Bobcats Extra: Jordan's Open Letter

After taking over the Charlotte Bobcats last Thursday, new Majority Owner Michael Jordan said that he wants to get it back to the way it should be, referring to the days when Charlotte's first NBA franchise, the Charlotte Hornets, sold out the Charlotte Coliseum for 344 consecutive games and led the league in attendance for 8 out of 9 seasons during their 14 year run in Charlotte.

Yesterday in the Charlotte Observer, Jordan wrote an Open Letter to the City of Charlotte talking about what he wants to do to bring the people of this city to support the Bobcats down the stretch on the road towards possibly their first ever Playoff appearance in their 6-year history. In it, Jordan said that he is here to "Build a legacy as a owner by turning this into a model franchise that's focused on winning and creating a great fan experience."

One of those two goals are being met as we speak, as the Bobcats are currently 35-34 and are in 7th place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Jordan also went on to say that "I want to build a connection between this team and this community." in which the Bobcats are mostly active throughout North and South Carolina and he wanted the fans of the Charlotte Bobcats to join him on this journey by saying "Owning this team is my number one priority. I will do that by putting a winning team on the floor, making the experience at a Bobcats game memorable, and I want you to be a proud supporter of the Bobcats."

These reasons that Michael Jordan talked about in yesterday's open letter truly meant that he wants the people of Charlotte to get behind their Bobcats in the final 13 games of the season and be there at Time Warner Cable Arena, where Jordan wants to get it back to the days of when the Coliseum was the place to be during the Hornet years and if he commits to doing it, Jordan could cement his name as one of the NBA's best owners down the road.

Bobcats Extra: Jordan wants to lead by example as Bobcats owner

After much speculation and weeks of planning, the Charlotte Bobcats are now in the hands of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. The NBA's Board of Governors approved his purchase of the team from Bob Johnson yesterday for $250 million, after reaching a deal to buy the team last month, and now the next chapter in the history of Charlotte Bobcats Basketball has commenced and it was already commenced last night, when the Bobcats gave Jordan his first win as their new owner by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In a press conference that was held today at Time Warner Cable Arena, Johnson said that "Today the similar event you'll always remember is when Michael Jordan becomes the new majority owner of the Bobcats." says Johnson, the teams outgoing owner who founded the team back in 2003. "Michael, you got to come down to Charlotte, and I'll tell you now, it was the best decision I've ever made for the Charlotte Bobcats." Johnson said.

Jordan became a part of the Bobcats family back in 2006 and over the last couple of seasons, Jordan has made some good and bad moves, which included 3 good moves during his time, bringing in Hall of Fame Head Coach Larry Brown, trading to get Stephen Jackson and just recently, bringing in Tyrus Thomas and Theo Ratliff, and some of his bad moves included hiring Sam Vincent and drafting Adam Morrison.

In his first remarks as the team's new boss, Jordan says "I love the game of Basketball, I grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, went to the University of North Carolina, and I basically established myself as a kid leaving home, and here I am, back home in North Carolina." says Jordan, "It's a dream come true for me. I am dedicated to do that and I am looking for any way to get it back to the way it should be."

During the first 5 years of the team's existence, the Bobcats had been somewhat cellar-dwellers, but let's fast forward to this season. Charlotte is on the verge of breaking through in the Eastern Conference playoff race as they hold on to the 6th spot in the Eastern Conference.

"I think we've made a lot of great strides, getting to the Playoffs, that's the goal, and I just want the city to experience what winning is all about." Jordan quoted, "Making the playoffs sets a certain standard. Each and every time you meet a certain plateau. Once I make the Playoffs, I want to go deep into the playoffs."

Cason's Commentary #4

Brittney Cason is continuing our season-long series about what's happening at Time Warner Cable Arena during Bobcats games for Bobcats Break, and we have her latest commentary about the experience from last Friday's Cleveland game, and like all of her previous commentaries, we have to do the following disclamer:

"The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of Brittney Cason, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Charlotte Bobcats, it's staff, management, or ownership."

Last Friday night the Time Warner Cable Arena was officially – by all social and sports measures – the place to be in Charlotte, for the Bobcats vs. LeBron James game. The Cleveland Cavs may have LeBron and Shaq… but we still beat them! Now that is cause for a celebration!

The Bobcats are holding down the court this season – giving us ample reason to party within the partying domain that is the arena.

