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Orlando Magic: New Arena, New Players, New Hope
 Orlando Magic fans, this season is looking to be a great one. Not only does your favorite NBA team have some amazing additions to their line up, they will soon have a brand-spanking new arena. The Amway Center will be a beautiful building with 18,800 seats. With 60 suites, 327 loge boxes and 1,428 club seats there are plenty of spots for the people that like to watch their games in style. Part of sports is celebrating victories or trying to forget the losses, and next season you will be able to do both at two special bars in the Amway. One is an open-air party deck located 42 feet above the ground, the other is a sky bar located 110 feet above the ground so you can celebrate the Magic from the top of the world. The Orlando Sentinel recently featured an article on the Amway Center and one of its architectural highlights, a 150 foot tall tower that will be covered in 200 LED’s and stainless steel mesh. You might be thinking what in the world that has to do with the Magic, but the tower is really for the entire city. "In essence, it's our answer to the Empire State Building in Orlando. For Magic game nights, it could be illuminated blue. For Predator game nights, it could be illuminated red. For St. Patrick's Day, it could be illuminated green.” Said the Magic’s chief operating officer Alex Martins. The tower will be a pretty addition to the Orlando skyline. This season the Magic also have two great new additions to their roster. We have point guard Jason “White Chocolate” Williams and shooting guard/small forward Vince Carter. We also have our superstar and center/power forward Dwight “Superman” Howard. You might have already seen the new commercial featuring Dwight Howard unveiling his Magic jersey under a suit a la Clark Kent. It’s just another sign that the Orlando Magic are back and ready to go for a new season of great basketball. If you’ve never checked out a game of Orlando Magic basketball then this is the perfect season to start! Check out our Orlando Magic ticket deals on OrlandoFunTickets.com! Labels: basketball in orlando, orlando magic, sports in orlando
Orlando Magic Ready for Training Camp
 Magic fans: your boys are gearing up for another great season of Orlando Magic basketball. Training camp starts next week and the team is getting ready to bring on a whole new season of great basketball to the Orlando area. There’s been a lot of shaking up in the Magic’s roster which is now at 15 players. They signed free agents Morris Almond and Linton Johnson III to their lineup to add to their arsenal as they gear up for their pre-season opener on October 5th. For seven tough days your Magic team will be practicing drills and shooting hoops to get into prime condition for another Orlando Magic basketball season. Their home opener is October 28th against the Philadelphia 76’ers, but before that they’ll host interstate rivals and 2006 NBA Champions the Miami Heat. Magic fans have a lot to look forward to now that they have Vince Carter as their Shooting Guard. He brought Toronto to their feet and made the hockeytown crazy for basketball during his time with the Raptors. But now he’s ready to take on Orlando fans and get them hyped about their hometown team. They’ve got every reason to be too! Carter led the Toronto Raptors to three consecutive appearances in the NBA Playoffs and helped the USA Basketball team win the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia back in the year 2000. He’s also an eight-time All-Star, 1999 Rookie of the Year and 2000 Slam Dunk Champion. With stats like that the Orlando Magic can consider Carter their not-so-secret weapon on the courts. Coach Van Gundy recently talked to the Orlando Sentinel about how he would handle Carter on the team. "My guess going into the season is that at the end of the game, he's the guy you go to most of the time because of his ability to create a shot either for himself or for the team," Van Gundy said. The Orlando Magic’s 82 regular games will be broadcasted on television throughout the season. 38 of the games will be on Sun Sports, 32 will be shown on Fox Sports and the remaining 12 will be shown on TNT, ABC and ESPN. But the best way to check out the basketball games is live and in person, so make sure you head out to the arena this season with your discount Orlando Magic tickets! Labels: basketball in orlando, discount orlando, orlando magic, sports in orlando
Will Shaq Take Over the Orlando Magic?
