In Charlotte, Erik Spanberg reports the Bobcats have "shortened the scorers' table" at Time Warner Cable Arena to "create room for eight more floor seats." The addition to what the team calls its Hardwood Club section "pushes the courtside count to 54 seats, up from 46 last season." Each courtside seat "costs $43,000 per season, based on a rate of $1,000 for each game," and buyers "must commit to a three-year contract." Perks include "parking beneath the arena where players park their cars and access to a private lounge area with unlimited food and drink." Hardwood Club members also "receive a private storage locker at the arena." Six of the eight new courtside seats have been sold and "discussions with several prospects for the last two are under way." Assuming all are sold, the Bobcats will "add $344,000 in annual revenue." To make room for the seats, the Bobcats are "moving TV broadcasters to a media section above the lower level of the arena" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/11).
PENT-UP FRUSTRATION: Former Toronto Mayor David Miller on Thursday addressed previous comments in a letter to MLS Toronto FC, saying, "I think I expressed what a lot of long-time season ticket holders are feeling. For me it’s about management. It’s not about the team on the field or the coach. We’ve had seven years and every time we start to build something happens -- the coach gets fired, the general manager gets fired." He added, "What I was trying to express is this club desperately needs stability. People are getting turned off. The sad thing is there was magic at BMO Field. ... I hope they can get it back, but the reason I sent the letter is I think they’re risking losing it for good" (TORONTO SUN, 9/13).
I LOVE THE '90s: In K.C., Sam Mellinger notes Chiefs' season-ticket sales are up from '12, and "TV ratings for their preseason games rose about 20%. While the team "turned off far too many fans last year," it is now "like none of it ever happened." Mellinger: "It's the 1990s again. Amazing how far they've come, and how quickly" (K.C. STAR, 9/13).
