DISH DEAL

How ironic.

The team with the best point guard in basketball…the team with a star who would prefer to defer…the team with the dynamic disher…can now be seen within 75 miles of New Orleans and Baton Rouge…on Dish Network channel 421!

After a historic multi-year deal was struck by CST with Dish Network this week Hornets fans on the Northshore, southeastern Louisiana, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast and beyond can now watch one of the elite teams in the NBA on TV on Dish Network channel 421. The contract comes at a critical time for both the Hornets and New Orleans area sports fans. The Bees have become a hot commodity in the Gulf Coast region since surging to the top of the competitive western conference at the all-star break, selling out 5 of their last 8 home games starting just before the midseason classic came to the Big Easy.

Call me the master of the obvious, but it only seems logical that if more fans see Chris Paul (or is that See P 3?) more will then want to come and see him live and in person. The Hornets MVP candidate is not the only reason to want to come and see games in the New Orleans Arena any more than he is the only reason the team is having its best season since becoming the New Orleans Hornets. However, he is the main reason.

Those of you who already subscribe to Dish Network, are planning on subscribing to “The Dish”, or are contemplating getting the rest of the season and beyond via satellite have at least five very convincing arguments to ensure the best story in the NBA gets into your living room.

ARGUMENT #1

THE WINNING SEASON. The Hornets have guaranteed their first winning season under Byron Scott and are primed to enter the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-2004 season. If the Hornets were a weekly television series we might call them, “Passion. Purpose, Pride, and Paul”. The best promotion in the history of sports is a winning team.

ARGUMENT #2

THE MVP CANDIDATE. Chris Paul has become the best point guard in the NBA. It’s the best position from which to start a rebuilding program since the true stars at the point make everyone around them better. Paul is not only the team leader in assists and points, he plays defense! CP3 leads the entire league in steals. He’s one of the quickest players in the NBA. At the age of 22 he’s also a leader. He’s also a solid citizen, participating in the rebuilding of New Orleans through Habitat for Humanity, Feed the Children and other charities. In a word, Chris Paul is pure class.

ARGUMENT #3

THE STYLE. Byron Scott’s Princeton-style offense allows for constant movement, “reads”, and a very exciting, up tempo offense. Defense may win championships, but offense wins fans. The Hornets average 100 points per game (11th in the NBA) and are the 2nd-best three point shooting team in the league. Basketball is a better game the faster it is played. The Hornets prefer fast…and so should Hornets fans.

ARGUMENT #4

THE PLAYERS. This is my 12th season broadcasting for the Hornets and I can honestly say the ownership and front office has put together the best group of PEOPLE playing for the team. They’re intelligent, interesting, community oriented, easy to talk to, easily accessible for interviews, as well as extremely talented. In short, it’s a fun team to watch.

ARGUMENT #5

THE ATMOSPHERE. I like to refer to basketball games in New Orleans as “Mardi Gras with a Clock”. A sold out New Orleans Arena is becoming part of the “new normal” in New Orleans. Chants of “M-V-P” for Chris Paul happen on a nightly basis now. Standing ovations occur frequently, like when Ryan Bowen dives for a loose ball, or Tyson Chandler rises above the rim for a CP3 alley oop pass. Dish Network viewers will “feel” the crowd and see the fun happening inside the arena.

Cox Sports Television, a Crescent City Champion of the Hornets, has been instrumental in providing the Gulf Coast with coverage of New Orleans Hornets basketball since the team’s arrival in 2002. With its new agreement, CST has taken the next step in helping expand the popularity of the region’s only NBA team. They’re the perfect partner to a growing broadcast relationship.