Michael Jordan's Emotional Speech Makes Me Proud to Live in Charlotte

The G.O.A.T. and Charlotte Hornets team owner Michael Jordan delivered an emotional speech last evening when he accepted the Charlotte Business Journal Business Person of the Year award. In his nine-minute-long remarks, he spoke from the heart--wiping tears from his face--and made you feel proud to live in Charlotte and North Carolina, saying specifically that when he bought the team five years ago it gave him the chance to come home.

Photo credit: @DavidHeadCLT

We all know that M.J. was raised in North Carolina and went on to be a college star at UNC, but he admitted that many people will always associate him with Chicago, understandably, because it was his years and accomplishments with the Bulls that made him a household name. But he elaborated on his many ties to Charlotte, one of which was that his parents moved to the Charlotte area when he got drafted by the Bulls in 1984, and was something I didn't know.

Luckily, someone recorded Jordan's speech and has posted it to YouTube, which you can watch below.

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2015 CIAA Tournament 'New Day-New Event' Press Conference Sept. 3 -- Watch Live; Plus, Backgrounder

Six months to the day after announcing that the CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament would remain in Charlotte for the next six years, conference officials and their partners are holding their next press conference, themed as "New Day-New Event." The press event will take place Wednesday, September 3 at 1:45 p.m. at Time Warner Cable Arena, and the public will be able to watch it via live stream at theciaa.com.

The press conference will provide updates on the weeklong tournament, which in 2015 will take place February 23-28, giving more details on the new partnership between the CIAA, City of Charlotte, and the Charlotte Hornets. CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams, Charlotte Mayor Dan Clodfelter, Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Trevor Fuller, Hornets President Fred Whitfield, and CRVA CEO Tom Murray are scheduled to speak, discussing topics such as tournament ticket sales, hotel availability, VIP experiences in Time Warner Cable Arena, and official CIAA events, according to the press release I received.

Photo by Jon Strayhorn/Media Arts Collective

In 2014, the CIAA Tournament completed its 69th year, with Charlotte being its home for the last nine years, and during its time here has experienced phenomenal growth. The weeklong festivities, which in addition to the 20-plus college basketball games held over several days between the 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, are highlighted by the more than 200 parties and social events that go on that week, mostly unaffiliated with the CIAA but put on by independent party promoters and event planners. The events draw tens of thousands of visitors to Charlotte that week, including dozens of celebrities, and has close to a $50 million economic impact on the city annually.

The Charlotte Post published an article in July that said Bojangles' Coliseum could become a second site for the basketball tournament, specifically that the first two days of games, which are usually poorly attended, would be held there, while the Thursday-Saturday games, which typically get great attendance, would continue at Time Warner Cable Arena. I think that makes sense from a logistical standpoint, but the downside is that for those two days it would move the games away from Uptown, which is the center of all the CIAA-related action. One of the great things about the tournament's location, as it has been the last several years, is that you can park in Uptown (or take the light rail there) and walk to everything--the arena, convention center, hotels, and the majority of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

Another issue of contention for the CIAA is control over hotel rooms. Its commissioner has stated in the past that they want to receive contracts for large blocks of rooms at many Charlotte hotels so that they can better serve their fans, alumni, teams, and partners. If granted, it would be similar to what the Democratic National Convention had in 2012, which would allow them to handle room reservations and then turn over any remaining rooms back to the hotels by a specified date. This would also help prevent price gouging that tends to go on in regards to hotel room rates that week. February/early March is a slow time for hotels here, but the week of the CIAA Tournament often sees rooms go for two or three times the normal rates, and they still tend to sell out.

Founded in 1912, the CIAA is the nation's first African-American athletic conference, and it represents rich tradition and history for African-Americans who have graduated from its colleges and played on its sports teams over the last 100 years. Some students are now the third or fourth generation in their family to attend a CIAA school, dating back to a time when blacks were denied admission to most colleges in this country. Today's 12 CIAA schools are: Bowie State University, Chowan University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, The Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. 

You can keep up with the CIAA on social media: facebook.com/theciaa, twitter.com/ciaaforlife, instagram.com/ciaasports.

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Welcome Back, Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Bobcats officially became the Charlotte Hornets yesterday, returning the name of the city's original NBA team after being gone for 12 years. Many of you have been keeping up with this transition that's been in the works for the past year; some of you haven't; I have relatives living in other parts of the country who never realized the Hornets even left Charlotte. Well the name is back, and while I had my doubts in the past, I bee-lieve the excitement from the fans will bode well for the franchise this upcoming season and beyond.

New Hornets signage at Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown. Credit: @CBJnewsroom

Here are a few things you should know, according to the Charlotte Hornets' official announcement yesterday:

• The team has secured all of the important online Hornets domains: hornets.com, facebook.com/hornets, twitter.com/hornets, instagram.com/hornets, google.com/+hornets.
• The new-look Hugo the Hornet mascot debuts June 5.
• On June 9, the franchise will officially launch its renamed charitable foundation (formerly known as Cats Care) and will spend that day volunteering on beautification projects at Hornets Nest Elementary School.
• The new purple and teal team uniforms will be unveiled on June 19.
• On June 26, the new playing floor will be revealed at Time Warner Cable Arena, just hours before the Hornets participate in the NBA Draft (the team has the ninth overall pick).
• The Charlotte Hornets will return to action July 11-21 at the 2014 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Also, as I'd previously blogged, the newly named Charlotte Honey Bees dance team (twitter.com/thehoneybees, instagram.com/thehoneybees) is holding auditions June 7.

