Spurs will sleep in the airplane in NO

[50 cent]

Are you sure this isn't a bogus story? Is the only source that French article?

The story is not bogus. FlightAware shows the Spurs plane landing in LA about an hour ago meaning they did leave New Orleans just after 7am.

[easjer]

Does anyone know why there were so many days between games 6 & 7 while the Lakers were lying in wait, and only one day between the end of our series and the begining of the WCF? I mean Boston played Fri/Sun and we played Thurs/Mon? I suspect foul play, it just makes no sense.

Calm down. It sucks, but the scheduling was set in advance of the playoffs beginning.

It was stupid scheduling, but it was done well before the playoff seedings were set, let alone before the advancing teams were decided for the WCSF. In reality, they expected the series to be finished and for last night to be Game 1 of the WCF. Had the Spurs pulled out game 5 and gone on to win game 6, they could have had plenty of rest, particularly if the LA/UT series had gone 7.

Ifs and buts at this point.

[NoMoneyDown]

I'm sure it's booked. They aren't skipping hotels because they are cheap. There's just probably not a decent one available nearby with enough rooms open.

Just put Pop, Duncan, Parker, Bowen, and Ginobilli in a hotel room. With full room service.

[Spuradicator]

that sucks

[Nolazach]

Unless the owner of the Hornets owns Team Aviation LLC, then the Hornets don't own that plane.

Aircraft Identification
N-Number N777KY
Serial Number 21068
MFR Model Code 138407J
Engine Model Code 52051
Year MFRed 1975
Type_registrant 3
Name Team Aviation Llc
Street 1615 Poydras St Fl 20

City, State Zip New Orleans, LA 70112-1254
Google Map 70112-1254
Country US
Region 2



It's the same way with the Mavs logo on the MLWAir 757. Cuban has no ownership in that plane or company.

I think there might be a mistake, Team aviation builds kit planes out of New Mexico. All I know is that plane stays at Armstong(airport) all the time. It has the same paint job its had the whole time. Maybe its a long-term lease. Bottom line is its the team plane. If I finance a car or rent a house, its not mine, but in a way it is.

[50 cent]

I think there might be a mistake, Team aviation builds kit planes out of New Mexico. All I know is that plane stays at Armstong(airport) all the time. It has the same paint job its had the whole time. Maybe its a long-term lease. Bottom line is its the team plane. If I finance a car or rent a house, its not mine, but in a way it is.

Good point. I'm sure it's a long-term charter meaning other people can rent it out as well when the team isn't using it.

Besides, it's only a 727. I'd rather have a team charter like the Mavs - a nice 757.

[TampaDude]

Won't matter...Spurs in 6...

[RandomGuy]

I think there might be a mistake, Team aviation builds kit planes out of New Mexico. All I know is that plane stays at Armstong(airport) all the time. It has the same paint job its had the whole time. Maybe its a long-term lease. Bottom line is its the team plane. If I finance a car or rent a house, its not mine, but in a way it is.

If you have a lease for 5+ years, and have the option for a very cheap buyout after the lease is up, for accounting purposes, that is a essentially a sale. This is what is known as a "capital lease".

(looks around)

What?

[Chris Duel]

Mike Tirico just reported on ESPN 1250 that the Spurs jet (good ole Champion Air) had a mechanical problem last night and that the team was unable to find hotel accomodations, so the Spurs were forced to sleep on the plane while it sat on the tarmac until it was repaired and left for L.A. at 7am.

Mike cited a French newspaper that Tony Parker was quoted in regarding this story.

Anyone have more information or sources on this?

[polandprzem]

Old story

[PDXSpursFan]

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/...the-Spurs.html

Any confirmation on this?

[Summers]

If you have a lease for 5+ years, and have the option for a very cheap buyout after the lease is up, for accounting purposes, that is a essentially a sale. This is what is known as a "capital lease".

(looks around)

What?

Wanna talk business accounting and make babies?

[BRHornet45]

oh son where have you been?

[mardigan]

Spurs slept aboard grounded plane in New Orleans
By Henry Abbott
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: May 20, 2008, 2:55 PM ET


The San Antonio Spurs, fresh off a Game 7 win over the New Orleans Hornets, were planning a quick getaway to Los Angeles to prepare to face the Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

Instead, they spent the night in their grounded plane in New Orleans.

