Stern on Seattle expansion team

Generally I do not learn article on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to take a look at and do it! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite great post.

I've been to Oklahoma and have lived in Tulsa. Oklahomans are great people and I suspect most would rather earn a NBA franchise team rather than snatch one from another city. Now that the facts are starting to come out I will be curious to see what OKC residences will start to say on the matter. One thing is certain, in a few years if OKC has a NBA team they will be approached to upgrade their basketball arena. No matter how much money they spend on it now it won't meet the needs of a team say 5 or 10 years from now. There are also cities much larger and with bigger metro area's than OKC which will target OKC for their team at some point in time. I doubt you'll get much sympathy from Seattle regardless what happens with the Sonic's. Wanting a team badly enough to snatch one from Seattle which has a rich history supporting it's PRO teams is ridiculous. When you see polls that give you the impression that Seattlites don't care if the Sonic's leave are simply not true, it's frustration at the cost of keeping the owners happy at the expense of local roads, bridges and infrastructure. Every large city has to balance it's needs which includes entertainment. Seattle more than shows it's love of the Sonic's by attendence and the passion you've been reading about. OKC will eventually need to rebuild or replace it's own arena or Tulsa, Memphis, Vancouver or some other city may try and lure your team away too. I don't hate OKC for wanting a team and I admire OKC for working to get the NBA there, but I dislike the idea of OKC prying our team through it's local ownership group when they know we love our Sonic's. How would you feel if we took the "Sooners" and it's legacy away from your great state?

As to all the commenters I grew up in the mid-west in a small town in Illinois, I have visited OKC @ what was Tinker, I know about much of the history there. Like many places across our nation it is all different, and if you have lived a certain place you feel a connection. I understand the heart ache from both sides, but professional sports has held communities hostage for 20 some odd years and its time for them to put a better business plan on the table, more present matters need public money and owners need more pryvate money to finance. If it is profitable pryvate money would be bending over backward to finance 500 million dollar areanas. Safe-Co Field in Seattle is one of the finest stadiums in the US, it is not an arena and cost 550 million dollars.

I hate to tell the author of the article, but his information is far too incorrect. I respect journalist and would heed them to have their facts correct before writing. After then owner of the Seattle Pilots and now commissioner, Bud Selig relocated to Milwaukee after one year and named his franchise the Brewers, Senator Slade Gordon (R) from Wa. filed a law suet for breech of contract. MLB could have faced a larger anti trust law suit and settled by naming an expansion team who started play when the Kingdome was completed in 1976 and named the Mariners.

I'm pretty pumped to hear the news that Schultz will sue. Raises a few questions though, especially if in the end us Seattleites cave too much on a new arena. Have we been duped? Either way you slice it, if they stay, attendance definitely goes up, even among those of us who are bitter towards schultz. If it were a plan, it would be a clever one. The bonus for okc? In planning for the sonics' arrival, you've passed the legislation and will have a head start towards being immediately ready for a new franchise. I'm one happy townie thanks to this news. OKC, sorry for the pun, I know you want a team SOONER than LATER, but hey, fresh start, new franchise, no baggage, maybe later is greater. Definitely better than supporting Clay's perceived dishonesty. You guys don't want a team under those conditions. I can't respect Raiders fans because in their selfishness they embrace crazy Al Davis and his literal pirate tactics. Same scenario. In closing, it's my first time seeing this site, Seattle heads and Oklahomeboys, don't form opinions of the denizens of these respective cities based on s#!+talking blurbs on this site. That's just how folks talk on the net, about anything. all chumpyish. I got family in both cities and would like to see some comraderie here. Say it with me, like you're 7'7'' : "I LOVE THIS GAME!"

How do you all feel about this http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2004349361_schultz15.html I don't really care this is a post and run. See you in court Bennett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

someone said oklahomans dont visit seattle? thats interesting, because the city is constantly flooded with tourists. and tons of them are from oklahoma and that part of the country. including your mayor!!

