Oklahoma City Supersonics

[dmbrhs]

Originally Posted by JONFARR

^Yeah, but what arena isn't "intimidating" when it isn't full?

Fine, but there is nothing actually wrong with the arena. It's the smallest in the NBA, and even the worst seats still feel close. It's a very steeparena, unlike most others in the league.

 

[lakersmets49ers]

i know it would never happen but wouldn't it be awsome if kevin durant, jeff green and anyone else that matters on the sonics publicly declarded that theywouldn't suit up if the team moved to oklahoma and that they would either hold out, refuse to play, or demmand a trade.

bill simmons idea of the whole crown going on the court and peacfuly protesting during a game would be a good idea also, it would never happen but imagine ifit did.

 

[bigtomgetsgwap]

Man....i'm surprised they have not put this up on ESPN.

 

[jmause3]

I wish they would stay in Seattle also

 

[draketw206]

Originally Posted by bigtomgetsgwap

Man....i'm surprised they have not put this up on ESPN.

bill simmons put up a real good article about it, but it was on espn.com page 2... i dont understand how it doesnt get more press. espn loves eating up"filler" news. like someone once said, we might as well be south alaska..

 

[datznasty]

Also, this is not a business decision at all. It is personal. The smart business decision would be to keep the team in Seattle, it's a much more lucrative market than OKC. Seattle is the 13th largest market in the country, OKC is the 40th largest. Bennett wants a team in OKC. He's from OKC, he lives in OKC. If he brings an NBA team there, he would become a hometown hero.

No, it's also still a business decision. OKC have shown they have the ability to support an NBA franchise. The vote to renovate the FordCenter and build an NBA practice facility passed too, so it's definitely a go.

 

[jonfarr]

^So you are trying to tell me (TV viewers and attendance) that OKC is a better fit for the Sonics than Seattle?

 

[datznasty]

It appears that way. These guys don't become multi millionaires by making moves with their heart. If it was a move that's going to lose them moremoney, it obviously wouldn't be made.

 

[N41D]

Originally Posted by DatZNasty

It appears that way. These guys don't become multi millionaires by making moves with their heart. If it was a move that's going to lose them more money, it obviously wouldn't be made.

Exactly... You can say it's a personal decision, and there's not any business motive behind it, but you're absolutely kidding yourself. The guymay want an NBA franchise in his hometown, but he's not going to sink a quarter of a billion dollars into a business investment, just to move the team andlose even more money. If Clay Bennett didn't feel like Oklahoma City would be a more lucrative market, the move wouldn't be made.

Like I said earlier in this post, if this were your business, your financial investment on the line, and you could potentially make more money be movingelsewhere, you'd do the same damn thing. No good businessman is going to stand pat and continue to lose money.

 

[bennyblanko]

hey, i like key arena. the real person to blame is wally walker; this guy did killed sonics fanfare when he started the drafting of these terrible projectcenters.

 

[chewtoy112]

I heard that they're moving to Renton?

 

[dmbrhs]

Originally Posted by DatZNasty

It appears that way. These guys don't become multi millionaires by making moves with their heart. If it was a move that's going to lose them more money, it obviously wouldn't be made.

They're going to lose so many millions of dollars by moving it's disgusting. First off, they grossly overpaid for the team in the first place. Thelease sucks, so they're losing money left and right. They have to pay millions in moving fees as well. They're not going to make any money in OKC.After all that, there is absolutely no way you can say it's a smart business decision to move the team. It's all personal.

 

[Sinner]

Originally Posted by BennyBlanko

hey, i like key arena. the real person to blame is wally walker; this guy did killed sonics fanfare when he started the drafting of these terrible project centers.

Jim McIlvaine - 7 years for $33.6mn... it was all downhill from there...

 

[exileue]

Originally Posted by DatZNasty

It appears that way. These guys don't become multi millionaires by making moves with their heart. If it was a move that's going to lose them more money, it obviously wouldn't be made.

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Originally Posted by DatZNasty

It appears that way. These guys don't become multi millionaires by making moves with their heart. If it was a move that's going to lose them more money, it obviously wouldn't be made.

