Tim’s Thoughts

Charlotte Douglas Airport after
the team name was announced.

When my grandparents were alive and season ticket holders to the Charlotte NBA franchise, they would drive through the streets of Charlotte and see all sorts of Hornets sights…huge banner on the First Union building featuring the images of the leading Hornets players, everyone wearing purple and teal (although my wife would argue that the colors were ultimately the downfall of the team’s popularity), car flags and magnets. The Hornets were THE team in Charlotte.

Of course, this was before the Panthers, before Shinn slept with the Hornet dance team, before the NBA took a pretty serious drop in popularity.

The new team in town has been around for 3 years now, and begin another season tonight. I’ve lost track of Opening Nights I’ve been to…3 with the Bobcats, maybe 4 with the Hornets. They’re reporting that they “might” sell-out of tickets for tonight’s game…

The team is still building, and doesn’t have a strong base of fan support. Will Michael Jordan’s player personnel work make an impact? Will Bob Johnson break out some more money if the right player becomes available? Only time will tell…

I just hope I can take Evan to a playoff game in Charlotte someday and let him experience some of the many memories that I have. A packed house of screaming, yelling, towel-waving fans, a last-second shot that wins the game…

I still love this game.

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A wonderful time to be an educator…a holiday catering to candy, dressing crazy, and scaring people! Love Halloween!

From Great Pumpkin…

Evan participated in his first road race Saturday…actually just the Fun Run in Rock Hill. He seemed to have a good time. Earned a medal and everything, while his dad sat on the side of the road and watched!  Click on the picture above to view some race photos, and our other photos available online.

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The new owners of the Charlotte Coliseum is selling all of the contents of the building in order to prepare for its implosion. They’re building a huge live/work/play development. They’ve got some pictures posted of things they’re selling.

I can’t believe some of the things that have sat in that building for over a year. In 1988-89, the Hornets were the NBA champs in attendance. The banner celebrating that amazing achievement for an expansion team is available for sale now…not really sure what you’d do with a huge (probably 15 feet tall), but you could get it.

And the Inaugural Season banner is still there? I mean, wouldn’t the orange banner didn’t stick out among all the teal and purple?

I’ve love to get our seats from Section 227, Row 2, Seats 9 and 10. They’d be a great memento.

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Even if you don’t follow college football, you probably heard about the on-field fight on Saturday between the University of Miami and Florida International University. It was a major fight involving a majority of the players on both teams, including at least one injured player swinging their crutch as a weapon. One player swung his helmet as a club, others kicked players, others punched. It was a huge fight that required the state police to be called in, and then apparently even carried into the stands between fans.

I even heard on the Dan Patrick radio show that it was “Join a Team, Not a Gang” day at the stadium, where the Miami-Dade police brought in kids to watch the game and encourage them to go to college. What a great lesson for those 700 students!

Larry Coker should be fired. He was quoted as saying
“I do have a grip on this program. Don’t ever doubt that. Don’t ever doubt that.” He also said that you can’t control every player all the time.

Coker is right…you can’t control every player all the time, just like I can’t control every one of my students. But every one of my students know that when you break a rule you will be punished. Players at the University of Miami don’t get that same message from their coach. Continue Reading »

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For the last few years, companies have been making various mosquito repellants for your yard. While in Lowe’s the other day, I found this: The Intermatic Mosquito Sentinel 360 is at Lowe’s for somewhere around $200. Looks interesting…doesn’t use propane, but uses low voltage power (same as landscaping lights) to trap the mosquitos. It looks interesting…anyone use one? Leave me a comment!

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