How does the NBA really feel about Shinnridge?

Not re-signing Morning? Sure. Bad call.

But they got the nucleus of about five winning teams out of that. And Alonzo didn't want to stay anyway. Neither did Eddie, IMO. A lot of those 29 we didn't want back. Oh, shit, we didn't get Chucky Brown back! Oh no!

Sorry ifI don't cry on my pillow that we didn't get back Brad Miller or Eddie Robinson but this team is still good without them. The 29 free agents thing is just an excuse to be mad at the team, not a reason.

 

Excuse me magnus and Supercalafragalisticicspialidocious, but the concensus isn't that we are expressing anger towards the team, but towards the owners of the team. Different altogether.

Sure as business owners they have the right to dictate how they wish to run their business, but when they are asking me for my money to patronize their efforts, or lack thereof, it now has a direct impact on my life therefore it becomes personal. Secondly, when they act irresponsibly (in this case threatening to leave if we don't pay for a new arena with public funding) on top of abandoning the local customer base ("...it's how you market your market") then forgive me if I consider that a personal insult. The result of that is I refuse to patronize them any further. Multiply me times thousands of previous loyal and basketball loving fans and what do you have? But what influence do I have on the grand scheme of things? Notta! However, the people with money and influence were also abandoned long before this arena issue ever became popular. Shinn shunned many of his fellow initial investors in the Hornets by exercising a clause in his contracts with them in year three of their existence when he had committed to them verbally that they would remain partners in the organization. If you want proof, ask Rick Hendrick if Shinn fucked him and see how he responds.

 

>>but towards the owners of the team.

Does that make it any more rational an argument?

Really. Are you mad at the wife for burning dinner or are you just mad at the wife anyway?

If you're going to sit there and get hot and bitter about not re-signing 74,003,025 free agents or possible free agents in a row, ask yourself whether the team should have re-signed Chucky Brown and Scott Burrell. And then ask yourself whether that would have made the team better, or whether it would have just gven you one less excuse.

 

There are lots of opinions being expressed here, some good points by everyone. I really think that a change of ownership and a fresh start would really invigorate this city and the Hornets. This is basketball-crazed country. The city of Charlotte has supported NBA baskeball in a big way before, and I believe they will again, in the right environment. I feel that if the Hornets move to N.O., once the guaranteed money runs out, Shinn will look to another city for money. It appears he's looking for a gov't handout instead of agressively marketing and improving his product. I don't believe that he or Woolly have a commitment to making their team a winner, as well as being an important member of the local community and I think that is where a lot of the animosity towards this ownership group comes from. Look at what Pat Croce did in Philly. That franchise was floundering and he re-connected the franchise with civic pride by getting involved in the community as well as committing to putting an NBA champion-caliber team on the floor. I think the same thing could happen here in Charlotte.

 

But the only way that can happen is if Shinn isn't the owner. Shinn isn't selling. You can be mad at him all you want, but that doesn't mean he must sell his team to make YOU feel better. How backwards is that?

There's two choices here:

1. You want the Hornets

2. You don't want the Hornets


Option 1 has its problems -- you don't want to give your hard earned money to a scumbag. That's fine.

Option 2 has its problems as well -- namely that you'll be giving up a great source of entertainment (that nobody seems interested in at the moment anyway) and a source of jobs and revenue.


You all seem to want the best of both worlds -- keep the team and it's good qualities and dump Shinn. That's not really an option. At this point, the city's made it pretty clear that they don't want the headache of Shinn so there you go. The choice has been made.

 

Magnus, you missed my point altogether. I am not arguing about the player turnover. That happens with every team. Hindsight being 20/20 I like the team we have right now. It's all the other basketball related nonsense I was referring to in talking about Shinn.

Super, both your options make sense and hold truth. Option 2 has many consequenses I can not control like the lost jobs and such. I feel for those who may be impacted by job losses, but just like any corporation that goes bad, as a customer I can't be held accountable for the jobs lost as a result of poor management. The source and quality of entertainment have suffered greatly under Shinn's ownership in recent years. I would be content to put five guys on the court without all the extra side show activity and hollywood rah rah, but that's part of the "NBA Show" these days.

I'm simply exercising my right not to patronize a business if I don't realize any value from it. And that's ok too.

 

That's completely valid, Freddy. But you need to realize that when nobody shows up, he's gonna move the team. Of the people that have an opinion, it seems that a few of them want the team to stay as is, some want the team to leave, but most of them want the team to stay but Shinn to leave. It's the last group I am getting sick of.