Credit: Hornets

The Hornets also received a lot of love on social media from several of the city's other sports' professional athletes, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. (a nostalgic tweet) and Cam Newton (a swagged out Instagram video).

The Charlotte Hornets are back...again...for a third time. #BuzzCity pic.twitter.com/Nzn2vL2xTp
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) May 20, 2014

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Lady Cats to Become HoneyBees When Bobcats Become Hornets; Auditions Begin June 7

Heading into this NBA season, I assumed 2013-14 would be another subpar year for the Charlotte Bobcats, and one that would be even more marginalized because of the excitement around the team switching back to the Hornets name next season. So it's been a pleasant surprise to see the Bobcats cap off just their second winning (above .500) season in their 10-year franchise history, and make the playoffs for the second time (you need to show more enthusiasm).

While most of us Bobcats fans last week were keeping an eye on how the team would finish the regular season, which would determine how they were seeded in the playoffs and who they would play in the first round (they finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and are facing the second-seeded Miami Heat), another announcement was made: the HoneyBees will hold auditions beginning June 7 at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Lady Cats. Credit: Sean Phaler/bobcats.com

The HoneyBees are what the Lady Cats--Charlotte's NBA dance team--will become when the Bobcats transition to the Hornets after this season ends. If you were a previous fan of the Charlotte Hornets (1988-2002), then you might recall that the HoneyBees were the original name for the Hornets' dance team. So this is another piece of purple-and-teal nostalgia that will return to the Queen City in modern form, beginning with the 2014-15 season.

The audition requirements to try out for the HoneyBees are rather simple, well, aside from you needing to be an incredible dancer in great physical shape:

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age by June 7th, 2014 (must present valid ID)
• Must have graduated from high school or received G.E.D.
• Must have proper audition attire and footwear
• You must be available every night during the week of boot camp (June 8th-June 15th)

Audition Day Tips

• Come dressed in your Hornets-inspired dance gear. Show off your love for the Hornets in purple and teal! Must include a midriff top and shorts and non-marking shoes
• Bring a warm-up suit or cover-up. Restrooms will be available but there will be no formal changing area
• Concession stands will not be open; bring your own snacks and water

Keep up with all of the Bobcats-to-Hornets announcements by visiting BackBuzzCity.com.

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'Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour' Hits Charlotte April 8-9, King of Pop's Music Is Alive and Well

In less than three months, we'll reach the five-year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. He reigned as the King of Pop for decades during his lifetime, and because of the legacy of great music and memorable performances he left behind (not to mention previously unreleased music coming soon), he will forever be immortalized. So it's only fitting that when Cirque du Soleil partnered with the Estate of Michael Jackson and in the fall of 2011 launched a tour specially built on MJ's music and iconic dance moves, they titled it Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. Already one of the top-ten grossing tours of all-time, it comes to Charlotte for two nights, April 8 and 9, at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour features nearly 50 international dancers, acrobats, and musicians, including four of the original band members who worked with Michael. It's presented in a rock concert format that "combines the excitement and innovation of Michael Jackson’s music and choreography with Cirque du Soleil’s unparalleled creativity," as the show's synopsis describes. They perform--on stage and soaring above it--to about 30 of MJ's greatest hits, including several of my favorites: "Billie Jean," "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Man In the Mirror," "P.Y.T.," "Rock With You," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," and many more. I almost want to bust out some of his dance moves just typing the names of those songs... shamone!

Photos courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

The tour first came to the Queen City in March 2012, during its original North American run. By the end of that summer, it had moved on overseas and proceeded to spend the next year and a half entertaining audiences all over the world. It returned to the States about a month ago, and I'm looking forward to seeing it myself when it stops in Charlotte next week.

Tickets to the Charlotte shows are on sale, ranging from $58 to $172, and can be purchased by clicking here.

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CIAA Tournament Will Stay In Charlotte for Six More Years Beginning 2015, Conference Headquarters Will Also Relocate Here

For the foreseeable future, Charlotte will continue to be home to the annual CIAA Tournament. Below is the excerpt of a press release I received via email at 3:10 p.m. today, corresponding with the 3 p.m. CIAA press conference held at Charlotte Convention Center.

CIAA and Charlotte stakeholders rejoice during today's announcement.
Photo by Jon Strayhorn/Media Arts Collective

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 3, 2014) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the City of Charlotte have agreed to exclusively negotiate a broadened partnership to include the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. The decision comes on the heels of the 69th Annual Men’s Tournament and 40th Annual Women’s Tournament, which was held Feb. 25 – March 1, 2014 and was the ninth subsequent year the event has been held in the Queen City.

The new agreement would commit the tournaments to be held in Charlotte for at least the next six years beginning in 2015. In turn, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) will provide various benefits, including $1.4 million in funding annually, proceeds from which will be distributed among the 12 conference colleges and universities. In addition, the CIAA will move its conference headquarters to Charlotte in the near future, with specific timing and location to be determined. The relocation will enable the conference, the CRVA and other Charlotte entities to more effectively partner in the community, providing increased visibility for the CIAA and helping to secure enhanced sponsorships benefitting the 12 member-institutions.

“We look forward to forging an even more enhanced, collaborative and positive partnership with the City of Charlotte,” says CIAA Commissioner Jacqie Carpenter. “It’s been a home that has truly embraced the tournament and we look forward to growing the momentum we’ve experienced in these last nine years with renewed vision and energy that will help to shape the next generation of this event.”

Last year, the tournament generated a substantial economic impact for the region with $29.86 million in direct spending and $47.17 million in economic impact. The study was conducted by the CRVA based on widely used best practices from leading economists and the hospitality and tourism industry. A 2014 study will begin soon and will be released upon completion.

