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Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha on the New Orleans podcast presented by SeatGeek - March 30, 2020

Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha joins the show with Daniel Sallerson to discuss what both teams are doing in the front office and in the community, plans moving forward, and much more.

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After nearly three weeks without the NBA in what would be prime basketball season, it's long past time to start wondering what it might look like when the Pelicans and 29 other teams finally return from a coronavirus-spurred hiatus.

Transcript: Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha on the New Orleans Pelicans podcast presented by SeatGeek - March 30, 2020

Dennis Lauscha: My family and I are doing very well. We've been quarantined like everyone else.

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Pelicans News Around the Web (3-31-2020)

Dennis Lauscha on the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast presented by SeatGeekMarch 30, 2020

On the health of his family and staff and how everyone is dealing with the virus:Dennis Lauscha: My family and I are doing very well. We've been quarantined like everyone else. Both of my children are doing their school work at home and it has gone very, very well. I'm really excited to say that social distancing and allowing people to work remotely, I think, has been very good for us. The health of our staff is excellent to be perfectly honest with you. We still have obviously a long way to go and we have to continually be careful. But as we've been saying since the very beginning, our number one priority is being safe and making sure that we're doing everything we can for our employees and their families, and really for our fans and our entire community to take the necessary steps to be safe. Also, lead here in a way where we can show everyone – particularly New Orleans – that we can still lead, we can still do our job, but we can do it safely.

On the keys to managing two different franchises in two different leagues during these times:Dennis Lauscha: Well, that's a great question. We have outstanding people that work here. We have outstanding employees. I would never say it's been easy. There's been some challenges. But, they certainly do make it easy. We're pretty much operating as though, where everyone was in the building, and we're full go. Obviously, some new challenges…challenges with Mickey (Loomis) and what he's doing in preparation in the draft. As you said, from a basketball standpoint, really doing everything that you can to be prepared so that when it is time to resume the season, not only can we do it, but we can be extraordinarily successful in doing it. That, of course, has been the focus. But, the other part of the focus is preparing for next year. This is oftentimes for both franchises, the busiest time of the year: the off-seasons. This is when you're prepping for the new year. This is when you’re renewing tickets. This is when you're pulling together what the fan experience is going to look like for the next year. All those things are going down the same path, a similar path (with) this crisis management that we're dealing with. So, sure it can be somewhat stressful. It's challenging, but again we have really good people. Really, it's nothing compared to the people who are on the front lines right now who are caring for our sick. I'm amazed at the job that they do. Again, for as hard as it is, for the stuff that we are trying to accomplish, it pales in comparison to what those folks are doing and the sacrifices that their making. Our thoughts, prayers, and hats go off to them because they truly are special.

On how having to close both practice facilities has impacted the ability of the teams to conduct business:Dennis Lauscha: Well, it's interesting because what we talk a lot about here within the organization is doing everything that we can to the best of our ability, always being prepared. As I said earlier, with the group of folks we have working here and with that goal in mind, it has certainly been challenging but it certainly has not been impossible. One of the things that I say, I know others in this organization say, is that we think we are very well equipped. Unfortunately, we've had to deal with some struggles in the past. But, we think it has prepared us for now and hopefully, it's given us an advantage in the way that we operate. I would tell you that as in any organization, the most important thing right now is probably communication. We certainly are communicating. We meet (as a) staff…the Senior Vice Presidents and I, along with Mrs. Benson, meet regularly every morning on a call to start our day. We also have Vice Presidents meetings twice a week. We have town hall meetings with all of our employees at least once a week. I'm constantly in contact with Mickey and in connection with David (Griffin). I was looking at some of our IT numbers just now. We've had over a thousand virtual meetings here in the last week, week and a half which is pretty amazing. If you look at some of our connectivity numbers and look at some of the traffic that you see – just what's happening in the background – you see an organization that is extraordinarily connected, extraordinarily dialed in and, again, hopefully in a position to take advantage of the position that we find ourselves in. What I mean by that is just being a really good organization. So, that's where we are. That's what we are continuing to focus on and so far it's been good."

