"Entertaining millions over the years is certainly worthwhile" Not questioning that at all but it is NOT the government's duty to make sure its citizens are ENTERTAINED. It IS the government's duty to protect the health and safety, educate the populace etc. Usually when the government starts entertaining the populace it is a diversion to other less than honorable and noble things going on. I am not saying that is what is going on in this particular instance, just that we shouldn't be heading down this path to begin with.

We love you Mayor Mick!!!! Keep up the great work.

"I'd love to see my tax dollars at work doing something worthwhile."...Entertaining millions over the years is certainly worthwhile...Nice to have a little fun mixed in with all the crap thrown at us on a daily basis

"They only care about is whether we have a lower cost of living, low taxes, cheep housing, better schools, and better infrastructure"...They don't factor in quality of life at all robert?...No one thinks the NBA will bring in new jobs alone but having what only 29 other cities in the nation have sure as heck doesn't hurt

Why do we think that having a NBA team is going to bring in new jobs. Do you think that some employer in new york who wants out of that dump is going to look at us and say "they have a NBA team, lets move", for heavens sake give me a break. They only care about is whether we have a lower cost of living, low taxes, cheep housing, better schools, and better infrastructure. At the same time our state government, and our lame duck governor is planning on giving tax breaks to the NBA, while we get shafted at the grocery store; largely because our stupid government voted against the sales tax exemption on groceries. And do you think that we will indeed support an NBA franchise; that remains to be seen. If the team sucks so bad like the Arizona Cardinals, people will not show up and the owners will loose money. And if that happens, the owners will threaten us to either show up or we will move out.

Paul, what is your problem with call centers? Yeah, we have a couple and that gets more jobs than the company not coming to town. What is your main beef with them?

Yeah Antonia...I'm sure there are a couple more companies with call centers dying to get here....

i think bringing a NBA team will help oklahoma alot, it will be a great investment maybe even more jobs to our city.so the lazy people living off of the government can get a JOB!!! their the one's taking the money from our children and the seniors. "i hope we get a NBA team"!!

Steph, we are doing something constructive with that tax money. It's called investment. Finally something for some of us that don't have kids in school, etc. I'm always happy to pay my fair share of taxes for school, infrastructure, etc. It's just finally nice to see something I support get the investment. So, honestly, if you are so concerned about poverty, etc, donate a little more of your time or better yet, everytime time you spend some money to buy something, save one penny and donate it to charity. You will see it's not very much money at the end of the day.

Like any divorce, the Sonics departure from Seattle is going to leave bad blood. That's unfortunate; however, it does appear the movers and shakers of Seattle allowed this to occur. Seattle is right -- the NBA has a long history there and should be there -- but the current circumstances were allowed to develop and here we are. As for Oklahoma City, I don't think anyone can blame the owners of the Sonics for wanting to move the franchise to their home town. It's business. If it were sold to some wheat farmers in Amarillo, you wouldn't begrudge them if they wanted to make it the Amarillo Sonics either.

This really disgusts me after reading about the shortages at DHS. Our State does not have enough money to take care of our seniors and children, but we can do this. I'd love to see my tax dollars at work doing something worthwhile. Updating the Ford Center so we can have an NBA team sounds like a plan to entertain a few and not help the masses. If we're going to pay taxes, let's do something constructive with that money.

Should be "City won over NBA (a couple years ago) and now, NBA wins over City"

Wake up people. NOW CMA Strategies is lobbying on behalf of Pro Basketball LLC. NOT the state to try and get more tax breaks. What a hoax.

What's all the crap about the "Gaylord basketball team"? Do you all understand that the "money" families in EVERY city and EVERY state pretty much run the show? Oklahoma would be a helluva lot worse off without families like the Gaylords. If you don't like 'em, don't read their rag or support their ideas, that's fine. But stop bashing them. Look what they do for OU and the Lazy E, etc. They pretty much own Nashville too. I bet those folks aren't bitching about what positives they bring to that economy. Good Lord! Is it jealously, envy, what??

OKC let's show some class about this. Seattle is a great City, been there many times. NO need to pile on. Las Vegas didn't so that when the NFR left, they just went on about their business. I am as estatic as anyone, but, I don't need to harrass Seattle natives.

Yeah, especially in January.

I will say that anyone who criticizes Seattle probably has never been there. If there is a "cooler" place in this country I haven't been there.

Hey Robert, Seattle, where is Gaylord handing out the "treats?"

You know, us Oklahomans don't need to get big headed about anything... If we get the team, we got lucky, and should count our blessings. That is IF WE GET THE TEAM!!! Do you guys realize that one of the BOG has already stated that unless he was convinced otherwise, he would be OPPOSING the vote to get the team here. OKC is not in the clear yet, and even if we are, we don't need to rattle off things like, "oh haha, you guys lost, suckers." Or, "sucks to be you guys, Seattle sucks." Basically acting with any kind of arrogance. That makes us no better then the tools who bash this city, and its people. In all of this though, I will say that I voted YES on March 4th, and so far we are one step away, from getting a team either next year, or in 2010... However, should we not get the team, or an expansion team, I will be seriously dissapointed living in a city where there is absolutely nothing to do anymore. I mean I've already been to all the clubs, lakes, poolhalls, water & amusement parks (that can't even get new rides.) We need this team, for the sake of something new to do, so maybe we can attract even more things to do. We should just count our blessings Oklahomans, but don't get your hopes up just yet. We are now out of the frying pan, and into the fire that is the NBA BOG, and so far they aren't being too kind, saying that Seattle still has a better market then we do, so as of now, they oppose the move. Just pray and hope for the best for this city, that's all we can do now.