 The rumor has been swirling around for ages; beloved NBA player and former Orlando Magic center Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal has often announced a desire to become General Manager of the Orlando Magic when he retires, possibly sometime after the 2009-2010 season. However, does this idea, which sounds like a drug-induced cockamamie scheme to many Orlando fans, actually have any possibility of coming to fruition? Not anytime soon, but O’Neal is persistent in his claim that it will happen. When Brian Hill was re-announced as head coach in May 2005, O’Neal reportedly said, “It’s good that he’s back. When I buy the team in three years, he’ll be working for me.” He has frequently reiterated this statement in one form or another throughout the years, though the general consensus has always been that he was yanking Orlando’s chain, so to speak. However, O’Neal states that he and fellow Phoenix Sun player Grant Hill are serious about returning to the Orlando Magic. The two have become best friends since becoming teammates in Phoenix last season. After they retire, they plan to go into business together, with O’Neal vying for the position of General Manager of the Magic, and Hill planning to be its President. The only way many people see this happening is if the two buy the team, which they have also talked about, although Magic president Bob Vander Weide says the team’s not for sale. “It’s certainly something we’ve talked about a lot since Shaq’s come on board here,” Hill told the Sacramento Bee. “I think Orlando makes sense because we live there and we both played there. Ownership is something that we’re both interested in. We know people and we have groups and various people who are interested as well…There’s no clear, concrete plan. But it’s certainly something that when we’re done playing we’ll definitely look into.” “I’ve mentioned it to [Orlando Magic CEO and president] Bob Vander Weide and he laughs,” O’Neal added. “But I know they love Grant as president…He’s better looking, better spoken, and can do the president. But I can be the general manager. I can get stuff done.” It will be interesting to see how Orlando reacts if O’Neal and Hill ever return to manage the team, seeing as how there’s still a great deal of animosity among Magic fans against both players; fans are still irked with Shaq for leaving the Magic to join the Los Angeles Lakers after the 1995-1996 season (he was tempted away by a $122 million dollar contract). Some fans are peeved at Hill too, who is also a former Orlando Magic player notorious for not showing much loyalty to the team. Hill spent a large part of his seven years on the team injured and sitting on the bench; after recovering from multiple surgeries, he returned for three-quarters of the 2006-2007 season and then signed with the Suns for $2 million a year. For the time being, a Hill and O’Neal-run team is still a long way off. O’Neal is contracted for two more seasons, and Hill, who is exercising his 2008-2009 option with the Suns, has given no word on when he will retire. And as far as buying the team goes, Vander Weide has a message for the Suns duo: “There will not be any for-sale sign on the Orlando Magic…We have just made a long-term commitment to the city of Orlando and are excited about the new venue and our team.” That’s tough news for Hill and O’Neal, but seeing as Orlando doesn’t seem to want them here all that badly anyway, it’s probably for the best. As Orlando Sentinel blogger Brian Schmitz put it, “The Magic needed them as players, not as a Starsky and Hutch management team.” Labels: Orlando Attractions, orlando magic, sports in orlando
Orlando Magic to Open Their 20th Season
 A couple of things happen in Orlando during the fall; kids get excited for trick or treating, teenagers scare themselves silly at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, and the air begins to get a bit crisper. But few things generate as much fall excitement as the opening night of the Orlando Magic’s new season. And this year, the anticipation of this week’s opening night game on October 29th is reaching a fever pitch. Why, you ask? As it happens, it’s the NBA team’s 20th anniversary, which means that this season is bound to be full of great events and surprises for the fans, not to mention big hopes for Orlando’s favorite team. The Orlando Magic is Central Florida’s only NBA team and has had a host of basketball stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady. The team plays in the 17,000 seat Amway Arena located in the heart of downtown Orlando, where they have garnered a fierce following among Orlando residents and visitors. This week's Season Opener is taking place at 7 pm against the Atlanta Hawks, and fans just can’t wait to see all the action. One thing to look for in the opener is the Magic’s new look. In honor of their 20th anniversary, they’ll be donning their new uniforms, which are a kickback to the original uniforms worn when the team began in 1989. “We took the classic pinstripe approach from the first season and redesigned it with an evolved tapered pinstripe and worked it into the flowing cutlines of the new design," said Adidas apparel designer Jonathan Yuska. The majority of the jersey is Magic blue with white pinstripes running from the bottom that widen as they pass the underarm and reach the shoulder. A black stripe also runs along each side of the jersey with a thin white trim. A 20th Anniversary patch is located on the right shoulder. The pinstripe effect is sure to make the 6-foot tall players look imposing over their opponents in the upcoming 45 games. However, if that doesn’t intimidate them, there’s always the Magic’s incredible new players, including power forward Tony Battie who is returning from shoulder surgery, point guard Anthony Johnson from Sacramento, shooting guard and 2008 draft Courtney Lee, shooting