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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Hornets owner Michael Jordan, a 14-time NBA All-Star, is pushing to bring the big game back to Charlotte. The Hornets, in conjunction with the Charlotte Sports Foundation, announced plans Tuesday to submit a bid to host the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2017 or 2018. A contingent of Hornets employees and city officials flew to New York Tuesday to deliver the bid to NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and other league executives following a morning press conference in Charlotte. "This is a great time to be a Charlotte Hornets fan and a fan of NBA basketball here in the Carolinas," Hornets COO Fred Whitfield said Tuesday. "... This is a chance for us to host the greatest basketball players in the world on not a national, but a global stage." Whitfield estimates eight to 10 other cities will apply to host the game. Charlotte hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1991 at the suburban Charlotte Coliseum, which has since been demolished. The Hornets now play in a downtown arena. Whitfield estimated Tuesday the arena, which opened in 2005, would need between $42 million and $43 million in upgrades. "The City Council at some point will receive the presentation on the results of the discussions that we have had," Whitfield said. "It has yet to be determined and it will be soon. Again, we want to make sure that our arena is very competitive with and against the rest of the region with high quality and high fan experience." Whitfield said those improvements to the arena will most likely be funded with hospitality tax revenues. The team has openly discussed in the past its desire to have the game return to Charlotte for quite some time. In April of 2013, NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the possibility of Charlotte hosting a future All-Star game, saying "I cant speak as to the year, but Im very excited about the prospect of the All-Star game returning to Charlotte. Its a terrific arena and one of our best basketball markets in terms of passion." Silver said this past March that no dramatic changes were needed to the arena. He said the scoreboard, suites and lighting were some of the things that needed to be upgraded to host the All-Star Weekend, which regularly features the games biggest stars and a host of celebrities. He estimates landing the All-Star game will have $100 million economic impact on Charlotte area based off the numbers from last years game in New Orleans. Jordans Charlotte Bobcats went 43-39 last season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2010, but were swept in the first round by the Miami Heat. Charlotte changed its name to the Hornets earlier this year. Daniel Alfredsson Jersey .com) - Real Madrid claimed its 20th consecutive win across all competitions by cruising to a 4-1 victory at Almeria on Friday. Craig Anderson Jersey . The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldnt make it to the finish. http://www.authenticsenatorspro.com/Mark...enators-jersey/. -- The taxing preseason, which included two games in China, is finally over. Custom Ottawa Senators Jerseys . -- LeGarrette Blount wasnt satisfied with three short touchdown runs, not against a team coming off the second greatest comeback in playoff history. Mikkel Boedker Jersey .C. -- The Edmonton Oilers used a late-power-play goal to get a hard-fought road victory.Concordia defensive lineman Quinn Smith, a top prospect for next weeks CFL draft, admitted Thursday he tested positive for a banned substance. Smith, who raised eyebrows at the CFL combine in March with his ability on both sides of the ball, confirmed in a statement he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol prior to auditioning for league officials. Its the same substance Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for at the 88 Seoul Summer Games, which resulted in him being stripped of the 100-metre gold medal and suspended. "I accept full responsibility for the result of Stanozolol metabolite in my test," Smith said in the release. "I can assure you it was not my intention to use a banned substance or to try to beat the system. "I did not properly research the contents of supplements I obtained online and I will accept the consequences of my actions." Smith added he has asked that his B sample be tested and is awaiting those results. Prior to releasing his statement, Smith sent emails to all nine CFL teams informing them of the positive test and formally apologizing. "I have the deepest respect for the CFL, the CIS and Concordia University and am thankful for the opportunities they offer young people like myself," Smith said. "I have brought undue negative attention to these organizations and for this I am truly sorry. "I will have no further comments to offer publicly." The six-foot-two, 305-pound Smith, a Toronto native, was ranked fourth among the CFL scouting bureaus final top-15 prospects for Tuesday nights draft, heady stuff considering Smith wasnt rated on either the fall or winter lists. A big reason for Smiths meteoric rise was his performance at the combine, where he impressed as both an offensive and defensive lineman. That versatility had Smith being mentioned as a bona fide first-round prospect -- and possibly going first overall to the expansion Ottawa Redblacks -- in the 14 draft. On the first day of testing, Smith benched 225 pounds 28 times, had a 27.5-inch vertical jump and eight feet three inches in the broad jump. The next day, prior to the one-on-one drills, Smith posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.808 seconds, 7.56 seconds in the three-cone drill and 4.62 seconds in the shutttle.dddddddddddd If Smiths B sample also tests positive, his college football career would be over. Smith still has two years of CIS eligibility remaining but as a first-time drug offender hed receive a two-year ban. But the positive test wont hamper his ability to play in the CFL as a rookie. Under the leagues drug policy, Smith will be deemed a first-time offender. He will automatically be subjected to mandatory testing and an assessment, followed by counselling. A second offence will trigger a three-game suspension. The agreement also calls for a one-year ban for a third offence and a lifetime suspension for a fourth positive test. "Its very disappointing that this player tested positive for a banned substance," Michael Copeland, the CFLs president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. "If he is drafted and signed by one of our teams, and the positive test is confirmed, he will immediately be subject to mandatory testing as governed by our drug policy. "While we never want to see a player test positive for a banned substance, it does demonstrate the benefit and effectiveness of testing prospects as they prepare for the CFL combine and draft." The CFLs drug policy is part of the leagues collective bargaining agreement with the CFL Players Association. The two sides are currently negotiating a new deal with the current one scheduled to expire May 31. The question remains, however, what impact the positive test will have on Smiths draft stock Tuesday night. Toronto Argonauts GM Jim Barker said for some teams, the news will impact their overall assessment of the former Concordia star. But Barker wouldnt say whether his opinions of Smith have changed as a result of his miscue. "It really depends on the team," said Barker, who has the sixth overall selection Tuesday. "The kid had no idea what he was taking contained a banned substance, all he thought he was doing was taking a supplement to try and make himself better. "Teams will take things different ways. To say whether its going to hurt his draft stock is speculation. It goes into the pool of knowledge that we have on every player. Its going to be viewed both ways by people. It adds intrigue to the draft, good, bad or indifferent." ' ' '