“On the heels of such a tremendous tournament, this news couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon. “I still remember helping to recruit this event to the Queen City more than a decade ago as Mayor Pro Tem so being able to keep it here for six more years is a testament to the depth of our relationship with the CIAA. This economic generator, that attracts tens of thousands of visitors here and infuses millions of dollars into our local economy, will pay dividends for years to come.”

Touted as the third most attended basketball tournament among all NCAA divisions, the CIAA Tournament has become an integral event that the Charlotte community rallies around year after year. Most importantly, it has fostered an important legacy for the future through the funding it has provided in scholarships for the 12 member institutions, enabling students to attend CIAA schools. CIAA has consistently ranked as one of Charlotte’s largest events, only second behind the 2012 Democratic National Convention to date.

Well, this puts an end to the rampant speculation and curiosity as to where the 2015 CIAA Tournament (and the hundreds of parties that surround it) will be held (sorry, Atlanta). You can relive my coverage of 2014 CIAA Week by visiting CharlotteMagazine.com/CIAA.

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Like We Always Do At This Time... Your Guide to 2014 CIAA Week In Charlotte

For the fifth consecutive year, I've provided comprehensive coverage of CIAA Week for CharlotteMagazine.com. Each year the parties lists get bigger, and so do the names of the celebrities who are coming to Charlotte to host them. You've likely already been checking out the content over the last few weeks--we began publishing the events lists at the end of January and have been updating them with additional events each week (shout out to Google for driving the traffic).

And today, CIAA Week 2014 officially began.

One thing I take pride in is showcasing the whole story of what CIAA Week is. Yes, for many of you it's about coming to Charlotte for a few days and partying your arse off. But there are also 12 men's and 12 women's teams from HBCUs competing for the CIAA basketball championship at Time Warner Cable Arena, and for many of those young people this is the highlight of their lives thus far. And for a lot of alumni from CIAA schools, this week is about reuniting with their former classmates and with their fraternity and sorority brothers and sisters. Some of them are the second or third generation in their family to attend a CIAA school.

So when you visit CharlotteMagazine.com/CIAA, in addition to perusing the parties lists, take a few minutes to also read the articles about the reunion aspect of CIAA, and about how Miss CIAA 2004 is now a U.S. diplomat. A lot of African-American traditions haven't survived throughout our country's history. CIAA is one of them. Make sure you appreciate it.

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Jay Z's 'Magna Carter World Tour' Coming to Charlotte and Greensboro In January; Tickets On Sale Soon

Jay Z announced the North American leg of his Magna Carter World Tour today, a schedule of 34 dates in 33 cities (he's performing in his native Brooklyn twice). This Stateside tour--plus two Canadian dates--comes after his international run; it kicks off November 30 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and runs for two full months before wrapping up January 31 in State College, Pennsylvania. Close to home, this tour is doing something I don't recall a major hip hop concert arena tour ever doing: it's coming to both Charlotte and Greensboro.

The Magna Carter World Tour will stop into Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown Charlotte on Saturday, January 4 (we get a weekend date!) and travels up to Greensboro Coliseum the next night. Despite Charlotte being the larger city and more of an attractive destination, Greensboro has a richer history of hip hop concert tour promoters choosing it over Charlotte. Most large hip hop arena tours--those going to 15,000-seat arenas or larger--usually only make one stop in North Carolina, and in fact tend to have one stop total between the two Carolinas. The notion is that people from around North Carolina will make the drive to the select city, as well as people from parts of South Carolina (South Carolinians also often go to the Atlanta tour stops).

That one North Carolina city has long been Greensboro. My hypothesis has always been that in the past tour promoters found Greensboro to be a stronger selling point for hip hop concerts, thanks largely to numerous colleges being located in the area. And for whatever reasons, in the past hip hop fans in Charlotte didn't tend to buy concert tickets in advance at the large numbers promoters wanna see.

I've seen Jay Z in concert twice in recent years, and both times I had to drive to Greensboro: his 2008 tour with Mary J. Blige, and his 2011 tour with Kanye West (not to mention, last weekend I went to Philadelphia for the music festival Jay Z curates). Speaking of Kanye, he announced his own tour yesterday, The Yeezus Tour. Kendrick Lamar will be his opening act. That tour isn't coming to either of the Carolinas though. The closest stop to Charlotte is Atlanta. The last time Kanye came to Charlotte was to Time Warner Cable Arena in 2008.

I'm happy that I'll be able to see Jay Z in Charlotte this time. And I'm extremely surprised that he's coming here in addition to playing in Greensboro. The two cities are about an hour and 45 minutes apart, which looks to be the shortest distance between any of the cities he's taking the tour to, except for, maybe, cities in California--he's playing five cities in that state on consecutive nights. But come on, that's Cali. It has a population the size of many countries.

Credit: Instagram.com/kodaklens

I'm curious to see whether the two North Carolina shows sell out. One thing is for sure, if you plan to go, you need to be aggressive next week when tickets go on sale. When tickets for popular concerts go on sale online, people often complain that they can't find any available tickets on the official seller's website within minutes of the sale start time. In addition to ticket brokers snatching up a lot of them to later resell at higher prices on sites like StubHub and Craigslist, I learned from a 60 Minutes segment (and this NPR story) that there usually aren't nearly as many tickets on sale to the public on the start date as you might think. Oftentimes, only about 20 percent of the tickets are available because the majority have already been sold days before through presale via the ticket site, artist fan clubs, and credit card promotions.

