This guy is a tool. First he uproots from CLT and kills their fanbase (which loved the Hornets) and now he is conveniently blaming Katrina and New Orleans seediness for wanting to stay in Oklahoma. From ESPN.com: "From a pure business model, if I was just a cold-hearted businessman the decision would be pretty easy but I've got to make the decision based on my head and my heart. I really do. I think it's very important to use good judgment. And if the state's willing to protect us, make sure we don't get hit hard, I'll ride it out." IRONIC words. ######################################### Shinn says city's lack of progress is 'depressing'Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY -- New Orleans' progress toward showing it can support its displaced NBA franchise in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has been discouragingly slow, Hornets owner George Shinn said Monday. In an interview with The Associated Press, Shinn again said the Hornets plan to honor their lease at the New Orleans Arena but said that many "question marks" remain before he can determine whether that's a sound option. "I have seen virtually very, very little improvement and it's very discouraging and very depressing." George Shinn "I've been back to New Orleans probably a half-dozen times since the storm, and each time we go back, I have a car there and we go back through the areas," Shinn said. "I hear all the politicians talk about all the great things that's happening: 'We'll be back in a year. We'll be back in five months.' You know, crazy stuff. "I have seen virtually very, very little improvement and it's very discouraging and very depressing." Shinn spoke of visiting areas of New Orleans that do not have grocery stores open, which in turn creates long lines at the stores that are open. On Monday, the city opened a portion of the Lower Ninth Ward for the first time -- a 10-block area that has had water, electricity and sewage services restored. The rest of the area, which was the hardest hit by Katrina, remains closed. "It's very difficult to try to live there because with the traffic the way it is and because the areas that are damaged and destroyed, people just don't go through there," Shinn said. "Stop lights don't work. They don't have electricity there." After averaging 18,717 fans at their home games in Oklahoma City this season, the Hornets will again play 35 games in the city next season. In the meantime, Shinn said the Hornets will try to determine whether people are interested in the team returning to New Orleans by taking 25 percent deposits toward 41-game season-ticket plans for 2007-08. "That's going to tell us a lot," Shinn said. "From a pure business model, if I was just a cold-hearted businessman the decision would be pretty easy but I've got to make the decision based on my head and my heart. I really do. I think it's very important to use good judgment. And if the state's willing to protect us, make sure we don't get hit hard, I'll ride it out." George Shinn Even before Katrina hit in August, the Hornets averaged a league-low 14,221 fans in 2004-05 as the team went 18-64. When the team made the playoffs the year before, the Hornets average attendance was 14,332. "If you look at our gross before and now our gross here from the arena standpoint is almost double what it was in New Orleans. As a matter of fact, it is double," Shinn said. "From a pure business model, if I was just a cold-hearted businessman the decision would be pretty easy but I've got to make the decision based on my head and my heart. I really do. I think it's very important to use good judgment. And if the state's willing to protect us, make sure we don't get hit hard, I'll ride it out." However, Shinn said he doesn't think that Louisiana should offer to write the Hornets a check to ensure their financial success. "I don't think they should do that because to me there are more important things to get done than having a basketball team. I think they've got to get the families back first and then worry about a basketball team," Shinn said. "That's my opinion, but I'm not one of the politicians in Louisiana." Shinn said he pays attention to how the NFL's Saints are doing -- they're currently reporting season-ticket sales on a record pace -- but believes prospects of New Orleans supporting eight football games, mostly on weekends, are different than those of the city filling up New Orleans Arena for home 41 basketball games. "I think they've got to get the families back first and then worry about a basketball team. That's my opinion, but I'm not one of the politicians in Louisiana." George Shinn Two of the team's three games in New Orleans in March were sellouts. "New Orleans is a great city. The architecture there is beautiful. I love it. I think it's got great history," Shinn said. "To me, it is a great event town. I mean, Jazz Fest, things that are there for a short period of time and they do it annually. "That's one of the reasons football has a better chance than basketball. Baseball would be another one that would be a problem because of an 80-something game schedule." Shinn said he has received positive feedback about Oklahoma City from employees, who have said "they've got a great school system, the place is very clean and the people are very nice." "In New Orleans, you've got high crime, you've got a bad educational system. Because of all the tourists, it's hard to keep the city clean. It's just hard. It's entirely two different markets," Shinn said. "They couldn't survive without tourists. The whole city is built on it, and you're not. You're built to draw people that want to grow families. "And a couple things impressed me, I'm a person of faith and I love this country. I've seen more flag-wavers here and more people that are God-fearing than any part of the country." Shinn said he figures a decision about the 2007-08 season would need to be made by December or January, so the team can start selling season tickets. "I know we'll be here next year," Shinn said. "The year after that, who knows? I don't know the answer to that question. I'm not about to even predict it because I don't know at this point."
