VENT: Seattle settles with Sonics

[admin]

Well, it's official.  The City of Seattle has settled with the Sonics, which means the team will move to Oklahoma City for the 2008 - 2009 season.  The only thing that could possibly stop them now would be Howard Schultz's lawsuit.

How does everyone feel after the news?  I'm sure not everyone is sad they are leaving.  I for one am.  I'm going to 'sticky' this topic for a while to allow people to bitch, cry, whine, yell, cheer, etc.  This thread can be a long message to all the government officials involved to let them know just how badly they screwed up.

I personally don't think it's possible to put a monetary value on what a professional sports team brings to a city.  I know not everyone enjoys sports, but I'd challenge anyone to say it isn't a positive impact economically, socially and culturally on the city.  There are a lot of tax-payer funded programs that I don't use, but I don't question the need for them and don't complain about paying for them.  Do I want another team?  I'm not even sure after this.  They'll just ask for another stadium renovation in 10 years and hold us hostage again.  Until David Stern is out, I'm not interested.  They can't just keep moving franchises anytime they don't get what they want.  I'd rather not play that game again.

In case you live under a rock and didn't hear the news:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080703/ap_on_sp_bk_ne/bkn_supersonics_seattle_trial_7

[Hawkfan]

I'm so sad today.  It's really sinking in after watching ESPN.  It's really happening.. we dodged bullets before with the Seahawks and Mariners, but it's not to be this time.  I sincerely hope and believe that an NBA franchise will not last long in OKC, unless Bennett is willing to endure losses for many years.  I'll miss the Sonics and hope we get another team very soon.  It'd be awesome if Durant left during free agency to come back to Seattle!

[gasman]

I do not understand what is meant by Key Arena not being up to NBS Standards. I guess the 1995 upgrade to then Seattle Center Coliseum does not count for anything.

KeyArena is the first publicly financed arena fully supported by earned income from the building. Its seating capacity for basketball games is 17,098, ice hockey games and ice shows 15,177, end-stage concerts 16,641, and center-stage concerts and boxing 17,459. Risers hold 7,440 on the upper level and up to 7,741 on the lower level, with luxury suites adding another 1,160 seats.

The renovation cost the city of Seattle $74.5 million, and the Seattle SuperSonics approximately $21 million.
The first regular season game that the Seattle SuperSonics played in the rebuilt arena was on November 4, 1995, against the Los Angeles Lakers.


So what do they mean by not up to NBA Standards

[ppak]

Something to chew on... not sure if there are any lawyers out there, but has the NBA shot itself in the foot with some of the statements it made regarding KeyArena as part of the settlement?  If you recall, many people brought a remodel of KeyArena to Bennett as an option and he repeatedly shot it down saying it was not a viable option.  Now the NBA has clearly stated that a remodeled KeyArena would be sufficient.  If Bennett was truly trying to keep the team in Seattle, then the remodeled KeyArena option should have at least been considered.  More fuel to the fire in Schultz's lawsuit against him saying he did not make a good faith effort.  All he did was shoot for the moon with a $500 million proposal that he knew the local gov't would never get behind.

The more I think about it, the more it seems like the Schultz lawsuit has legs.  This world is just crazy enough that it's ready for the first professional team ever to move away and have to move back after a year.

[TDF]

open letter to kevin durant:
don't sell your house here.  play for OKC until the end of your contract and then move back here to rejoin the sonics!  remember that last game and how loud and passionate are fans are.