Live Nation is producing the Magna Carter World Tour, and tickets for all dates will go on sale Thursday, September 12 at 10 a.m. (EST) at LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com. But pay attention to the presale info. You can sign up now for early access to presale tickets that will be available on Wednesday, September 11; there's also a presale offer available that day through Facebook. And if you're a Citi card member, you can buy presale tickets beginning Monday, September 9 at 10 a.m. through Citi’s Private Pass Program. If you haven't learned from past experiences, those presale options are where a lot of the tickets, particularly the best seats, are snatched up.

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Bobcats Fans' Reaction to Draft Pick Cody Zeller

The Charlotte Bobcats hosted an NBA Draft Party last evening at Time Warner Cable Arena. By most accounts it was a fun, well-organized event. That is, until it was time for the Bobcats to make their selection with the fourth overall pick. Watch the YouTube video below of fans inside the arena, who are gathered in front of TVs, as they react to NBA Commissioner David Stern's announcement of the Bobcats' pick.

The fans in the video clearly aren't happy, but let's hope the Bobcats front office made the right choice by picking Cody Zeller, the seven-foot, 240-pound center from Indiana University. The decision is being scrutinized all over media and social media, particularly because Kentucky star power forward/center Nerlens Noel was still available. Maybe the Bobcats saw something in Cody that made them think he'd be the best fit for their fledgling team (he put up good numbers in college). But it doesn't help that the Bobcats--and owner Michael Jordan--don't have a good track record with first-round draft picks (check out my 2011 Charlotte magazine article with ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, where we analyzed "A History of the Bobcats' First-round Draft Picks").

David Stern congratulates Cody Zeller at the 2013 NBA Draft. Credit: Bobcats.com

In this CBS Sports video below, a trio of sports analysts tells us more about Cody Zeller. I'd never heard of him until last night.

You can follow the new Bobcat on Twitter @CodyZeller and Facebook.com/codyzeller40.

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Drake's 'Would You Like A Tour' Stops In Charlotte Nov. 2; Tickets Go On Sale June 28

One of the biggest artists in the music biz today, hip hop star Drake, recently announced his Would You Like A Tour, a concert trek that features fellow chart-toppers Miguel and Future. The tour begins with its North American dates on September 25, running for two months and stopping in more than 40 cities. It comes to Charlotte on Saturday, November 2, to Time Warner Cable Arena. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 28 at 10 a.m., prices ranging from $62.95 to $117.40 (includes fees).

Drake brought his Club Paradise Tour to Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in May 2012. And, most recently, he came to Charlotte in early March to host a weekend of parties during CIAA Week. Even with his frequency to the Queen City, you can count on his November stop here, and this new tour as a whole, to be a big draw because he plans to release his next album, Nothing Was The Same, on September 17. Drake's albums are always filled with instant radio hits, club bangers, and fan favorites, so audiences will be eager to see him perform his new material when the tour kicks off a week after his new album drops. And by the time he comes to Charlotte, fans will know many of the new songs word for word.

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MJ's Bringing Back the Hornets; Your Move, Charlotte

So the "buzz" is real again in Charlotte. After several months, heck, even years, of fans wanting the Hornets name and mascot to return to Charlotte's NBA team, Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan announced last evening that the team has officially submitted their application to the NBA to change their name to the Charlotte Hornets, beginning with the 2014-15 season. They've created a new marketing campaign called "Back The Buzz" and have launched a website, BackBuzzCity.com. The Hornets returning is major news, obviously, for the city, but also for the state, region, across the entire league, and for millions of people who grew up Charlotte Hornets fans.

Photos credit: Bobcats.com

Aside from all the fanfare and away from all the sports reports you're reading, let me tell you what this all really means to you.

In Jordan's official statement, he said, in part: "The response we received during the process of researching this decision was overwhelming and made it clear to us that you wanted the Hornets name back in Charlotte." I believe that. I've lived in Charlotte since 2005, moving here a couple of months before the Bobcats embarked on their second season and first in their new Uptown arena (which eventually would be named Time Warner Cable Arena). Back then, many fans couldn't let go of having lost the Hornets to New Orleans, despite having been granted a new NBA franchise so quickly, thanks to NBA Commissioner David Stern and original Bobcats owner Bob Johnson.

Initially, I was against the idea of Charlotte getting the Hornets name back. I felt like the city and fans needed to embrace this new era, and stop holding onto the past. This was my view, and I'm one of those people who grew up a Charlotte Hornets fan, from my small town in South Carolina. I even chastised Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in December 2011 for wearing a Charlotte Hornets hat to a Bobcats home game (sitting next to Jordan at that). And, of course, up until a few months ago when the New Orleans Hornets announced they would be changing their mascot to the Pelicans, Charlotte getting the Hornets back wasn't even possible.

After grassroots campaigns like "Bring Back The Buzz" and "We Beelieve" launched a year or two ago and gained momentum, and after I met John Morgan of We Beelieve during the taping of an episode of 282 last year, I started to warm up to the idea. Now, it's no longer just an idea. It's on the path to becoming reality.

The Bobcats are going to have to spend a few million dollars as the team becomes the Hornets--new logos, uniforms, team colors, signage at the arena, around the city and the NBA; new merchandise--which means it's going to be extremely difficult to sell Bobcats gear during the 2013-14 season (expect major markdowns). Essentially by listening to the desire of fans and making this investment, Jordan is showing his commitment to this city and franchise, something that's been questioned in the past. I think some of his moves over the past couple of years, including his many philanthropic deeds in the community (the Book Bus, for example) and the purchase of an Uptown condo and, more recently, a mansion on Lake Norman, have quieted that doubt.