Exactly... You can say it's a personal decision, and there's not any business motive behind it, but you're absolutely kidding yourself. The guy may want an NBA franchise in his hometown, but he's not going to sink a quarter of a billion dollars into a business investment, just to move the team and lose even more money. If Clay Bennett didn't feel like Oklahoma City would be a more lucrative market, the move wouldn't be made.

Like I said earlier in this post, if this were your business, your financial investment on the line, and you could potentially make more money be moving elsewhere, you'd do the same damn thing. No good businessman is going to stand pat and continue to lose money.

orly.......this is from minority owner aubrey mclendon in an OKC newspaper. you gotta be a subscriber to read it so if you want to do that, here's the link. Otherwise, read it from True Hoop

McClendon said the team would probably make more money if it stayed in Seattle.

"But we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here," he said. "We know it's a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it's great for the community and if we could break even we'd be thrilled."

tell me again about a smart business man......

 

[draketw206]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2004264013_sonics06m.html


http://

Thursday, March 6, 2008 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

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Sonics
[h1]Microsoft CEO may chip in millions to keep Sonics[/h1]
By Jim Brunner and Ralph Thomas

Seattle Times staff reporters

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Microsoft's Steve Ballmer is said to be part of an investor group.

Related

• Notebook | Sonics players surprised by margin in Okla. vote
• Archive | Oklahoma City passes arena tax to lure Sonics
• Archive | Business titans try to keep Sonics here
• Archive | Seattle rejected $26M offer to let Sonics go

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and wireless magnate John Stanton are among the local investors behind an effort to buy the Sonics and cover half the cost of a $300 million KeyArena expansion to try to keep the team in Seattle, sources confirmed Wednesday.

Neither Stanton nor Ballmer could be reached for comment Wednesday night. The other members of the investment group, Costco CEO Jim Sinegal and Seattle developer Matt Griffin, have previously disclosed their own involvement.

Seattle leaders are pushing the offer of private cash as a "game changer" that ought to sway state legislators to pass an arena package to keep the Sonics from moving to team owner Clay Bennett's hometown of Oklahoma City.

The proposed 50-50 split beats anything put on the table by Sonics owners. Even some usual critics of taxpayer subsidies for pro sports - including anti-stadium activist Chris Van Dyk and Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata - say it could be a good deal.

But Bennett has repeatedly said the Sonics aren't for sale. And the effort to push a bill through the Legislature in the waning days of the session may share the fate of similar proposals over the past three years that showed up late and fell flat.

"They do the same thing every year. They come in at the last minute," said House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam. "I don't see it happening."

Lobbyists for the city circulated draft legislation Wednesday that would authorize taxpayer money for the KeyArena project. Under the proposal, the investors who hope to buy the Sonics or another NBA team would contribute $150 million in cash, with the remaining $150 million to be covered by public funds.

"It's late. It's very last minute, all the parties acknowledge that," said Seattle Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis, referring to the Legislature's scheduled adjournment next week. But if lawmakers pass up this chance, Ceis said, "the offer won't necessarily be there next year."

The possible involvement of Ballmer and Stanton has been the subject of much speculation, but their roles have been kept secret even from many of the lawmakers in Olympia being asked to approve the tax package. Stanton, who founded Western Wireless, was a part-owner of the team under the previous ownership group, led by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.

Ceis declined to comment Wednesday on whether Ballmer or Stanton were involved.

The proposal calls for raising $75 million by temporarily extending car-rental and restaurant taxes. Those taxes, collected only in King County, are currently used to pay off the debt on Safeco Field. The remaining $75 million in public funds would come from the city of Seattle, through an admissions tax at KeyArena or other revenues generated by the building.

The tax money would be tapped only if Ballmer's group is able to buy the Sonics or another NBA team and agrees to a "legally binding commitment" to pay $150 million, according to the draft legislation.

Griffin, who would not discuss the identities of other investors, said they all believe the team is a crucial part of Seattle's quality of life.

"Our friends believe that having good professional sports teams is important to a community just like great universities, operas and theaters," Griffin said. "Nobody goes to all of them, but they're the attributes that allow you to attract the best elements to a town."

The latest effort comes as the Sonics appear to be getting closer to a move to Oklahoma City.