The court in itself is a scene, and there are many seen on it… Michael Jordan, Michael Waltrip, and Mike Rucker… lots of cool Mikes!

I am not going to lie to you… I did not get up from my seat once, and not because I’m lazy – but because the party was on the court. The halftime act was some cultural enrichment:

… (pardon the short term memory lapse, but I don’t remember the name of this act)… Granted, her talent consists of riding an extended unicycle and balancing bowls on her head, but I really think the Bobcats should consider drafting her. She’s tall on the unicycle, clearly has good coordination and balance, and makes a good shot.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats are quite generous… they give out pizzas and T-shirts during games, which seems to make the crowd as excited as when the Bobcats were dunking all over LeBron.

And how bout those Lady Cats… choreographer Brandii McCoy is the bomb.com. Their routine was awesome. And let me just say… these ladies are hot! Top physical condition… and incredible dance ability.

Meanwhile, I was sitting with my friend Kelli Bartik – the FOXY lady of FOX Sports. She said that every game she attends, they win… so I am going to kidnap her and take her to every Bobcats game for the remainder of the season.

My section also happened to be the Bojangles Brickyard, which means I got to play defense. Meaning I waved my brick around while the Cavs were shooting. The game strategy appears to have been successful, which makes me feel like I contributed to this victory.

And on another note, when I eventually exited the arena after literally dancing in the arena lobby to the Rhythm Cats, I saw the guys from the reality show The Tool Academy passing out fliers for their party. Looks like even the tools have caught wind of the new place to be in Charlotte.

Cason's Commentary #3

For those of you wondering about our usual commentary from Brittney Cason about what's happening at Time Warner Cable Arena during Bobcat games, well we do have this commentary in which she posted from last week, and here is her latest entry from Bobcats Break.

As a nightlife writer for Charlotte’s most prominent weekly paper, I have come to the conclusion that Time Warner Cable Arena is the biggest bar in Charlotte. Granted, it’s a sporting complex and family friendly environment… but it has several bars within it that when combined, equates to being the biggest and best bar in Charlotte (Bar Bobcats). In addition to the many watering holes located all around the arena, there’s Back Court… a bar located behind the players tunnel on the floor level, Front Court… a bar located on the Founders level for club seat holders and those lucky enough to score a VIP pass, and Rock the Roof Top… a bar open to everyone and located on the 200 level outside section 217.

But the cocktails at the concession stands have very little to do with the overall appeal of the arena. The music they play is better than that of any club’s DJ or bar’s jukebox. I always find it hard to remain seated; I want to rush the court and dance with the Lady Cats. There’s even cool sound effects – especially when the Bobcats dunk the ball. It makes you feel like you’re in a video game. I found myself reaching for the B button to slam dunk… SWOOSH! But it’s not just a party, it’s a show … oh, and a game.

At the last party-show-game against the Portland Trailblazers, the Bobcats brass arranged for recording artist Mike Phillips to perform the National Anthem with his saxophone. He held a key for so long I thought he was going to pass out. I was applauding and cheering along with the rest of the arena. At halftime, he was back and performed for the arena along with a band.

I spent most of my night in Rock the Rooftop, which was… rockin’! I had lower level tickets, and I still opted to go to the 200 level because there’s not a bad seat in the house. Granted, I am a midget (or vertically challenged if you want to be PC about it), but the Bobcats are giants, thus from up high they look normal sized.

Across from the rooftop bar is a mini basketball court where kids can play full-on mini games of basketball. I wanted to play and was actually tempted to stand in line with the kids, but then realized that not only would I most likely be dominated by a 10-year-old, but that I would probably weird out the kids and their parents.

As for the game… it was a close one, which resulted in a very dramatic finish. When a fourth quarter battle for the ball escalated into a bit of a frenzy between the players, the savvy Bobcats production team started playing “Why can’t we be friends?” I admire how the Bobcats promote peace. But the highlight was when Greg Oden from the Trailblazers fouled out. I was singing “Hit the road Jack” with the rest of the arena.

Even though the Bobcats lost, they played hard… and the crowd still had a great time.

The next home game is Sunday, Nov. 22 (which is SpongeBob Square Pants night at the arena). Now I know it’s for the kids, but don’t pretend like you’re not excited too. Because I know I am.

"The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of Brittney Cason and do not necessarily reflect those of the Charlotte Bobcats, its staff, management, or ownership."