On what's the best way for fans and season ticket holders to get in contact with either organization:Dennis Lauscha: Well, really nothing has changed. All 50 of our sales employees in our ticket office are working. They are in daily contact with all of our season ticket holders on both sides. We have a full sponsorship department and its entire team is in connection with our sponsors. But to answer your question, the main lines. We have them staffed and folks are answering them at 731-1700 or 733-0255, for the Saints and 525-HOOP (4667), for the Pelicans. One of the good things that I think we've been able to do over the last few years is really get a personal connection between a season ticket holder and one of our employees or one of the folks that work in our ticket office. Hopefully, the best thing they can do is just reach out to them. I know we're reaching out to everyone, particularly people we haven't heard from. Really, the focus there is just compassion and understanding, and what's going on. Can we help? We've been involved in a number of assistance funds around the city. If there's anything we can do to help anyone, we want to do that as well. So, the connections, there all up and running…525-HOOP and 731-1700. 504 via the area code."

On what feedback has season ticket holders given both organizations in the past couple of weeks:Dennis Lauscha: I will tell you. The conversations are the conversations that you would expect. Pretty much anywhere in the city or state or country. There's a lot of uncertainty right now. There's a lot of concern, apprehension for the folks in our community. But having said that, I think there's is a real, real strong desire for everyone to be back to normal. The reality of what we do in both of these organizations, and one of the things that we talk a lot about is bring people together and unity. Bringing people together both physically, bring people together from a community standpoint. And, we can't bring people together physically right now. However, we can do it in other ways. That's what we're striving to do. But look, by in large our fans are extraordinarily supportive of what we are doing in the community, extraordinarily supportive of what our players are doing in the community. We'll continue to do our best to try to lead during this time.

On how the donations from Mrs. Benson and players on both teams speak about the organizations:Dennis Lauscha: Really, you can answer that question so many ways. But, if you really kind of boil it down, I think what's so true here in this situation is that everybody in the organization really has a love for this city and really has a – feels a commitment to our fans, feels a commitment to our colleagues, feels a commitment to the organization itself. When you come to play for the Pelicans or come play for the Saints, I think you very quickly realize that this is so much bigger than just playing basketball or playing football. You truly are representing a community that truly has a desire for their success more than other places. I will tell you that I think our fans – and certainly I know our employees feel it – we really, really want to make this city happy. We really, really want to make this city prosper. We really, really want to see success in this state, this region, this city. It doesn't surprise me at all that our employees or that our players would step up and try to act in a leadership role right now. Certainly as you said, Mrs. Benson…that was one of the first things that she did, was say ‘Alright, how can we help the community here?’ I'm very proud to say that as an organization, we were one of the first ones to step up, and that's because it was our time to do it. We had the resources to do it, so we stepped up and we will continue to step up and take the lead. But that really is where we see our organization, is in that leadership position.

On how this pandemic is affecting the renovations to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome:Dennis Lauscha: Well as we sit here today, there has been really no alteration. It’s full-speed ahead. I know ASM and the state are working hard to continue on the construction of the Superdome. I know we’ve been fully engaged. We have a handful of consultants that we use. I know the same is true with the state and LCED (Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District). I can tell you it’s moving forward. Now, of course things can change, but as we sit here now we are fully moving forward and we totally expect to be ready to go, assuming this season begins when it should start. We’ll be prepared. Now does that mean that we’re not doing things in preparation of opening the Dome in a post-Covid19 world? Sure we are. There’s been a handful of – we’ve been in constant connection and constant contact with both leagues, league management, leadership from other teams in both leagues. We’ve been in discussion with governmental and business officials here in town. We don’t know what the future is going to look like, but it sure could be somewhat different than what we see today. Particularly on the NBA side, the league has started a small committee to start analyzing what that may be. We serve on that committee and we have a role on that committee, and a big group in our organization are really focused on when we come out of this, how will that game day experience – how would it be perhaps a little different? We’re trying to stay in front of that, whether that’s perhaps we change the way we consume our concessions. There might be some change in the way of tickets – maybe we go to a ticketless environment. There’s a handful of other things as well. We’re focused on that, and we’re working on that now, and we’ll be prepared for it.

On how often he is in contact with the NBA on planning ahead for when the restrictions are lifted and what else the NBA is excited to do moving forward:Dennis Lauscha: I’m in constant contact with both leagues as I said, and leadership from other teams. We’re exploring a lot of different options. Again, the best thing that we can do right now is be prepared and try to be prepared for anything that comes our way. That’s easier said than done, but there’s a lot of folks that are working on it and I’m proud to say that our organizations are very involved and on the cutting edge of that preparation. How that may look or what that may look like, all I can say is that we’ll do our best to lead by example.

