re: Football is over, New Years Day, and the Hornets couldn't get 13,000 tonight

Anyone who expected a big crowd on New Years Day/Evening in a town the size of New Orleans with its other diversions, must be smoking dope. I'm not saying it's an excuse. I'm saying it's predictable and not in the least surprising, and I've been a season ticket owner for the Hornets since day one in N.O., as well as a Saints season ticket owner. The only thing that would have made a difference for this particular game would be an exciting and contending team. Then the crowd would have been better for the obvious reason of a better product and because a contending team would have been cultivating more regular attendees along the way.

It doesn't make one bit of difference what other markets do. Certain times of year and events will affect Hornets attendance and the effect is more noticeable simply because of our smaller population. Halloween, the holidays, Mardi Gras, JazzFest, etc. They have at least some effect. It doesn't matter how much people bitch and whine about it. It's reality. Get over it.

If this team recaptures the excitement of the Paul, West, Chandler team when they were hot, people will forget the attendance worries. Once January gets here, you'll see that string of sellouts that we used to have in '08.