http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20101208/NEWS01/312080096/Louisville+Metro+Council+spending+money+to+attract+NBA+team

 

This part seems foolish:

 

So far, Miller’s work —at $125 per hour — has been limited to pitching Freedom Hall as the venue

 

I don't see a a team coming or being succesful if FH is the venue. Has to be the Yum! Center to work.

I don't see a a team coming or being succesful if FH is the venue. Has to be the Yum! Center to work.

 

Agreed.

 

I don't know a lot about the NBA as an organization, so how serious is this? Would an existing team in a struggling market have to be moved to the Louisville or is the NBA looking to add teams?

I think the whole thing is dumb. There's no way Louisville can support an NBA team. We're stretched trying to support our college teams. The market here is 1) not big enough, and 2) too close to other NBA markets.

Agreed.

 

I don't know a lot about the NBA as an organization, so how serious is this? Would an existing team in a struggling market have to be moved to the Louisville or is the NBA looking to add teams?

 

It would have to be an existing team.

I think the whole thing is dumb. There's no way Louisville can support an NBA team. We're stretched trying to support our college teams. The market here is 1) not big enough, and 2) too close to other NBA markets.

 

Disagree...Louisville is plenty big enough to support it, and would have the markets of NKY and Lexington to factor in as well.

 

With that said, I think there's about a zero percent chance this ever happens, but I'd love to see it.

Disagree...Louisville is plenty big enough to support it, and would have the markets of NKY and Lexington to factor in as well.

 

With that said, I think there's about a zero percent chance this ever happens, but I'd love to see it.

Sadly I agree.

I think the whole thing is dumb. There's no way Louisville can support an NBA team. We're stretched trying to support our college teams. The market here is 1) not big enough, and 2) too close to other NBA markets.

I think Louisville could 100% support an NBA team. Wouldn't be that hard really.

 

Now, this allocation of funds does seem dumb beyond belief. If they spent 60k to basically be told, that FH isn't an NBA facility then I'd like a refund.

Sadly I agree.

If they get serious about bringing a team to the Yum! Center and get rid of the silly notion that Freedom Hall would be attractive to an NBA team then I actually think it will happen.

If they get serious about bringing a team to the Yum! Center and get rid of the silly notion that Freedom Hall would be attractive to an NBA team then I actually think it will happen.

 

UofL has final say on scheduling in the arena (that goes for both men's and women's games) and as far as I know gets a big cut if not all the income from concessions and suites at all events. No NBA team would sign on if UofL has that deal. It simply isn't going to happen. The time to do was was when the Colonels were here and we failed. It could have happened again if we could have guaranteed that downtown arena for a team when this idea got big again around 10 years ago but we didn't make the move then either. Now there is a beautiful new arena but it has a different tenant. This simply isn't going to happen and I wish the Metro Council would stop giving money to J. Bruce Miller.

Disagree...Louisville is plenty big enough to support it, and would have the markets of NKY and Lexington to factor in as well.

 

With that said, I think there's about a zero percent chance this ever happens, but I'd love to see it.

 

NKY fans can go the same distance to see the Pacers. How mnay times a year do people make that trip? I went this year and saw the Thunder and I'm going back to see the Heat.

UofL has final say on scheduling in the arena (that goes for both men's and women's games) and as far as I know gets a big cut if not all the income from concessions and suites at all events. No NBA team would sign on if UofL has that deal. It simply isn't going to happen. The time to do was was when the Colonels were here and we failed. It could have happened again if we could have guaranteed that downtown arena for a team when this idea got big again around 10 years ago but we didn't make the move then either. Now there is a beautiful new arena but it has a different tenant. This simply isn't going to happen and I wish the Metro Council would stop giving money to J. Bruce Miller.

Forgive my ignorance, but is that a common deal? If not, why was such a deal granted? To me the deal seems VERY short-sighted.

Disagree...Louisville is plenty big enough to support it, and would have the markets of NKY and Lexington to factor in as well.

 

With that said, I think there's about a zero percent chance this ever happens, but I'd love to see it.

 

This is a college sports state, especially in basketball. I think it could do well its first year, and after that I see it going down hill. Unless they put a really good product on the floor. Isn't the Pacers one of the lowest in the NBA in attendance? I think that if Indy can't get good attendance, then it would be also hard for Louisville. It would have to be a pretty good team to get people wanting to come out a lot after the first year IMO.

The notion that this area could support an NBA team is silly, because it operates under the assumption that there are tens of thousands of people who are fans of the NBA only and are not already supporting UK and/or UofL. Otherwise, you're asking UK and UofL fans to dip further into their pockets to support another expensive entertainment option.

 

Sure, there might be some people who head to Indy for the occasional game, but I doubt very seriously there are more than a handful of season ticketholders — if any at all — making the trek up I-74 and I-65 for 35-40 dates per year.

 

There just aren't that many people in the region with the disposable income to make it work, especially during tough economic times. Especially when you consider the exorbitant cost of NBA tickets.

Forgive my ignorance, but is that a common deal? If not, why was such a deal granted? To me the deal seems VERY short-sighted.

 

The information on concessions and suites is complete hearsay and I don't have anything else to back it up. But the final say on scheduling is definitely a part of the deal and would make it difficult on an NBA team.

I don't see any NBA team moving to play in a 50 year old Freedom Hall. I also don't think this state has enough people with the income to support 41 games per season. People in this state are college hoops crazy, just how many would attend a Tuesday night game when UL and UK are playing? I bet their wouldn't be too many.