On what he is looking forward to most when things get back to normal:Dennis Lauscha: I said this on our town hall meeting the other day: I really do miss everyone being in the office. I miss the camaraderie. I miss just being around folks walking around the office, seeing people engaged, and the short conversations. Although we’re very connected as I said earlier, I still miss that. So many people who are in the position I’m in, the folks who are in leadership positions in this organization…the thing that we feel best about is when we see our fans in the stadium having a good time. When we’re scoring and high-fiving and hugging and yelling and participating in our team winning…that engagement…you really have no idea how that makes us feel. That’s really the joy we get from our games…the joy we get from our jobs. I can’t wait for that. I know it’s coming and we have to be patient. As I said to our employees, number one: be safe, number two: do your job, number three: be leaders. I know we’re going to come out of this strong and hopefully better than we are, and that’s important that we do that as an organization.

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Pelicans.com

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Behind-the-scenes: Pelicans 2018-19 team photo

Phoenix – The New Orleans Pelicans are not for sale.

The New Orleans Pelicans will not be for sale, as long as Gayle Benson owns the team. Benson, who also owns the New Orleans Saints, delivered yet another strong statement regarding her commitment to her NBA team on Tuesday, from the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix.

“There is no way that I’m going to sell that team ever,” Benson told a group of assembled writers, the majority of them from New Orleans. “I value the Pelicans as much as I do the Saints. I don’t look at myself as an owner of a team or the teams. I feel like it’s an asset I’m protecting for the city.”

At present, the Pelicans (31-44) are seven games away from completing the regular season, one year after advancing to the playoffs, sweeping Portland in the first round and taking a game off Golden State, the eventual NBA champions, in the second round. The franchise also is in search of a new general manager. Dell Demps, who served as general manager from 2010 until this season, was fired in February. The goal, said Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha, is to lift the Pelicans to the same level of consistency as the Saints. Lauscha also serves as Saints president.

“The first thing we have to do is, we have to take a look in the mirror and see where we are as an organization on the basketball side,” he said. “We’ve begun that process. And we’re going through a process really now of reflecting on where we are and where we need to be. And where we need to be is, a champion. There’s no question about it.

“Where we need to be is having on-court performance that is second to none. I truly believe in my heart that this franchise and this team will be supported by the fans in New Orleans when we put a winning team on the court. Having said that, it’s our responsibility to do that. “On the football side, there’s a paranoia, if you will, year in and year out, to be No. 1. The whole organization feels it. I don’t care what it is. We were a little bit new to basketball, but we have to make sure we have that paranoia on basketball as well. I think we’re going through the process of how we can shift some paranoia over to basketball as well.

“Back in 2006 (after Hurricane Katrina), we were an organization on the football side where it was tough to recruit people to come here. I’ll tell you today, just about everybody in the NFL says they want to come to New Orleans to play for us. Everybody wants to live in New Orleans. We have to build that same organization on the basketball side, and we’re going through the process of trying to figure out how we’re going to do that.”

Lauscha said that hiring the right general manager is paramount.

“Our new general manager is going to have to be someone that really believes in what we believe in,” he said. “It’s going to be someone that really believes how important winning is to the city. I think it has to be someone that can really believe in the city of New Orleans and the passionate fans that are here. “I don’t accept – and know Mrs. Benson doesn’t accept, and I know Mickey (Loomis) and no one else in our organization accepts – that being a small market will prevent us from winning a championship, or prevent us from doing anything.

“We have a great relationship with the NBA. I talk to (NBA Commissioner) Adam Silver very often and we talk about some of the issues that we have in a small market. We talk to some of the concerns we have. He’s been an open ear, he’s been great. He’s been on our side, too, in trying to make our organization better. I don’t want any excuses why we can’t be great on the basketball side, and that’s what we’re aiming to do.

“If we’re going to be in this thing, we want to win it. If we’re going to be involved in basketball, I want to win it. That’s the way I am, that’s my personality, that’s everybody in our organization’s personality. We want to win. That’s the bottom line. If we can do it in football, I think we can do it in basketball as well.”

Benson sees the same as well. She credited Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry and interim general manager Danny Ferry for their roles in keeping the team together. A consulting firm is helping Benson compile a list of candidates for the vacant GM position, and Lauscha said some names could emerge publicly in the next couple of weeks.

“Alvin has done an incredible job with his work there, and so has Danny,” Benson said. “We feel very strongly about making the Pelicans just as successful as the Saints, and that’s what we’re working on.”