Cason's Commentary: Checking Out the Scene

We have got another installment of "Cason's Commentary" from Brittney Cason over at Bobcats Break, and in this edition, she talks about the atmosphere at a Bobcats game. And as always, "The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of Brittney Cason and do not necessarily reflect those of the Charlotte Bobcats, its staff, management, or ownership."

I remember my first Bobcats game. It was both mine and the Bobcats first year in Charlotte – and it was my first NBA game… ever. I was scheduled to work my part-time gig at the time, but my friend invited me to the game with the lure of really good seats and promise of nachos. So, I faked a sickness and utilized a sick day I’d been hording to go to the game. And considering from that point on, I have coined going to the games as my “favorite thing to do in Charlotte,” I feel as though I had just cause.

The games are a good time from the very beginning. For starters, the Bobcats have quite a dramatic introduction (I only wish people got that excited whenever I entered into a room). The lights in the whole arena go dark, the music and the tone in the announcer’s voice intensify and a cinematic video highlight reel begins. But this not your typical video introduction featuring a mish mash of highlights or fire balls shooting unnecessarily across the screen. The Bobcats introduction video can only be described as epic – a mini movie that pumps excitement into the air and sets the scene for the entire night.
With that said, let me also point out the game starts at 7 p.m., not 7:30. So if you want to see for yourself what a great moment the introductions are (and believe me, they live up to the hype)… you should plan to arrive on time.

On this night, one of the timeout promotions was the “hug it out” cam. During this game, they zoomed in on some couples, pairs of pals, and some Storm Troopers (present for a Star Wars promotion) who had to give each other a hug on camera… and guess what, I got busted too. There I was on the jumbotron, staring at the jumbotron. And I think I spent most of the second quarter of the game responding to texts from friends scattered throughout the arena who saw me.

Halftime goes really fast in basketball, too fast for my liking. I hadn’t even made it up to Front Court (bar/restaurant inside the arena) before the game started again, and I was having so much fun I didn’t want to return to my seats. In fact, I never did return to my seats as I made my rounds around the arena. Because the arena is like a playground; every section has its own form of entertainment. There’s even an actual playground for little kids in the upper level. My friends had to caution me that I was too big for the activities.

Last call in the arena is the third quarter, but not at Front Court on the Founders level that hosts the arena’s postgame party on weekend games – and considering we’ve won every home game thus far, there is a purpose to party. Front Court has become a bit of a Charlotte scene – and there were a lot of people seen on it. Check out my photo gallery and see if you were seen on the scene.

Brittney's gallery can be viewed HERE.

Cason's Commentary: Let the fun begin

As you recall last year, we invited Brittney Cason, one of Charlotte's most talked about writers to become a part of the BobcatZone team. This season, she's writing for our partners over at Bobcats Break and she'll also do some contributions to this blog as well. In this first installment of "Cason's Commentary", she talked about the experience of being at a Bobcats game, and as always, "The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of Brittney Cason, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Charlotte Bobcats, its staff, management, or ownership."


I love basketball season… not necessarily because I am an avid basketball fan, but because I just really like going to the arena. It’s a show, a sporting event and party all under one roof; an arena of entertainment. And lucky for me (and Charlotte), last Friday was the season home opener against the Knicks.I got to the arena just in time to hear Anthony Hamilton sing the national anthem – and to show my hat head off to the people seated in my section. Once I sat down I didn’t want to get back up. There are so many attractions during the games with the action on the court, on Bobcats TV and in the stands. Before I knew it, it was halftime and BREAKSK8 from MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew were breaking, and breaking it down on the court … on roller-skates.


Meanwhile, Michael Jordan was sitting on the player’s bench and there were some points where I thought he was going to jump up and start playing!


For the second half I went on my own arena exploration. I hit the Back Court, Rock the Rooftop, the and Front Court (all social hang outs with bars and great atmosphere). Because it’s not just about the game, it’s also about the gathering… with a side of arena food and giant beers. Each area has a different vibe – Rock the Rooftop is more like a tavern, while Front Court on the Founder’s level is more like an upscale lounge & restaurant with a full bar, dinner buffet, and DJ (who’s there on all Friday and Saturday night games).