Philip Says: March 30th, 2008 at 7:49 pm “Where do you get your stereotype of Seattlites?” Rainy, overcast, gloomy, Starbucks, Microsoft, Google……that’s the national perception. Phillip That is the perception most Seattleites try very hard to promote. Most of us do not want anyone else moving here and try very hard to discourage it. I am happy to see it is working, if just a little bit. Unfortunatley it hasn't worked as well as we want. People still keep showing up. Mickey A Proud Member of Lesser Seattle and pulling on my gumboots and raincoat to out an Bar BQ as I write.

yes, seattle is better than oklahoma, does it make you feel better to read it? you seem to need to. you're proving my point. if seattle is so awesome and oklahoma is so terrible, why waste your time CONSTANTLY reminding everyone of what is in seattle. we know, but keep telling us (and yourself) of these things if it makes you feel better. because really, as much as you hate oklahoma, i'm indifferent towards you. so please, continue your impressive insults and know that you're the best. really. you are. seriously.

donutboy...you read good

Okay, we have a deal...you can have the Sonics and we get Google. Thanks.

"Where do you get your stereotype of Seattlites?" Rainy, overcast, gloomy, Starbucks, Microsoft, Google......that's the national perception.

Philip, The people of Seattle have Clay Bennett as their representative of what an Oklahoman is like. Personally, I have my chain-smoking, truck-driving mother-in-law whom I don't even allow in my home as my frame of reference. Where do you get your stereotype of Seattlites? Or do you just suffer from an inferiority complex?

i can't speak for anyone else, but due to the comments on this website, i'm starting to think of seattle as being full of people who don't know who to be angry at, and are lashing out at anyone who will hear their cries. you may think we're dead and lifeless, but guys, this isn't about culture. it's about money, so keep talking crap about oklahoma, because it makes you seem cool. really. it does. totally classy. real intellegent. especially when you admit you've never been here, and use other states as your example to down oklahoma. great point. no really, a very well-made point. how can i even continue to try to converse with such amazing minds?

.....and the perception we have of Seattle is a gloomy depressing place that rains all the time and is full of rude, arrogant, latte sipping, computer nerds.....and a lot of homely women. The vast majority of Oklahomans have never been to Seattle, have no desire to ever waste our time going there and will never give the place another thought once our team moves here.

Joey is right about OKC's image nationally as a "dead, lifeless, wasteland." This may or may not be true, the closest I've been to Oklahoma is Kansas and Missouri. These places weren't quite dead, lifeless or wastelands, but they weren't exactly desirable places to live. Phoenix and the rest of Arizona fit the bill, although their appeal is year round sun and fun. I'm not sure bringing the NBA to OKC would improve this image, but it's possible. How is the weather between Novemeber and May in OKC?

yup, this was almost intellegent, then people have to start being insulting. "dead, lifeless,wasteland." that is a hell of a thing to say. you, joey, are a sad person. i hope you feel better about yourself by bashing people you've never met ovet the internet. i hope that's working out for you.

spokane deserves a team! its an economic powerhouse, by comparison! and the area and the city are pretty! why is okc, even the discussion?? my heartbreaks for the future of the NBA!

joey is the perfect example of why I have no sympathy for the people of Seattle. They're getting just what they deserve. ....and we're getting their team. Perfect.

phillip, your a mindless coward!

phillip.. joey said what??? get your facts right!! youve got a lot of cyber balls!!!!

it takes decades of work, to support a franchise. seattle, has done this for 3 franchises! for thirty plus years! and we are a city 20 times your own! and it has been a battle! we are the creators of boeing,ups,microsoft,amazon,and many others. those are companys that have shaped this nation. and they are born here, the most beautiful city in the country! your city is a dead, lifeless,wasteland! our tragic little sister, is a better market than yours..... SPOKANE!!!!

it is so cute, to hear mindless drones, speak of things they know nothing about. LIKE HAVING A PRO SPORTS FRANCHISE!!

