I have no love affair with the Sonics, but I just hate the idea of them leaving. Some of those e-mails from the owner are just scummy as hell. The city and their fans are being screwed. But moreso than that, whether they were rivals or not, the Sonics have been a really good NBA franchise and have produced a championship. It's not like the Hornets or something. I mean, I hate the Jazz like nobody's business, but I wouldn't feel happy about them moving away from SLC if that were the case. Long standing rivalries are good for the game. Having long standing, storied franchises is good for the game. Keeping history is good for the game. Being bitter about a few playoff exits over a decade ago shouldn't make you happy about what is happening to that franchise.
That Clay Bennett character is a piece of work. It seems there is ample evidence that he lied his ass off to David Stern. In my opinion, he makes Stern out to look like a complete fool by buttering him up with lies. If I were Stern, then I wouldn't even be talking to him after all that. Stern was getting an ear full of BS from Bennett it seems. Is there any doubt that these people bought the Sonics with the full intention to move them to OKC but made it seem like they wanted to keep the team in Seattle? They probably wouldn't have been sold the team if their intentions to move the team were out in the open. Seattle is taking one in the rear unfortunately IMO. I can't imagine that city without a NBA team. The current team ownership appears to be acting in bad faith toward the city. It comes off like they don't want a new arena in Seattle. They just want to move the team to OKC.
It doesn't help that Stern and Bennett were friends before Clay bought the team. The closest analogy I can think of would have been right after Houston voted against a new arena. Instead of pressing ahead for a second vote with the help of Save Our Rockets, Les chose to sell it to Clay Bennett. Bennett comes in, says Houston isn't a world class city like Oklahoma City, demands a half-billion dollar arena that he wants to put in Pearland, and when the voters rejected that idea, said to hell with Houston and announced his intentions to move the Rockets to OKC with the full blessings of Stern and the NBA. There really was no chance of this getting resolved once he bought the team. Pretty sad for Seattle, but I look forward to this upcoming lawsuit. I think it could expose some financial numbers that David Stern would rather not see the light of day. I really don't understand the hate on this board for Seattle. I can understand not liking the Sonics because I don't, but I have always felt terrible for cities losing teams. As a fan, there is no worse feeling than having your team uprooted and ripped away from your hometown. I have friends up here who are devastated by this, and this situation pisses me off at Stern more than any of his other blunders (Playoff format, etc.). He's killing the NBA in the Pacific Northwest. Just very, very sad.
I loved their run and gun style.I hated their illegal zone defense on Dream but Payton was also a great one on one defender.Kemp,Schrempf,and he took out Malone/Stockton on the way to the 96 Finals which was quite an achievement. Kemp also played some really great basketball in the Final too. Their fans deserve to keep the team in Seattle.
I'm going to debate some of what you say, not because it's incorrect, but because it's misleading. What's good for the NBA isn't necessarily good for NBA fans. "Good markets" don't always make good NBA cities. Some of the best fanbases in the country are in San Antonio, Indianapolis, Sacramento, and (gag me) Salt Lake City. These cities aren't exactly world-class, but they all do a better job of supporting their team than Seattle or Atlanta. And many players that play for those teams really like having the rabid fanbase. When Oklahoma City supported the Hornets at the level they did, it showed that they might could support the Sonics better than Seattle. And while I know that bigger markets generally mean better TV contracts, that isn't always what it's cracked up to be either. The "bad contract" TNT does a much better job with their NBA coverage than the "good contract" ABC. Do you live in Seattle? If so, you are in the one group that I do feel somewhat sorry for. Seattlites that are fans of other NBA teams will suffer, and that sucks. But I do think it's time for Oklahoma City to make it's own NBA history.
Stern has already said before that attendance and public support isn't what's causing the move for this team. It's the Arena issue. Have you read any of Clay Bennett's e-mails? I bet you haven't. Check out this gem: “We are attempting to make this the most difficult arena development/relocation exercise of all time. Talking with the lawyers and PR folks now to craft a response strategy. Never a dull moment" Part of the agreement of his purchase of the team is that he makes a "good faith" effort to keep the team in Seattle. He's going to be sued by the city, and with good reason. He's a dirtbag.
