New court at the New Orleans Arena

[doafhat]

The Hornets are back in New Orleans tonight and have a new floor and new scoreboard. The new scoreboard in New Orleans looks really nice, but I'm struck with the new floor looking EXACTLY like the floor at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. The only differences being that "NEW ORLEANS" is painted in the endzones instead of "OKLAHOMA CITY" ("New Orleans" is painted in the same teal block font as it is in OKC) and there is nothing around the 'H' logo at halfcourt. Frankly I'm a little surprised that the Hornets have an exact duplicate of the floor at the "temporary" home of the Hornets in their "permanent" arena. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Ford Center, here's a couple photos of "Loud City":

I guess it might also be worth mentioning that the Hornets are wearing their home white uniforms with "HORNETS" across the chest instead of their gold alternates with "NEW ORLEANS" across the front.

[sacker12]

They may have already decided on that design before Katrina on their regular home court, but had to put "Oklahoma City" on the court rather than "New Orleans" when they were forced to move.

[ZBoyer]

This was the best I could do....

[NJTank]

Maybe its the same court becuase the NO court was damaged.

[doafhat]

Maybe its the same court becuase the NO court was damaged.

It's a new court for the arena in New Orleans, I believe it was installed there in the last couple of weeks.

[NOLA_Nole]

I was disappointed that the floor looked nearly identical to the Ford Center's.

They should have definitely put the REAL New Orleans Hornets logo at halfcourt, it should have said "New Orleans Hornets" in the end zones (as it did last year,) and the team should have worn their old home jerseys with "New Orleans" on the front instead of that psudo-home jersey with "Hornets" on the front and that damn OKC patch.

[The_Admiral]

I still think they shouldn't come back to New Orleans.

[skeletor]

I still think they shouldn't come back to New Orleans.

Why?

[IceCap]

I still think they shouldn't come back to New Orleans.

Why?

1) The city of NOLA is still rebuilding, and trying to accomandate a NBA team shouldn't be the number 1 priority.

2) Before Katrina the team was among the worst in attendence figures. It seems like NOLA stopped caring about NBA basketball after the "honymoon stage" was over.

3) The team is doing GREAT attendence-wise in OKC.

4) OKC is in a region of the US with a rich basketball history. It would be idiotic for the NBA NOT to put a team there. Why bother witrh an expansion team, when you've got a team already playing most of their games there?

It's said, but the city NOLA will be unable to support a pro team until the city is completly rebuilt completly (2010 at the earliest). It was a mistake for the NFL to make the Saints stay, lets hope the NBA is more realistic.

I'm truly sorry, but NOLA is not fit for pro sports at this time. Let the Hornets stay in OKC, and look into getting NOLA an expansion team in 15 years or so.

[CubsFanBudMan]

Well, eight games a year for the Saints will be a lot easier to fill than 41 for the Hornets. I think the Saints definitely should return -- if it doesn't work out, then they can look elsewhere.

But the Hornets situation is a little trickier. I think the NBA is doing the right thing by keeping them in OKC mostly next year. They have a nice alternative if N.O. can't do it, but there's no need to rush. Let's see how the response to Hornets games progresses.

And let's not forget the New Orleans Voodoo, who were put on hiatus. They were among the top Arena teams attendance-wise and have committed to return next year. Again, it's easier to fill a football season than baseball or basketball, so I think every league is doing the right things so far. Hopefully it will all work out.

[The_Admiral]

Don't you think it'll be a little unfair to take the Hornets away from Oklahoma City after supporting them so well for two years? I mean, this club finally has signs of life again, that they never had in New Orleans. You can't just say "well thanks for taking care of 'em" after the community, which could've just totally shat on these lame-duck carpetbaggers, came out and really got behind the team. Pulling their team from them and saying "well maybe you'll get the Sonics in a few years, or not?" isn't gonna cut it. They're the Oklahoma City Hornets now, like it or not.

[rams80]

And let's not forget the New Orleans Voodoo, who were put on hiatus. They were among the top Arena teams attendance-wise and have committed to return next year. Again, it's easier to fill a football season than baseball or basketball, so I think every league is doing the right things so far. Hopefully it will all work out.

They're on hiatus (unofficially of course) because Benson wanted to move the Saints this offseason and NFL bylaws prohibit you from operating an arena team outside of your team's designated market.