So now the move is on you, Charlotte. You asked for the Hornets, and they'll be yours again. You're going to need to pack out home games during the 2014-15 season, when your newly named team amasses another losing record. This isn't me being negative, this is my presumption based on recent history. The Bobcats finished with the worst record in the NBA in 2011-12 and the second-worst in 2012-13. That's the result of poor decisions and failed moves in the NBA Draft and with trades, and I don't expect the team--which is currently without a head coach--to play much better next season. In 2014-15, I expect the former-Bobcats-now-Hornets will continue to be far below .500.  But you're going to need to cheer them on at TWC arena, because those of you who frequently touted the nostalgia of the Charlotte Hornets often talked about how Charlotte Coliseum had sold-out crowds for several years, even when the Hornets weren't that good (364 consecutive home game sellouts from December 23, 1988 through November 21, 1997, to be exact). Because y'all were excited about the team. (In 2010, as part of Charlotte magazine's "Where Are They Now?" feature, I gave an update on all 15 players and the head coach of the inaugural 1988-89 Charlotte Hornets team, including Muggsy Bogues, Rex Chapman, Dell Curry, and Kelly Tripucka.)

Another thing that's often pointed out is how Charlotte Hornets gear, referred to as retro or throwbacks, saw a resurgence in popularity a couple of years ago and the trend continues today. My "Summer of the Snapbacks" blog post from nearly two years ago continues to get ridiculous traffic, largely from people Googling snapback hats, including the Hornets kind. Fashion is largely based on fads, but you're going to need to show your support by buying the "new" Charlotte Hornets stuff, beginning with the Back The Buzz merchandise Jordan Brand has just launched.

Time to show and prove, Charlotte Hornets fans.

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Breakfast with the Bobcats: 'Social Media and Sports' this Thursday

Social Media Charlotte hosts a monthly breakfast networking event and panel discussion, and this month they've partnered with the Charlotte Bobcats to present "Breakfast with the Bobcats: Social Media and Sports.” The event takes place tomorrow (Thursday, April 4), 7:30 a.m. at the BackCourt lounge inside Time Warner Cable Arena (333 E. Trade St.).

Credit: facebook.com/bobcats

Breakfast will be served and there will be networking from 7:30 to 8 a.m., followed by the panel discussion from 8 to 9 a.m. The panelists representing the Bobcats are:

Matt Rochinski, Director of Interactive Media, @mattrochinski
B.J. Evans, Vice President of Communications, @bobcatsbballpr
Jen Embler, Dancer for the Lady Cats, @theladycats, @JenEmbler
Eryn Gradwell, Social Media Coordinator, @eryngradwell

The Bobcats organization does a lot with social media. The team is on all of the major sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, and a free mobile app. They use those platforms pretty well to engage with fans, including promoting contests and exclusive team content.

If you're a Bobcats or NBA fan and/or have an interest in social media, this should be a worthwhile event. Bring plenty of business cards because I've found these events to be good opportunities to network. There will also be a raffle for a pair of suite tickets to see the Bobcats play their last home game of the season.

Visit breakfastwiththebobcats.eventbrite.com to register. Cost is $10 in advance; $15 at the door.

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Who's Going to Make a Lot of Money Off of StubHub? This Guy

While in a slumber one morning this week, I heard on the local news that Time Warner Cable Arena would be welcoming its 10 millionth guest during an upcoming event. Then last night while I was watching the Charlotte Bobcats vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game, Bobcats sideline reporter Stephanie Ready interviewed Brandon Bolin, who a few nights earlier had become that 10 millionth guy, along with his wife Alicia. Stephanie explained that when the Bolins entered the arena on Tuesday to attend the Bon Jovi concert, their lucky timing means they'll be attending many more events in the coming year--for free.

Credit: Bobcats.com

As the 10 millionth visitor to the seven-and-a-half-year-old arena, Brandon has won two tickets to every public event to be held at TWC Arena for one year, including Bobcats and Charlotte Checkers season tickets for the remainder of this season and all of next season. There are also a number of concerts scheduled at the arena in coming months that the Bolins will be treated to, including Pink, Taylor Swift, Eric Clapton, New Kids on the Block with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men, Fleetwood Mac, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, and more.

Looks like this lucky couple will be enjoying a lot of complimentary date nights over the next year, as well as some easy cash from StubHub.

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CIAA Week 2013 Is Here—B-ball, Parties, Celebrities

The 2013 CIAA Tournament kicks off tomorrow (Tuesday, February 26) at Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown, featuring 22 basketball games over five days between the men's and women's teams of the 12 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) colleges. But if you know anything about CIAA Week in Charlotte, you also know it means hundreds of parties (by individual promoters), dozens of celebrities coming to town, and tens of thousands of visitors—many of whom are coming to party.

Like I've done the last few years, I've once again compiled a comprehensive list of CIAA Week parties and events for CharlotteMagazine.com. You'll find lists, organized by day, of 200 events featuring everything from the actual CIAA basketball games, to networking events, to fraternity, sorority, and alumni mixers, to fashion events and concerts, to the three-day CIAA Toyota Fan Experience, a film festival, and parties, parties, parties. Many of those parties are featuring some of your favorite hip hop and R&B artists—either hosting or performing—including Drake, 2 Chainz, T.I., Fabolous, Chris Brown, Jermaine Dupri, Juicy J, Juelz Santana, Joe Budden, Future, Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Trey Songz, Monica, Chaka Khan, Anthony Hamilton, and dozens more. Yes, that's all going down this week and weekend in Charlotte.

