Seattle does not plan to let the NBA SuperSonics go without a fight. Mayor Greg Nickels announced Thursday a $300 million renovation proposal for beleaguered KeyArena and introduced a group of local businessmen interested in buying the franchise from Clay Bennett's ownership group.
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But Washington political leaders expressed little optimism that the legislature would fund the $75 million required from taxpayers under the plan.
Even more problematic for Seattle, the team is not for sale.
Bennett declined comment Thursday but has repeatedly said he has no desire to sell, particularly after Oklahoma City voters Tuesday approved a $121 million package to renovate the Ford Center. The Sonics have filed a relocation application to move to OKC, which NBA owners will vote on April 17-18.
"Mr. Bennett has stated that he is not selling the team,” said Tim Frank, the NBA's vice president of communications.
And NBA commissioner David Stern this week issued even more pointed comments about the Sonics' future in Seattle.
Speaking to Portland television stations KATU and KGW, Stern noted that Bennett had offered a buyout of the Sonics' KeyArena lease that runs through 2010.
"If the expressed desire to bleed current ownership for three more years is acted upon, then we'll take the bleeding with them and the chances of there ever being a franchise in Seattle again are not very good,” Stern said.
The Seattle plan presented Thursday could help lure a replacement franchise for the Sonics, should they leave their home of 41 years.
The group claiming interest in buying the Sonics or owning another NBA franchise includes Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer, Costco chief executive Jim Sinegal, wireless entrepreneur John Stanton and Seattle developer Matt Griffin.
Mayor Nickels' plan calls for the ownership group to pay $150 million of the KeyArena renovation, with taxpayers supplying the other $150 million, split evenly between the city of Seattle and the state of Washington.
State Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Anacortes, speaking for the Democratic caucus, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer "there is absolutely no chance of us considering it this legislative session.” The session ends Thursday, and Seattle officials hope to have an agreement established by the time the NBA owners vote on the Sonics' relocation application in April.
The plan calls for Washington state to extend the same hotel-motel and car rental taxes currently paying off two recently constructed stadiums, Qwest (NFL) and Safeco (baseball).
The Washington legislature repeatedly has declined to consider such a tax extension for a new Sonics arena.
"I have no problem with that choice,” Stern told the Portland reporters. "But don't say the NBA is moving out. We understand the push theory, and we've been pushed out.”
The Associated Press
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albert, your right. the NBA is currently at a low, that it has not seen since the pre johnson/bird era. according to the usa today the NFL is a distant first, suprisingly baseball is all alone in second, then college football,college basketball, then the NBA. which is actually tied with nascar. and really its no wonder with the way that baffoon (stern) has pushed individuals over teams. of course you have to include incredibly dumb moves from seattle to okc! the united states has turned on the NBA. for example i love the seahawks and mariners, but i love football and baseball even more. i hate the NBA, i hate basketball, but i love the sonics. i dont think im unique amongst sports fans around the country.
There is a difference jill....As I remember, Shinn and his then partner made the request to move the hornets to another city(new orleans), were we(okc) have a local group seeking a team (seattle) to buy then turning around and moving them here(okc)...aka, a $250,000 fine for "the remark" bennetts partner made. I also remember bennett and co. trying to buy the majority in the hornets and shinn being smart enough not to. Yes, they are talking about it jill "the moves of established nba markets into smaller markets or markets with other established pro teams is not such a good idea" unless it is a major sports market like seattle with 3 or 4 million people. I am just telling you what I hear when I do run across someone talking nba (hardly any people at all)and ask them what they think about it. Honestly in my travel the nba is rarely talked about at all, you have to really try to find that conversation, most people just are not into the nba...sorry.
jill, you have fallen victim to the stern/bennett smear campaign. those two are worse than the republican party! i understand that stern cannot make bennett sell. i simply meant the situation wiill most likely call for it. and phillip, you know nothing about washinton state politics!!
Yea..the politicians words have changed. Even if this didnt get brought up to Legislative table now..I honestly dont think later would be bad either...(but better if its done now)Seattle will win its court battle.Thats a given.And people always want to confuse itmake it harder to understand then what it is.A legal binding document was signed.By the other ownership group..yes...but buying the team you also take on everything else that goes with it. Clay and his buddies know this.That is why they dont want this trial.Someone who is from OKC tell me this....does anyone really like Clay over there?Another thing is this....if you guys were us and an NBA team had been part of your history for 40 year..would you want another entity to come in take it?You guys had the Hornets.You guys supported them.You guys deserve an NBA team...but get another one.There are a couple other teams out there right now that are looking for different homes that dont have the history the Sonics do here.They dont have the support or committement as well.They had Payton,Kemp and George Karl on the Best Damn Sports Show last night and they said that they would hate for Sonics to leave.They want their numbers to be retired here...not in OKC.This whole thing has been scham from the beginning.All Clay and his group have done is lied.Now Im not saying our states legislation played fair either...but cmon.All the true sports fans in OKC who understand our problem...you guys should petition for us.The ones that love and want our Sonics to stay.Let it be known to Clay and his group that you guys would love to have an NBA team but not in this fashion.Dont let Clay take our Sonics!
