The City of Orlando Embraces its Magic Again

by Ben Q Rock on Jun 2, 2009 7:30 AM EDT in Commentary Comment 13 comments

The Orlando Magic's return to the NBA Finals after a 14-year absence is certainly a boon for the franchise. But it's also a big deal for the Central Florida community, which has no other major professional sports team to call its own. Jemele Hill of ESPN.com--an Orlando resident and former columnist for the Orlando Sentinel--touched on that subject more here.

In his postgame press conference after the Magic dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers to officially reach the Finals, Dwight Howard spoke about the Magic's surge in popularity since the team drafted him first overall in 2004:

"I can remember, you know, coming to the games and nobody is in the stands until we play, like, a Kobe [Bryant] or LeBron [James]. And now the stands are always filled up.

"I think we started to bring back some magic in Orlando, and that's one of the goals that I set out to do when I first got here. I felt that we were a laughingstock around the league. Everybody played the Magic, they thought about Disney World. So I just wanted to change that. We as a team wanted to change that."

And change it, the team has. John Denton reports today that the Magic have sold 400 season tickets since closing out the Cavaliers, bringing their total of season ticket-holder commitments for next season to 11,000, which is almost what it was during the mid-1990s, the last time the team was a powerhouse.

The Magic are selling more than just tickets, though, as they opened a retail store in the Altamonte Mall to sell playoff gear; I recall a similar store opening in a strip mall on Mills Avenue in 1995, and that place was packed when my family and I trekked down there to buy our Conference Championship t-shirts. Further, the team's website's traffic, according to a recent press release, has almost tripled since the end of the regular season.

But it's not just these raw facts that lead me to believe this city is buzzing about the Magic for the first time in years; there's a certain vibe. Playoff banners adorn several buildings in downtown Orlando--this one featuring Hedo Turkoglu popping his jersey after hitting the game-winner against Philadelphia is my favorite--and the presence of what will be the team's new arena only adds to the excitement.

Call me a skeptic, but this reaction doesn't seem obvious to me. After 14 years of relative irrelevance, lowlighted by the Grant Hill/Tracy McGrady spending spree which failed to produce even a second-round playoff appearance, I didn't think this city would ever respond to the Magic, even if they made it this far. But thanks to Howard, himself about to cash-in on the team's emerging popularity, and the rest of his likable teammates, I've been proven wrong. The city of Orlando loves its Magic again.

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It really sucks being outside of Orlando for all of this

The Magic is back in the city, I just wish the new stadium would open this fall. Seems like the right time.

One Freaken Second

by magic fanatic on Jun 2, 2009 11:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree :(

I miss o-town right now more than ever.

by RussL on Jun 2, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've said this a few times around here.

I always thought that if the Magic had a deep postseason run this year, the vibe of 1995 would return.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

"Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgement." - Michael Corleone

by erivera7 on Jun 2, 2009 1:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I remember reading an article earlier this season about the reasons why people in Orlando turned their backs to the Magic.

The article said that every following year from the Magic’s inception to the NBA, all the way up to 1996, the team always seemed to get better, so people were excited and certain that a title was right around the corner. I myself, remember how all the sports magazines at the time said that the Shaq/Penny tandem was going to be the dominant duo of the next millennium (they weren’t that far off, considering Shaq and Bryant began their title run in 2000).

Now, when things began to turn south, after Shaq’s departure, no one in Orlando had ever dealt with anything like it, the team getting worse. Teams and cities with long sports history know there will always be ups and downs, but for the people in Orlando there was no previous experience. Sure, not everyone lost interest, but the general puclic, the more casual fans did.

I remember the title saying the fans in Orlando should be hardened by experience and will become better fans now that they know about the bad years.

I’m a fan from abroad. I’ve always followed the team the best I could (even if I waster 2 opportunities to watch them play in the O-rena), and I’m glad to have waited this long to see them going to the Finals 1 more time. Now, win that title! :D

Magic Fan since the 1992-1993 Season.

by North of the South on Jun 2, 2009 2:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm just happy to be in Orlando this time around.

I was in San Diego back in ‘95 and missed some of the early playoff rounds because they’d air them at 9 or 10am due to the timezone difference and it’d be difficult to find places that were airing the games because it wasn’t a basketball town.

ORLANDO MAGIC NBA FINALS BOUND!!!!!
LET'S GO MAGIC! LET'S GO!!!

by malars on Jun 2, 2009 2:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good for you guys

There really is nothing like a city galvanized behind a team. As a Laker fan, I can say the Lakers are the undisputed kings of the local pro/college sports teams, and even though that manifests itself in a number of corny ways…the car flags, etc., it still is cool when everyone in town is watching the game or following the series.

Nick Adenhart - 1986 - 2009 R.I.P.

by swiss mcgee on Jun 2, 2009 3:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks. That's nice of you to say.

.. as a Magic fan, I’m more than happy to see the city alive and kickin’ again. It’s great to see.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

"Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgement." - Michael Corleone

by erivera7 on Jun 2, 2009 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope Magic fever filters out to the rest of the state. Like '95.

The Surfdog

by Surfdog on Jun 2, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Would be nice.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

"Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgement." - Michael Corleone

by erivera7 on Jun 2, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A good job

I watched the ‘95 Finals, and as a Houstonian and Rockets fan, I applaud the Magic on this run. I’m hoping that you guys find Kobe easier to guard than you did Hakeem and Clyde that year.

"He walked 18."
"New league record!"
"Struck out 18."
"Another new league record! In addition he hit the sportswriter, the public address announcer, the bull mascot twice...also new league records! But, Joe, this guy's got some serious shit."

by Elephande on Jun 2, 2009 5:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hope so, too!

Thanks for the kind words.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

"Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgement." - Michael Corleone

by erivera7 on Jun 2, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No problem.

‘95 series may have been a sweep, but I’ve found that either way, a Finals or World Series appearance against another team gives me a good respect for that team.

Sweep or not, it took skill and luck to get that far. I’ll be sticking around some, and hopefully we can see the Magic get a Finals win or four.

by Elephande on Jun 2, 2009 6:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs