Hugo the Hornet won't be riding his scooter to Kansas City. The NBA's New Orleans Hornets exceeded attendance and revenue benchmarks, which means the franchise won't need financial help from the state of Louisiana this year, the Associated Press reported today. That's bad news for AEG and the Sprint Center.
The AP says:
During last season, the Hornets negotiated changes to their arena lease with the state to include the potential for new "performance-based" subsidies as well as an escape clause that allowed the Hornets to leave New Orleans if average attendance fell below 14,735 during a two-season period. That benchmark will be easily eclipsed, [Hornets president Hugh] Weber said.Attendance is expected to be as strong next season. So scratch the Hornets off the list of potential Sprint Center tenants.
The Hornets' average attendance this season has been 16,853.
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I would double check your attendance numbers. The number quoted in the article is simply a turnstile number that you can pull from ESPN but that is not the number used by the teams to determine attendance. Teams use "paid attendance" the number you have quoted does not take into account tickets that are given away to charities and non profit organizations. The actual "paid attendance" number typically runs 2000 to 2500 less than the number listed on ESPN.
Thanks! It's always good to be #1 out of 1.
I expanded on it a bit @ my site...click my name for a looney (but FEASIBLE) layout of how KC became a PATSY--a PATSY, I say--for the rest of the sports world!1!!!
NOLAMike-
We don't actually try to steal anyone's team. In fact, I'm becoming more and more convinced that our new arena was built by a consortium of NBA/NHL owners to use as blackmail so they can pass their own new arena referenda.
Every year two or three teams tell their city/county governments that hey, KC has a new arena, and hey, ours is old...most of them buckle and give those poor owners the upgrades they need. So look for some new amenities soon!
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