have much either. Do you feel both sports still have work to do?

I do, but I think both sports are really actively trying to make that happen. I think both sports are actively trying to become more diverse, and diverse with well-qualified people.

Q. With the NASCAR Hall of Fame coming to Charlotte, are more partnership opportunities on the horizon?

We're exploring that as we speak, because we feel we have a lot to offer each other. We hope as people come see the Hall of Fame they'll also see us play, and stay overnight in uptown hotels. We see unique cross-marketing potential there.

 

What fucking city does this guy live in?

 

I've noticed WAAAY more people talking Bobcats basketball this offseason than in season's past.

 

4 as opposed to 2? That's a 100% increase, dude!


I think people would have given the team a chance if the ownership didn't act like clueless dicks. I don't have anything against the players, but I think it would be funny if the team had to move again.

 

They ought to be fun to watch this year if they stick to a running, Phoenix style offense. I'll go see 'em.

 

On topic: The Bobcats should be a respectable team in the East this year. I'm thinking about a 5 or 6 seed in the playoffs. They have a lot of good 2nd/3rd/4th year talent, and a ton of athleticism. I just hope they use that to their advantage and play agressive D and get up and down the court quickly, they should finish well above .500 if they do.

Off topic: Brain, your avatar cracks me up!

 

On the Rozinski show someone was on from the Charlotte Business Journal talking about how they would be changing something about their colors. I didn't hear the end of it.

 

Red=losing money.

 

yep. friend who works for them told me about it. basically orange will no longer be the main color. it will be the blue that they had at the end of last year on road unis. jersey and shorts will change some too. may even have some checkerboard trim on jersey. thay have to wait until next year- NBA rule you have to wait at least 4 years between uni changes.

 

How about leotards? They can pick the color.