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This is one point where I agree with Cuban.
I agree
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basket..._nbabok02.html
Inside the NBA: Cuban swats at Hornets
By GARY WASHBURN
P-I REPORTER
WORKING OUT FEVERISHLY on the StairMaster in the lush wing of American Airlines Center that is the Dallas Mavericks' locker room, Mark Cuban was not so compassionate of the NBA's situation in New Orleans.
The maverick -- sorry for the pun -- owner wants the NBA to succeed in the Big Easy. He does not want to see the team forced to relocate because of lack of interest, lack of economic support from the hurricane-ravaged city or lack of motivation by owner George Shinn.
Given his checkered history, especially with the destruction of the Charlotte Hornets, it's difficult to envision Shinn as a sympathetic figure, but he is definitely attempting to woo the NBA public into believing he wants to stay in New Orleans. He wants the league to buy the perception that he is doing everything possible to reunite a rebuilding city to its basketball team.
Cuban doesn't buy that. Not that he thinks it's impossible for the NBA to work in New Orleans, but just doesn't believe Shinn is making a concerted effort to make the product work. Don't let the fraternity persona fool you, Cuban is a hustler and that's exactly how he turned a moribund franchise into one of the league's models.
He enticed the city of Dallas and state of Texas to pay $210 million of his $420 million arena for a team that has yet to win an NBA le. He single-handedly turned a downtrodden franchise into a first-class organization by warming himself to the Dallas community. (Something Clay Bennett should have done before asking the state for $300 million.)
So his sympathy is short for Shinn, who has until the end of the 2008-09 season to average 14,735 fans at desolate New Orleans Arena. Shinn said in January that the goal is attainable, but many NBA observers believe he's kidding himself, especially at this rate.
"Somebody's got to get off their ass and sell tickets," Cuban said earlier this month. "They've got the best record in the Western Conference and they can't get people to come? That's not New Orleans, that's effort. There's enough people. There's enough basketball fans to get 16, 17,000 people to come, even if they're weekend games. So they have bad nights Monday and Tuesday."
Cuban has never been one to mince words and will never conform to his fellow owners. He said he will not automatically vote for Sonics relocation because of the potential payday for his peers nor will he offer empathy to Shinn because that's what the controversial owner seeks.
"When I took over the Mavs, we sucked," Cuban said. "I hired 40 salespeople to get out there and get on the phones and I got on the phones and was calling people. Whatever it took. We had concerts after games. If I found a pretty girl, I gave her free tickets so she would tell her guy friends to bring people. Whatever it takes to get people in the arena, you gotta do it and that's what they're not doing down there."
So in other words, Shinn needs to do more hustling and less whining. The question is whether he has wasted too much time already.
This is one point where I agree with Cuban.
Cuban might be a face.. but he knows how to run a team and a business
It's not that simple just to say "sell tickets." New Orleans is a des ute city, always has been even before the hurricane problems. The economy is not strong because there's not much big money business in the city or the state for that matter. The best economy for the city of New Orleans often came by way of tourism, which has obviously been hit hard since 2005. Things like Mardi Gras and the Jazz Festival bring plenty of money to the city, but the money doesn't stay in the city. Again, it's tourists. And, the people that would want to go watch basketball games can't afford to really. Downtown is a hole. Uptown is a hole. Midcity is a hole. Garden District is a hole. You want to know why they can't sell tickets? Because people can't afford to go to basketball games. The extra money they do have to spend for entertainment, they'd rather go watch live jazz and get drunk at a local tavern. New Orleans has always been a bad place for a basketball team because the city doesn't care about basketball that much and it's a poor economy. I bet they couldn't give tickets away. It was a bad idea bringing the NBA back to New Orleans in the first place. It's a tourist city, a music and food city. Not a basketball city.
they should sell free tickets. problem solved
There's a reason that a team called the Jazz is playing in the least jazziest state in the Union. It's just not a good sports market.
Cubes is a billionaire after all. Sometimes it is a good idea to listen to what he says. But he's still an ass.
You mean GIVE away free tickets? Do you think thats what the owner wants? to not make any money? All the more reason to move his team. Problem NOT solved.
No doubt Cuban is kooky, but he is a SMART, knows how to sell and isn't afraid to think outside of the box.
It takes more than being smart to solve the New Orleans dilemma. The NBA just can't thrive in New Orleans. It's not economically possible.
N.O is a hole, period. KC outta make a play for that franchise.
like chris paul (i think it was him) said,
"first one to oklahoma city wins"
New Orleans = Detroit
If he thinks he can do a better job, then buy the franchise and put your money where your mouth is. It's not like he doesn't have the money for a hostile takeover.
There are some similarities, but plenty of difference. I realize you're just being an asshole, but even in a struggling economy and the decline of the American auto industry, Detroit has had very little problems supporting multiple professional sports teams. For all their disaster, the Detroit Lions still sell out games. Especially as it pertains to this topic, comparing New Orleans with Detroit is quite ignorant.
As it pertains to this topic NO and Detroit are complete opposites. Bad attempt at being an asshole.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance
you have to be an idiot to live in New Orleans, detroit, Kansas city or dallas. that is why teams move or do poorly
if the saints can sellout football games for 60-70000 people...there is no reason why NO cant sellout marquee games like LAL, Celtics, Suns, Cavs, etc...its ridiculous that more fans dont show up for those game
mostly poor people live there so they cannot afford to go see CP3
I'm sure the Hornets do pretty well in marquee games. It's the other 35 games that there's a problem. And, the NFL is king and it's only 8 games a year. It's also on Sunday afternoons rather than going up against bar nights, school nights, music performances, dinner, and such. It's much easier to sell out, even if there are more seats available.
Or Dallas? A city with one of the strongest economies in the nation where they are building highrises nonstop. The cheif city of the largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States. What city has moved from Dallas to another metro? To compare Dallas to Detroit or New Orleans is ignorant.
Pittsburgh would support a team.
mavs and cowboys is enough to ruin a city
cowboys are the dallas franchise of choice. the mavericks are popular and all but they have no real big name players -- even dirk isnt someone whos nationally recognized.
everyone knows TO and now, tony romo.
let's see how good saints attendance is the further away from katrina we get.
those sellouts will be just a memory..
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