I'll be taking some time off beginning this Friday, so I am emptying my brain before I go. Starting with....
The Bobcats coaching search. Reports are out the Bobcats are down to three coach candidates. Jerry Sloan, Brian Shaw, and Quin Snyder. My gut says they go with Shaw, but I think Sloan is the right guy. And for the record, these are only opinions.
All three have positives. Snyder is young, and could be the spark to ignite a young team to get them going in the right direction. Shaw has never been a Head Coach, but has been a solid understudy, and Sloan's record speaks for itself.
Here's the rub for the Bobcats. They can not afford to miss on their next coach, or what they do with the number 2 pick later this month. If this franchise is to move towards the goals set by owner Michael Jordan (contending for a top 4 spot in the Eastern Conference consistently, and threaten for a title after that), they have to hit it out of the park with every critical decision going forward. That's a ton of pressure, but it is the reality.
----
Feel badly for NC State baseball in coming up short to Florida. They may not have won the series against Florida, even if they had won game 2, but losing that second game the way they did was gut-wrenching. I applaud Chris Diaz for being man enough to apologize for his actions after the called third strike (which was a mile out of the zone by the way). Diaz showed himself to be a stand-up guy, a leader, and a true representative of what college sports are all about. He showed passion, emotion, and as he felt he crossed the line, he manned up, and owned it, and apologized. Me? I didn't think the apology was necessary. He had a legit gripe, the ump blew the call, and I likely would have done far worse. Good on Diaz.
----
Congrats to the Charlotte Knights on getting their assist from the City of Charlotte for a new stadium. The Knights now face the chore of lining up remaining funding, getting a shovel in the ground, and putting a long overdue ballpark for Uptown.
If you follow me on twitter, you saw me going on and on about Monday's City Council meeting. The one they voted in favor of the Knights funding. That was the same meeting they voted down the city's budget. I won't begin to try and explain all that is going on with the budget (not my lane), but when it comes to the stadium issue, I was amazed that Jerry Reese continued to stand behind a microphone, and lecture everyone about the need for a MLB stadium in Charlotte.
Calling Charlotte "a minor league city," is about as insulting as someone who makes a living here can be. The National Football League's Carolina Panthers, and National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats are on line one for you, Mr. Reese. Last I looked the NFL and NBA were not Arena Football, or the NBDL. NASCAR would also like to talk to you as well. It's not ARCA, or other lesser known racing series that only race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It's NASCAR. You may have heard of them.
He also claimed that Charlotte was bigger than 12 other MLB markets. 12. Well, since I have no idea what numbers he is using in that regard, let me just give you some of my data. Charlotte is bigger than five other MLB TV markets. FIVE. Charlotte is 25th, Baltimore 27th, San Diego 28th, Kansas City 31st, Milwaukee 34th, and Cincinnati 35th. By way of comparison, Orlando (19), Sacramento (20) and Portland, OR (22) also do not have MLB teams. So I guess Orlando with the Magic, along with PGA Tour events is minor league. Sacramento (the NBA's Kings live there), Portland (the NBA's TrailBlazers are there) are also minor league. Orlando, Sacramento, and Portland all have minor league baseball teams, too. They would like to talk to you as well, Mr. Reese.
Other wonderful cities would be minor league too, I guess. Indianapolis (26), Nashville (27), Columbus (32), and Oklahoma City (44) are on the list without MLB teams. All of them, however, are home to pro teams that have competed for (and in the case of the Colts won) league titles. All four of these cities also possess a AAA baseball franchise.
Another point about MLB in Charlotte. Filling the stadium that many dates in the season. If you watch Sports Night (like I know you all do), there are nights we show highlights of an MLB game, or NBA, or NHL, and the stands aren't full unless it's the playoffs. The Atlanta Braves had trouble selling out playoff games when they were in the 14 year run of division titles. I'm not knocking Braves fans about that, I'm just trying to prove a point. If a team that enjoyed so much success had trouble filling their own place for a playoff game, what is there to suggest a new MLB team in Charlotte will get close to filling a new place on a nightly basis? Bobcats games do not sell out, in part because the team has had one playoff run in its existence, and that was more of a warm-up than a run, since it ended in four games.
I know, I know...trying to talk sense is pointless at times. Would I love another big league team to call Charlotte home? Certainly. Makes my unbelievable job even better. Do I think MLB would be the right fit? Not at all. Too many variables, costs too high. Guess that makes me minor league, too, eh Jerry?
