bobcats open to playing regular season game in Triad

[Scottley Crue]

From Bonnell's Twitter feed:

EXCLUSIVE: #bobcats open to playing a regular-season game in Triangle. Maybe this brings a Canes game to TWC Arena, too?

Pete Guelli, Bobcats marketing guy, rejuvenated Bills with training camp in Rochester, game in Toronto. This is similar.



Perhaps this will help the team if it happens. As a STH, I'd be curious to see how they handle that end of it (aside from a refund for that game).

[spectre]

Buts most likely...


Before they get too excited it is the Heat we're playing in Raleigh.

[SWedd523]

I think it's a great idea and an awesome way to reach out to new fans. They should also do something in SC city like Columbia or Charleston to expand south too

[Felton for Prez]

Given 41 home games, I can get behind this but with a few reservations. On the plus side, most season ticket holders don't go to all the games so reducing the number would probably make most happy. Also, as noted, you bring in more fans in the state or in SC too. On the downside, for the players, they would have to travel and don't have the creature comforts of a home game. Maybe that's not a big deal.

I'd be interested to see who the opponents would be. If it's the Kings or Jazz or Wizards, then I think it goes over well. If it's the Heat or Bulls or a bigger name, the STH's will flip out.

[Scottley Crue]

Here's a more formal story from the Observer with quotes from the Bobcats' executives. I don't get the impression that they'll being doing it this year, but it sounds like it could happen in the coming years.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...-triangle.html

I think it can certainly help expand the fan base, which is definitely a good thing. It all depends on how they handle it, and as Felton for Prez mentioned, what game they select. If they move a very popular team or western conference team or a team that only comes once a year, yeah, I don't think that goes over well. I'd either like a refund on the ticket or maybe they can make a trip out of it for STH's that want to go. There's ways to go about it that can work for most.

[CatNation]

Hows the TV situation over there?

[ammofan]

That would be interesting...

[Mustachio]

What about CLT area season ticket holders who lose a game? I live in the Triad, so a game at the Greensboro Coliseum is a welcome idea, would be nice to travel 15 minutes to a game instead of the hour it takes now. Its a good marketing idea, but Raleigh and Charlotte don't seem to get along together very well to me. What if they plan two games in Raleigh and no one shows up?

[dnbman]

I think it's a great idea and an awesome way to reach out to new fans. They should also do something in SC city like Columbia or Charleston to expand south too

While it was preseason, they had a game against Detroit two years ago. Would definitely love to see a regular season game in Soda City.

[TheBeagle]

As a STH, I'm all for it but I'm highly skeptical of it doing any good. First and foremost, they gotta get a winner on the court. I can't speak for the Triangle, but I know in the Triad (WS, G'boro, HP) if they put a regular season game against, say, Atlanta in the Coliseum with this roster, you would hear crickets chirp. I would love it because it would cut my trip down by 1/3 but it wouldn't do any good for the Bobcats. It's a good gesture and I'm glad with the new marketing regime, they're recognizing that there are fans, and potential for new fans all across the Carolinas but I think it's a tad too late thanks to Bobby ignoring anything outside of Charlotte in the early days of the franchise.

Like I said, I'm cool with it, but I think they need to continue to focus on getting Cats games broadcast across more of the area first before going through with this. I mean, what average basketball fan would go to a game to see a team he knows nothing about?