Visit www.CharlotteMagazine.com/CIAA for the best CIAA Week/CIAA Weekend guide you'll find on the 'net.

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Michael Jordan Is 50; We're Getting Old, Yet We Still Want to Be Like Mike

I'm an '80s baby, which means I was born at the greatest time ever. I grew up listening to music by--and trying to emulate the dance moves of--Michael Jackson. I watched great television shows created by Bill Cosby. I ate sweetened cereal that came with prizes in the box, and sat down with a big bowl in front of Saturday morning cartoons. I witnessed some of the greatest movies come to the big screen, and when my parents bought a VCR sometime around 1985, we watched many of those movies at home on our floor-model TV. But of all the entertaining marvels I was fortunate to have witnessed because of the era in which I was born, there are two that top them all: the aforementioned Michael Jackson and the other MJ: Michael Jordan.

Jordan turned 50 today, which you already know, sparking reflection throughout the sports and non-sports world. It's only fitting that his 50th birthday falls on the same day as this year's NBA All-Star Game (he threw a star-studded bash Friday night in Houston), and that sports news giant ESPN has spent the past two weeks counting down to this momentous occasion.

Sports analysts, reporters, bloggers, and anyone with a social media account have opined on what Jordan has meant to the game of basketball, sports as a whole, pop culture, fashion, and to their individual lives. He's widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, and he's the player every great player after him is and will be forever compared to, i.e. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

For me, personally, it's kind of hard to believe that Jordan is now 50 years old. But contrary to the media reports as to how he's dealing with growing older, we're the ones who are actually getting old. When you're as great and legendary as Jordan--and for him to have played his entire professional career at a time that allowed it to be captured on video--the stories that will be told about him 50 years from now will be supplemented by highlight films of him hitting game-winning shots, dunking over star players, waving championship trophies in the air, gliding from the free throw line, endorsing major brands and products, and releasing sneakers that bear his name and that people rush to the stores to buy years after he's quit playing.

I was a Chicago Bulls fan growing up, even though I'd never been to Chicago nor had I seen the Bulls play in person. I was a fan because as I was learning about the game of basketball and watching NBA games on TV for the first time, No. 23 was mesmerizing us. When my brother and I and numerous friends would play countless games on our backyard court, we all dreamed of playing like Jordan. When he retired for the first time in 1993, I was devastated. And when Jordan returned to the NBA in the spring of 1995, I remember his first game back being on a Sunday and how I couldn't wait to get home from church and watch the nationally televised game. Then the following season, when the Bulls won a record 72 games and embarked on their second three-peat, I couldn't wait to watch every game I could. His absence during his year-and-a-half-long retirement taught me not to take witnessing greatness for granted.

No other athlete, entertainer, or icon, for that matter, has had as large an impact on culture the way Jordan has. I was happy when he became majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats a few years ago and made Charlotte his part-time home, just so I could have that association with him (and be able point to his Uptown condo when I have guests visiting from out of town). Now, Jordan needs to prove he can build a winning NBA franchise as an executive.

I'm sure Jordan feels he has a lot left to accomplish in life, and why wouldn't he? But regardless, he's already left an indelible mark on the world and hundreds of millions of people. We all want to witness greatness, even if it's from a distance. Or for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to come face to face with it, like some kid named Justin Bieber had a few weeks ago.

Justin Bieber poses with Michael Jordan, backstage at his concert at Time Warner Cable Arena in January. Credit: instagram.com/charlottebobcats

I have three teen-aged nephews who are between two and four years younger than Bieber, and like him they're too young to remember the peak of Jordan's playing days. But they all know who he is, and they all want to wear his sneakers. Decades later, we all still want to be like Mike.

Below are links to a few of the many recent news stories and reflections on Michael Jordan's legacy now that he's turned 50 years old.

50 memories of Michael Jordan - Chicago Tribune

Michael Jordan's 50 SI Covers - Sports Illustrated

In Chicago, Especially, Jordan Still Reigns Supreme - The New York Times

Michael Jordan's Influence Praised By J. Cole, Kobe Bryant - MTV News

MJ at 50: A look at Michael Jordan's final All-Star Game performance - CBS Sports

Celebrating Michael Jordan's 50th Birthday with His Top 50 Career Moments - Bleacher Report

Michael Jordan's 50th birthday stirs memories of his basketball greatness - New York Post

Michael Jordan Top 50 All Time Plays - YouTube/Meir21

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Beyoncé Announces 'The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour,' Coming to Charlotte in July

The greatest musician, performer, and entertainer of the last 10-plus years (give Bey her props), Beyoncé has announced her first tour since 2009. Paying homage to her life as Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's wife, she's dubbed the multi-country, multi-city outing "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour." After a highly anticipated and strongly delivered Super Bowl XLVII halftime performance last night, a couple of weeks after singing the national anthem at the Presidential Inauguration, a documentary about her life and career airing on HBO in less than two weeks, and a planned new album that is reportedly on the way, this is truly shaping up to be the Year of the Bey.

Credit: iam.beyonce.com

Beyoncé's world tour begins in Europe where she kicks it off in Serbia on April 15 and will play 24 shows across the continent through the end of May. She then returns stateside where she'll open the North American leg at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 28. A month later, on July 27, "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" stops into Charlotte at Time Warner Cable Arena. She'll wrap up the 22-city U.S. and Canada run a week later, ending August 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn a.k.a the House that Jay-Z built (Jay is a part-owner of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team that plays there). The world tour is expected to run for almost an entire year, with dates to be announced later for Latin America, Australia, and Asia.

