Mark Woods: NBA at arena is too long of a jump shot

[Clem1029]

Did MJ turn into normal Jacksonville?  What's with the pessimism here?  If Mayor Brown wants to bring and NBA team here, why won't you guys let him?  I expected some part from the TU but not you guys.  Look, the NBA is never going to come to this city unless this city actually does SOMETHING!  If Mayor Brown is more than willing to make sure this city DOES SOMETHING, then why won't you guys let him? 

I can't believe I'm writing this here.  I know I should be asking this question to a lot of people in the Jacksonville.com comments, but here?  Really? 

Its not pessimism to look at the realities of the situation. If Brown can start Jax on the path that in 20 years we land a 2nd pro team, then great. But I'll gladly put a bet of an adult beverage of anyone's choice that there will not be a second pro team in Jacksonville before Brown's term is up (even assuming 2 terms).

Talking about the NBA as a goal is silly and pointless. A 2nd pro franchise will only come here if about a million and one things happen first, about half of which the city has control over. So focus on that, and let the franchise questions settle themselves out later. Focusing on it as a goal just screams "misplaced priorities" more than anything else.

[cityimrov]

Did MJ turn into normal Jacksonville?  What's with the pessimism here?  If Mayor Brown wants to bring and NBA team here, why won't you guys let him?  I expected some part from the TU but not you guys.  Look, the NBA is never going to come to this city unless this city actually does SOMETHING!  If Mayor Brown is more than willing to make sure this city DOES SOMETHING, then why won't you guys let him? 

I can't believe I'm writing this here.  I know I should be asking this question to a lot of people in the Jacksonville.com comments, but here?  Really? 

Its not pessimism to look at the realities of the situation. If Brown can start Jax on the path that in 20 years we land a 2nd pro team, then great. But I'll gladly put a bet of an adult beverage of anyone's choice that there will not be a second pro team in Jacksonville before Brown's term is up (even assuming 2 terms).

I stand corrected then.  I didn't listen to all his speeches so I probably missed the part where he wanted it in 4 years.  I didn't think he wanted to bring the NBA in 4 years which is rather difficult even if the city itself was perfect since there are committees and various things which need to be done.  I thought he was planning on doing the Jake Godbold thing and cheer on changing Jacksonville to bring the NFL.  Mayor Godbold did get the Jaguars but it was many years later. 

Is that really what he's saying, to bring an NBA team in 4 years?  Are any of those speeches online?  I just can't believe he said he would do it in 4 years.  It boggles my mind.  I didn't think the mayor was that ambitious but it would be interesting to see it happen.   We would probably be the fastest awarded franchise in the association history. 

[thelakelander]

I don't think he ever said he'd deliver a NBA team during his term. 

[manasia]

Did MJ turn into normal Jacksonville?  What's with the pessimism here?  If Mayor Brown wants to bring and NBA team here, why won't you guys let him?  I expected some part from the TU but not you guys.  Look, the NBA is never going to come to this city unless this city actually does SOMETHING!  If Mayor Brown is more than willing to make sure this city DOES SOMETHING, then why won't you guys let him? 

I can't believe I'm writing this here.  I know I should be asking this question to a lot of people in the Jacksonville.com comments, but here?  Really? 

There's a huge difference between pessimism and realism. Given the NBA's current situation and 20 year plan, the financial struggles of nearly every small market NBA team outside of OKC, a history of attendance problems in the two nearest NBA markets (Orlando and Atlanta) and likely unwillingness to water down either one of those fanbases, the size of our arena, corporate presence in Jacksonville relative other NBA teams, etc., there is quite literally a zero percent possibility that the NBA would place a franchise not just in Jacksonville, but in any market comparable to Jacksonville, anytime in the next 15 or 20 years. I love Jacksonville, and think we have a lot going for us, but I was simply stating that landing an NBA franchise is logistically impossible, from every conceivable angle. It's not bashing Jacksonville, but stating the simple, logical facts. I think the above poster put it perfect when he said: "This isn't a "this wouldn't work in Jacksonville" thing - it's a "this wouldn't work in any market like Jacksonville."

I have to concur, I am a realist not a pessimist on this issue.

[Tacachale]

No, he didn't say he'd do it 4 years, he's said consistently that it's just his dream. But it's an unrealistic dream for the city's top spokesman to keep going on about, rather than focusing on the big things we already have or could get more easily. Ocklawaha's image would have been more appropriate if it instead showed the kid chasing the hoop.

[JaxNative68]

I have a dream that Jacksonville can be the capital of the United States!  ...and yes, I realize it isn't even the capital of the state in which it resides.  I'm not saying in the next four years, but sometime in the far off furture...

[duvaldude08]

Threads like this is the reason I wish he would have never said anything about the NBA. As SOON as he said I knew how everyone would respond. ATLEAST he has a vision for this city, even if isnt realistic right now. None of our city leaders in the past few decades, except for delaney and godbald, had any vision for the city at all. So lets focus on the good that Brown is doing and stop having a stroke over a comment about the NBA. 