joey says, "if this happens, the bog could not move a team from a large market to a tiny market! that would be bad bussiness. okie boy will be forced to sell the club to local(seattle) buyers." Joey, there are a few flaws in your thinking. First of all, I seriously doubtthe NBA is going to force "okie boy" to sell the team. If David Stern was ever going to force someone to sell a team, it would have been George Shinn. The fact that George Shinn is still an owner demonstrates that the NBA doesn't force owners to sell. Now,they might negotiate with an owner. Were David Stern to offer another deal to Clay Bennett and the Sonics' ownership, then he might sell. But otherwise, Seattle is almost assuredly out of luck. If you want the Sonics, you've probably also got Clay Bennett.....no other option. I'm not sure David Stern has kept the rest of the country in the dark. Until two days ago, it pretty much looked like the politicians in Seattle didn't care, nor did the majority of the populace. Let's see what happens. It's been my experience that most people making guesses about what is going to happen are as likely to be wrong as right.
Jill, www.okcthunderfans.com - Mar 8, 2008 at 7:54 pm
"At this point I think you may find five or six legislators out of the 147 here in Olympia who support the idea of funding the Sonics. We’re so short on resources because of the falling revenue (maybe we could talk about comprehensive tax reform!) that funding the Sonics would not pass the laugh test." All best wishes, Representative Roger Goodman-45th Legislative District
phillip, go to the seattle times. the language is much different. this situation literally improves by the hour. the legislature has been flooded with calls, of people begging them to take action. there was also a rally this morning, in olympia. if you compare the comments of states politicians from two days ago, to today. it certainly appears this will see the light of day.
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Gov. Chris Gregoire says she's working to keep the NBA in Seattle, although it's becoming more likely that it won't be the current SuperSonics. Gregoire also says she talked with Sonics' owner Clay Bennett after Oklahoma City voters overwhelmingly approved paying for improvements to the Ford Center. Bennett made it "abundantly clear" that the Sonics are not for sale, but Gregoire is holding out hope for another franchise that could keep the Sonics' name.
if this gets through the washington state legislature. and with the latest public outcry, it probably will get through. if this happens, the bog could not move a team from a large market to a tiny market! that would be bad bussiness. okie boy will be forced to sell the club to local(seattle) buyers. david stern has cleverly kept the rest of the country in the dark. by saying seattle doesent care! nothing could be further from the truth. with this latest proposal and bill simmons article on espn.com. david stern has been exposed!! the best chance that little town has, to get a club. is to purchase the memphis club. when its all said and done rational thinking will win the day.
Albert says, "I am telling you people, this whole nba crap is giving okc and oklahoma a bad reputation!" Albert, isn't your other home New Orleans? Those of us who follow basketball remember very clearly New Orleans trying quite hard to get the Minnesota Timberwolves (BOG didn't approve move) and then the Charlotte Hornets. Anyone talking about that now? How is that different? Then there's Kansas City trying to get the Pittsburgh Penguins AND the Seattle Sonics. Reputation ruined nationwide? The worst mistake a team has made, in my opinion, is the Indianapolis Colts. They kept the name Colts, so that when Baltimore took Cleveland's team, they had to become the Ravens. Since Baltimore left the Browns name in Cleveland, there's not so much of a bad taste in the journalists' mouth. Were the Sonics to move to OKC, keeping the name Sonics would be a bad thing to do for precisely that reason. But, were they to move here and we change their name, leaving the Sonics name in Seattle, all would eventually be well, and what we did would be as forgotten as what New Orleans did (although those in Charlotte still remember, as would those in Seattle). I think Minnesota has forgiven New Orleans for trying to "steal" the Timberwolves, so perhaps New Orleans should give it up too.
Jill, www.okcthunderfans.com - Mar 8, 2008 at 7:58 am
I am telling you people, this whole nba crap is giving okc and oklahoma a bad reputation! Not many people even know whats going on or cares out of the states of seattle and oklahoma, but when I talk to someone who follows the nba ( not very many ) when I am on business out of state, they have a very negative view towards us here. They say "yeah, you guys are always tryin to get your hands on somebody's team", or "we will continue the rapid decline of the nba like the other relocations have done." It's just stupid to get a black eye in the sports world over the boring sport of nba.
Michol says, "I know Clay's son Graham and he reads what is written and Clay get the message." Clay's son is in high school. I don't think he's helping with decisions of substance yet. Not only that, but I doubt he's interested in the Sonics staying in Seattle at this point in time.