I do live in Seattle now, just as I lived in Houston when the Rockets nearly left. This city supports the Sonics in a big way, and the fans are die-hard. It was really sad seeing the Rocket game last week. I had 25-year season ticket holders sitting behind me, and they looked like they wanted to cry. I think Seattle is a good NBA city with a long history and a championship banner. Seattle voted against the first arena initiative just like Houston did. Remember that it took a second vote after Les played chicken with moving the team before he got his arena. Clay Bennett then bought the team and intended to move it from day 1. If Clay Bennett had bought the Rockets, they'd be playing in OKC despite the championships and passionate fans in Houston. I'm not dogging on OKC (well..maybe a little). They supported the Hornets and I think they could support a franchise for a while, but it's not about OKC. It's about Seattle, which is definitely not a second-class city and is a good basketball town. Players seem to like playing here, we don't have state income tax, and there is a really vibrant night life. The city will build a new arena for the Sonics, just not one as grand (and intentionally unfeasable) as the one Bennett wanted. I will disagree with you about the numbers. Seattle is a much bigger market than the OKC, and the Pacific Northwest is a huge market that is about to have 1 franchise (and the Blazers are the enemy to most Sonic fans). That is bad for the NBA from a financial standpoint, for the networks from a viewership standpoint, and for the players from a lost revenue standpoint. As far as it being time for OKC, why not Vegas, St. Louis, and Kansas City as well? Let's move the Kings to Vegas, the Pacers to St. Louis, and the Warriors to Kansas City. Maybe one day New Jersey will need another team to replace the Nets and the Rockets will be available. Teams moving to other cities is bad business, especially when it's been done in such an underhanded manner.
Seattle Times Link The link above goes into some of the good faith clauses when the Sonics were sold to Bennett. I'm very curious if Schulz and the other owners are willing to sue Bennett to buy the team back. It's rotten timing for Stern and Bennett with these emails coming out a week before the NBA votes on the relocation. For those not from Seattle, nobody ever considered Renton a valid site. It's way south of the city, kind of on par with building a new arena in Pearland. As for quotes that the city should give up, I'm telling you Seattle politicians are tenacious and relish taking the role of little guy standing up to the system. They will throw the legal kitchen sink at Bennett and the NBA.
A pro-sports team wants to move to another city is a business behaviour. Nothing you can do. It's all legal. When Bennett & company bought the team, everyone was talking about when would be the move, 2010 or sooner. Noone with common sense would believe Bennett & company intended to keep the team in Seattle, good faith clause or not. David Stern knows to keep his mouth shut to look good. Bennett & company just couldnt keep their mouths shut. That will cost Bennett & company some more dough in settlement of the lease with KeyArena. Other than that, the move is inevitable
It's legal to move a team to another city, but Bennett might be legally bound to sell them back. It's my understanding that Bennett actually signed an agreement that would let previous ownership buy the team back if he didn't make a good faith effort. There are also lawsuits from season ticket holders because when the tickets were marketed, they promised the purchasers that the team intended to stay and would a good faith effort to do so. That's not allowed under Washington state law as it's false advertising. That could cost Bennett some serious coin. I think the move likely happens, but Seattle is not going sit back, and the previous ownership might not sit back. It's certainly not a done deal, and the fact that Bennett is a loud obnoxious ass doesn't help him, Stern, or the NBA.
Shultz may try to squeeze some extra cash -- but he sold to the highest bidder -- and cashed his cheque. If he wanted to keep the team -- he'd a done so. Saying the 'right' thing is kind of standard when buying a team with the intent to move it. Stern knew it at the time...as did Shultz...and Bennett. It has played out that way before. Want a recent example? Take a 3 hour drive up I-5.. Sucks....I know.
Didn't the guy who sold the Sonics to him have a clause in his contract to be able to buy the team back if there was not a good faith effort to stay in Seattle? DD
Unfortunately this is probably true. Even if everything turns out in favor of Seattle it is still nearly impossible to keep a team from moving once it is in the hands of an owner like Bennett. I think the only ones who could step in and change anything is really the player's association and even then only through a passive measure. I'd like to see them push for something like, since the owner didn't fulfill the terms of the sale then all player contracts are voided in the event of a move. Not likely, but you never know, I mean I'm sure most of them would jump at the chance not to live in Oklahoma City for half the year. In the end, things will likely turn out pretty much the same for the Sonics as they did for the Grizzz... A few years of excitement about the team and being a "first class" city, then the return to reality made even more worse by the fact that, crap.....we're in Oklahoma City!!?!?? As an old saying goes around those parts, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
I've read that a few places and the guy running Save Our Sonics claims it's the case, but I haven't heard anything official from Schulz about it.
I hope so. Reminds me of Major League..with a new owner hell-bent on moving a franchise, no matter what.
Just watched the last few minutes of the Sonics and Mavs. I feel bad for them, it was kind of like our situation a while back, only Jeff succeeded......