The time has come for Reese to simply go away, or come clean with what he stands to gain from a MLB team coming to Charlotte. He isn't doing this for the good of the community, because he has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in lawsuits filed to prevent this park from coming up out of the ground, a delay of what, four years now? I know he won't do that, but it's nice to at least ask.
Mike Solarte
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer, and do not represent the views of News 14 Carolina, Time Warner Cable, or anyone not named Mike Solarte. If you agree, or even disagree with the blog, feel free to leave a comment
Showing posts with label Jerry Reese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jerry Reese. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
OK, so I took the bye week too...
Apologies to the loyal blog followers out there, but I needed a break. Mentally refreshed, I look ahead at week 5 for the Carolina Panthers, and other items.
The Panthers will break into the win column this week when they host the Washington Redskins.
They have to.
It's just that simple. The Panthers need to beat a team that they should beat, and they need to do it in convincing fashion. Washington serves up just that recipe.
The Skins are struggling. Forget their win last weekend against Tampa Bay. It could be argued that the people that have left comments for this blog could get together, practice for a week, and beat the Bucs. They are THAT bad. The Skins were the ones that ended the NFL's longest futility streak, allowing the Detroit Lions to snap a 19 game skid, dating back to 2007. A win over the Bucs is not a "right the ship" kinda thing. It's what you're supposed to do.
The Panthers are not only hungry, but they are rested, and looking likely to have, at long last, all of their defensive starters available at the same time. Save for Maake Kemoeatu, who is lost for the year, the Panthers have yet to play a game this season with all of their returning players. Na'il Diggs did not play against Dallas--he said Monday he hopes to be ready. Chris Harris hasn't played a down in the regular season (a noticeable absence), and he is optimistic about playing this week. LB Thomas Davis pronounced Harris and Diggs ready to go, but of course, it's not his call to make. If Harris can go, and Diggs returns from his rib injury, the Panther defense will be at full strength.
Notice I left out the Julius Peppers crack....and it's just sitting there, too. Discipline.
Offensively, I want to see the Panthers grind the football on the ground. Pound it every chance they get. They have to do that away from Albert Haynesworth. He was listed on the injury report last week as "probable" with a glute injury (perhaps he landed on his wallet?), but he did play. Allow DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to work their magic on the outside, in space. Set up the pass with the run. It's fundamental, but it has worked for this team in the pass. Don't abandon the run, until the game gets out of hand (which it won't).
More on this game later in the week.
Charlotte Bobcats open the pre-season Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. I'll say it again: EXHIBITION ANYTHING RESULTS ARE MEANINGLESS. Don't get caught up in wins and losses in the pre-season. Guard Raja Bell summed it up nicely on Monday, saying they don't want to lose, but in the fake season, improvements are what you look for. We'll see how they progress during their 8 faux games.
Finally, the Charlotte Knights look like they will continue to play in Fort Mill, SC for at least the next 4 years. The team and local legislators have to hammer out the details, but it looks likely that they will remain. I am glad and sad by this news, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fine folks in Fort Mill.
Truth be told, the Knights should be out of there, and moving into a nice, new Uptown Charlotte ballpark. That isn't happening, and may never happen, thanks to Charlotte attorney Jerry Reese. Reese filed lawsuit upon lawsuit, which delayed the project to the point that it is virtually dead. The economy going south didn't help matters. All along, Reese claimed he wanted to block the ballpark, in the hopes of luring a Major League Baseball team to Charlotte.
Why? Well, who knows. What bothered me most about this whole thing, was Reese seemed to be propping himself up as the voice of the people against this ballpark, and against the Knights moving in.
I can say this: Jerry Reese didn't speak for me. He didn't speak for a lot of people, yet he was able to derail this project.
Why do I bring this up?
Well, at this same meeting on Monday where the York County Council agreed in principle with the Knights deal, Reese and other investors proposed up to $150 million dollars in private investments to update Knights Stadium. Included in that was a new minor league hockey arena, a mall, and new housing.
HUH?
So is Reese speaking for the citizens of Charlotte by blocking the construction of a new Uptown ballpark proposing this deal to the York County Council in South Carolina? What would the new park he blocked have done for Charlotte? How about employ workers to build it. Perhaps entice new businesses around the stadium to spring up, like bars and restaurants. Generate more revenue for the city, based on more fans attending games (and visiting those bars and restuarants before and/or after games). An Uptown park almost guarantees a box office boost.
I can see how all those things are huge negatives.
From an outsider point of view, this looks like Reese has some vendetta against the Knights ballclub, and has no interest in trying to improve the city where he works, and makes a living as an attorney.
