Being held hostage by an owner

As if the good folks of New Orleans and the Gulf South - and, really all of Louisiana - haven't enough to worry about after Hurricane Katrina - here comes the news that Hornets owner George Shinn says it is vital for the team to sell out the six games in New Orleans this season.

Come again?

The implication is the team would move. If that's the case, then there is probably no one to stop them. After all, putting your life back together is a little more important than Hornets basketball.

Look, the Hornets haven't exactly been exemplary in the post-Katrina world.

While the Saints have sold out their games and tried to reach out to the region, the Hornets keep playing the majority of their games in Oklahoma City.

Here's a sad reality check for Shinn: In New Orleans, and in Louisiana, the No. 1 pro sports team is the Saints, not the Hornets. And, quite frankly, that won't change unless Tom Benson loads up the moving van.

So here is a better idea. If the people of New Orleans, the Gulf South and Louisiana want to support the Hornets, more power to them. If not, then so be it.