Potential Ownership Change And It's Effects

[-Ian-]

From the Wiretap.

Bobcats president Michael Jordan has until the end of February to match an offer to purchase the team, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.

Charlotte owner Robert Johnson has been trying to sell the team and former Houston president/CEO George Postolos has made a new offer for the franchise.

Jordan negotiated a right of first refusal after Johnson made it clear he intended to sell the Bobcats, according to a team source.

A source close to the situation said that Postolos does not plan to retain Jordan or his staff if he is successful in purchasing the Bobcats.

[Felton for Pres]

Which in turn means LB is gone too. Aaahh, change. This team just can't have any sort of stability.

I wish they just "pull the bandaid off" instead of this dragged on rumor mill.

[BigSlam]

This team just can't have any sort of stability.

That's the thing that stood out to me too. We just start to have things clicking and there might be a massive change over from the top to the bottom.

It really worries me. I'm not sure what to expect from the guys if LB isn't heading the charge next season.

[freakon0mics]

It's a given that if Jordan is gone then so will LB. On the other hand, the Bobcats will have, at least, a better owner than it had before.

[BigSlam]

What's Top Bob done that has been so bad? It's not like he is the one drafting the wrong guys or suggesting poor trades?

[ohara]

I would be OK with eithere MJ or Postolos. Postolos does have a good track records. And I dont have concerns about the LB part. He's be done after next year anyway. And I think if we make the Playoffs this season, he will feel redeemed from the fiasco in New York and go ahed and retire after this season anyway.

[RichBoy923]

What's Top Bob done that has been so bad? It's not like he is the one drafting the wrong guys or suggesting poor trades?

The thing is he hasn't been doing anything. He isn't an active owner. I hate how he isn't at any games and doesn't show any interest in his product at all.

[BigSlam]

What's Top Bob done that has been so bad? It's not like he is the one drafting the wrong guys or suggesting poor trades?

The thing is he hasn't been doing anything. He isn't an active owner. I hate how he isn't at any games and doesn't show any interest in his product at all.

How many NBA owners are? Apart from Cuban, you don't really see owners with their hands in the pie. They have people - GM's, Managing Partners For Basketball Operations etc - in place for that.

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

Really an owner’s biggest jobs are usually to hire good folks at the very top of the team’s org chart & then to enable these folks to do what they need to do. The best owners also do a bit of PR, with Cuban perhaps being the best example of that.

“Bob” had an unusual situation coming into Charlotte. It was a market tainted by the Hornet’s exit. He basically screwed up in multiple ways in the early days.

1. He failed to hire the best folks available. I liked Bernie, but I also don’t think that the was the “best” choice for starting up the team on the basketball side, still he we OK. It was the business side that Bob really screwed up on. The cable stuff, seat pricing, advertising, and more all go back to those early decisions.

2. His choice to name the team the BOBcats was lame and that was all on him.

3. Folks were angry about the arena and Bob never did manage to cool that anger one bit. Granted he couldn’t make everyone happy, but there were goodwill gestures that he could have done and failed to do.

4. While the PR job is “optional” in most cases, it really wasn’t in our market & situation. Bob never really did a good job of this.

I’m not going to say that Bob was a terrible cheapskate owner who sucked … but he was a below average owner in a situation that needed an above average hand to make it work.

And that’s not to say that things couldn’t get worse with a new guy.

[Bassman]

My concern would be relative to LB. The conventional wisdom is that he came at Jordan's request, and I sdon't doubt that was important. But the 2 guys aren't married. If Posto wanted to retain the coaching staff, just not the management staff, I could also see that heppening. If Larry likes the situation and wants to give it another go next year, I think that is a real possibility.

Frankly I would welcome a cleaning house of the business and general management side. Not saying they're all bad, but there are better people available to run a franchise. Many of Big Bob's hires were people he knew versus the best person for the job. That strategy, in any business, always bites you in the butt eventually.

[BigSlam]

MMany of Big Bob's hires were people he knew versus the best person for the job. That strategy, in any business, always bites you in the butt eventually.

It's pretty standard business practice to surround yourself with people you know and trust rather than the great unknown.

Is that any different from LB bringing his own coaching staff?

[spectre_]

What's Top Bob done that has been so bad? It's not like he is the one drafting the wrong guys or suggesting poor trades?

The thing is he hasn't been doing anything. He isn't an active owner. I hate how he isn't at any games and doesn't show any interest in his product at all.

