Charlotte Sting fold!

GeorgeofSacramento

GeorgeofSacramento

Bench
#1
#1
This is beginning to get worrisome. Check out this news item from ESPN.
http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/news/story?id=2718956

Updated: Jan. 3, 2007, 4:37 PM ET
Sting fold three weeks after Bobcats give up control

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The WNBA's Charlotte Sting folded Wednesday, three weeks after the Bobcats gave up control of the team. The WNBA was unsuccessful in finding a buyer for the Sting, one of the original eight franchises.

"It was driven by economics, certainly not philosophy," said Greg Economou, the Bobcats' chief marketing officer. "We believe in the women's game. If it could work here we'd be all for it. The situation we're in is trying to build the Bobcats' brand. It was difficult to absorb losing as much money as we were on the Sting side to continue."

The Sting were owned and operated by the Charlotte Hornets when the WNBA formed in 1997. The Sting stayed in Charlotte when the Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, and Bob Johnson took control of the team when he was awarded the Bobcats' expansion franchise in 2004.

The Sting struggled to draw fans in recent years and their move to the downtown Charlotte Bobcats Arena last season didn't help. They averaged 5,783 fans in 17 home games in 2006, which ranked 13th out of 14 teams in the league.

The franchise also struggled on the court. The Sting reached the WNBA finals in 2001, but made the playoffs only once since and were 17-51 in the past two seasons. Former Hornets star Muggsy Bogues coached the team for its final season and a half after Trudi Lacey gave up the coaching duties to focus on her general manager role.

Losing the Sting leaves the WNBA, set to begin its 11th season in May, with 13 teams.

Players from the Sting, including Monique Currie and Tangela Smith, are expected to be awarded to other teams in a dispersal draft.

"It's sad to see them go," Economou said. "They meant a lot to the people of the city, but at the same token, not enough people."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
 
Purple Reign

Purple Reign

Starter
#3
#3
I've said it before and I will say it again. I am concerned for the league. Not that Charlotte folded, but the fact that they league could not relocate this franchise or find interested owners. Just in this off season alone we have seen major, major shake up in:

Houston
Los Angeles
Charlotte
Seattle

Too many teams all at one time.

As far as Tangela, where would she fit here. With Yo, DeMya, Buchsler, Brunson, I think the Monarchs are pretty stacked at the 4 and 5. I can see Tangela landing in Los Angeles to take LL spot. I would like to have Sheri Sam or Allison Feaster or Monique Currie (although I do believe she would be the number one pick going to Chicago)
 
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StevenHW

StevenHW

Starter
#5
#5
This is from the Charlotte Observer's website:

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/16375209.htm


STING FOLDS; PLAYERS WILL BE DISPERSED

STEVE HARRISON
sharrison@charlotteobserver.com

The Charlotte Sting has played its last season in Charlotte, and its players will be sent to other WNBA teams in an upcoming dispersal draft, the team's general manager said today.

The league has been trying to move the struggling team to Kansas City, Mo., but that has failed, at least in time for the upcoming 2007 season, which begins in May.

"Obviously I'm very sad about it," said general manager Trudi Lacey. "I think our team was a great asset to the city."

Last month, Bobcats Sports and Entertainment Group, which owns the NBA's Bobcats, announced it was relinquishing control of the Sting to the league. The WNBA didn't have a comment Tuesday.

A group of local investors, led by sports marketing executive Cindy Sisson-Hensley, is trying to buy the team. But her fundraising efforts fell short, and she missed a league-imposed deadline in December.

The league is trying to build the schedule for the upcoming season.
Sisson-Hensley said she's still trying to raise enough money to bring the team back in 2008.

"We're still trying," Sisson-Hensley said.

The Sting averaged 5,783 fans in 17 games at Charlotte Bobcats Arena last season, 13th among 14 WNBA teams. The Sting was an original WNBA team when the NBA formed the league 10 years ago, but has suffered declining attendance as the team has played poorly.

* * * * * * *
 
Monty'sBiggestFan

Monty'sBiggestFan

Starter
#6
#6
Charlotte should have been relocated years ago....I'm bitter that they aren't the franchise that Chicago got and the league weakened its existing franchises to put a team in Chicago.

I still think the league is better off with the changes that have transpired than they would have been long term with owners owning these teams when they no longer (if ever) have an interest in operating them. Charlotte not finding an ownership group doesn't bother me too much, except when I read that the league does intend to give that ownership group another shot to get their act together in 2008. If that's the expectation, why not run that team in Charlotte one more year? Because the prospect now is another expansion draft if they do get their money in order. What sense does that make, you put a weaker product in a new city.

I'm disappointed that the Sting will be dispersed...but are we really surprised? And are we really surprised the league did not have a group pick them up in the month or so they purportedly had to get one together?
 
StevenHW

StevenHW

Starter
#7
#7
6th wrote:
...I sure wish we could get Tangela [Smith] back via dispersal draft.
Click to expand...
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't last year's non-playoff teams get the early picks in a dispersal draft? If so, then I highly doubt Tangela will be available by the time the Monarchs get around for their selection.

I would not be suprised, though, if the Chicago Sky selects Tangie. IIRC, she is a Chicago native. But more likely, the Sky will take Monique Currie and the Minny Lynx select Tangie.

Perhaps the Monarchs have a better shot at choosing Tye'sha Fluker, Kelly Mazzante, or Ayana Walker instead.
 
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MamaBristow

MamaBristow

Bench
#8
#8
The dispersal draft order as posted by Pilight from Rebkells (based on previous dispersal drafts):

1 Chicago
2 Minnesota
3 New York
4 San Antonio
5 Phoenix
6 Washington
7 Seattle
8 Houston
9 Indiana
10 Sacramento
11 Detroit
12 Los Angeles
13 Connecticut

The available roster would be veeeery slim by the time the 10th pick came around, especially considering two of their key players (Tammy Sutton-Brown and Allison Feaster) are Unrestricted Free Agents and not available to draft.
 
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