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OK...SO I'm sitting here watching this press conference...listening to the Qs...Listening to the As....

You know...In a way, you really got to stop and think...MJ just bought a team with a 150Mil debt...

They are breaking history this year with every win from here on out.  MJ has just bought a team going to the playoffs(that's right...we're going and I'm going to set some tax refund aside to go to a playoff game...hell or high water)

At any rate...What he has done...he has bought something that he has a bunch to live up to.  He has a team that everyone is going to expect to only go up from here.  We have improved vastly from last year.  This year has been a rocky one, but for the most part, I think we have a solid team that will only be better next year.  With everyone healthy and the rookies that will be better next year, I would say that next year we will be a top 4 seed in the playoffs.

Certain personnel will have to be here next year, and I think you'll see that happen.  I honestly believe that we will be into the second round AT LEAST.  perhaps further...

Everyone has a high expectation of MJ and what happens with this team.  Listening to him talk makes me want to go to every game.  I believe in what he is saying.  I can feel the excitement that I felt back when the Hornets were our marquee team.  I can feel it.  I hope all of our old Hornets fans can get over themselves and embrace this team...our team...our Bobcats.

I got faith.  I got more than most may have.  I know I'll write and complain...but...I'm telling you now...if I got a call today to come work for the Bobcats...I'm there.  I believe in this team, I believe in the franchise, and I'd put my faith and my family into working for them if a job came about.  Do I nee a job?  No.  I've been at my current one for almost 15 years and it isn't a bad one at all.  I just want everyone to understand and share the passion I have for this team, and the faith that we all need to give to Michael Jordan and this team.

Come on everyone!  Let's go Bobcats!  Put this team on your shoulders and show them that we love them

WE LOVE THEM!!!

I LOVE THEM....

Come on Charlotte MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!

Let's Hear theat GROWL!!!!

ESPN's number one Bobcat hater John Hollinger along with a colleague posted an article on their website a few weeks ago about which teams had the best futures in the NBA. Though Hollinger recognized that Charlotte was a good team in the playoffs this year, he still listed them as the team with the worst future in the NBA. His way of ranking the teams came from an overall perspective of the franchise. Everything from marketing, to the team, to salary cap flexibility, to the draft and front office came into play in his formula.

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Hello there. Remember me? Y'all met me way back when at the very start of the season. I started making some predictions about the chances for the Charlotte Bobcats this season. I was innocent, nay even naive some would say. Ignorant, stupid, a dreamer, and an idiot were far more common terms used to welcome me to ROF. I was frequently laughed at and berated with untrue statistics and bad math as I was shouted down. It was tough to be a newbie back in those days. I had to drive uphill in the snow 15 miles both ways in my wife's Jeep Cherokee to even get to the blogsite. The heater took a solid 5 miles to warm the interior of the car to a climate-controlled 70 degrees and I was only getting 19 miles to the gallon. I had to listen to hand-made mix tapes in the car because there was no built-in CD player. But I was lucky! There were others that only had the unibody model without the body on frame chasis that came standard with our Grand Cherokee model. Sure I was forced to wear Air Balance sneaks, but there were less fortunate souls still sporting old Rebok Pumps! I (sniff, sniff) still played NBA 2008 and unlike you kids today, I still had to actually PLUG my joypad into my game system.

But what a difference a season makes.

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Well, what kind of feedback is there for this?  I guess we can use him?  I find it odd in some ways, and in other ways I guess it is best to fill the roster spot.  We'll need all the veteran help we can get.  It also is fairly obvious to me that we not only aren't 100% with Hendo...we aren't 100% with Graham either.

I know that Hughes is more PG than anything, but has to be a welcome addition.  DJ is coming into his own, but it is also nice to have another ball handler at 6'5" with us.  We'll just have to see where LB fits him in.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-bobcats-hughes&prov=ap&type=lgns

DA -- An awful, awful, decision on so many levels. Hughes is a barely passable "point" guard and probably no better than Henderson, in sum, at the two. This doesn't improve the team much today, and it doesn't do anything for the young players' development. If they wanted to get a third string ball handler on the roster with some upside and who could guard twos, Dontell Jefferson is available, was last season's Ridiculous Upside Defensive Player of the Year, and should be familiar with LB, having been on the team last year. This calls for the obligatory link:

http://heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com/

I'll admit I don' t follow Bobcats extremly well(due to geographical reasons partly) but what do you guys think about Stephen Jackson and his role on this team for the future?

I know in the past he had some issues with bouncing around from teams, the infamous running into stands and whatnot, and his shooting percentage is rather attrocious historically, he's probably too much of a gunner from what I can see and too streaky, a la J.R. Smith type, but more well arounded(steals, assists etc).

Who do you think Charlotte needs or wants in any trade type deals? Seems like a winger scorer replacement that can shoot the 3 better and maybe let Gforce get more shots(he needs more, guy can score 25/game).

Anyone in the draft could come in and make immediate impact? You guys keep winning like this you probably will be too high to find someone.

Well, wonder no more! I'll warn you right up front that this is gonna be one of my famous long posts. But I think it'll be worth reading.

I've been spending some time away lately due to medical reasons, but I've been reading - not just here at ROF, but I've also haunted some of the other blogs, usually before and after the Cats play the team associated with a particular blogsite.

Sure ROF has some issues. What open blog doesn't? There are issues unique to the Queen City, like the endless (and often nauseating) Duke/UNC rivalry that has people hating on certain players just because of their alma mater. We're also a city in transition. Charlotte is growing rapidly and much of it is because of a steady influx of yankee transplants. On any given night the cheers for the opposing team can equal the cheers for the hometown squad and that's an unsettling experience if you attend a game. Our own bossman moderator type has commented quite a bit of late regarding Charlotte's emergence as a melting pot city and the impact this has had on fan loyalty. We've also our share of posters that never have anything positive to offer. There is nothing the Bobcats (or their front office) can do that will earn praise from these folks. The odd thing is, these individuals consider themselves fans and take great offense when anyone accuses them of being haters. If you'll notice, I'm not naming names here. That's partly because of Cherokee custom, but mostly because I don't want this to be yet another attack party. The trolls live for that sort of thing and I'm not buying into their games, or their baiting.

All that being said, the good at ROF is so very good that it makes the stuff I mentioned above easy to forget.

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Howdy folks, as the headline says I'm a Blazer and have been since I was a kid.  I think '87 was the first time I watched the Blazers and I remember asking my mother, "why won't anyone stop that guy?"  she responded, "That's Clyde Drexler, they can't"

Well, that started me off watching the Blazers, but truth be told, I was born in Greenville, NC and half my family is still out there.  As I grew up watching basketball, I watched the Blazers, because their the only team we have in the state, but I also watched NC college ball.  Obviously North Carolina is and has always been a big basketball state, particularly in college play.

When the Hornets came around there seemed to be a fair amount of excitement, then it faded (just an observation among my family)  Then when the Bobcats started it seemed very quiet indeed.  My main question is do you think people are really starting to embrace your team and the fact that the state has a team?

I rarely get to go to games here in Portland, but the last few years I have been able to catch the Bobcats, the reasons being: I genuinely like the Bobcats and also they are some of the few games I can afford to catch.  Your team has some real exciting potential and I hope you guys continue to rise.

This thread will be periodically updated with the results of the wins and losses from other teams that's effecting the Bobcat's playoff hopes. It's a 5 team race, but only 4 will make it.

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Although I don't agree that the Bobcats should change their name, apparently a good number of Charlotteans do.  In this Charlotteobserver.com poll, 76 percent of site visitors think the Bobcats should change their name. So what do you think? Please write your suggestions for names in the comments. 

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