Beyoncé's 2013 concert in Charlotte will be on a coveted Saturday night. Tickets for that tour stop go on sale February 15 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com, with prices ranging from $47 to $252.

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'American Idol' Charlotte Auditions a.k.a. Nicki Minaj-Mariah Carey Feud-Caught-On-Camera Air Tonight

American Idol producers along with host Ryan Seacrest came to Charlotte last June, when thousands of hopefuls auditioned at Time Warner Cable Arena for a chance to compete during the 2013 season of the reality singing competition television show. As far as I know, it was business as usual. But when American Idol returned in October for the second round of Charlotte auditions, during which the celebrity judges panel of Randy Jackson, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, and Nicki Minaj set up shop at Charlotte Motor Speedway, all hell broke loose. And that isn't just a figure of speech in this case.

American Idol Charlotte and Baton Rouge auditions promo. Credit: americanidol.com

TMZ obtained cell phone video footage (about a minute long) back then of Nicki and Mariah engaging in a brutal shouting match, led by Nicki's repeated profanity. The bickering between the two divas that TV audiences saw last week during the season premiere, pales in comparison to what took place during the Charlotte auditions. After months of speculation and media and tabloid buildup of the Nicki-Mariah feud, the question now is, how much will American Idol reveal when the Charlotte auditions air tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX? Guess you'll have to tune in to see.

Nicki Minaj Cusses Out Mariah Carey During 'American Idol' Audition

You might also want to check out Nicki and Mariah's tweets to see if they have any comments during and after tonight's episode.

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The Democratic National Convention Has Arrived

It's been more than a year and a half--19 months to be exact--since Charlotte won the bid to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention. All of the hard work and planning from DNCC and Host Committee staffs, volunteers, local businesses, media, and everyone in between, comes to fruition as the festivities begin.

For the past year, on Charlotte magazine's "The DNC In The CLT" blog, I've been chronicling what Charlotte has done to prepare for hosting the convention, in which President Barack Obama will formally accept the Democratic Party's nomination for reelection. This week, there will be more activity than ever on the DNC blog, with Charlotte magazine staffers contributing, and you can check out all of the magazine's related coverage at www.charlottemagazine.com/dnc.

Time Warner Cable Arena, where the major television news networks will broadcast this week, has been transformed into the Democrats' mecca for the convention. 
Credit: facebook.com/demconvention. 

One particular blog post you'll want to check out, if you haven't already, is a list of dozens of DNC Week events I compiled that are open to the public, ranging from free events like Monday's CarolinaFest in Uptown, to Tuesday's party at The Westin with President Bill Clinton and will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas for $150 a ticket, to Wednesday's Victory reception at Dressler's (where I'm being honored with a Rising Star award), put on by the Young and Powerful Group, to closing night of the Democratic National Convention at Bank of America Stadium where President Obama will speak, but not until after the crowd is entertained by Foo Fighters, Mary J. Blige, Earth, Wind and Fire, James Taylor, Marc Anthony, and more. It's all on this list.

And finally, you can check me out on a couple of television appearances this week, sharing my insight about the Democratic National Convention. Watch me Monday, September 3, shortly after 6:30 a.m., on WCNC NewsChannel 36 (Charlotte’s NBC station), on the morning show. And Tuesday, I'll make an appearance on WCNC's Charlotte Today, which airs at 11 a.m. Set your DVR!

My appearance a week and a half ago on WCNC's morning show.

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I'm Predicting that the Next 'American Idol' Winner will Come from this Week's Auditions in Charlotte

If you experience extra traffic or difficulty finding parking in Uptown Charlotte over the next couple of days, it's for one reason: American Idol. Charlotte is the third of seven cities to host auditions for American Idol Season 12; the others being Los Angeles, San Antonio, Newark, Chicago, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City. So with Charlotte being the only Southeastern city, you can expect singers to travel from several surrounding states. I'm predicting here and now that the next American Idol winner will come from these Charlotte auditions, even though we'll have to wait until January before the season begins airing. Registration for Season 12 auditions, which is required to participate, is taking place today and tomorrow (Sunday, June 17 and Monday, June 18) at Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 E. Trade St., and the auditions are being held Tuesday.

An Idol hopeful displays his badge of honor after traveling to Charlotte to audition. 

Credit: @cameronrenfrow

Local news outlets are reporting that lines began forming outside the arena at four o'clock this morning (The Charlotte Observer, WBTV, WCNC, News14). Even though there are more than a dozen talent and singing shows on major television networks, Idol continues to attract some of the largest crowds for their auditions. American Idol Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery will join Ryan Seacrest in greeting this year's hopefuls on Tuesday. McCreery is a native of Garner, North Carolina near Raleigh.

North Carolina and Charlotte have several ties to Idol over the years. Raleigh native Clay Aiken was a student at UNC Charlotte when he auditioned for Season 2, eventually finishing second and becoming one of the most commercially successful Idol contestants. Fantasia Barrino was an unknown 20-year-old from High Point when she went on to win Season 3 of Idol in 2004. Soon after she moved to Charlotte, where she continues to reside. There have been several other North Carolinians who have become Idol finalists, like Chris Daughtry. And more recently there was Brittany Kerr, the Charlotte Bobcats dancer (Lady Cats), who made it to the Hollywood rounds of Idol last season. She auditioned in Savannah last year, which aired this past January, and now auditions are taking place on her home court. Though it appears that based on her recent Twitter posts that she's not trying out for the Lady Cats this year (auditions were held yesterday)--perhaps she's moving on to pursue her signing aspirations.

