North Carolina is the undisputed hotbed of college sports, with successful programs of Wake Forest, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke and NC State dominating the landscape. In the last 20 years, professional sports tried to make its mark in the Tar Heel State, but has had limited success over the years.
Fortunately, no Major League Baseball team has ever expanded to North Carolina, to this point.
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| The starting five of the final Hornets team in Charlotte. |
The National Basketball Association first made its mark in the state by bringing the Hornets to Charlotte. Capitalizing on the popularity of college hoops, the Hornets debuted in the NBA in 1988 to high fanfare. They dominated league attendance during their early years, and it reached its peak during the mid-90s, when players such as Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues and Glen Rice proudly wore the pinstriped teals. However, owner George Shinn's sexual abuse scandal and a failed new arena deal resulted in a sharp decline in attendance, and in 2002, Shinn moved the Hornets to New Orleans. The NBA then promised a new team in the city.
While the Hornets were at their peak of popularity in Charlotte, the National Football League's Carolina Panthers debuted in the 1995 season. In just their second season, they made it to the playoffs, and in their ninth, made it to Super Bowl XXXVIII, losing to the New England Patriots. In recent years, however, the Panthers faded into prominence, bottoming out in 2010 with a 2-14 mark. In the 2011 NFL draft, they added quarterback Cam Newton, and rebounded somewhat from last year's dismal performance. Unlike the Hornets, the Panthers have been consistently popular in Charlotte, averaging around 72,000 fans at the Bank of America Stadium. However, on the field, they haven't been able to consistently put together a consistent culture of winning.
The Carolina Hurricanes moved from Hartford, Connecticut (as the Whalers) to North Carolina in 1997. The Hurricanes have enjoyed decent success since the relocation, earning two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals and winning it all in 2006. However, the Hurricanes also had its fair share of frustrations, such as being one of only a few teams to miss the playoffs a year after winning the Stanley Cup. Attendance is normally below average when they're enjoying a losing season, but above when they're having a winning campaign and a playoff appearance. The Hurricanes missed the playoffs in 2012, but there are positives on the horizon.
Finally there were the Charlotte Bobcats. Debuting in 2004, the Bobcats haven't been able to draw crowds like the Hornets did in their heyday, and even on the court they haven't been consistent either. They made the playoffs in 2010, upon Michael Jordan's purchase of the team, but things went downhill since, posting the NBA's worst record this year. The Bobcats are currently one of the NBA's most undervalued teams, and coupled with low attendance figures and underachieving teams, it is possible that Charlotte may lose its NBA team again.
If you're from North Carolina, you may as well cheer for either the Tar Heels or the Blue Devils rather than the Bobcats, the Panthers or the Hurricanes. College sports will remain a hit in the Carolinas, but not in professional sports.
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