I'm no lawyer, don't claim to be one. I do know that the opinions expressed in this blogpost are mine and mine alone, and do not reflect the views of News 14 Carolina management, Time Warner Cable or any of its advertisers.
Maybe one day, Reese will offer up the truth behind his motives. It would certainly clear up a lot of my questions.
Mike Solarte
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MikeSolarte
The Panthers will break into the win column this week when they host the Washington Redskins.
They have to.
It's just that simple. The Panthers need to beat a team that they should beat, and they need to do it in convincing fashion. Washington serves up just that recipe.
The Skins are struggling. Forget their win last weekend against Tampa Bay. It could be argued that the people that have left comments for this blog could get together, practice for a week, and beat the Bucs. They are THAT bad. The Skins were the ones that ended the NFL's longest futility streak, allowing the Detroit Lions to snap a 19 game skid, dating back to 2007. A win over the Bucs is not a "right the ship" kinda thing. It's what you're supposed to do.
The Panthers are not only hungry, but they are rested, and looking likely to have, at long last, all of their defensive starters available at the same time. Save for Maake Kemoeatu, who is lost for the year, the Panthers have yet to play a game this season with all of their returning players. Na'il Diggs did not play against Dallas--he said Monday he hopes to be ready. Chris Harris hasn't played a down in the regular season (a noticeable absence), and he is optimistic about playing this week. LB Thomas Davis pronounced Harris and Diggs ready to go, but of course, it's not his call to make. If Harris can go, and Diggs returns from his rib injury, the Panther defense will be at full strength.
Notice I left out the Julius Peppers crack....and it's just sitting there, too. Discipline.
Offensively, I want to see the Panthers grind the football on the ground. Pound it every chance they get. They have to do that away from Albert Haynesworth. He was listed on the injury report last week as "probable" with a glute injury (perhaps he landed on his wallet?), but he did play. Allow DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to work their magic on the outside, in space. Set up the pass with the run. It's fundamental, but it has worked for this team in the pass. Don't abandon the run, until the game gets out of hand (which it won't).
More on this game later in the week.
Charlotte Bobcats open the pre-season Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. I'll say it again: EXHIBITION ANYTHING RESULTS ARE MEANINGLESS. Don't get caught up in wins and losses in the pre-season. Guard Raja Bell summed it up nicely on Monday, saying they don't want to lose, but in the fake season, improvements are what you look for. We'll see how they progress during their 8 faux games.
Finally, the Charlotte Knights look like they will continue to play in Fort Mill, SC for at least the next 4 years. The team and local legislators have to hammer out the details, but it looks likely that they will remain. I am glad and sad by this news, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fine folks in Fort Mill.
Truth be told, the Knights should be out of there, and moving into a nice, new Uptown Charlotte ballpark. That isn't happening, and may never happen, thanks to Charlotte attorney Jerry Reese. Reese filed lawsuit upon lawsuit, which delayed the project to the point that it is virtually dead. The economy going south didn't help matters. All along, Reese claimed he wanted to block the ballpark, in the hopes of luring a Major League Baseball team to Charlotte.
Why? Well, who knows. What bothered me most about this whole thing, was Reese seemed to be propping himself up as the voice of the people against this ballpark, and against the Knights moving in.
I can say this: Jerry Reese didn't speak for me. He didn't speak for a lot of people, yet he was able to derail this project.
Why do I bring this up?
Well, at this same meeting on Monday where the York County Council agreed in principle with the Knights deal, Reese and other investors proposed up to $150 million dollars in private investments to update Knights Stadium. Included in that was a new minor league hockey arena, a mall, and new housing.
HUH?
So is Reese speaking for the citizens of Charlotte by blocking the construction of a new Uptown ballpark proposing this deal to the York County Council in South Carolina? What would the new park he blocked have done for Charlotte? How about employ workers to build it. Perhaps entice new businesses around the stadium to spring up, like bars and restaurants. Generate more revenue for the city, based on more fans attending games (and visiting those bars and restuarants before and/or after games). An Uptown park almost guarantees a box office boost.
I can see how all those things are huge negatives.
From an outsider point of view, this looks like Reese has some vendetta against the Knights ballclub, and has no interest in trying to improve the city where he works, and makes a living as an attorney.
I'm no lawyer, don't claim to be one. I do know that the opinions expressed in this blogpost are mine and mine alone, and do not reflect the views of News 14 Carolina management, Time Warner Cable or any of its advertisers.
Maybe one day, Reese will offer up the truth behind his motives. It would certainly clear up a lot of my questions.
Mike Solarte
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MikeSolarte
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