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New Orleans Pelicans Owner Gayle Benson: "There is no way that I'm going to sell that team ever"

Jim Eichenhofer

BIRMINGHAM – You have questions, we have answers. Here are some of the most frequently-asked questions related to the new G League team, with helpful assists from New Orleans Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha and General Manager Dell Demps:

What’s the timetable for the team to begin playing in Birmingham?

As renovations continue on the future home of the G League franchise, Legacy Arena in Birmingham, the Pelicans’ temporary affiliate will be in Erie, Pa., for at least the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. When renovations are complete, Birmingham will become the Pelicans’ affiliate, as early as 2021-22.

What will the G League team’s nickname be?

The plan is for the Birmingham community to be involved in the process of selecting the nickname.

“We’ll start having some fun in naming the team, (by) engaging the fans,” Lauscha said. “And do some other fun marketing things in Birmingham, over the next two years.”

“We started studying the demographics and looking at the Legacy Arena, and discussed the various improvements that are going to be made in the arena,” Lauscha said of the decision to choose the city of 210,000 people. “At the end of the day, we were very impressed with their vision and are very bullish on the market.”

Lauscha noted that based on metrics used by the G League to determine the strength of markets, Birmingham received high marks, in areas such as the demographics of sports fans and TV market size.

In addition, the city’s location in Alabama is in close proximity to New Orleans, allowing players and team personnel to easily shuttle between the two locations. This morning, separate contingents from the Pelicans organization traveled to Birmingham by bus (it’s only about a five-hour drive) and plane (one hour).

“Having the players feel like they’re still connected to the team while they’re on assignment is very important,” Demps said, citing his extensive previous experience as an assistant coach and GM in the G League.

How important was it for the G League team to be located in the Gulf South?

In baseball, some MLB franchises have grown regional fan interest in cities where they have a minor-league affiliate. The Pelicans hope to accomplish the same thing in Alabama, as well as throughout the Gulf South.

“When we bought the basketball team (in 2012), we said right away that we have to develop all seven million people in the Gulf South into basketball fans,” Lauscha remembered. “We really live by that. If you look at our broadcast reach, our telecast reach, we are reaching into all of these communities throughout the Gulf South. We definitely do see this as an opportunity to extend that reach further.”

Both the NFL’s Saints and Pelicans receive fan support beyond Louisiana in Mississippi, southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle, but the organization wants to increase that on the basketball side.

How many employees will the Birmingham team have?

Lauscha estimated that between coaches, ticketing staff and administrative staff, total full-time staff will consist of between 30 and 50 employees. Lauscha added that in the interim period prior to the G League franchise calling Birmingham home, the Pelicans are considering potentially holding a training camp or preseason game there. Houston and Memphis played a preseason game in Legacy Arena on Oct. 2.

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FAQs: New Orleans’ future G League franchise in Birmingham

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans have unveiled a dedicated area which pays tribute to the individual boys and girls high school basketball programs across the state of Louisiana in the Smoothie King Center. The display area is located in the northwest entrance at the Pelicans home arena.

The Pelicans and the LHSAA reached out to every high school in the state during the offseason and collected a jersey from each school that elected to participate.  While nearly every school has sent a jersey that proudly adorns the wall, the few missing jerseys are in the process of being acquired. Fans attending Pelicans games are encouraged to visit the area to view the collection of school uniforms.

A special section is also dedicated to the reigning state champions in each class of play.

“The state of Louisiana has a proud heritage of highly competitive prep basketball at every level of play and we thought it was most fitting to pay special tribute to the high schools by displaying their jerseys,” said Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha. “We were pleased to see how much the fans attending our opening night game enjoyed looking at all of the different jerseys on display. We recognize the special place that those jerseys have for the people that have and continue to represent their hometowns, as well as the parents, coaches and administrators that play such an important part in providing positive basketball experiences for the student-athletes. We believe that athletics plays an important role in teaching values and important life lessons and fostering teamwork among peers. These jerseys reflect the dedication and determination that those who wore and wear the jerseys of their high schools represent.”

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Pelicans Honor Louisiana High School Basketball Programs with Dedicated Display Area in Smoothie King Center

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Today's lineup presented by ABC Insurance Agencies includes: Pelicans president Dennis Lauscha, Jon Stinchcomb and Sean Payton.

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Black and Blue Report presented by ABC Insurance Agencies: August 29, 2016

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