Now, back to game . There’s so much free stuff to win… like t-shirts. Lots and lots of t-shirts. They gave out t-shirts to fans upon entering the arena, meanwhile the Lady Cats threw shirts out during time outs, with Bruce Springsteen tickets in them. And don’t think the people in the upper level get left out; Rufus and the Cats Crew fire up t-shirts with sling shots and t-shirt cannons. The Lady Cats were also giving away three-pound pretzels known as the Victory Knot. My friends were jumping up and down along with all the little kids in the arena trying to win one because they bet me I couldn’t eat one by myself. I agreed to their bet in attempt to hang tough, but luckily they didn’t actually win the monstrosity of a pretzel so I didn’t have to undergo an attack of carbohydrates.


When the game did eventually end, I stalled exiting the arena. Not just to watch the Rhythm Cats playing by the exit, but for the post game party at the Front Court Bar. Games are typically over at 9 – 9:30 p.m., which is a weird time in nightlife where its too early to go out to a bar, but too late to go home and come back out. So the Bobcats alleviate that problem and occupy you in the interim as Front Court is after the game.


All in all, the Bobcats won their season opener (in exciting fashion…double overtime!), but even if they had lost, you could still walk away from the arena feeling like you won … because regardless you’ll have a fun night if you attend the games. Larry Brown orchestrates a good game and the Bobcats orchestrate a good time over all.


I’ll see you at the next party…er, I mean, game.

-Brittney

We will post some of Brittney's commentaries here regularly on this blog as the season progresses as a part of our commitment to give you her opinions of the experience at a Bobcats game.

Duke vs. Carolina: The Rivalry of all Evil(Updated version)

VS.

THE RIVALRY OF ALL EVIL

University of North Carolina Tar Heels

vs.

Duke Blue Devils

NOTE: This is an updated version of the blog that I first posted back on February 11, 2009.

Sure, I do cover a lot of the Bobcats and NBA happenings here in my blog that I've been doing for the last 4 years, but I'd like to talk about one of the biggest rivalries in all of Sports.

Yeah, I know there is a lot of rivalries that I've seen in my years, including Yankees/Red Sox, Packers/Bears, Jets/Patriots, and Celtics/Lakers, not to mention the Knicks/Celtics and Patriots/Colts rivalries that have been developing over the last few years but there is one rivalry that captures all of us basketball junkies here in not only the great State of North Carolina, but the entire country and that rivalry is the always entertaining rivalry between the Blue Devils of Duke University and the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina.

This rivarly garners a lot of attention from not only the media here in this state, but from the media all over the country, including the boys from Bristol, Connecticut at ESPN, as well as some of the local sports talk radio guys here locally in the Charlotte area, and when I talked to Bob Rathbun, one of the ACC Basketball broadcasters for Raycom and Fox Sports South back in the 2008-09 Bobcats season, he says that "For those of us that cover the conference, Duke/Carolina means something special." This rivalry always happens twice a year, and some of us call the Duke/Carolina rivalry "World War 3", but I call it "The Rivalry of all Evil", which has been that way for many, many years, since the two schools are separated 8 miles apart.

You see, a lot of bad blood has been taken place everytime these two teams met during their history, with Carolina leading the series all-time with a record of 130-99 overall, and of course, the fans always get involved with this long storied rivalry and many parents usually tell their kids to "Root for Carolina because Duke's bad", while it's the other way around for the Duke families to tell their kids to root for them instead of Carolina.

For example, you have the infamous "Cameron Crazies" that always taunts the Tarheels by saying "Go to (bleep) Carolina, Go to (bleep)!" whenever they come to historic Cameron Indoor Stadium and over in Chapel Hill, the Tarheel fans always wear their Carolina Blue shirts that says "Layeth the Carolina Smacketh Down" or "Duck Fuke" when Duke comes to the Dean Smith Center, and this rivalry has generated not only some huge moments, but has produced a lot of famous names in this "Rivalry of All Evil", from Michael Jordan(Bobcats Chairman and CEO), James Worthy, Vince Carter, Raymond Felton, Sean May, and Tyler Hansbrough for North Carolina, to Jay Bilas, Mike Gminski, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Shane Battier, JJ Redick and Kyrie Irving from Duke, and of course the coaches that are often in the center of it all from "Coach K" at Duke and for many years, Dean Smith and to now with Roy Williams.

Both teams have combined to win 10 national championships between the two schools, with Carolina winning 6 of them, while Duke won 4 titles, with the most recent one coming back in 2010. and believe me, this rivalry doesn't produce stars, they create stars, with a little bit of history in draft picks between the two schools over the last 3 decades.

So, in closing, I have decided to ask you this question: Whose side are you on: Duke or Carolina?