[doafhat]

I may be a biased Oklahoman on this issue, but I'll throw in my two cents anyway. Icecap is right on his points about support in New Orleans vs. support in Oklahoma City. So far, OKC has totally blown away what New Orleans mustered in their short history with the Hornets. This team had zero expectations on them for this season coming off a terrible season last year, but that didn't stop Oklahomans from showing up in force and pushing the Hornets' season ticket sales into the top 10 in the league - not to mention they did so under very short notice considering the timetable between Katrina and the beginning of the 2005-06 NBA season.

In addition to the packed house every night at the Ford Center, the Hornets have also found substantial corporate support with the "Pioneer Partners," a group of five Oklahoma-based investors; including three of the biggest players in the worldwide petroleum business. IIRC, in New Orleans, the Hornets depended on stipends from the state government to help pay the bills. I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty inappropriate for the state of Louisiana to be throwing money at a professional basketball team when there are so many people still in dire need of help rebuilding.

Also keep in mind that the temporary move to Oklahoma City was David Stern's idea, not Hornets owner George Shinn. Clearly Stern has been keeping an eye on Oklahoma City for a few years and saw this as a perfect time to test OKC's ability to support an NBA team and obviously OKC has passed the test with high marks.

[NOLA_Nole]

Don't you think it'll be a little unfair to take the Hornets away from Oklahoma City after supporting them so well for two years? I mean, this club finally has signs of life again, that they never had in New Orleans. You can't just say "well thanks for taking care of 'em" after the community, which could've just totally shat on these lame-duck carpetbaggers, came out and really got behind the team. Pulling their team from them and saying "well maybe you'll get the Sonics in a few years, or not?" isn't gonna cut it. They're the Oklahoma City Hornets now, like it or not.

No, it would NOT be unfair to take them away from Oklahoma City, because they don't belong to Oklahoma City. The New Orleans Hornets are ONLY playing in Oklahoma City TEMPORARILY because of Hurricane Katrina. Period. They are not playing in Oklahoma City because of lack of attendance.

What WOULD be unfair is to take the Hornets away from New Orleans under these circumstances.

And yes, we CAN just say "Well, thanks for taking care of 'em" because it's only a temporary move.

Oklahoma deserves an NBA team, but NOT the New Orleans Hornets.

The New Orleans Hornets WILL come home.

[doafhat]

No, it would NOT be unfair to take them away from Oklahoma City, because they don't belong to Oklahoma City.

To be quite honest, New Orleans fans didn't believe the Hornets belonged in their city either, judging from the fan support since moving from Charlotte. Poor attendance may not have been the driving force that pushed the Hornets out of New Orleans, but it certainly can't help the case for a permanent return to the Crescent City.

The only part of the whole matter where it makes sense for the Hornets to make a permanent return is the emotional/sentimental side, and that side only loses traction when New Orleans fans take to the Internet to attack the franchise and the people of Oklahoma for trivial matters such as the OKC patch. Additionally, a permanent return based solely on the notion of trying to not "loot" the city of the Hornets is a tremendous risk on the part of the NBA and local & state government.

Sports can be an important distraction at times, but is a government acting in the best interests of its people when it appropriates money, manpower, and other resources towards rebuilding sports arenas instead of homes; especially when the arena in New Orleans was largely devoid of fans at Hornets games?

[IceCap]

Lets take a look at the score borad, shall we?

Attendence: OKC beats NOLA in a landslide. No one had any expectations for the Hornets to be anywhere near competitive. Also, OKC fans have no guarantee that the Hornets will stay, and they STILL support them. Menawhile, while in NOLA, their attendence figures were horrible.

OKC-1, NOLA-0

Practicality: OKC has a ready to go NBA facility. NOLA is still rebuilding. Spending money and man power on rebuilding a basketball stadium instead of people's homes is idiotic and irresponsible. OKC wins again.

OKC-2, NOLA-0

What's best for the team itself:For the last couple of seasons in NOLA, the Hornets looked like a team with the life drained out of them. This season, the team is playing like it has a reason to play again. I can only come to the canclussion that the lack of fan support in NOLA drained the life out of the franchise. The tremendous show of support in OKC has re-energized the team. Also, as was pointed out by doafhat, in NOLA the Hornets were dependent on stipends from the state governemnt just to stay aflote. In OKC they have a great program going with local investors. If I were the Hornets I wouldn't want to go back to NOLA. OKC wins this round big time.

OKC-3, NOLA-0

NOLA proved they didn't want NBA basketball with their piss poor attendence figures. Sorry, that's a fact that NOLA_Nole and others like to ignore. It's sad that it took Katrina for the Hornets to finally find greener pasters, but they did find them, and they should be allowed to stay. Also, NOLA_Nole is saying that it would be unfair to take the Hornets away from NOLA. In case you forgot, the only reason you HAD the Hornets to begain with was because you took them from Charlotte. The Hornets should stay in OKC, and in 15 years, when NOLA is completly rebuilt, the NBA will think about grabting an expansion team if there is still intrest.