You know, us Oklahomans don't need to get big headed about anything... If we get the team, we got lucky, and should count our blessings. That is IF WE GET THE TEAM!!! Do you guys realize that one of the BOG has already stated that unless he was convinced otherwise, he would be OPPOSING the vote to get the team here. OKC is not in the clear yet, and even if we are, we don't need to rattle off things like, "oh haha, you guys lost, suckers." Or, "sucks to be you guys, Seattle sucks." Basically acting with any kind of arrogance. That makes us no better then the tools who bash this city, and its people. In all of this though, I will say that I voted YES on March 4th, and so far we are one step away, from getting a team either next year, or in 2010... However, should we not get the team, or an expansion team, I will be seriously dissapointed living in a city where there is absolutely nothing to do anymore. I mean I've already been to all the clubs, lakes, poolhalls, water & amusement parks (that can't even get new rides.) We need this team, for the sake of something new to do, so maybe we can attract even more things to do. We should just count our blessings Oklahomans, but don't get your hopes up just yet. We are now out of the frying pan, and into the fire that is the NBA BOG, and so far they aren't being too kind, saying that Seattle still has a better market then we do, so as of now, they oppose the move. Just pray and hope for the best for this city, that's all we can do now.

Yes Bennett did a great job of lieing and making treats you win good luck.

Now we should go after what Vegas stole from us 24 years ago - the National Finals Rodeo. That wound still hasn't healed for people who remember that event.

Bennett is just one of several in the ownership group. Get off his back, he's done a great job for OKC in all of this.

When can I buy season tix?

Amen @ Stinkerpants ....they get to keep the ad revenue in the family to from all the media they own here in OKC

Michol-St George -Get over it. You lost. The team isn't up for sale. Your citizens, local and state government already said loud in clear by voting down legislation that would have kept the team. NO ONE in the state of Washington would step up when the team was up for sale.YOU HAVE LOST. You honestly think some last ditch effort will work. Oh by the way, the team isn't for sale. Preach your sorrows to your own local government and your neighbors that didn't vote to keep the team. Have fun watching the weather channel and taking bets on when the next sunny day will be.

So long Seattle! Sooner or later you lose the team, waited to long to have a chance to keep them. I guess you thought Clay was just bluffing didn't you.....

Hooray. We get yet one more blow-by-blow account of getting the Gaylord Family Memorial Basketball Team.

I can see the leaders of Seattle before the "VOTE"...It won't pass, we will keep our team.
After the "VOTE"....Oh NO, now what...Oh yeah, there are other teams that want to move too, lets get them to move. TOO LATE!!!!! If the Sonics have to stay in Seattle for the final years of the lease, how on Earth are they going to fill the seats there with everyone knowing they are leaving in two years?

Wasn't it nice of Nickels to offer up the teams from New Orleans, Memphis and Charlotte?

please Seattle, stop acting like that girlfriend that you broke up with months ago, that just wont go away. Show some pride and move on.

what exactly are you trying to point out here? hindsight is 20/20, should have built that new arena when the issue first came up.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis were quick to respond to David Stern's press confernce today in Oklahoma City. Stern said that the Relocation committee will recomend the Sonics move to Oklahoma City be approved after being wined and dined by Oklahoma officials and Clay Bennett. Below are Nickels and Ceis comments after the OKC Press Conference.






Mayor Nickels




"We don't see ourselves in competition with Oklahoma City," Nickels said earlier in the day. "They want an NBA team and we wish them well in that. There are teams in Memphis and New Orleans and Charlotte that probably would be happy to move there. "We have been home to the NBA for 41 years and we think it's in the NBA's best interest to stay in the 12th-largest market in America."






Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis:




"I think Mr. Stern is trying to turn up the pressure by making everything appear inevitable," Seattle Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis said. "It's a great publicity campaign, but they'll still need to come into court and settle this."




Asked if Seattle might be burning its bridges with the NBA by fighting with the league instead of coming to a settlement, Ceis turned the table.



"It seems to me Mr. Stern is the one who has been planting dynamite with every step he takes," Ceis said.




Stern took a more conciliatory tone than in the past concerning Seattle on Tuesday, mostly in relation to working out an agreement.



"I'm available to Clay and to Seattle, as I've always been," Stern said. "But there may or may not be a discussion to have about a fair settlement for both sides. I'm certainly prepared to participate in that fully and look for a fair resolution."



Ceis found the commissioner's offer "very ironic," coming at this point.



"That would be very typical of Mr. Stern," Ceis said. "I didn't see him anywhere around trying to help us when we were trying to keep the team in town. But now that he wants to usher them out, he's willing to lend a hand."