I don't know where everyone in Seattle gets off thinking that Stern is such a liar and manipulator. He's said numerous times that if Seattle didn't do something to improve it's arena situation, the team would move. He said it from the beginning. Who cares if it was renovated in 1995, that was 13 years ago, and was obviously done without enough of a vision to make it viable now. Stern is doing exactly what he said he would do, no arena, no team, and he's going to follow through on it.

Phillip Why do you think that Seattle will accept a buyout? If you are relying on what may be common sense in OKC you are uniformed about the politicians in Washington. - I-93 does not allow the City to accept any offer of a buyout -With their jobs on the line, these politicians are already being seen as weak and ineffective. The lose of the Sonics on their watch, without a fight to the end but a meek surrender for money, will cost them their jobs and thus their sense of purpose. -Seattle politicians have absolutely no economic vision or ability to manage anything. They are all virtually unemployable in the Real World. -They also throw money around like it belongs to somebody else. 15 million dollars for 3 outdoor toilets. 90 million for a monorail that never got built because of poor planning, a 250 million underground bus terminal that was too small to allow buses and light rail at the same time. It goes on and on until you laugh or cry, depending on where you live. -At this point in time, no one cares if the NBA returns if the Sonics leave. The amount still owed on the Key can be taken out of the surplus in the General Fund and no will will miss it. -Even if Seattle goes ahead and builds a new arena down the road no one up here will accept anything Stern says about an expansion team. He has proven himself to be a liar and manipulator and will not be trusted. What passes for Hard line Business in other places does not work here. The carrot works well but all the stick receives is a snarl. Bottom line is the City will not settle and the Sonics will play here through 2010. The City and fans will do everything they can to cost Bennett money. They will not support the team or the NBA . The trial will drag the NBA , Bennett and Stern through the mud and embarrass everyone. The goal is to cause maximum damage, both by reputation and financial. The people will hold out hope until the moving vans are out of site, then they will tell the NBA to screw off and go on to other things. Eventually a new arena will be built and the NHL will be the major tenant. They may even be called the Sonics. The NBA will start using a move to Seattle as a club over other cities who refuse to build arenas and we will just yawn. When David Stern dies their will be a large contingent of Seattleites attending his funeral. Just to make sure he is Dead. In short. Seattle will not settle, the trial will proceed with all the exposure possible and the Sonics will play here for 2 more years.

Blah, blah, blah....I've never read such a long winded bunch of B.S. in my life. Rather than waste too much of my time on that rambling drival I'll just pick out a few of the funnier highlights. Joey wrote..... "We in Seattle have built: 1967 - Sonics first home - 100% taxpayer funded 1976 - Kingdome (Mariners and Seahawks)- 100% taxpayer funded 1995 - Key Arena - 100% taxpayer funded 2000 - Safeco Field for the Mariners - majority taxpayer funded 2002 - Qwest Field for the Seahawks - majority taxpayer funded 2008 - Key Arena proposal - 50/50 public - private See the trend? Cities like OKC who are new the game are often easy targets and bite on the 100%+ funding demands. Those that have been through it before, or at least have paid attention, are not so eager to go that route." Yea, I see a trend, joey. When Seattle was building facilities, they we're attracting major league teams. When they started expecting team owners to commit private dollars to public buildings, they came within a hair of losing two teams and ended up losing a third. We think we'll follow the example of when Seattle was attracting major league teams. joey wrote..... "That is true. You wrote Bennett a blank check. 100% of the costs, zero private investment, no controls on price overruns, complete control of the building and all revenues from it. The state is jumping in to give him tax breaks to pay all his costs for moving. It is a great deal for him at the expense of the poor in OKC who have no choice but to line Clays pockets with money out their food budget" Are you just ignorant or are you a liar? It doesn't really matter because everything you wrote after this paragraph had no credibilty.

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