The Charlotte Bobcats expect to replace departed chief executive Ed Tapscott this month, but the new hire will take on a diminished title as majority owner Robert Johnson plans to assume the CEO job.
And the move is about more than just a title, with Johnson planning to play a more active role in the NBA franchise's operations, according to Van Sinclair, longtime legal adviser to Johnson.
Sinclair, who took over operations of the team following the May 24 resignation of Tapscott, offered an update on the team at a Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority meeting this week.
Sinclair said Tapscott's permanent replacement will carry the title of president and chief operating officer.
He declined to discuss details regarding candidates for the job.
Sinclair, who, like Johnson, maintains a Washington residence, said his day-to-day role with the Bobcats has given him a much more thorough overview of how a sports franchise operates. Once a new president is named, Sinclair will cut back his Charlotte schedule to two days a week from the current five.
He will maintain an active role as a member of the team's newly created executive board. Sinclair, Johnson and Mac Everett, a retired Wachovia Corp. executive who agreed this week to buy a minority share in the Bobcats, will comprise the board, which will advise management.
Sinclair said the Bobcats also hope to put more games on free, over-the-air TV next season, though no agreements have been reached. The Bobcats had 15 games on WJZY-TV each of the past two seasons, with 60 more airing on Time Warner Cable.
The Bobcats have eight years remaining on the Time Warner deal, which initially involved a team-owned digital channel. After that network was shuttered, the deal converted to a package of games on News 14. Putting more games on WJZY would enable more fans to watch the team, an area of weakness many experts cite as a cause for the Bobcats' tepid fan support.
