On Sept. 25 the New Orleans Saints returned to the Louisiana Superdome for the first game since Hurricane Katrina and defeated the Atlanta Falcons in one of the most emotional football games in franchise history. Sunday night in front of a sellout crowd of 18,202 fans, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets also made its triumphant return to the Big Easy against the Houston Rockets but have far less to show for it. “You can’t even compare the two events,” said Matt Comeaux, communications studies freshman. “I was at both the Saints and Hornets returns, and this was just like any regular Hornets game.” Officially the game was declared a sellout, but empty seats could be seen throughout the New Orleans Arena. Several Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady jerseys were also scattered across the Arena, two things that Comeaux said were non-existent in the Saints return. “People were scared to even go to concession that night,” he said. “No one wanted to miss a play. There definitely wasn’t an empty seat in the house.” Benjamin Harrison of Metairie said he believes the Hornets are not embraced because they refuse to move back to New Orleans and be part of the city’s economy. “We can physically see [the Saints] at stores and at restaurants putting together their lives again,” Harrison said. “It’s different seeing someone in person than watching them on TV.” Before the Saints kicked off their opener against the Falcons, world famous bands U2 and Green Day led an emotional concert, performing a track titled “The Saints are Coming” that sent a message to Louisiana that the New Orleans Saints had returned to their home. There were conflicting views of the Hornets future in New Orleans before Sunday night’s game from the men who will be responsible for making the decision. NBA Commissioner David Stern guaranteed Hornets’ fans before the game that the city would have at least two full seasons to prove it was capable of supporting an NBA team. Hornets owner George Shinn, however, did not seem as dedicated to the relief effort. In a speech before the game, Shinn guaranteed the Hornets would play hard in front of the home fans and make the playoffs, but he stopped short of mentioning anything about the future of the team. “That sort of upset me,” Harrison said. “To brag about the playoffs, which will be played in Oklahoma anyway, and then to not even mention that you will come back full time, that is pretty harsh.” Despite the laidback atmosphere, the Hornets defeated the Houston Rockets, 96-90, improving their record to 3-0 on the season. With five remaining games scheduled in the New Orleans Arena this season, Harrison said he wishes the Hornets would decide which city they want to represent. “I don’t like that I don’t have season tickets anymore,” he said. “I am sure the people in Oklahoma don’t like that good teams like Dallas and San Antonio are coming here instead of there. For the good of the organization and the two cities, they need to find one home and stick to it.” While a decision seems unlikely to be made in the near future regarding the long-term future of the Hornets, after seeing the lack of support from fans Sunday night, New Orleans will be just fine – with or without Mr. Shinn’s team.
—–Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]