The skit that “missed the mark” occurred in a break in play during the second quarter of Charlotte’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. The child was brought onto the court with Hugo, the Hornets’ mascot, dressed as Santa Claus. After a letter to Santa requesting a PS5 was read out loud, a cheerleader came out with a bag containing the video game console.

The young fan was visibly overjoyed as he received the pricy gift. However, according to an online acquaintance, he was less happy when the cameras turned off and a Hornets staffer took it away, replacing it with a jersey.

  • ansiz@lemmy.world
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    45 minutes ago

    I feel like this is so boneheaded that it has to be the case where the staff member in charge of this giveaway just wanted to keep the PS5 themselves and thought the kids wouldn’t complain about the ol’ switcheroo! This just even sounds like something Michael Scott would have done in The Office.

    • jimbolauski@lemm.ee
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      1 hour ago

      $500 for good press or $0 for bad. Looks like Charlotte is as bad at math as they are at basketball.

  • morphballganon@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    The only conceivable explanation is that the person who planned this sees audience members as less than human.

  • LovableSidekick@lemmy.world
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    6 hours ago

    This means there was at least one meeting where this plan was discussed and approved by multiple staffers who have jobs and salaries and manage to find their way to work and back home at night.

  • weew@lemmy.ca
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    7 hours ago

    What fucking cheapskates.

    Do they make their players turn out their pockets after each game in case they picked up some loose change off the ground too? Lol

  • lorty@lemmy.ml
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    9 hours ago

    I bet the price of that console was going to break their bank.

  • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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    11 hours ago

    Jfc… How much of a psychopathic piece of shit do you have to be, to hurt a kid’s feelings like that?! I fucking hate people.

  • KingOfTheCouch@lemmy.ca
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    10 hours ago

    I mean I would get it if they had an empty box out on the court for the show, and then having to take away the empty show box… But they gave the kid a jersey instead? Wtf?

    • LandedGentry@lemmy.zip
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      5 hours ago

      I don’t understand how what you’re describing is better. If you make the kid think he’s just gotten a PS5 then to take it away is incredibly cruel. Giving him a jersey is just insult cherry on the shameful cake. Unless I am misunderstanding what you’re proposing?

      • bork@sh.itjust.works
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        5 hours ago

        Pretty sure they are saying use an empty box on the court (lighter, no risk of breaking), and then take away the empty box afterwards (implied to give them an actual, not-empty box afterwards).

      • thejoker954@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        I think they meant like theyd still give em a ps5 it just wouldn’t have been in the box on camera.

  • NutWrench@lemmy.ml
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    13 hours ago

    The skit that “missed the mark” . . .

    Quit sucking up to corporate America, yahoo sports writer. The Hornets farked up a simple PR event in every way it was possible TO fark up. They baited and switched a PS5 with a t-shirt and thought no one would find out about it.

    • theangryseal@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      And they have so damn much money that giving him the PS5 would have been like you or me flicking a penny to the kid.

      People suck sometimes, I swear.

  • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    That sounds about right, I’ve never gotten anything nice from a hornet. The one time I did get something from a hornet, it was a painful disappointment.