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On the Prowl

Official Review by Chris Burch, Stadium Journey Correspondent

Welcome to the home of the Charlotte Bobcats, Time Warner Cable Arena, a.k.a. "The Cable Box." Time Warner Cable Arena, opened in 2005, has been the home venue of the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and has hosted the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament. The Cable Box also hosted WWE Wrestling, blockbuster concerts from famous acts such as The Black Eyed Peas, and U2. Most importantly to fans, it also hosted the first ever Charlotte Bobcats playoff appearance in 2010.

Food & Beverage    4

TWC Arena has a decent food selection. You can go traditional with a hotdog or hamburger or you can have a guilty pleasure from Charlotte-based Bojangles. In the Luxury Suites there is a restaurant available with 5-star quality food and you can wash it down with a bottle of Chardonnay.

If you are seated in the lower bowl of the arena you have access to a bar in the tunnel area of the home team. There are a lot of Charlotte's big name stars that hang out down in that area. A bottle of water will cost you $4.50 and a soda will run you for about $3.00. If you want the souvenir cup and an order of Bojangle's Chicken Supremes meal it will cost you $7.00.

Atmosphere    4

The atmosphere in the TWC Arena for the playoffs was amazing. I have never seen this place come alive like that before. The fans were well into the game, and at one point the crowd was so loud that my ears were popping. The arena can have its moments, but the city is still scarred from the departure of our first team, the Charlotte Hornets now the New Orleans Hornets.

Usually the only time the Bobcats have sell outs is normally when Kobe or LeBron come to town, but both of the playoff games 3 and 4 sold out quickly. This city deserves a winner and hopefully will hoist an NBA Championship soon.

Neighborhood    5

The TWC Arena is located near The Epicentre which is a venue that houses Strike City (bowling alley), Wild Wing Café and Black Finn (restaurants), and The Mez, as well as Whiskey River, a club owned by NASCAR Driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

If you are traveling from the South Blvd. you can take the Lynx station uptown which will take you to center city, and I will give you more information on that later. There is a club in one of the parking lots right across from the arena called the Breakfast Club and it stays open into the wee hours of the morning.

There are plenty options after a Bobcats' game- you can go clubbing or hang out and kick-it with fellows at one of the many bars uptown.

Fans    3

The fans in Charlotte are passionate about their team. Like I stated earlier they are still overcoming the loss of the former team, but I am glad to say at least this team has brought this town a buzz by making the playoffs this year and getting a new owner in Michael Jordan. This gives the city hope for a positive future. There are some fans that have become fanatics and love this team. Hopefully the fans can help sell out more games next season as we make a push towards a back-to-back playoff push.

Access    5

There is plenty of parking within arena limits, also the transit area is directly across the street from the arena, so you can take the bus to a ball game or ride the Lynx light rail uptown.

Fare for the Lynx is $3.00 for adults and $1.00 for children. At the most for parking you will pay anywhere between $5-$10, and there is plenty of close parking. My favorite place to park is right across the street in one of the newest parking decks uptown and it's just $5, and very convenient.

Return on Investment    4

Tickets to a Bobcats game are very reasonable, and this team gives everything back in return. The Time Warner Cable Arena gives you the best in high quality entertainment, with tickets up top running you about $10-$20, and the lower bowl $30-$50. One thing I noticed is that price varies the team we play. For example, Los Angeles Lakers tickets will increase by $10 but those type of games always sell-out. I love the promotions they run during the season, especially in the playoffs where they gave out three different items to the fans.

Extras    4

Overall Charlotte is a great destination for NBA basketball. There are plenty of things to do before and after a Bobcats game, and it's a city that loves basketball. With one of the greatest ball players in the history of the game running the organization, one can expect a lot of positive things to come out of Charlotte. As they say, "We are on the Prowl."

Unique Features

I would also like to add that TWC Arena has a few features which help it stand out from the pack of newer high-tech arenas built around the country over the last number of years.

The first, and most eye-catching, is the center-hung scoreboard. The largest scoreboard in the country in an indoor venue, the most unique feature is the 3-Dimensional Uptown Charlotte skyline atop the scoreboard. Complete with a projection system backdrop the scoreboard allows fireworks to be "shot" across the Charlotte skyline after a big win or project a plane flying a banner across the sky encouraging the crowd to "get loud!"

Another unique feature of TWC Arena is the amount of artwork present. You can't walk very far around any of the concourses here without having to stop and take a gander at a piece. The best feature is that all the pieces relate to something of significance for the Charlotte region, the Carolinas, or basketball. One piece that can't be missed is the 2,200 sq. ft mural of basketball history in the Carolinas located along the large wall in the grand foyer entry area. The mural is formed using 1.5" ceramic tiles, just imagine how many it took to complete! You will find Jerseys of famed players from the Carolinas or whom played in the Carolinas (college/professionally) hanging throughout.

Also you will find the jersey of every high school state champion from both North & South Carolina hanging in the arena, on display for one year until time to be replaced by the jerseys from each respective state's new champions of each classification level.

Another aspect of TWC Arena that isn't seen in every NBA venue is an area on the main concourse which features a full-service bar and food court that overlooks the Bobcats main practice facility below. Large windows allow you to peer into this area and view the two courts where the Bobcats hone their skills each day.

by Norm | Apr 05, 2011 01:32 PM

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