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My friend's open letter to Otis Smith

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quote:
Originally posted by Adam_Magic:

That is a superb letter, it needs to be sent to Otis(not that he would read it mind!)

 

I already did, I sent an email to my sales rep. for my season tickets, her email address is:

 

AAnderson@orlandomagic.com( her name is Amber), I don't know if she will forward the email to Otis as I begged her to do.

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From Carl Johnson,(posted at the fired bhill website)

Dear Mr. Smith, I'll be honest with you. I am not a season ticket holder. I do not spend hundreds of dollars on Orlando Magic merchandise. I rarely attend a game live. I am, in many ways, your average Orlando Magic fan. I am also in many ways an unlucky man. I have no job, no friends, no girlfriend, very little money, and I still live with my parents. There have been many times recently when I have questioned my own existence, and wondered to myself why even bother getting up in the morning. Throughout all this, however, one thing has kept me going. Watching my beloved Orlando Magic on TV. Sad, yes, but true. Nothing brings me more joy than turning on the TV and watching my favorite team in my favorite sport compete for 2 and a half hours. I was a fan during the glory days of Shaq and Penny. I was a fan during the Heart and Hustle, when men like Darrell Armstrong captivated us all not with his athletic ability, but his sheer determination and effort to win every game, no matter how outmatched we were (and we were outmatched quite a bit). I was a fan when we signed Hill and McGrady, and remained a fan when we scrapped that plan, traded McGrady, and tried to rebuild around a high school phenom named Dwight Howard. Fascinating, I'm sure, but what does this have to do with me e-mailing you? I am afraid I am in danger of losing one of the things I care most about in this world. I am afraid I am losing interest in the Orlando Magic. This has nothing to do with the players, all of whom I admire. It has nothing to do with you, a man of whom I have a tremendous amount of respect, for what it's worth. This has everything to do with the coach, Brian Hill. I am sure you are sick of hearing it, but he must go. There is, after all, a reason you keep hearing calls for his firing, am I right? Coach Hill was recently quoted about how he is calling plays from the Shaq days to help Dwight Howard. The Oakland Raiders and Art Shell relied on old offensive plays last season in the NFL, and how did that work out for them? How is using old plays working out for the Magic? Not too well. The Magic are one of the worst teams in turnovers and free throw percentage. No doubt some of this falls on the players. However, you were quoted awhile back as saying that you liked the players on this team, and you proved this by not trading any of them before this year's trading deadline. I ask you then, if it's not the players, who is it? That leaves the coach. You said you were happy with the coach. Let me ask you this, Mr. Smith, are you happy with a sub-.500 record? As of this writing, we have a worse record than the New York Knicks, the laughingstock of the league the past several years. Nobody makes fun of the Knicks anymore, they make fun of the Orlando Magic. They make fun of the Magic taking the lowest amount of shots per game in the league. They make fun of the Magic's aforemention atrocious turnover rates and free throw percentage. They question why there are no shooters on the floor to help draw double teams away from Dwight Howard, when there is a perfectly good shooter sitting on the bench, getting more and more frustruated with each passing day and each DNP-CD. There are rumors that Magic players have been grumbling and tuning out the coach. There are rumors that Dwight Howard is unhappy and wondering what it would be like to play for another, better coached, team. All of this sounds eerily like the time another great young center left town, doesn't it? If this is true, and surely you would know, how is keeping said coach a good idea? You say you like the players we currently have, and I agree. I do not agree with how these players are being used. Our players are primarily young, and highly athletic, perfectly suited for a fast-paced running offense similar to the one used by the Phoenix Suns. And yet the Magic are the slowest-paced team in the league. And while that's all fine and dandy if we are winning, the Magic are most certainly not winning. I wish for many things, Mr. Smith. I wish for a job. I wish for friends. I wish for happiness in a world full of sadness. Above all, Mr. Smith, I wish for the Orlando Magic to win. With the current coach and current offensive system in place, I know this will never happen. And while I may be just one voice, easily ignored, note all of the attention firebrianhill.org is getting in the media. Note the over 600 and counting signatures, many of whom are season ticket holders who will not renew. You can safely ignore me, Mr. Smith, but you cannot ignore us. For once, please put aside any personal feelings you or your bosses may have toward Coach Hill, and do what is right. Do what is right for the organization and for the fans. Let Brian Hill go before Dwight Howard decides to go first. Thank you for your time.

