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November 01, 2007
Bobcats want TV mess fixed, too
Which corporation pays to stick its name on Charlotte’s uptown arena matters little to the average fan.
Whether the Bobcats can fix their television mess, now that’s a much bigger deal.
The Bobcats are attached to Time-Warner cable another seven years, unless they can work out a solution (such as trading naming rights for TV rights) that frees them to move game telecasts to Fox Sports South. This is a hangover from the one-year disaster that was C-SET on digital cable.
I regularly get e-mails from frustrated fans, who either get their cable service from a system other than Time-Warner or subscribe to satellite television. They generally don’t get Bobcats telecasts. And often they incorrectly blame the Bobcats for this problem.
Sure, it’s true that Bobcats owner Bob Johnson’s desire to start a regional sports network was at the base of this mess. But the Bobcats are no happier about the TV situation than those fans are. They’d love to put this behind them, if only to give more potential customers a chance to sample the product via television.
Posted by Observer Sports on November 1, 2007 at 12:39 AM | Permalink
Comments
More TV exposure = more fans. More fans = more revenue.
Simple, yet maybe too simple.
If Bob has to go as far as to buying out the remainder of the Time-Warner contract, then he just has to bite the bullet and do it.
A wise person once said, "you have to spend money to make money." But then, wisdom and entertainment have never gone hand-in-hand.
Posted by: hillbilly | Nov 1, 2007 6:10:21 AM
I almost forgot: patrick rules!
Posted by: hillbilly | Nov 1, 2007 6:11:39 AM
Yea right, Bobby Johnson will not spend anymore money to fix his mistakes. He doesn't care if no one sees the Bobcats on TV. He is simply trying to not lose anymore money.
Posted by: Bobcats Season Ticket Holder | Nov 1, 2007 9:45:43 AM
CHHHHAAAAAAA-CHHHHHHHHING
The sucking sound you hear - beginning tommorrow night - is Bob Johnson feeding the cash monster we call Bobcats. Okafor will either demand top dollar or leave. This team has no shot at the playoffs, if we depend on Okafor scoring in the middle. Now, I fully expect the Bobcats to win tommorrow night, but the euphoria will last about 6 seconds. I think they will lose 7 of their first 10, unless Jason Richardson throws the team on his back and is unstoppable. When most teams lose two starters in less than 30 days, they reload. Season ticket holders paid for the full compiment of players. But, as always, Johnson will short-change us by not reloading. Unfortunately for him, this just makes the Bobcats more laughable. The good thing is that so many TV viewers can even watch the games. Watch and see, those third year season ticket holders are going to bolt.....chhhhhhhaaaaaaa-chhhiiiiiiiiiig. Feed the monster or sell.
Posted by: Malichae Neese | Nov 1, 2007 10:16:37 AM
I'm another satellite person that would love to watch bobcats games!!! ESPN gamecast just doesn't cut it!
Posted by: Melanie | Nov 1, 2007 10:34:26 AM
Malichae, are you a football fan?
Posted by: Will | Nov 1, 2007 11:23:52 AM
Bonnell - "And often they incorrectly blame the Bobcats for this problem."?
The problem in TV rights lies directly with the Bobcats and whoever in their organization signed off on a deal that risked this problem. The Bobcats negotiated away their right to be in on this decision - so it lies solely at their feet.
You can't blame TWC for dealing with the contract at hand as to my knowledge, they aren't complaining about the deal.
Why do you
Posted by: Fred | Nov 1, 2007 12:05:46 PM
OK malachae neese
First of all, we didn't lose 2 starters. Morrison was not going to start, and it was a toss up whether May was going to start.
2nd of all - when you have 15 guaranteed contracts, and you're aloud 15 players MAX, you can't "re-load". even if you could, there are no players to reload with. guys who can start in the league are not out there waiting on jobs, theyre already on a team.
3rd of all, no one cares what you think. please get informed before you post a foolish comment
Posted by: Bobcat Matt | Nov 1, 2007 1:08:48 PM
Oh, Bobcat Matt. I wanted to be the one to point all of those things out. I figured he was a football fan, thinking that "if a starter is injured, you just go out and get another," obviously not realizing the rules are different in the NFL and NBA. But I wanted him to admit to it first, rather than have me call him out then him deny it :( Damn you for stealing my thunder.
