The Charlotte Observer
October 10, 1974
By Mark Ethridge III

GUNG-HO!
Hornets Stir Big-League Spirit In Big Crowd - But Lose Home Opener To Memphis

Thousands go wild over the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets failed to upset the Memphis Southmen Wednesday night, but before the dust on the field had settled it was clear that the city's new professional football team had succeeded in ushering Charlotte into the world of the big leagues.

A capacity crowd of more than 24,000 fans swarmed into Memorial Stadium where the Hornets lost to the Southmen, 27 to 23.

But the atmosphere in the stadium seemed more like that of a cross between a carnival and revival meeting than a pro football game.

Twelve batches of helium-filled balloons floated skyward as an emcee worked the responsive crowd into a fever pitch that never really let up.

"What a night!" the emcee whooped. "Can you feel the excitement?"

"Yessss," the crowd roared back. From then on they cheered as if the Hornets were a team they had followed all their lives. 

"I've never seen such excitement in Charlotte," said Jennifer Cornelius, 24, of Charlotte. "We're gonna support them and come to all the games. Look at the excitement this has created."

"This is tremendous," echoed Lewis Fisher, 24 of Monroe, who sat in a $5.50 seat in the end zone.

"Maybe it was a risk to pay money to see a team you know nothing about, but this established Charlotte as a professional city," he said.

"I don't care if they do lose, I've been watching the Washington Redskins for years on television even when they lose. So I'll watch the rest of these."

As the Southmen and Hornets clashed on the field, beer-drinking fans also crashed into each other as they swamped four concession stands that sold the brew for 75 cents a cup.

About 24,000 cans of beer - on for almost every man, woman and child in the stadium - were on hand, but vendors were too busy to see how much, if any was left at the final gun. The lines at the stands remained six-deep well into the final quarter.

Scene of Memorial Stadium from top of NCNB Tower Downtown.

Twelve state Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) agents patrolled the concession stands and entrance gates to make sure that beer wasn't sold to anyone under age and that no one brought hard liquor into the stadium.

"We're just looking for the obvious bottle," said ABC supervisor John Brooks. "But there haven't been many - not as many as I thought there would be."

A quick check of the stands showed that enforcement was lax, however, as some fans bolstered their enthusiasm with secretive sips from flasks.

Program sales at $1.25 each were also brisk. With most of the team members in town for only a few days before the game, hawkers made the most of their pitch, "You won't know the players without the program."

More recognizable was team executive Upton Bell, who brought the Hornets to Charlotte.

"Glad you came here." one fan said to Bell as he made his way to the VIP seats to join Mayor John Belk, the World Football League's commissioner, Gary Davidson, and other notables.

"Glad you came here tonight," Bell replied.

Later, another middle-aged fan shouted to Bell, who seemed to be everywhere, "Upton, I wouldn't have missed this for the world. I've been a Hornets' fan all my life."

The sometimes-raucous atmosphere began well before game time for some fans, including a few of those who rode the shuttle buses from downtown and the Coliseum to the game.

About 10 people rode the first bus from downtown, with a few fans drinking beer from cans in paper bags and cheering most of the way.

Hundreds of fans were still waiting for more buses at the Coliseum about 20 minutes before game time.

A four-man ABC television news crew filmed some of the game and crowd Wednesday night for network news story probably will be shown tonight or Friday night.

Memphis player stopped by Bob Grant.