The curse is broken!

Well, I went to the Bobcats game last night against the Wizards. And it was a highly entertaining, tense game, so I was stressing until the final 1.9 seconds that I might see Charlotte go 0-3 in the games I've attended this year. But at that 1.9 second mark, Raymond Felton hit a beautiful fadeaway shot to put the Bobcats up by two. I feared a 3-point buzzer beater by Washington, but they settled for an Antawn Jamison scoop shot that fell short, sealing the Bobcats' win and snapping their 3-game losing streak.

It was the best of the three games I've been to so far this season, and not just because Charlotte won. The game was close and tightly contested the entire way, with the teams ending each quarter within 3 points of each other. Neither team led by more than 7 points the entire game.

It's good to know I'm not a jinx on my hometown team. Now I can go to games worry-free!

I might be bad luck...

Well, the Bobcats are 0-2 in games I've attended this season. They lost to Charlotte's former team, the Hornets, 104-99 on Saturday night.

The Cats started strong and led by 10 at halftime, but they crumbled in the 3rd quarter, being outscored 36-21. Charlotte's defense, their greatest strength all season, let up a barrage of Hornets buckets down the stretch. Although, some of what hurt the Bobcats was the fact that seemingly every 2nd half shot the Hornets put up was falling. Stephen Jackson gave the crowd some hope with about 30 seconds left when he converted an old fashioned 3-point play, but Charlotte again let New Orleans score and then couldn't deliver another basket at the offensive end.

It was disappointing to see the Bobcats show flashes of the exciting play that has gotten them into the playoff picture but then ultimately limp to a third consecutive loss. But I got extremely cheap tickets (thanks again, eBay!) to tonight's game against the Wizards, so hopefully I can see them turn it around.

On a final note, the Hornets' jerseys were kind of odd looking. And they seem to have at least five team colors: the "creole blue" and white of their warm-ups and standard uniforms, and the green, purple and gold of their "NOLA" jerseys. Strange. It's not like the Cavaliers, who wear throwbacks and alternates from their relatively long history. The Hornets have only been in "NOLA" since 2002! However, I admit to kind of liking the trippy two-sided jerseys.

Thanks, Bobcats - I was getting worried.

Well, I was getting scared that I had jinxed the Charlotte Bobcats. I called attention to their 6-game winning streak and said to take notice, and they responded by promptly losing their next three games. Whoops, maybe I should have kept my mouth shut (well, fingers still, I guess). But then again, those three games happened to be against teams who all hold playoff spots and are a combined 44 games over .500. So, perhaps it was just bad timing.

I was let off the hook last night when the Bobcats secured their first ever win in Phoenix, beating the Suns 114-109 in overtime. Charlotte has now dispatched Phoenix twice in 10 days, also posting a win at Time Warner Cable Arena on January 16th.

Stephen Jackson was incredible last night, especially down the stretch. He put up 30 points, including 4 three-pointers and really carried Charlotte for a while. He's been a difference maker for the team: they've gone 19-16 since acquiring him, and he's led the team in scoring with over 20 points per game.

So, thanks again, Bobcats. You were starting to make me look bad. How about getting back on one of those winning streaks?

I'm planning on going to the next home game, which will be against Charlotte's former team, the Hornets. Hopefully, it will have a better end result than the last game I attended.

Weekend of Pro Sports Action: Part One

Well, I took my own advice and went to see the Bobcats play the Magic on Saturday night in Charlotte. And it was one of the best times I've had in a while. They really go all out to keep the crowd entertained and pumped up, and it was an exciting game to watch (well, for 48 minutes, anyway). It was NASCAR Night, which meant there were a lot of drivers in attendance, including Jimmie Johnson, who was presented with his record fourth consecutive Sprint Cup championship trophy at halftime. And while I don't follow racing at all, I actually really dug the Bobcats' checkered flag uniforms.

The 'Cats came all the way back from being down by as many as 16, tying it in the final seconds of regulation on a Stephen Jackson lay-in. Unfortunately, they faded fast in overtime, seemingly out of gas from fighting back the entire 4th quarter. Charlotte only scored 3 points in the extra period, looking completely outmatched. It was kind of depressing to watch, to be honest. They had fought so valiantly, hitting big shot after big shot to send the crowd into frenzies, only to seemingly give up in OT. It's not the NHL, guys. You don't get half a win in the standings for making it to overtime.

But still, the incredibly thrilling 4th quarter softened the blow of the disappointing finish. I still left the Arena feeling like it was $13 very well spent (thanks, eBay!). I'm definitely planning on going to a lot more games this season. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a buzzer-beater win.

Despite the two straight losses (the other being to the 3rd place Hawks on Friday), Charlotte is still in the playoff picture and playing exciting basketball. Hopefully they'll continue to gain more support.

Will Charlotte finally start caring about the Bobcats?

The Charlotte Bobcats have never really drawn much buzz in their home city. I've lived in Charlotte all my life, and if people are talking about feline pro sports teams, they're talking NFL, not NBA. Well, sometimes people talk about the Bobcats, but only to say how bad they are. And this is understandable to a degree. The team has never posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth. The passion for NCAA powerhouses like UNC and Duke seems to detract from interest in professional basketball. And I think the city is still wounded from the debacle with the Hornets leaving and George Shinn's shenanigans.

But I still feel bad for the Bobcats. It's not their fault that they have to play in a state that houses some of the best college teams in the nation. It's not their fault that the Hornets' owner alienated the city to the point where even playoff teams weren't drawing fans. Watching Bobcats games and seeing thousands of empty seats is just depressing. So I'm here to say "take notice." The Bobcats are good this year!

Charlotte has won 9 of its last 10 games, including 6 straight and counting. They've dominated two playoff teams from the superior Western Conference - the 4th place Spurs by 16 and the 6th place Suns by 26. And last night, the Bobcats jumped ahead of the now 6th place Heat by an embarrassing 39 points. Charlotte is 2 games over .500 (which is saying something in the East, where only 6 out of 15 teams have winning records) and right in the middle of the playoff picture at No. 5. Folks, this means we need to start paying attention.

I've caught several games this year on TV (I've sadly yet to make it to the Arena), and this Bobcats team is exciting. Guys like Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson are dynamic players who are extremely fun to watch. This team plays with an intensity that's palpable even on television. I can't wait to catch these guys live in action.

Did you know the Bobcats have won 2 of 3 against the East-leading Cavaliers? That includes going into Cleveland and snapping a Cavs 11-game home winning streak on January 3rd with a dramatic 91-88 win.

Or, are you aware that Charlotte allows the fewest points per game in the entire NBA? That's right. Basketball-Reference.com ranks them 1st in the NBA in Defensive Rating. And their offense, although only 28th in points per game for the season, has shown more life of late. They're averaging over 111 points for their last three games, better than the NBA-best season mark of nearly 110 for the Suns. And with the league's best defense and a dominating 18-4 mark at home, the offense doesn't seem to be hindering the 'Cats too much.

This Charlotte team is for real. They have a real shot at making the playoffs in an Eastern Conference with two playoff spots being held by losing teams. And if they do continue their success, they've shown they can hang with the big boys. So support them! Go to games, watch away games on TV, get pumped about this team that is delivering solid, dynamic, exciting basketball to the Queen City.