Magic Wands: August 7, 2009

-The countdown to avoid a lockout has begun as owners and representatives from the players' union met in New York earlier this week.

-The Orlando Events Center will officially be the Amway Center. 3rd Quarter Collapse's erivera7 got a chance to chat with Alex Martins about it as well as the possibility of seeing a sponsor on Magic practice uniforms -- and when they say practice uniforms, I assume they mean warmups, that makes much more sense.

More interesting Martins is very open to the idea of having sponsors on game uniforms. Something I know I am staunchly against. I want to see "Orlando" or "Magic" on my uniforms. It makes them more personal and easier to identify the "Magic brand." If you get a sponsor, it needs to be for a 10-, 15- or 20-year commitment.

-Speaking of the Amway Center. They released new video and artist renderings of the palace on Church Street.

-Bradford Doolittle of NBA Prospectus runs some fancy numbers through some complicated machine or formula and comes out with some indecipherable date. I think what he says is the Magic will play the third easiest schedule this season. Cleveland is first and amazingly Charlotte is second. He also computes the Spurs are the odds-on favorite to win the title. I guess that's why they play the games on the court.