guard Mickael Pietrus from Golden State, small forward Jeremy Richardson, a training-camp invitee, and powerhouse Dwight Howard. Having had a great season in 2007, the Magic are facing a lot of expectations to do well this season. Last year, the Magic clinched the Southeast Division title, their third division title ever and their first since the Southeast Division was formed. They also saw a pinnacle moment when they won their 50th game against the Chicago Bulls (whom they hadn’t defeated since the 95-96 season) and finished their best season yet at 52-30. Then in the Eastern Conference, the Magic saw victory against the Toronto Rapters in their first round playoff series, but then fell to the Detroit Pistons in the second round, ending their playoff run in 2008. The Magic is optimistic about their new season, though, and is looking for a flashy ring to go with their new uniforms, if you know what we mean. The team has made it clear that its goal this year is an NBA Championship – but it’s not going to be easy since they’re sure to face tough competition in the East Conference. Nevertheless, like the rest of Orlando, we have high hopes, and win or lose, it’s certain to be a nail-biter of a season. So make sure you don’t miss any of the action by getting your discount Orlando Magic tickets for the season early! You won’t have to jump through any hoops for them – just go to your #1 discount ticket resource, OrlandoFunTickets.com. Labels: Orlando Events, orlando magic, sports in orlando
Sports activities in Orlando
You may not believe it, but there are more fun, family outings in Central Florida besides going to the theme parks! In fact, in addition to all of the fun that you can have at Disney, Sea World and Universal, there is professional basketball, arena football and plenty of collegiate athletics that will quench any sports lover’s thirst right here in Orlando! To find out more about how you too can experience the fun of the sports scene in Central Florida, keep reading below! The first stop on any sports fan’s list should be a visit to Amway Arena in downtown Orlando, home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic and the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators. From October through mid-summer, you can often find one of these two teams battling it out for the hometown fans and many onlookers who are merely passing through the city. The Magic, in their 19th season in the City Beautiful, are steadily climbing the ladder of the NBA’s elite behind All-Star Dwight Howard & Co., including Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and first-year Head Coach Stan Van Gundy. With a second consecutive appearance in the NBA playoffs looming this year and with the squad having won the Southeast Division title for the first time since the 1995-96 season, the Magic have nothing but championship aspirations on the hardwood. Over 17,000 raucous fans are on hand to witness 41 home games a year (not counting pre-season and playoffs) from November until mid-April, and then playoff fever strikes in Orlando as soon as the regular season ends. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see these NBA superstars live and in person at Amway Arena during your next vacation, courtesy of OrlandoFunTickets.com! We are your No. 1 online source for discounted tickets to all of the top attractions in Central Florida, including the Orlando Magic. Whether it is a seat in the upper or lower bowl that you are looking for, we can help you see the Magic for less – just call 866-225-4712 now to purchase your discounted Orlando Magic tickets! As we mentioned above, the Orlando Predators also bring their hard-hitting to Amway Arena seven to eight times a year on weekends from March until early summer, depending how far they make it in the playoffs. Last season, the Predators finished with an 8-8 record and a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Soul in the Wild Card round of the Arena Football League’s playoffs. But despite the way the season ended, the Predators still managed much success on the field in 2007, including making their league record 15th consecutive playoff appearance, and many individual players also took home personal acclaims of their own. Behind quarterback Shane Stafford, who continues to re-write the Predators’ record books year after year, and Head Coach Jay Gruden, the Orlando squad is looking to return to the ArenaBowl in 2008 and bring the trophy back home to Orlando! If you are looking for more a more intimate collegiate athletics experience, the University of Central Florida is also just a short drive away from the attractions in Orlando. The Knights have 16 men’s and women’s sports team at the university, ranging from football and basketball to golf, volleyball and rowing. In other words, no matter what your favorite sport is, UCF has a team you can root for. In recent years, football at the university has taken on a whole new life thanks to the opening of the school’s on-campus facility, Bright House Networks Stadium. This 45,000+ stadium is home to the team that made it second postseason berth in school history this year when it took on Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl, falling 10-3 as the SEC squad broke a tie in the game’s final two minutes to take home the title. In addition to a new football stadium, UCF also has a brand new on-campus arena as well, a 10,000-seat venue that opened in the fall of 2007 and is home to the Knights’ basketball and volleyball squads. To experience all of the Division I action going on at the UCF campus in Orlando, head on over on your next vacation to support Orlando’s hometown school! Labels: basketball in orlando, football in orlando, Orlando Attractions, orlando magic, orlando predators, sports in orlando, Universal Orlando Events
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