Here in Charlotte, NC, after the Hornets (NBA) left, the NBA gave us another team. The Hornets left for a long list of reasons, although ticket sales wasn't one of them. The Hornets had set NBA attendance records all but the last couple of years they were in town. And even the last couple of years, attendance was still great. The main reason they left is because the team owner was a prick and pretty much hated here in town. There was a cheerleader rape scandal (the owner was accused of raping a cheerleader), he refused to sell half the team to Micheal Jordan, and the city wouldn't give him a new taxpayer funded arena.

Well, long story short, we now have the NBA's newest franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats, owned by BET owner Bob Johnson (get it, BOBcats). Even though our arena (already owned by the city and taxpayer funded) is less than twenty years old, the powers that be decided its not good enough because of the lack of skyboxes. So, they held a referendum to have a new arena built downtown funded by taxpayers. The arena was voted down by the citizens.

We have a new arena in downtown Charlotte now at a cost of at least $250 million that will be opening any day now. Guess who got stuck with the bill? That's right , the citizens. WTF? It was voted against in a public referendum and then built anyway. Its kind of like, we, the county commisioners of Mecklenburg County are smarter than you, the citizens. Even though we've already got a perfectly good city owned arena where the Hornets played, well that's just not good enough because it doesn't have skyboxes. So now, your taxes are going to go higher so we can build a new one. Don't you think Bob Johnson, the owner of BET and the newest NBA franchise (easliy a billionaire) and co-owner Nelly (yes, THAT Nelly) could've at least contributed SOMETHING?

Sorry for the long post, but taxpayer funded sports arenas are a sore subject where I am. After all, the Carolina Panthers (NFL) paid for their own stadium downtown. Why not the Bobcats?

 

I know I am of the few that will say this, but before I do, let me say I do go to maybe one professional game a year, usually hockey before they quit...

I personally hate how everyone lives vicariously through these professional athletes, I would much rather be out there doing whatever myself. Its much easier to watch a football game than to go out for a jog that would give you the wind to play a pickup game yourself.

Its half the problem we have in this country, laziness. If I skip one day a week from working out in some sort of fashion its a lot.

Worst part is that these guys making 20 million a year are still squaking for more, they should come back to the real world for a while and see how lucky they are.

Sorry for being semi-off-topic, but this gets me annoyed easily too. On that note, this stadium stuff is total bs, only a very few select companies see any more business, it really is a joke.

 

the reason they, the players can do that is because we, the consumers, allow them to do it. how many people here go to espn.com, how many people know a player on the NBA, NFL MLB etc?? but can't name their state senator or even president. The reason why these players can demand $$$ is because the public says they are worth it. I am sure if Kobe Bryant and President Bush walked down some busy street, people would recognize Kobe first. More so in other parts of the world.

 

The reason that taxpayers foot the bill for stadia is that their elected representatives approve the expenditures for reasons that likely serve their own purposes, and the electorate doesn't bother to mount a campaign to stop it.

Ignorance and apathy.

(When asked what he thought about rampant ignorance and apathy in government, the Senator replied, "I don't know and I don't care!" )

 

THe green bay packers are great. They are community owned.

 

the denver broncos had only 2 good years, this was during the time they were building a new statium. there is not much mention of this around colorado. its rigged/un-fair.