The Spurs' departure from New Orleans after eliminating the Hornets 91-82 in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals was delayed several hours after their plane had mechanical problems, the team said Tuesday.

The team could not find hotel rooms in the city, so the players had to sleep on the plane, team spokesman Cliff Puchalski said.

"We slept on the plane -- as much as you can sleep," Puchalski said. "We tried to keep some normal semblance of order."

Puchalski said the team slept on the plane with the mechanical problems before boarding another plane that was brought in from Minneapolis. The team took off about 6:30 a.m. Central time, Puchalski said, and landed in Los Angeles about four hours later.

San Antonio uses the charter company Champion Air, which has announced it is ceasing all operations at the end of May.


Henry Abbott writes the TrueHoop blog for ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3405018

[Chris Duel]

Old story

Whoops. I hadn't seen the other thread.

Thanks.

Sorry for the duplication.

Feel free to nuke this thread.

Chris

[duncan228]

Still on the first page:

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96029

[beachwood]

Anyone know which hotel the Spurs stay at in LA?

[Tyler_Durden]

omg! the Spurs had plane problems last night! i am going to make a thread about it!

[Bruno]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

Night on the tarmac

By Johnny Ludden, Yahoo! Sports

When the San Antonio Spurs eliminated the New Orleans Hornets from the playoffs Monday night, they figured the hard part of their journey to the Western Conference finals was over.

Turns out it was only beginning.

In one of the more bizarre travel stories, the Spurs ended up spending the night on the tarmac at New Orleans airport.

The team had planned to fly to Los Angeles after the game, but arrived at the airport to find their flight had mechanical problems. With a cable convention crowding the city’s hotel rooms, the team couldn’t any place to spend the night.

Some of the players slept on the plane while others moved to buses on the tarmac.

The team left New Orleans around 6:30 a.m. And arrived in Los Angeles a few hours later. The Spurs will have only a brief shootaround on Wednesday morning before opening the conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers that night.

[Spurminator]

Congrats to the French press for scooping the American press by 12+ hours.

[Summers]

The team could not find hotel rooms in the city, so the players had to sleep on the plane, team spokesman Cliff Puchalski said.

"We slept on the plane -- as much as you can sleep," Puchalski said. "We tried to keep some normal semblance of order."

at the idea of the team spokesman. Is this the guy who follows Pop around apologizing to media? "What he mean to say was perhaps you could have phrased that question differently..."

[Slomo]

Congrats to the French press for scooping the American press by 12+ hours.

Specially since it was at approx. 5am in France at the time.

BTW the number one result in Google for "spurs airplane problem" is this:
http://thelakersnation.com/blog/2008...leep-on-plane/

Guess who is credited for the initial info...

Well this is crappy news (for the Spurs). Apprently last night, they had a plane problem. And with New Orleans being the popular city it is, they had no other hotels open. Basically, the Spurs slept on the plane. The initial article is in french, but here is a translated article thanks to the anxious folks over at SpursTalk.com

Spurs lost their smile. The finalists of the western conference are immobilized at NO’s airport. The defending champions were headed to LA to play Game 1 of the WCF, right after the game. Bad luck, their plane broke down. And to top that, all hotels in NO appear to be full.

“What’s happening is incredible!”, Tony explains. It’s 2 AM (9 in France). “We’re doomed to spend the night in the plane ! Pop just anounced it. To prepare a WCF, there’s nothing better !”

Spurs should take the first plane at 7 AM and will consequently have less than 48h to prepare the meeting with the Lakers.

[CubanMustGo]

So ... if the Spurs have to travel after May 30th, WTH are they going to do, fly Southwest?

[Bruno]

I just now hope old Spurs won't be too tired against LA.
WCF is one game each two days.
The good news is that Spurs players seems to be quite healthy and that Spurs had a big rest before game 7 in NO.

There is pretty much nothing to do against tiredness right now. it's not the moment to cut main players minutes. The only thing Pop could do is giving up quickly in a game where Spurs are downed by a lot.

[ShoogarBear]

Read Henry Abbott's blog. It looks like it was straight lifted from this thread:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/...the-Spurs.html