Dear Mr. Jordan,

My name is Robert Allen and I live and have lived in Charlotte since 1987. I am not the best with the written word but I will do my best to convey how passionate I am about the Hornets. Moving to Charlotte at the age of 10 and not being into sports at all I was amazed by the amount of “Buzz” was flowing through the city about a basketball team coming soon, It was everywhere! My dad bought tickets to the first home game against the Cavs and we sat about as far up as you could go. To watch my new home team lose by 40 points and my new home town stay and cheer at the top of their lungs the entire time was amazing. It was something you only see in fairy tales “True Love”! So if you piece it together the Hornets were the first sports team I ever cheered for and that was the first pro sporting event I ever attended. That point on; I bled Purple and Teal, I was consumed by it! I stayed with the Hornets through the hard times even when the city was turning their back on the ownership. We had the best arena in so many ways, seating, capacity and parking to name a few reasons. (Didn’t mean to get off track).

When the Hornets left us I was crushed! The team that I had grown up with, that I followed while overseas fighting for my country, that I attended childhood basketball camps with (Larry Johnson Camp) was gone. Because of that betrayal I felt that meant the NBA was also gone!
When the announcement of the new team came around I was swept up in Panther Pride and had no interest in getting involved in another NBA franchise. Slowly, because of the great love I have for my city I started to root for the B__cats. I would follow the box scores and attend the games when I could. I followed the drafts and the busts we brought in, etc. etc. etc. The only problem was I supported the B__cats because Charlotte was attached, I did not love them. I would never buy season tickets for the B__cats and that has nothing to do with their record. I didn’t just support the Hornets because they were in Charlotte; I supported them because I had a personal connection to them. It sounds funny to me writing that I had a personal connection to a sports team, but it is true.
Charlotte can be a bandwagon city and when you are winning the masses come out, but do they really give a damn? Sure, if the B__cats played at a higher level attendance would be greater but would they be true fans, I say no. For me Mr. Jordan not only would I buy season tickets to the Charlotte Hornets day one of their return but I would hold on to them and bring my son to games and pass that tradition on to future generations.
The plan is simple, be a hero to a city that has not yet felt they can embrace you.
1.    Acquire the name WHEN New Orleans releases it back to the NBA.
a.    If the costs are too great then go to the community, BOA or Wells Fargo may help as a show of good faith to the public.
2.    Announce the first home game as a landmark event, which it will be.
3.    During halftime of the first Hornets home game retire Mugsy and Dell’s jerseys to show a commitment to the history of the city and team.
Sincerely,
Robert J Allen