Voters there Tuesday overwhelmingly approved $120 million in taxes for an arena upgrade and practice facility aimed at luring the Sonics.

Bennett is fighting the city in court to get out of the KeyArena lease before 2010.

Next month, NBA owners will meet to decide whether to approve Bennett's request to move the team.

Even if a competing arena plan is approved in Olympia, Ceis acknowledged there is no guarantee that Bennett would sell the team back to local owners. Bennett and a group of Oklahoma businessmen purchased the Sonics and Storm in 2006 for $350 million from Schultz's group. The Storm was sold in January to a group of Seattle-area owners for $10 million.

Ceis said without a viable arena plan here, the NBA won't consider another bid by a local ownership group to buy the Sonics or bring another franchise here as a replacement.

"There is a window here that this ownership group sees. A decision by the NBA will be made in the next couple months," Ceis said. "They believe now strategically is the right time."

Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle, who sponsored a previous Sonics arena-tax proposal, said backers are trying to dodge pitfalls of previous bills.

"They're definitely more savvy. They're definitely going at it with a lessons-learned approach," Pettigrew said.

In addition to the offer of private money, backers of the latest plan have quietly briefed critics of past arena plans to try to win their endorsement.

Licata, the Seattle city councilmember who drew the ire of Sonics fans a couple of years ago when he told Sports Illustrated the team's departure would have little impact on Seattle, said the latest proposal is headed in the right direction.

"Their intentions are good if they're looking to keep public contributions to a minimum and then maximizing private contributions, which is more than anybody else has mentioned," Licata said.

In 2006, Schultz's ownership group offered $18 million toward a proposed $220 million KeyArena expansion. Bennett last year offered $100 million toward a $500 million arena he wanted to build in Renton.

Van Dyk, the anti-stadium activist, said he thinks the latest proposal could be a good deal for taxpayers.

Van Dyk said he's been briefed on the plan and thinks it would meet the requirements of Initiative 91, approved by Seattle voters two years ago. The measure requires any arena subsidies for pro sports teams to turn a profit for the public.

Van Dyk suggested the arena plan may not even require a public vote.

"If it meets the terms of I-91, as far as I'm concerned, the public has already had its say-so," Van Dyk said.

But another powerful critic of pro sports subsidies, the Services Employees International Union (SEIU), is withholding judgment.

"We continue to be highly skeptical of any plan which takes scarce public resources and uses them primarily for the benefit of a for-profit, private sports team," said David Rolfe, president of SEIU Local 775.

But Rolfe said his union could come around if the proposal is broadened to include public benefits such as low-income housing or health care.

Seattle Times staff reporter Sharon Pian Chan contributed to this report. Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or [email protected]. Ralph Thomas: 360-943-9882 or [email protected]

Copyright [emoji]169[/emoji] 2008 The Seattle Times Company

 

[dmbrhs]

If there is a local group willing to even just pour that much money into an arena, the league HAS to at least look at it. Stern would look even worse (amazing,I know) if he ignored this LOCAL group willing to pay that much. Stern needs to take the Sports Guy approach and let the Sonics go back to local ownership andgive Bennett Memphis at a reduced rate. Move to OKC and hand them the #1 pick.

 

[N41D]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

If there is a local group willing to even just pour that much money into an arena, the league HAS to at least look at it. Stern would look even worse (amazing, I know) if he ignored this LOCAL group willing to pay that much. Stern needs to take the Sports Guy approach and let the Sonics go back to local ownership and give Bennett Memphis at a reduced rate. Move to OKC and hand them the #1 pick.

That could make sense... We'll see. It would definitely make more sense from a geographic/division alignment POV if Memphis were to move to OKC insteadof Seattle. But then what is Bennett's selling point in OKC? He goes from marketing Durant, Green, and another Lottery pick this year, to hoping he'llget lucky in the Lottery this year with Memphis... He walks away from a situation where he's got 6 first round picks in the next few years, to a situationthat just traded away their only valuable asset for crap, and he's got next to nothing to work with...

Just don't see that making much sense for Bennett, unless he comes out well ahead financially.

 

[rukawa sj]

This proposal is huge news...