How many NBA owners are? Apart from Cuban, you don't really see owners with their hands in the pie. They have people - GM's, Managing Partners For Basketball Operations etc - in place for that.

Charlotte fans need an owner who'll escort them to their seat, take out weekly full page ads to apologize for George Shinn taking their beloved Hornets away, lose millions yearly with a smile on his face while giving them free tickets to every other game.

Be careful what you wish for.

[BigSlam]

2. His choice to name the team the BOBcats was lame and that was all on him.

Granted that was a little self indulgent, but I really like the name "Bobcats". I liked it better than "Flight" or "Dragons".

I thought he showed bad form bashing local business and fans in the one rare Observer sit down he gave, but other than that I have thought he has been pretty good.

I'm probably not close enough to the situation to have an educated opinion though?

[ohara]

2. His choice to name the team the BOBcats was lame and that was all on him.

Granted that was a little self indulgent, but I really like the name "Bobcats". I liked it better than "Flight" or "Dragons".

I thought he showed bad form bashing local business and fans in the one rare Observer sit down he gave, but other than that I have thought he has been pretty good.

I'm probably not close enough to the situation to have an educated opinion though?

I am partial to the "Charlotte Big Slam" myself. Has a nice ring to it. Just rolls off the tongue. Something on ESPN like: And tonight the Lakers get Slammed by Charlotte! Yep, I can dig that name.

[fatlever]

sure, mj is the reason LB came to charlotte, but i do think its premature to speculate that LB would ditch the team the second a new owner came to town. LB has started something special here. i think it would pretty crappy for him to turn his back on his players so quickly. then again, its LB we are talking about. and this new owner would be smart to try his hardest to keep LB in place at all costs. its not like he's gonna find a better coach available. LB will be gone in 2 years max and the new owner can put his people in at that time.

all things considered, i think i would like to see that MJ can do as full owner. the devil you know ....

[BigSlam]

The thought has crossed Brown's mind. Knowing him, it probably didn't zip to a quick exit either. Enter. Nest. Maybe stay long enough to qualify for in-state tuition. Then leave.
"I don't want to think about that," he said of the potential impact of an ownership change. "As long as Michael's involved."
Doesn't want to think about it. But he does.
"I think about it," Brown conceded. "But, again, if Michael's involved, it's not going to make one bit of difference. If he's not involved, that's a whole new issue."

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/s ... rry.brown/

[Dexmor]

Wasn't it rumored that they guy buying the team wanted to move the franchise? That is what I am worried about.
Is it possible he can move the team?

[fatlever]

long story short - not possible to move

[-Ian-]

I would be OK with eithere MJ or Postolos. Postolos does have a good track records. And I dont have concerns about the LB part. He's be done after next year anyway. And I think if we make the Playoffs this season, he will feel redeemed from the fiasco in New York and go ahed and retire after this season anyway.

We all know that Larry is the biggest asset of the team. And we wouldn't be in the .500 mark or where we are now if not for him (the coaching and the trades he'd done / asked for). I really think he'd stay for another year or two if the team improves continuously and if health permits. Besides, coaching is the thing that he loves to do.

I really hope MJ will match the offer of Postolos. As what LB has said before, the team plays better if he's more involved. And I'd like to see him as the Mark Cuban version 2.

[Rich4114]

I think mostly everyone hit on the main points.

LB at most will be here next year and that's it. He's way too old to be coaching again. He came here to help Jordan put this team on the right track. Who knows what they'll do after he's gone. My bigger fear is Jordan keeping the team and LB retiring in a year or two because we may see another Sam Vincent like hiring.

I don't think Bob's been the worst owner by any means, and I agree with Spectre of what the people of Charlotte seem to think they deserve. Ultimately, the Hornets left because of Charlotte not because of Shinn. There was a public vote to build a new stadium and it was shut down. Had it been passed, there never would've been a move. Bob came into a market that suffered the most maybe next to Sacramento after the lockout. That lockout year combined with the Shinn circus combined with the Panthers was probably enough to turn a lot of people off from the NBA. Now, unless there's a winning team on the court nobody's gonna give a crap.

The biggest advantage we could get out of the new ownership is new people in the important positions within the franchise. Jordan, our GM, and all of the people before them were never able to be successful in the NBA in similar positions. Short term, we're screwed anyway unless we can go far with this team as it is. We should have our 2011 draft pick and a bunch of expiring salaries that same summer which will give opportunity to the new regime.