[cityimrov]

No, he didn't say he'd do it 4 years, he's said consistently that it's just his dream. But it's an unrealistic dream for the city's top spokesman to keep going on about, rather than focusing on the big things we already have or could get more easily. Ocklawaha's image would have been more appropriate if it instead showed the kid chasing the hoop.

So the dream of "A computer in every home" is very unrealistic in the 1950s?  So the dream of a country that exists out there that promises "a of the possibility of prosperity and success" vs living under rule of a king and queen and the lords of the manor is nothing but a dream?   So the dream of black people and white people living in harmony is a fantasy and like famous Senator Strom Thurmond mentioned we should just all go back to where we came from and work in little ways to fix things?  So the dreams of every single prosperous, rich, and fantastic organization or place is preposterous and shouldn't be done?

Tell me one organization, one city, one super successful place in this planet that was created without a dream for something so big it was outrageous.  Are you guys telling me the best mayor this city ever had was Mayor Peyton?

It's threads like these that make me want to move away from the city to other cities.  I know people in other cities who have dreams that have never, ever been done by a human being.  The cities they live in are rich and filled with people who also have similar dreams compared to Jacksonville.  The NBA?  30 other cities in this country figured out a way to bring the team to their cities!  30!   This has been done 30 times already.  Two of those cities are located in Florida and at one time in the past this city (Jacksonville FL) had 10x the resources and power as those two.  There's a thread here that mentioned how much more influential Jacksonville was compared to Miami!  Yes, Miami!  What happened to you guys?  What happened to Jacksonville? 

Why do you guys think that we cannot do what 30 other cities have done before us? 

[thelakelander]

^I think you're taking this way too serious.  If we're looking at a 50 year window, anything is possible.  If the window is 4 to 8, many things aren't.  That's not a negative, that's just reality.  What I take from the article is that if you want an NBA team here, the first priority should be focusing on creating the type of environment that can support such an investment.  That means, following Oklahoma City's path and investing in the community (parks, infrastructure, downtown, streetcars, etc.).

[duvaldude08]

^I think you're taking this way too serious.  If we're looking at a 50 year window, anything is possible.  If the window is 4 to 8, many things aren't.  That's not a negative, that's just reality.  What I take from the article is that if you want an NBA team here, the first priority should be focusing on creating the type of environment that can support such an investment.  That means, following Oklahoma City's path and investing in the community (parks, infrastructure, downtown, streetcars, etc.).

+10000

[JeffreyS]

Let's just try to keep the jaguars in jacksonville first before any NBA talks..This city would be nothing without the Jaguars!

The best way to keep the Jags is to keep adding things that make Jacksonville more vibrant and more relevant.  I am not looking at the NBA as an answer but the let's just try to keep what we have got is the best way to lose it. You are moving forward or backward that is just the way it is.

[cityimrov]

Let's just try to keep the jaguars in jacksonville first before any NBA talks..This city would be nothing without the Jaguars!

The best way to keep the Jags is to keep adding things that make Jacksonville more vibrant and more relevant.  I am not looking at the NBA as an answer but the let's just try to keep what we have got is the best way to lose it. You are moving forward or backward that is just the way it is.

That was Mayor Peyton's plan.  It resonated quite well with the citizens of the city.  Keeping what we have, maintaining everything while doing minor improvements here and there.  He did pretty much that though for some reason everyone here dislikes him for just doing so. 

The other choice was Mayor Delaney who had this pipe and highly unrealistic dream of turning Jacksonville into Atlanta as remembered by the Better Jacksonville ads.  Atlanta, by the way, has an NFL, MLB, NHL, and a NBA team.  Oh, they also hosted the Olympics.  Mayor Brown has pretty simple goals compared to Mayor Delaney but from looking at this thread, Mayor Delaney was probably one of Jacksonville's worst and most unrealistic mayor.

Edit: Correction, he wanted Jacksonville to be better than Atlanta, to go beyond Atlanta, if I remember those ad's correctly. 

[JeffreyS]

Jacksonville has every natural advantage over Atlanta.  If the citizens here wanted to be Atlanta (they don't) we would wipe the floor with Atlanta.

[KenFSU]

Atlanta, by the way, has an NFL, MLB, NHL, and a NBA team.

Atlanta lost their NHL team to Winnipeg because the market wasn't/couldn't support the franchise. Their NBA team has had major attendance problems in the past few years, despite winning more games, and is rumored to be up for sale. If attendance continues to decline, despite Atlanta being a valuable market for the NBA, it's conceivable that the Hawks could possibly relocate as well. It is really hard for a market to support that many major franchises.

[Tacachale]

What Delaney said about Atlanta was that he didn't want Jacksonville to have some of the problems it has had in not properly managing its growth. The projects in the Better Jacksonville Plan weren't pipe dreams, they were quite realistic and practical, and in fact the majority of them are complete now.