Jill, www.okcthunderfans.com - Mar 7, 2008 at 10:38 pm
My "thieves" references are touching a nerve.. Hysterical! It is called parody to the uninformed in such matters. You do HAVE parody in y'alls culture round er eh?? I have been consistently ripping Seattle/Wash govt for their slow reaction but I disagree that failure to build a palace for Bubba Bennett was stupid. That was a scam anyway. The mistakes up there were made in the pre-Bubba era.
Nice smack with the Oilers reference there Ken! I do respect intelligent smack however I am a Seattle area native who was never an Oiler fan so I could care less. Nice try though! I am a Texans fan though so you I guess you call that a near miss.
No pro team in this country has ever been denied a relocation in a court of law. Let me repeat that for you...NO pro team in ANY SPORT, Ken you are actually wrong. The Washington State supreme court stepped in and stopped the Seattle Seahawks move to Los Angeles and than the city of Seattle sued the NFL. The NFL was forced to make Ken Behring the then owner, offer the team for sale to a local ownership group before the relocation was approved by the judge. Paul Allen then stepped in and bought the team and you know how the story goes. As for Jill comments about the powers that be not reading the posts, believe me, I know Clay's son Graham and he reads what is written and Clay get the message. More people read then what you think.
Im from Seattle and the Sonics were part of me growing up.Its our history.People have to understand something though...its not Seattle saying no...its the state thats being stubborn about it. Clay wanted to pay nothing for the stadium..I think he is doing the same to you guys.Your city is fitting the whole bill when you guys probably have other needs that are more important than a sports franchise (maybe Im wrong)
The other thing I think is pathetic is that this whole situation makes people ugly and say uneducated things towards one and one's own city.It shouldnt be an all out verbal brawl between OKC and Seattle. And for you people who think Stern is running the show...youre crazy. He's a puppet and thats been the over all view of him throughout the league for some years now.The owners are not going to vote yes for relocation to OKC and you want to know why.....MONEY.Compare the markets...do the math. These owners are businessmen. They know what will make money and what will lose money. It doesnt make sense to move a team out of a top 15 market to put them in a barely 50 market..if that.This is not a hit towards OKC as a city.Ive never been there but Ive been told its a great city.But you have to be logical about it.The TV and radio revenue alone out of Seattle....I mean geez..cmon.Now yes Bennet does OWN the Sonics. But you have to wonder...why would Seattle go to war if they thought they would lose? It was a scam from the get go. That is why there is more than just one lawsuit. The NBA relocation commitee will only move a team if there is NO public outcry to keep them. The key word being NO. We have plenty of it. You really dont think the NBA ownership group would love to have 4 billionaires owning an NBA team? They would love it. All of this stuff (them meeting in OKC to decide relocation) is just formalities. The league does not want to bleed along with Bennet. Its just a bunch of grown men bluffing each other waiting for the other to fold. OKC deserves an NBA team but not in this fashion. I think the rest of the nation is starting to agree. Anyone listen the interview Dave Lock did with the Jazz owner? I dont have a link but find it and listen..very interesting.I got no hate towards OKC or the people of OKC. Its not the people of Seattle causing the problems..its our STATE legislation. Clay has gotten himself over his head and he sees that now. He thought it would be easy move this team..it hasnt. My opinion...you guys will get an NBA team..but it wont be Sonics in the end. But hey Im nobody...just my thought.
RE: Steven: Rams from LA (Nielson rank 2) to STL (21), Browns from CLE (17) to BAL (24), Oilers from Houston (10) to Nashville (30). Even just staying in the NBA you had the Hornets go from Charlotte (25) to NO (53), Vancouver (Canandian...don't know their rank, you tell me) to Memphis (47 - I'd wager Vancouver's Nielson ratings is higher.) Fact of the matter is that television market really dictates very little concerning franchise moves. Stern knows this. Just curious...have you ever spent any time in OKC?
This story is almost is good as the one written just a few years ago when OKC approved to build the Ford Center for the NHL team the was coming.LOL Now the Ford Center can update it's web site that stills says it was built for the NHL and change it to the NBA. Then in another five years they can change it to say it is for built for a NFL team.
I find all of the comments below very interesting (No need to get offensive Brent - I personally can't imagine why anyone would wan't to live in OK City as opposed to Seattle, but I won't be mean about it). It has been a long time since I have been an NBA fan. However, the simple fact is that if Seattle wants the Sonics to stay in Seattle, they will stay. No matter how good of buddies Clay Bennett is with David Stern, Stern is too smart a business man to move a team from the 14th largest market in the US to the 45th. OK City would have far better luck getting the New Orleans Hornets in a couple of years. My advice: You already have far superior sports opportunities in Norman and Stillwater. College Football and college basketball are far superior to the NBA. Go support those teams! As a UW alum, we are looking forward to playing the Sooners next fall.
