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- Mar 22, 2007
Am I the only person following the Sonics situation? I'd just like to hear what everyone outside of Seattle thinks about this.
Heres a quick summary of what's been going on:
In 2001, a group led by Howard Schultz (owner of Starbucks) buys the Sonics for $200 million. (Note: Schultz was not the sole owner, he was part of a group of58 others, it's just that he was the most famous one and became the face of the group) He has a 5-year plan to re-build the franchise.
Fast forward about 5-years later...Schultz and Co. sells the Sonics to an Oklahoma group led by Clay Bennett for $350 million, pocketing a cool $150 millionprofit. (Background on Bennett: It's known that he has always wanted a team in Oklahoma. He was the main person that brought the Hornets to OK City afterthe Katrina disaster.)
As part of the contract to purchase the team, Bennett has to put in a "good faith effort" to keep the team in Seattle. So far he hasn't reallydone much of anything. He's asking for a state-of-the-art $500 million arena or else he's packin up the team and moving to OK City. He's rarelyever in Seattle. He operates from Oklahoma, his Sonics business card has his Oklahoma area code fone number on it.
The Sonics have tried to pass initiatives to get public funding for a new arena, but they have all failed. Keep in mind, the residents of Seattle have beenpaying for the Seahawks and Mariners stadiums and they're tired of it. Key Arena is only 13 years old and it's not even paid off yet.
The City of Seattle has come up with a Key Arena renovation plan, but Clay Bennett is refusing it. He wants a brand spankin new arena or nothing at all. Andguess what? The Ford Center in OK City will have to be renovated to accomodate the Sonics...Does that make any sense? You're not willing to play in arenovated Key Arena in Seattle, but you're more than eager to move to a renovated Ford Center? !%@?
Also, a local Seattle group has offered to buy the Sonics, their offer has been refused. Bennett claims the team is not for sale.
So right now the City of Seattle is in a lawsuit with the Sonics. The Sonics are trying to break their lease early (they are bound to the lease until 2010). If the city wins, the Sonics have to play in Seattle until 2010 and hopefully by then a solution to keep the team in Seattle would come up. If the city loses,the Sonics are gone and in OK City next year.
Oh yea, the WNBA Seattle Storm have been bought by a Seattle group and are staying in Seattle. (If anybody even cares.)
David Stern hasn't done jack to help keep the team in Seattle. All he's done is deliver shots at the city through the press.
For those that don't live in Seattle, you guys have no clue what it's like right now. There's basically no marketing effort for the team. We gotKevin Durant and Jeff Green in the draft, but the Sonics don't market that at all. They are trying to alienate the team from the city. They let Ray Allenand Rashard Lewis go. They cut ties with everyone that was connected to Seattle. Former legendary Sonic players and coaches are no longer associated with theSonics. Jack Sikma, Lenny Wilkens...etc.
And that's pretty much it so far.
Heres a quick summary of what's been going on:
In 2001, a group led by Howard Schultz (owner of Starbucks) buys the Sonics for $200 million. (Note: Schultz was not the sole owner, he was part of a group of58 others, it's just that he was the most famous one and became the face of the group) He has a 5-year plan to re-build the franchise.
Fast forward about 5-years later...Schultz and Co. sells the Sonics to an Oklahoma group led by Clay Bennett for $350 million, pocketing a cool $150 millionprofit. (Background on Bennett: It's known that he has always wanted a team in Oklahoma. He was the main person that brought the Hornets to OK City afterthe Katrina disaster.)
As part of the contract to purchase the team, Bennett has to put in a "good faith effort" to keep the team in Seattle. So far he hasn't reallydone much of anything. He's asking for a state-of-the-art $500 million arena or else he's packin up the team and moving to OK City. He's rarelyever in Seattle. He operates from Oklahoma, his Sonics business card has his Oklahoma area code fone number on it.
The Sonics have tried to pass initiatives to get public funding for a new arena, but they have all failed. Keep in mind, the residents of Seattle have beenpaying for the Seahawks and Mariners stadiums and they're tired of it. Key Arena is only 13 years old and it's not even paid off yet.
The City of Seattle has come up with a Key Arena renovation plan, but Clay Bennett is refusing it. He wants a brand spankin new arena or nothing at all. Andguess what? The Ford Center in OK City will have to be renovated to accomodate the Sonics...Does that make any sense? You're not willing to play in arenovated Key Arena in Seattle, but you're more than eager to move to a renovated Ford Center? !%@?
Also, a local Seattle group has offered to buy the Sonics, their offer has been refused. Bennett claims the team is not for sale.
So right now the City of Seattle is in a lawsuit with the Sonics. The Sonics are trying to break their lease early (they are bound to the lease until 2010). If the city wins, the Sonics have to play in Seattle until 2010 and hopefully by then a solution to keep the team in Seattle would come up. If the city loses,the Sonics are gone and in OK City next year.
Oh yea, the WNBA Seattle Storm have been bought by a Seattle group and are staying in Seattle. (If anybody even cares.)
David Stern hasn't done jack to help keep the team in Seattle. All he's done is deliver shots at the city through the press.
For those that don't live in Seattle, you guys have no clue what it's like right now. There's basically no marketing effort for the team. We gotKevin Durant and Jeff Green in the draft, but the Sonics don't market that at all. They are trying to alienate the team from the city. They let Ray Allenand Rashard Lewis go. They cut ties with everyone that was connected to Seattle. Former legendary Sonic players and coaches are no longer associated with theSonics. Jack Sikma, Lenny Wilkens...etc.
And that's pretty much it so far.
