Last Team To Leave New Orleans Is A Rotten Egg
The New Orleans Saints are not the only team from the Crescent City that is under seige by other cities.
While most grapple with the potential injustice of the Saints moving to San Antonio or Los Angeles, another professional team is quietly walking out the back door.
New Orleans' NBA franchise, the Hornets, held opening night in Oklahoma City tonight against the Sacramento Kings. The NBA, though, is calling the franchise the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. Why add the moniker to the official name if the team isn't leaving the city of New Orleans? The Hornets even have their own custom-made court with the Oklahoma City painted all over with Hornets logos.
By adding Oklahoma City the NBA hedges it bet if there isn't enough money in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also begins to develop potential loyalty in Oklahoma. Maybe this is warranted, though. The Hornets finished dead last in attendance last season despite being in New Orleans for three season.
But what's important here, is that the NBA has done all of this under the radar. Fans are badgering the Saints owner, Tom Benson, for have talks with the mayor of San Antonio while assuring Louisiana that they're going nowhere. At the same time, their basketball team is lavishly vacationing in another city while checking the real estate.
While most grapple with the potential injustice of the Saints moving to San Antonio or Los Angeles, another professional team is quietly walking out the back door.
New Orleans' NBA franchise, the Hornets, held opening night in Oklahoma City tonight against the Sacramento Kings. The NBA, though, is calling the franchise the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. Why add the moniker to the official name if the team isn't leaving the city of New Orleans? The Hornets even have their own custom-made court with the Oklahoma City painted all over with Hornets logos.
By adding Oklahoma City the NBA hedges it bet if there isn't enough money in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also begins to develop potential loyalty in Oklahoma. Maybe this is warranted, though. The Hornets finished dead last in attendance last season despite being in New Orleans for three season.
But what's important here, is that the NBA has done all of this under the radar. Fans are badgering the Saints owner, Tom Benson, for have talks with the mayor of San Antonio while assuring Louisiana that they're going nowhere. At the same time, their basketball team is lavishly vacationing in another city while checking the real estate.
