Sonicsgate

Is it safe to say malOofs will screw up new stadium in sactown town kings move to Seattle and kings have 1st pick next year bc David stern wants to up the value of the team. And Seattle OKC rivalry is born in the NBA

 

i think the reality of it was that they weren't willing to build a stadium in seattle until the sonics actually left.

Personally ive always thought Steve Ballmer should have done more, and probably bought the team (his effort was sort of half assed) and i think the MS derby's between portland and seattle would have become quite the rivalry, lol.

 

No. I think they would move to Anaheim...

 

Btw I don't disagree that the ownership had no intention of keeping them there, but i think the biggest issue was that they couldn't really get the support for a new stadium from seattle and its business people.

Upgrading key arena wasn't really a practical option, it was just too old.

 

Watched it, thank you Jeff Balke.

Hope I spelled your name right.

 

Okay, quoting myself here, but now further into the video I feel that, in order to truly be a fan and support your team, no matter the sport, you have to, at least on some level be prepared as a citizen to bend over and take it up the ass.

Sports leagues are run to make money, nothing else matters, least of all your feelings as a fan, the second you do not bow to their will, they will leave you. It's a poorly (for the consumer) constructed lease and one that will expire when you are presented with an ultimatum to sign a new one or we will find someone else who will.

I know that statement may seem completely juvenile but it never been so perfectly illuminated as it is here in this video.

It's sickening really and really makes me question my support for sports in general, the veil is tattered and torn.

 

Pro sports teams are like dating that high maintenance hot chick, if you don't spend the dough on her, she'll look elsewhere. College sports is that old reliable plain jane chick that you can count on to be there, but she looks like a horse.

 

This is very similar to the Lebron thing. It's not the end result that is bad - its a business. But the outright lies and deceit behind it is disgraceful. Many people in the film refer to being naive. I think it's more a matter of some people just don't operate in that spectrum of lies. Literally under oath in a courtroom lying. It's not naive to expect people to be honest, especially when caught red-handed.

 

Some of you guys have real dependency issues. Oh I've left my girl on the street with no food or money because I'm too busy playing video games and masturbating and she left me. Waaa how unfair.

The league did what it had to do, and as Aleron stated Seattle just didn't get the money together for a new stadium in time. Ballmer had the funds, but he was complacent. I'm glad they got out of Seattle and entered a bright market like OKC. Seattle still has a pro soccer, football and baseball team as well as a plethora of intellectual things to do. OKC needed this and they've been great so far, even when their team was crap.

Seattle will get over it.

As far as college sports, I always found them lame. If you don't want to support the highest level of the sport and want to follow amateur leagues so you can have a sense of community, you're no different than the girls in Sex and the City. It says a lot about your insecurities and your need to relate rather than appreciate excellence.

 

Do you always feel the need to demean others in an attempt to try better yourself? You know you can make a point without having to try and make yourself seem all high and mighty by trying to belittle others...

As for the topic at hand: I don't blame them for moving to Oklahoma.. if there was the potential for money to be made that was larger than Seattle, it's their right to move the franchise. It may not be in the best interest of the people, but it is the right of the owner of the franchise, as at the end of the day, it's his money that is at stake. Sports in your city aren't a right, more of a privilege sadly.

 

It's called keeping it real.

You can't hide from the truth, because the truth is all there is.

The truth hurts, because the truth is all there is.

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I agree that college sports are lame, I don't like them at all. But the rest of your post is just ignorant man..

 

Agree with this.

 

nba = mafiya

 

Watched the entire movie. Obviously this movie is intended to feel for the Seattle fans, however in reality, like others have said on this thread, the NBA is a business, an NBA team is a business, Owners of these teams are looking out for their investments. As a logical stand point, you cannot blame owners for moving a team if their stadium is not efficient enough to make profit. Why would you work your ass off to only owe money at the end of the day? Would anyone work 40+ hours a week for instead of a paycheck, a bill for $400? OF COURSE NOT. The Circumstances in Seattle at the time were the reason for the loss of their team.

 

I think this is a little short-sighted.

Again, I thought the Lebron decision was the appropriate analogy. Not because of the result, but the process.

In this case, yes, this is capitalism at work. And yes, the NBA has every right to use all of its leverage to make as much money as possible. And at the end of the day, if the public wanted to spend tax dollars elsewhere, or not at all, good for them for voting what they want.

But a couple of things, of which the documentary points out, and which seem obvious. Granted, perhaps the other side of the story is not as cut and dry as it seems, but you be the judge.

- Is Clay Bennett a liar? Yes, absolutely, definitely, without a doubt.

- Did he negotiate in bad faith? Yes, absolutely.

- Did Stern "collude" with him to negotiate in bad faith? Certainly seems likely.

- Was Howard Schultz mislead? Questionable. I say probably, but out of his own stupidity / gullibility. Probably more the later. Somewhat hard to believe, but I can believe it. You can get myopic sometimes. And when you a presented with a huge check and big return, you get even more laser focused. I believe he truly believed Bennett and company would try a LOT harder to make it work in Seattle... even though it was a stupid belief.

- Did the Seattle mayor make some very poorly timed, in hindsight fairly stupid mistakes? Absolutely. Especially, as noted, in hindsight.

- Does the combination of the above mean that there was a lot of opportunity for better outcomes, especially given the collusion? Absolutely. Schultz might not have sold to Bennett. Bennett might have actually worked a little bit harder and the public might have supported a new stadium plan (and then what for Bennett?). The mayor might have waited to hear the verdict of the lease lawsuit. Etc.

In the end, is this business as usual? Perhaps. I'm not sure there is a business as usual, but I'd argue that this wasn't on the up and up. Not illegal, mind you, just not kosher in anyway.

 

Actually I prefer watching players who want to play because they love the game, not for the money.

Know of all the players who say 'I dont want to go to so and so team' but in reality they get traded there anyway cause they dont have a choice. Then they whine and cry and pout and 'boo hoo I get paid millions but this city sucks, the night life is lacking.'

College players do it because they want to play. Of course they want to make it to the NBA, but 99% know they wont. They listen to their coach. I have trouble watching the NBA because guys will take plays off. If Dwight doesnt want to play, guess what, he says Im not playing. Then what does the owner do? Fire the coach and GM. Yeah its real fun to watch him.

The avg NBA salary is $92,000 a week, and yet you still hear a lot of players complaining about one thing or another. Think about NFL players, they are the worst.