I don't blame him for anything he said in this article. An NBA team is a business and if an area can't support that business it needs to move elseswhere.
He should get out of New Orleans, that city won't be back for years. And it should never go back to the seediness that it was, it should go forward, they have a chance to fix a lot of the problems, they should do that. DD
I understand that New Orleans is under a state of despair, but you have to remember how ruthless George Shinn is. The whole article makes sense, but at the same time it just shows that he has no hope of helping the city rebuild and his intentions are selfish.
Hasn't Stern promised the NBA is coming back to New Orleans? I don't really think the people of New Orleans supported the team when they first moved there and now that the population has been cut drastically and many businesses hae moved away from The Big Easy I actually don't see how it could get better. I think the Saints return to the Superdome in the upcoming NFL season will show us a lot.
Shinn may be a cold-herted b*stard, but if he moves to O.K., it makes complete sense. N.O. can't support any pro teams, much less a NBA team that had bad support to begin with.
You should understand that the Hornets were at the bottom of the league in attendance their final year in NO and that was even including shady bookkeeping that inflated the figures. Stern was already having to meet with the team about their poor revenue and ticket sales. That was New Orleans at it's peak. Now well over half the population is gone, and those that have returned are in financial straits. How could they possibly hope to run the team in the black? There's ZERO disposable income in Louisiana. ZERO. This was a fringe pro-level city to begin with, and now it's been dropped to its knees. Shinn is an ass, but is in a no-win situation. Either he's a villain for using Katrina as an opportunity to break lease and chase money in OK (see: Tom Benson with the Saints), or he returns his team to a city that does not have the finances to support a pro franchise. This wasn't helped by Stern rushing to proclaim that they'd be back with 100% certainty non-stop this season. The NBA should have stripped Shinn of ownership instead of moving the Hornets out of NC, but that doesn't mean he's the bad guy here. Evan
He deserves all the bad press that will be coming his way over the next few years. He was warned a hundred times over that NO could not support an NBA team, and moved anyway. Boo-freakin' hoo.
NOLA can't support the Hornets. Shinn is a businessman out to make money. Call it greed, call it what you will, but he's not in the charity biz. The Hornets are not a non-profit. They should go to OKC if that's where Shinn can turn a profit with the team. They should have never moved from NC in the first place. His poor running of the team and constant public relations snafus poisoned the well in Charlotte, which was sad because tons of people turned out to watch them play. The Bobcats? Sad replacement for the Hornets. The only thing I'll miss about the Hornets in NOLA is how easy it was to get Rockets tickets there when they made the short hop up I-10. At least I'll be only an hour from ATL, where Hawks tickets are practically given away.
New Orleans never supported the Hornets. Oklahoma City has been great to them. If there weren't contracts involved, it'd be a really easy choice for me. I really don't think losing the Hornets would be much of a loss for the city of New Orleans. They'd certainly be broken hearted if they lost the Saints, but I doubt most of New Orleans will even care if the Hornets never return. Regardless, they have MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more important things to worry about out there. I agree with Dadakota that they need to address the corruption in that city, but I don't know that it'll be of much use if the corruption of the Louisiana State government isn't addressed. It's long been one of the most corrupt states in the country, and watching the way all this relief money is getting spread around... well, it just doesn't seem much has changed.