Back in 2008, I lobbied for American Idol to hold auditions in Charlotte--and by that I mean I wrote a blog post. It's nice to see they finally listened, and this week the Queen City is holding auditions for the first time ever.

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Bobcats’ NBA Lottery Pick: Two Is Not a Winner and Three Nobody Remembers; or Remember that Kevin Durant Was Picked Second

I was at Icehouse in South End last evening attending a tweetup event when the NBA Draft Lottery special came on ESPN. Around 8:15 p.m., I made my way downstairs and planted myself square in front of a TV. Like many of you Charlotte Bobcats fans and Charlotteans, I had my fingers crossed that the home team would win the first pick. A female friend walked by and asked what all the frenzy was about. I said: "Imagine that the Bobcats have the opportunity to do what the Carolina Panthers were able to do last year by drafting Cam Newton number one." Her face lit up.

But sadly, it was not meant to be. As I'm sure you know by now, the New Orleans Hornets (Charlotte's former team) won the first pick in the draft and the Bobcats secured the second pick. So the Hornets will undoubtedly select the player just about everyone from serious sports analysts and critics to casual observers believes will be number one, 19-year-old Anthony Davis, a 6-10 forward from the University of Kentucky. He's the one player most believe a team can build a winning franchise around.

Fortunately I was at the bar ordering a much-needed drink during this moment of anguish, when Bobcats GM Rich Cho congratulated Hornets head coach Monty Williams.

With the second pick, there isn't a whole lot of excitement in the players the Bobcats have to choose from. The NBA drafts just aren't as strong as they used to be. There was a time when teams were almost guaranteed to draft a future all-star if they landed a top-five or sometimes even top-10 pick or beyond (in the 1996 draft, for example, Ray Allen was the fifth pick, Kobe Bryant was the 13th pick by the Charlotte Hornets but traded to the L.A. Lakers, and Steve Nash was the 15th pick). Many believe the Bobcats will select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, an 18-year-old, 6-7 forward who was a teammate of Davis's on the national championship-winning Wildcats.

So with the unlucky bounce of a lottery ball, the Bobcats, who finished 7-59 this past season, accumulating the worst winning percentage in NBA history, have missed out on the chance to draft a future superstar for the first time in their eight-year history. "Two is not a winner and three nobody remembers," as Nelly famously rapped on "Number One" (Nelly, coincidentally, was a part of the original ownership group of the Bobcats, but that reportedly ended when Michael Jordan bought majority control in 2010).

Or, you can look at it more optimistically for the Bobcats. One doesn't have to go back too far to recall the 2007 NBA Draft, when the Portland Trail Blazers selected Greg Oden with the first pick. With the second pick, the Seattle SuperSonics, which later left Seattle and became the Oklahoma City Thunder, drafted Kevin Durant. Oden is a great young man, whom many rooted for, but he's been plagued with injuries in his five NBA seasons, only playing 82 games during that whole time, which is the amount of games in a single NBA season. Meanwhile, Durant has become one of the best players in the league, the NBA scoring champion the last three seasons, and currently leading his team in the Western Conference Finals.

I certainly don't wish that Davis becomes the next Oden. Not at all. But it would be great if Kidd-Gilchrist, or whoever the Bobcats pick, becomes the next Durant. They need it desperately. And the Bobcats do, after all, have as their general manager for the past year, Rich Cho, who was the assistant general manager for the Sonics/Thunder for many years, helping orchestrate the deals, trades, and picks that are credited with putting together a Thunder team full of young, talented players who are poised to be dominant for most of this decade.

The second pick is the highest the Bobcats have ever received in the draft. In 2006, they won the third pick, shortly after Jordan had become the top executive under then-team-owner Bob Johnson. Jordan and his braintrust picked Adam Morrison, considered one of the worst draft moves in recent memory, and a decision that still haunts them until this day. Last year, I wrote an article for Charlotte magazine, where I interviewed ESPN analyst Jay Bilas and we broke down the history of the Bobcats' first-round draft picks.

This became the cover photo on the Bobcats' Facebook page last night.

The team wants to put the dark days behind them. And Rod Higgins, Bobcats president of basketball operations, wasted no time by emailing this letter to fans last night, about 30 minutes after the NBA Draft Lottery had concluded. See below.

May 30, 2012

Dear Jarvis,

As you may have heard by now, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver announced tonight at the NBA Draft Lottery that the Bobcats will have the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. We are extremely excited about having the opportunity to add a quality player to our growing young nucleus.

I'd also like to say thank you to our General Manager Rich Cho and Vice Chairman Curtis Polk, who were our team's representatives in New York tonight.

Our basketball operations staff has already begun preparing for what we consider to be one of the most important offseasons in our team's history, and tonight's announcement makes this summer all the more significant. Our scouting staff has been hard at work to identify the best possible players for us to add to our team, not only through the draft but also through other avenues such as free agency and trades, as we proceed with molding this franchise into one that our fans can be proud of and that can compete at the top levels of the NBA.

We know that many people will be watching as we work toward the NBA Draft on June 28. We hope you will enjoy this exciting time with us.

On behalf of the entire Bobcats organization, thank you for your continued loyalty and support.

Sincerely,

Rod Higgins
President of Basketball Operations
Charlotte Bobcats

And finally, the Bobcats have announced an unbelievable ticket offer where if you buy 2012-13 season tickets at regular price, you'll receive the 2013-14 season for free. Has this ever been offered by an NBA franchise?

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