You got to wonder about things when the City Suits call Greensboro Tournament Town, a Sports Friendly City and so forth; when an opportunity for show the 2009 NBA All-Star Game goes to Hickory, Jacksonville, and Fayetteville – But NOT Greensboro. Raleigh, Asheville and Winston-Salem made the cut; but NOT Greensboro.
Granted the NBA All-Star Game is not exactly a big sporting event; but this is being shown in Carmike Digital Theatres around the country. Seating is going to be limited to around 200; with tickets $18 to $22. Even the marginal NBA Fan might drop $22 to see the game in 3D.
BUT NOT IN GREENSBORO. Time and Time again, Greensboro gets passed by for events that are going to smaller cities. It’s not the facilities, it’s the fan base; or MORE SPECIFICALLY, the LACK of a FAN BASE. Greensboro once had an active sports community, we had more than Baseball. No longer.
There are more than 200 people who travel to Raleigh to watch the Hurricanes. There are more than 200 people who travel to Charlotte to watch the Bobcats and there are WAY MORE THAN 200 people who drive to Charlotte to watch the Panthers. But hold something in Greensboro and you might be lucky if the COMP Tickets show up.
Somethings got to give!