Fan Jam Fun For All Involved

As fans entered Charlotte Bobcats Arena for the first annual Fan Jam presented by ClearChannel Radio, their eyes weren’t deceiving them.

Yes, some of their favorite Bobcats were tearing tickets as they entered the building and working the concession stands, dishing out their favorite treats.

While fans can’t expect this to become habit here in Charlotte, it is something that fans can look forward to from now on once a year.

Fan Jam not only allowed fans to come in and see the team scrimmage each other leading up to the season opener against Indiana at 7 p.m. on November 1 at Charlotte Bobcats Arena, but it allowed them to mingle with the team as well.

Many fans smiled happily as they handed their tickets to Gerald Wallace, Jake Voskuhl, Othella Harrington and other Bobcats players upon entering the arena and got the opportunity to talk to their favorite players for a few moments.

“It means a lot in terms of us getting to know the fans, establishing a relationship and letting them getting to know us,” said Harrington, a new addition to the Bobcats roster and ticket taker for the night.

The Bobcats did more than just take tickets though. They were sprinkled throughout the entire arena. Emeka Okafor was one of the Bobcats who met fans in the team store, while Alan Anderson teamed with Matt Carroll and others to work the concession stand.

“It is big to get to show our appreciation to the fans,” said Anderson. “I was working the counter and meeting fans -- we are just trying to show our appreciation for them coming to support us every night.”

Joel Goodwin, 72, of Salisbury said, “it is very neat that they are so involved.”

Fans seemed so excited to get to meet their favorite players that at times they did not know where or who to go to next.

“It really makes you want to come back because you know they are not just out there to play basketball. They really care about Charlotte, the fans and the community,” said Jessica Smith, 22, of Charlotte, while waiting in line for G-Force’s autograph. “For them to open up the arena and be willing to do this, it means a lot. I definitely want to come back.”

“I think it’s great for the fans to come out free of charge,” said Bobcats Director of Player Development Dell Curry. “For fans to be able to rub elbows with the players is great and the players are very grateful for this. The fans are a big reason why we are here -- we just want to let them know they are appreciated.”

Meeting the players was not the only highlight of the night for fans. Fans got to watch the team scrimmage while being entertained by Rufus Lynx, the Lady Cats, the Rally Cats, the Rhythm Cats and a live band.

The Bobcats were split into two teams, the white team which was coached by assistant coach Jeff Capel, and the black team which was coached by assistant coach John-Blair Bickerstaff.

The white team consisted of Melvin Ely, Kevin Burleson, Voskuhl, Bernard Robinson, Adam Morrison (who would play the second half with the black team), Ryan Hollins and Walter Herrmann.

The black team consisted of Brevin Knight, Wallace, Sean May, Primoz Brezec, Okafor and Raymond Felton.

Anderson, Harrington and Carroll did not play in the scrimmage.

Before the scrimmage, Charlotte General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff thanked the crowd for coming and showing the team their continued support.

The black team jumped out to an early 11-2 lead and would lead 24-11 after the first quarter. After each six-minute quarter, fans were provided with various types of entertainment.

Question-and-answer sessions took place between the fans and players after the first and third quarter. When asked about his thoughts on the team and his playoff predictions, Raymond Felton answered, “no matter what (we will make the playoffs).”

The emergence of Hollins into the game, not only got the white team back into the game with 14 second-quarter points, but he also able dazzled the fans with an array of dunks throughout the game.

Halftime featured the first ever Fan Jam Two-Ball Tournament, where fans were teamed up with a player and had the chance to win courtside seats. May, Morrison, Wallace and Felton all competed. In the end Morrison and Bill, a Bobcats fan, were the winners.

Wallace would also pull a fan out onto the court while waiting for the fourth quarter to start, giving the fan an opportunity to make a layup.

When it was all said and done, Wallace added the exclamation point to the black team’s victory, ending the game 75-72 with a thunderous dunk.

After the scrimmage, fans began to exit the arena and everyone had smiles on their faces.

“This is our first year being a Season Ticket Holder,” said Jonathan Blakely, 39, of Asheville. “We came all the way from Asheville. I brought my son and his friend out here and they had a great time getting autographs and watching the game.”

“It is great anytime you get to interact with the fans. They want to talk to you and see your personality, so it is cool,” said Burleson. “It gets us closer to the fans. Now when they come to watch us play, they have a story to tell someone, ‘Yeah I met him.’ It was great experience for us and them.”

It was obvious that both the fans and the players enjoyed the experience with one another, and everybody in looking forward to the opening tipoff on November 1 against the Pacers.