Posted by: Will | Nov 1, 2007 1:17:03 PM
Sure you can re-load. The Bobcats could CERTAINLY find someone who will be able to make a bigger impact on-court than Othella Harrington, who was garbage when he got here, and is damaged goods at this point. They could also cut Sean May (who'll be lucky to get his fat ass walking again) but they jumped to exercise his option a FULL YEAR earlier than they needed to because MJ trusts his UNC boys, and RobertCat Johnson thinks baby blue ties sell tickets. Unfortunately, given that these contracts ARE "guaranteed" as you put it (which just means you can eat them if you're willing to spend the money), we'll keep these players as long as they're collecting a paycheck of Stingy Bob's hard-earned money, regardless of their on-court performance.
Posted by: Michael Procton | Nov 1, 2007 1:26:50 PM
Get rid of Harrington, and May; get Anderson Varejao (CLE) and Andre Brown (SEA) and you'll have three times your current talent, more youth and you'll sell 2,500 more season tickets. Why, because that roster will make us a playoof team. That means more games and even more revenues. That will help diminish the expense incurred, and by the next season you'll have a 25% increase in income.
Posted by: RobC | Nov 1, 2007 4:12:33 PM
Neese you are right on with your comments. I am a third year season ticket holder that bolted. It took the Hornets four years in Charlotte to get it right. These 'Cats may take at least seven. Can you say no more of my 'ching.
Posted by: mij | Nov 1, 2007 4:56:08 PM
It took the Hornets five seasons before they were able to win as many games as the Bobcats won last year, but why let reality get in the way of a decent rant?
And I doubt you being a "third year season ticket holder," seeing as how if you stuck with them that long, there'd be no reason to abandon them now, considering they've made more positive moves this offseason than any other (re-signing Wallace/Carroll, adding Jason Richardson, etc).
Posted by: Will | Nov 1, 2007 5:02:26 PM
Andre Brown is on the Grizzlies, and if Varejao wants 9 mil a season with career numbers of 6-6 with little appreciable statistical defensive skills (yes, I understand "hustle" is invaluable), WE shouldn't be the team to pay it.
Posted by: Michael Procton | Nov 1, 2007 5:03:19 PM
That brings up something else I was going to say...if Andre Brown (who?) and Anderson Varejao are the only things keeping us from being a playoff team, we might as well not waste money on them because we're apparently already pretty damn close to the playoffs as is.
Posted by: Will | Nov 1, 2007 5:12:56 PM
The team won't be here in 7 years to fulfill their contract with time warner. I knew there was some other reason that time warner would want their name on this classless organization. They are shooting for a freebee. It looks like some one got the best of Bobcat Johnson. (I hope it was one of his black brothers that got him)... HA HA HA
Posted by: insider | Nov 1, 2007 7:21:10 PM
you have some issues insider. why the hate? especially discouraging to see the racial reference.
Posted by: jamie | Nov 1, 2007 8:46:17 PM
What a ridiculous thing to say that it's not the Bobcats' fault that they don't have a TV deal!! Give me a break. Their owner created this entire TV mess that the league is trying to step in and fix. Bonnell, you're laughable.
Posted by: John | Nov 1, 2007 10:19:45 PM
The comments you read on this site makes you think the KKK is headquatered in Charlotte!
Posted by: bobcats fan | Nov 3, 2007 3:47:09 PM
We are undefeated. I think we will make the playoffs and win the nba championship.
LIKE ANYONE CARES
Posted by: esaw | Nov 3, 2007 9:48:33 PM
Sportsouth or FSS would make a great fit with the bobcats. The Grizzlies and Hawks already have and it seems to work with them. I have only got to see a 3-4 games on TV since I live in SC. Bob needs to do whatever it takes to get it going with SS/FSS.
Posted by: joe | Nov 4, 2007 9:14:54 AM
I am extremely disheartened by the racial references that I have read in this blogs. While I do not know what is in Mr. Johnson's heart, I would offer that the make-up of the Hornets front office was not a majority of minorities. The team has been upgraded and I am interested in seeing how the year plays out. I would also like to see the team make a move to grab a "decent" big man. I think that we give them a decent chance to make the playoffs. We should support the team if no other reason than the economic boom that it provides to the city.
Posted by: Dre' | Nov 4, 2007 9:29:20 PM
I live in Wilmington, NC and let me tell you what a bitch it is trying to follow NBA. I am originally from Chicago and I still get to watch the Bulls games. I have been here for 10 years and am very happy about the Bobcats team and who is on it. But how the hell do you expect to sell out your arena when you don't show the games to the entire state? I am stuck watching Phoenix, Spurs, Mavs, LA games. Who gives a S**T about West Coast Ball? Get it together.
Posted by: Adam | Nov 5, 2007 1:11:03 PM
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