George Shinn
George Shinn
George Shinnis the former owner of the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets as well the Charlotte Knights and Gastonia Rangers minor league baseball teams along with the Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football. He purchased the Hornets for $32.5 million in 1987. In 1997, he lost his bid for a potential National Hockey Leagueexpansion franchise to be called the Hampton Roads Rhinos...
fine gone hope line orleans people proud somewhat sure
This whole thing is somewhat bittersweet. I've got a fine line to walk. I want to be enthusiastic to the people here and let them know I'm proud and that we're going to make this thing work. I also want to make sure that people in New Orleans have hope because they've gone through a lot.
goal hope unreal
It's not even real. It's unreal what they're going through. I want to try to give them hope and to let them know our goal is to come back.
arena bad baton city full good hope looking might oklahoma playing send signal
When we come back and what we do is a real good question. We're looking at Oklahoma City and here in Baton Rouge. Playing in the Arena has good and bad possibilities. If we could do it in a way that we'd have a full crowd, it would be ecstatic. If we have 1,500 people, it would be horrible. That might send a signal there was no hope there.
abandon coming federal hope money objective orleans plan pray ship support
Our objective is not to abandon ship here or to get out of dodge, ... Our plan is to hope and pray New Orleans rebuilds. And I think it will with everyone's support and the federal money that's coming in there. I think it will be stronger.
behalf coaches entire hope learns wish
On behalf of his teammates, coaches and the entire organization, we wish him well and hope he learns from this experience.
agent coach good great jeff talk wants
I've told him that I want him back. I think he's a great coach, and he's good with the guys. So I told him if he wants to talk, he can talk to me. But I'm not going to talk to an agent. If he has an agent involved, he has to talk to (General Manager) Jeff Bower, not me.
ask bad david hit home knew nba rather tea tom
I see what Tom Benson is going through, ... I don't want to be the bad guy, OK? I'd rather the NBA be the bad guy. I ask David (Stern) every day, 'What should I do? What should I say?' I can't read the tea leaves, but the day of the announcement, I knew we had hit a home run.
absolute deny everybody financial state stay step success team work
The team would be an absolute financial success to stay in Oklahoma. I can't deny that. If everybody here, the state and everybody, can step up and give us some confidence, than everything's going to work here. ... I want it to work.
city clean facility goal nobody remember temporary therefore
The thing everybody's got to remember is our goal is simple. We want to play in New Orleans. That's our home. But we can't. We can't come back even if the facility was clean because there's nobody else there. The city will come back. We don't know how long it will take, therefore we've got to find a temporary home.
businesses city families forced hurricane leave orleans recovers uprooted
Like so many businesses and families uprooted by Hurricane Katrina, the Hornets were forced to leave New Orleans while the city recovers from this tragedy,
attendance fans gone last league sales stepped team year
We've gone from being last in the league in attendance last year to being a t op 10 team in season-ticket sales this year, ... The fans here have really stepped up and made it happen.
business
From a business standpoint, it's always benefited me. The more I give, the more I get back.
great state
From the state of ... this great state.
economics economy-and-economics remember support
But we've got to remember the economics have to be there to support it,