Carl Johnson

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From Carl Johnson,(posted at the fired bhill website)

Dear Mr. Smith, I'll be honest with you. I am not a season ticket holder. I do not spend hundreds of dollars on Orlando Magic merchandise. I rarely attend a game live. I am, in many ways, your average Orlando Magic fan. I am also in many ways an unlucky man. I have no job, no friends, no girlfriend, very little money, and I still live with my parents. There have been many times recently when I have questioned my own existence, and wondered to myself why even bother getting up in the morning. Throughout all this, however, one thing has kept me going. Watching my beloved Orlando Magic on TV. Sad, yes, but true. Nothing brings me more joy than turning on the TV and watching my favorite team in my favorite sport compete for 2 and a half hours. I was a fan during the glory days of Shaq and Penny. I was a fan during the Heart and Hustle, when men like Darrell Armstrong captivated us all not with his athletic ability, but his sheer determination and effort to win every game, no matter how outmatched we were (and we were outmatched quite a bit). I was a fan when we signed Hill and McGrady, and remained a fan when we scrapped that plan, traded McGrady, and tried to rebuild around a high school phenom named Dwight Howard. Fascinating, I'm sure, but what does this have to do with me e-mailing you? I am afraid I am in danger of losing one of the things I care most about in this world. I am afraid I am losing interest in the Orlando Magic. This has nothing to do with the players, all of whom I admire. It has nothing to do with you, a man of whom I have a tremendous amount of respect, for what it's worth. This has everything to do with the coach, Brian Hill. I am sure you are sick of hearing it, but he must go. There is, after all, a reason you keep hearing calls for his firing, am I right? Coach Hill was recently quoted about how he is calling plays from the Shaq days to help Dwight Howard. The Oakland Raiders and Art Shell relied on old offensive plays last season in the NFL, and how did that work out for them? How is using old plays working out for the Magic? Not too well. The Magic are one of the worst teams in turnovers and free throw percentage. No doubt some of this falls on the players. However, you were quoted awhile back as saying that you liked the players on this team, and you proved this by not trading any of them before this year's trading deadline. I ask you then, if it's not the players, who is it? That leaves the coach. You said you were happy with the coach. Let me ask you this, Mr. Smith, are you happy with a sub-.500 record? As of this writing, we have a worse record than the New York Knicks, the laughingstock of the league the past several years. Nobody makes fun of the Knicks anymore, they make fun of the Orlando Magic. They make fun of the Magic taking the lowest amount of shots per game in the league. They make fun of the Magic's aforemention atrocious turnover rates and free throw percentage. They question why there are no shooters on the floor to help draw double teams away from Dwight Howard, when there is a perfectly good shooter sitting on the bench, getting more and more frustruated with each passing day and each DNP-CD. There are rumors that Magic players have been grumbling and tuning out the coach. There are rumors that Dwight Howard is unhappy and wondering what it would be like to play for another, better coached, team. All of this sounds eerily like the time another great young center left town, doesn't it? If this is true, and surely you would know, how is keeping said coach a good idea? You say you like the players we currently have, and I agree. I do not agree with how these players are being used. Our players are primarily young, and highly athletic, perfectly suited for a fast-paced running offense similar to the one used by the Phoenix Suns. And yet the Magic are the slowest-paced team in the league. And while that's all fine and dandy if we are winning, the Magic are most certainly not winning. I wish for many things, Mr. Smith. I wish for a job. I wish for friends. I wish for happiness in a world full of sadness. Above all, Mr. Smith, I wish for the Orlando Magic to win. With the current coach and current offensive system in place, I know this will never happen. And while I may be just one voice, easily ignored, note all of the attention firebrianhill.org is getting in the media. Note the over 600 and counting signatures, many of whom are season ticket holders who will not renew. You can safely ignore me, Mr. Smith, but you cannot ignore us. For once, please put aside any personal feelings you or your bosses may have toward Coach Hill, and do what is right. Do what is right for the organization and for the fans. Let Brian Hill go before Dwight Howard decides to go first. Thank you for your time.

Carl Johnson

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Seems like Amber is going to be quite busy with all these letters. She is also the sales rep for other Magic board members and they also sent the same type of letter.

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Sorry but that letter will do nothing but reinforce the idea in the magic organization that fans are a pack of losers. You don't start out a letter telling the company you are trying to convince that you have no money invested in their product and have no life. After the first few paragraphs even I was uninterested. I'd delete it on sight and I am sure thats what the magic employee will do.

 

Not putting him down as I see all my magic games on TV but thats not going to convince anyone of anything.

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quote:
Originally posted by MagicmaninMiami:

Sorry but that letter will do nothing but reinforce the idea in the magic organization that fans are a pack of losers. You don't start out a letter telling the company you are trying to convince that you have no money invested in their product and have no life. After the first few paragraphs even I was uninterested. I'd delete it on sight and I am sure thats what the magic employee will do.

 

Not putting him down as I see all my magic games on TV but thats not going to convince anyone of anything.

 

I can see your point, but it is a well written and effective letter, that may be read by another well respected medium!

 

Besides that, there are many others who can attend maybe just a few games a year with their families, and this may speak for them as well. Furthermore, there was a time in the very resent past that the Magic organization couldn't give away tickets and they may be returning to that very shortly if not carful!!

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Great letter! I hope your friend gets his life on track. Maybe even get a nice van down by the river?

 

With his ability to communicate, I see him being a very effective motivational speaker.

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