Hornets Relocating Business Staff; Some To Operate Out Of Benson Tower

Hornets officials yesterday confirmed that the team plans “to move their business operations from Poydras Plaza in the central business district at the end of this month and operate from three separate locations,” according to John Reid of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. As a result, some of the Hornets' business staff “will be moving to the nearby Benson Tower while others will work from a new downtown location that has not been disclosed yet.” In addition, some Hornets staff members “will be housed at the Saints' Complex on Airline Drive in Metairie.” The basketball operations staff “will remain at the Alario Center.” The Hornets are “exploring plans to build a practice facility at the Saints complex.” The Hornets' business operations staff for the past five years has “been housed on the 19th floor at the Poydras Plaza location" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 8/8).

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: The Hornets on Monday announced that play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers, color analyst David Wesley and sideline reporter Jennifer Hale have signed on as the team's FS New Orleans broadcast crew starting with the ’12-13 season. Meyers served as TV play-by-play announcer for the Lakers from ’05-'11. The Hornets and Fox announced a long term TV rights agreement in June (Hornets). The TIMES-PICAYUNE’s Reid noted Wesley joins the broadcast team “after serving as an assistant coach” for the NBA D-League Texas Legends for the past two seasons. Hale has spent the last three years at WVUE-Fox and also "is a sideline reporter for the NFL on Fox” (NOLA.com, 8/6).