Fascinating to hear that Tom Sorensen is far from alone in his conclusion that Bob Johnson must sell his NBA franchise in the wake of his comments blaming the Charlotte business community for the financial losses his team suffers.
Over on sports-talk WFNZ, Mark Packer, John Kilgo, and Mike Gminski all agreed Johnson has permanently poisoned his relationship with Charlotte. Packer called it “corporate suicide” and Kilgo, with decades of Queen City sports-watching behind him, predicted the Bobcats sell even fewer tickets next year as a result.
But can Johnson get out? The Memphis Grizzlies have been on the market for a couple years now with no takers. Small-market NBA teams are just not a hot property. Besides, you see another billionaire in the wings in Charlotte? No, not Bruton Smith — you need one itching to lose money. Smith freaked over a couple million in noise-abatement spending for a drag strip.
Next act in this drama will involve David Stern popping out to reassure everyone that “cooler heads” will prevail and that we in Charlotte are too sensitive, that we just had a disappointing season with injuries, and that winning will fix things.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats on are on the record now that they will not seek additional financial support from the city or state for their operations. OK. But what about the NBA itself? There are a finite number of ways this thing resolves itself.
Johnson wants more money. He will not get it from the business community, not now — not ever. His spokesman says Johnson will not go to the government for money. Yet he needs to spend more money — Mark Cuban stoopid money — to make the team a success. Until the team is a success, fans with not come. If fans do not come, Johnson continues to lose money and David Stern has a royal billionaire headache.
My conclusion then? Stern and his crew will beat the bushes for major local investor to take a chunk — 25 percent or more — of the Bobcats off of Johnson’s hands and effectively remove him as the face of the organization.