Thieves? We are taking advantage of a town who is too damn STUPID to understand that they've had chance, after chance to keep their team - and they're too damn dumb to do anything about it. As far as culture, and scenery - sorry, I don't want to a liberal, pot-smoking hippie, who wants to pull the trigger on a shotgun jammed down my throat because of the rain and live in a town that is so full of themselves - why would anyone here want to be around a bunch of arrogant (insert your choice of word here)?? I'm sick of you out of town (butt)holes belittling OKC. If you've never been here, or don't have any ties to this state - then shut your damn mouth and go worry about your own problems!!!!!!
"Major League Soccer is expanding to Seattle in 2009 so they can look forward to that." A very informed Okie there, how nice of you to point that out. For being pretty enthusiastic thieves, how polite you all are! You cannot have that franchise though, or the Seahawks, or the Mariners or even the Storm (I guess you did not want them, gee, wonder why?). You cannot have the scenery, or all that money, or the port, or Boeing, or their culture. Hmmm.. lets see, anything else they can leave unlocked so good ol OKC can steal them? You certainly would not want their politicians, they would GIVE you those!
Robert from Seattle says, "Jill is right it is going to cost to move the Sonics. At least 4 lawsuits are involved and the Attorney General is looking into a federal consumer fraud case against the ownership group." Yeah, Robert, and your lawsuit happy city may just sue itself out of a franchise in the forseeable future. Didn't you see Stern's comments in Portland the other night? He said if Seattle makes Bennett et al bleed, the NBA will bleed along with them. I take that to mean that the NBA may assume some of the losses, or at least that the NBA is not going to take kindly to these Seattle shenanigans. At some point, if there's no acceptable deal in Seattle that involves Bennett, Stern's going to go to the big money in Seattle and tell them to drop everything and let the team go, sans the Sonics name. Then he'll tell them that if they play nice and promise to either fix up the Key or build a new arena, they'll be next in line for the next relocating franchise. I'm just speculating again, but that's what I see happening. If Stern didn't make George Shinn sell in Charlotte, when he despises Shinn, he'll not make Bennett sell.
Jill, www.okcthunderfans.com - Mar 7, 2008 at 11:54 am
Michol says "He[Stern] does not even get a vote in the relocation process, it is only the owners themselves. This is all part of the game and OKC is the pawn." Michol, let's all admit we're speculating. None of us has the inside track on what will happen here, or we'd be too busy to post on a message board. I've seen fans make all sort of wild pronouncements that haven't come true in both cities. Let's just admit we're entertaining ourselves wondering what's going to happen. But, the one place you are wrong is in underestimating Stern. Stern speaks and by and large the BOG listens. Mark Cuban may be a little of a maverick (lol) where the BOG is concerned, but these guys long ago learned to let Stern do most of the decision making. There are good arguments for leaving the Sonics in Seattle, but there are also good arguments for putting a team in OKC. Let's just sit back and see what happens. Even if you convince someone on this forum you are right, the people with power aren't reading here.
Jill, www.okcthunderfans.com - Mar 7, 2008 at 11:48 am
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The other thing I think is pathetic is that this whole situation makes people ugly and say uneducated things towards one and one's own city.It shouldnt be an all out verbal brawl between OKC and Seattle. And for you people who think Stern is running the show...youre crazy. He's a puppet and thats been the over all view of him throughout the league for some years now.The owners are not going to vote yes for relocation to OKC and you want to know why.....MONEY.Compare the markets...do the math. These owners are businessmen. They know what will make money and what will lose money. It doesnt make sense to move a team out of a top 15 market to put them in a barely 50 market..if that.This is not a hit towards OKC as a city.Ive never been there but Ive been told its a great city.But you have to be logical about it.The TV and radio revenue alone out of Seattle....I mean geez..cmon.Now yes Bennet does OWN the Sonics. But you have to wonder...why would Seattle go to war if they thought they would lose? It was a scam from the get go. That is why there is more than just one lawsuit. The NBA relocation commitee will only move a team if there is NO public outcry to keep them. The key word being NO. We have plenty of it. You really dont think the NBA ownership group would love to have 4 billionaires owning an NBA team? They would love it. All of this stuff (them meeting in OKC to decide relocation) is just formalities. The league does not want to bleed along with Bennet. Its just a bunch of grown men bluffing each other waiting for the other to fold. OKC deserves an NBA team but not in this fashion. I think the rest of the nation is starting to agree. Anyone listen the interview Dave Lock did with the Jazz owner? I dont have a link but find it and listen..very interesting.I got no hate towards OKC or the people of OKC. Its not the people of Seattle causing the problems..its our STATE legislation. Clay has gotten himself over his head and he sees that now. He thought it would be easy move this team..it hasnt. My opinion...you guys will get an NBA team..but it wont be Sonics in the end. But hey Im nobody...just my thought.