[The_Admiral]

I think the biggest case for permanent relocation is the subsidization of the Hornets by Louisiana. New Orleanians are homeless. Use that money for your citizens who need it the most, not your erstwhile sports team that is flourishing without you.

The New Orleans Hornets WILL come home.

Do the Bobcats mind?

[McCall]

Lets take a look at the score borad, shall we?

Attendence: OKC beats NOLA in a landslide. No one had any expectations for the Hornets to be anywhere near competitive. Also, OKC fans have no guarantee that the Hornets will stay, and they STILL support them. Menawhile, while in NOLA, their attendence figures were horrible.

OKC-1, NOLA-0

Practicality: OKC has a ready to go NBA facility. NOLA is still rebuilding. Spending money and man power on rebuilding a basketball stadium instead of people's homes is idiotic and irresponsible. OKC wins again.

OKC-2, NOLA-0

What's best for the team itself:For the last couple of seasons in NOLA, the Hornets looked like a team with the life drained out of them. This season, the team is playing like it has a reason to play again. I can only come to the canclussion that the lack of fan support in NOLA drained the life out of the franchise. The tremendous show of support in OKC has re-energized the team. Also, as was pointed out by doafhat, in NOLA the Hornets were dependent on stipends from the state governemnt just to stay aflote. In OKC they have a great program going with local investors. If I were the Hornets I wouldn't want to go back to NOLA. OKC wins this round big time.

OKC-3, NOLA-0

NOLA proved they didn't want NBA basketball with their piss poor attendence figures. Sorry, that's a fact that NOLA_Nole and others like to ignore. It's sad that it took Katrina for the Hornets to finally find greener pasters, but they did find them, and they should be allowed to stay. Also, NOLA_Nole is saying that it would be unfair to take the Hornets away from NOLA. In case you forgot, the only reason you HAD the Hornets to begain with was because you took them from Charlotte. The Hornets should stay in OKC, and in 15 years, when NOLA is completly rebuilt, the NBA will think about grabting an expansion team if there is still intrest.

Icecap, as much as you and I have disagreed, and argued, about in the past, I am in total agreement and think this little "scoreboard" helps prove exactly what most are thinking. It's not a knock against the city of New Orleans. No one's trying to rob them of their team. It's just in the best interest of the city right now to focus on rebuilding more important things. I mean, without rebuilt homes and businesses, so people can go to work and earn money, how would anybody be able to afford to go to a Hornets game anyway? I completely feel for NOLA, I honestly do, but don't try and play this off as an "Importance for Morale" propaganda bit (and I really don't mean that to sound insensitive), but the most important thing to help morale in NOLA, is to give people back their homes and lives, then once they have their lives back, or as close as they can, THEN you can give them back basketball. NOLA really needs to focus on what their priorities SHOULD be, instead of what they WANT them to be.

Peace and keep pushing NOLA. You'll have your city back soon.

[NOLA_Nole]

There was NO talk of the Hornets leaving New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina and they are only in Oklahoma City because of Hurricane Katrina. Therefore, the attendance argument is irrelevant.

This isn't like the Montreal Expos playing several home games in Puerto Rico because of lack of attendance. If it was a case like that, THEN the attendance argument would have merit.

And yes, the OKC patch is a slap in the face to us--especially since they removed "New Orleans" from the home jerseys. There is NO mention of New Orleans on the home jerseys--not even a patch commemorating the victims of Hurricane Katrina. After 9-11, the Mets and Yankees wore patches in rememberance of that tragedy. You would think that our own team would have SOME kind of acknowledgement on their home uniforms about their home city.

Here's an article that sums it up perfectly. Yes, it has some holes in it (Los Angeles with THREE NBA teams?) but it speaks the truth. http://www.wdsu.com/sports/7369305/detail.html

And we didn't take them from Charlotte--the Hornets willingly moved.

The Saints and Hornets WILL return to New Orleans--where they belong.

[TBGKon]

Point of information: To all who feel it is a slap in the face that the Hornets replaced "New Orleans" on their home jersey with "Hornets" should look around the rest of the league. Most NBA teams have their nickname on the home jersey and their locale on their road jersey. In some cases (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami) have their nicknames on both jerseys, but have an alternate with the locale on it.