 

[buggz05]

Still aint happening. The owner has the right to do whatever he wants. It'll delay the move if anything.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The whopping margin of victory in the vote to make $97 million improvements to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City caused a few Sonics to pause after Tuesday's 100-97 defeat to the Detroit Pistons.

Most players expected the measure, which will extend a one-cent sales tax, was going to succeed, but few believed it would receive 61.9 percent of the vote.

That means 61.9 percent of the people in the state of Oklahoma are willing to give up a penny for dollar they spend EVERYTIME they buy something.I believe they're at 8 cents already, this just pushed it up to 9 cents per dollar. No market in Oklahoma?

EDIT: For the record, I want the Sonics in Oklahoma, and I would have voted:

• Hell No.

 

[throwmonkey]

Based on the fact that it says "extend a one-cent sales tax" I think it means that tax is already on thebooks and it just won't expire like it would have otherwise.

 

[buggz05]

Originally Posted by throwmonkey

Based on the fact that it says "extend a one-cent sales tax" I think it means that tax is already on the books and it just won't expire like it would have otherwise.

A "Penny Sales Tax" is an Oklahoma tax that is voted on to add a penny to your taxes that goes to a certain funding. There's already been apenny sales tax to clean up OKC. And it's made a HUGE difference, has REALLY cleaned up down town OKC. You could be right though, they could be extendingthat penny sales tax and it now is being used for the arena.

 

[dmbrhs]

The tax thing is what baffles me about Seattle voters. They didn't want to extend a restaurant and hotel tax that's already on the books. So unless youlike to sleep in hotels all the time and eat at restaurants almost everyday, it just doesn't affect you. And if you live like that, then you're richenough to afford it and not care. The tax affects tourists way more than locals, yet apparently it's too much to ask. This coming from the city that islargely Democratic and loves getting taxed up the wazzoo.

 

[loveofthegame916]

Originally Posted by jerseymizzle

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

Originally Posted by Jwill JR

I think a NBA team would do well out in OKC..

Yeah, the Hornets, who should have stayed.

wasn't really possible. stern wants the hornets to stay in NO to support the city. they really didn't belong in the first place, but the messed up part is OKC wouldn't have presented itself as a viable NBA location if it hadn't been for katrina.

I would be all in favor of keeping the Sonics identity in Seattle a la the Cleveland Browns. If Memphis relocates to Seattle would be a great spot. That way OKC could take Memphis spot in Southwest Division and Seattle could stay in the Northwest.

Otherwise, I'm going to cheer for the OKC to lose every time the play.

how bout we just move memphis to OKC. if i was a sonics fan with our future looking this good, and the NBA swapped them out with the memphis roster and said "well you got your team, same name, same uni's, here you go", that would be more of a slap in the face to me than just taking the team away.

it's like cleveland moving to baltimore and winning the super bowl four years later while the browns are an expansion team. yay, we get to rebuild again instead of celebrating the city's first championship in forever.

sonics need to stay in seattle.

much better than moving the sonics to OKC

Oklahoma CIty Grizzles>>>>>Oklahoma City Supersonics

The NBA-"Where Getting Your Team Jacked Happens"

 

[buggz05]

Like I said I feel sorry for Seattle, but that's just business. It happens. The question is, would you still support your team if they did move?

There's been a lot of talk about the Chargers moving, and if they did move....I would be utterly pissed. But I would still support them.

 

[exileue]

Originally Posted by buggz05

Like I said I feel sorry for Seattle, but that's just business. It happens. The question is, would you still support your team if they did move?

There's been a lot of talk about the Chargers moving, and if they did move....I would be utterly pissed. But I would still support them.

i've gone back and forth on this. at first i thought that once all the guys who played in seattle were gone i'd be done with the team because theywouldn't be my team anymore. they'd have the nickname but everything else about them is different. now i pretty much decided if the sonics leaveseattle i'm done with the nba for the most part. i'm still gonna have players i like and will probably check in to see how they did. but as forwatching games or buying stuff i'm done with the league. even if another team takes the sonics place. i know it won't hurt the nba or david stern ornothing, but that's my reaction to this whole thing