Let's assume somebody wants an NBA team so badly he's willing to buy the Charlotte Bobcats. It might be a flawed assumption, but without it this column doesn't work.
Would you like the new owner of the Bobcats to be Michael Jordan, the team's managing member of basketball operations?
I would not. Nothing Michael has accomplished indicates he is capable of running a major-league franchise.
The Bobcats (the organization, not the team) have been so abysmal for so many years that they need to start over.
That's why I hope the sale of the team is not pretend. I hope Michael and his supposed super secret investment partners are not sitting in the shadows, waiting to see how low owner Bob Johnson will go before they pounce.
I realize I might be in the minority here. Thousands of fans remember Michael as the greatest player in basketball, and they apparently believe the drive and skills that distinguished him then will distinguish him now. These fans send me e-mails. In Scott Fowler's case, they write a column.
And, hey, if Charlotte ever gets a Major League Baseball team, maybe Pete Rose will own it.
Don't we know by now that possessing a big name is not enough? Ask Dale Earnhardt Jr.
For three years, Michael has been the franchise's No.2 man. After a horrid start (he drafted Adam Morrison), he has made some nice basketball moves or, at least, granted his coach permission to make them. He gets credit either way.
But what else has Michael accomplished? Here he is, the biggest name in Charlotte sports. And neither he nor his team has become part of our town.
When was the last time you saw him? And I'm not talking about the Kentucky Derby or a club in Cancun. When was the last time you saw him in Charlotte?
Michael doesn't watch the Bobcats from a private suite. He watches them from a fortified bunker.
I've criticized him numerous times for refusing to mingle with mere fans. But I can see why Michael prefers the bunker's invitation-only solitude. Dealing with fans can be messy. Some gawk. Some drool. Some don't know when to walk away. But they are the customers. If you succeed, it's because of them.
A wise man once told me that to make a business work it has to serve. Could be any business. Could be a restaurant, an auto-parts store or a professional sports franchise. Doesn't matter. We've all patronized businesses that thought they were doing us a favor. We rarely go back.
A business has to serve. Like Bob Johnson, Michael is accustomed to being served.
Let's say Michael and a couple of partners buy the team. Let's say that, as owner, Michael is about to make a poor decision. He announces the decision to his advisers.
Who stands up to Mike? Who tells him he's wrong? This is how I imagine the conversation goes.
MICHAEL: “We need new carpet for the spiral staircase in the bunker.”
ADVISER: “Forget the bunker, Michael. We can't worry about carpet when we're laying people off and losing money. And, sir, was that one cream and one sugar?”
The next owner of the Bobcats has to understand that no matter how much money he has or how big a name he was, we're not there to serve him.
