'Contract breach' added to lawsuit against Sonics
'Contract breach' added to lawsuit against Sonics

Comments Comment on this article334

Published: May 21, 2008

SEATTLE -- Former Sonics owner Howard Schultz has added "breach of contract" to his lawsuit against new owners who are moving the team to Oklahoma City.

Advertisement

The amendment added Tuesday to the federal court lawsuit says new owner Clay Bennett failed to use "good faith best efforts" for 12 months to make an arena deal in the Seattle area. Schultz says Bennett pushed a $500 million arena plan that he knew would be unacceptable.

Bennett and fellow owners from Oklahoma City bought the team in 2006 for $350 million. Bennett says he tried to make a deal for a new arena but Seattle and state officials failed to support it.

The lawsuit originally filed last month also accuses Bennett of "negligent misrepresentation." It seeks to have the NBA franchise placed in a trust to transfer to Seattle owners.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.


 

Related Topics: U.S. State Government, U.S. Government, Basketball, Sports, Law, Judiciary, U.S. Courts, Civil Trials, Trials, Breach of Contract, Men's Professional Basketball

Toolbar sponsored by: David Stanley Ford
Ads by Yahoo!

Oklahoma City Jobs
$30/Hour Work From Home Jobs.View Home Jobs Now! Computer Required.
National-News-Gazette.com
Apartments in Oklahoma City
Apartment Listings in Oklahoma City. Floorplans, Amenities & Pricing.
Apartments.com/OklahomaCity

shareView All

Buzz Up!


Leave a Comment

Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online

Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.


Log in below or sign up (it's free).





Paul from Yukon--There is no average median income for the year 2006 in Oklahoma or Washington. An average median income has to be computed over a number of years. That's because "median" means 1/2 over a certain number and 1/2 below the same number.

Let's use the numbers 1, 4 and 100 as an example. The median number is 4 while the average or "mean" is 35.

And from what orifice did you pull the "average median income" numbers of $25,000 for Oklahoma anyway?

According to the US Census Bureau (perhaps you have heard of them) the 3-year average median income (2002-04) was $38K in Oklahoma and it was $49K in Washington.

Here's a link. See if you can follow it.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/income04/statemhi.html



harry, lake forest - May 27, 2008 at 3:00 pm
It's rather heartwarming that the Seattle crew is still here intent on educating the poor ignorant Okie's on law and spelling.....sheesh, for goodness sake's, can't u guys chat about this stuff on PI, esp seeing that you quote it like heck?
D, Anadarko - May 26, 2008 at 4:43 am
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore D
It's also illegal to tattoo a fish here in Oklahoma....seriously.
paul, yukon - May 23, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore paul
It is against the law to read a comic book while operating a motor vehicle. Ok Law
Darrell, Clear - May 23, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Kevin, I feel this is a very unique public(national) and possibly precedent setting case(s). I can't see Stern wanting the NBA's dirty laundry exposed and that's why a settlement with Shultz case in the mix is possible. If that is the case. If feel both Seattle and OKC can live with the outcome and both could be very happy in the long run.
Rick, Yakima - May 23, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore Rick
Rick, you ask a valid question. I'm an armachair attorney like the rest of you. However, I have been involved in the civil legal system enough to know that 95% of time that neither sides get exactly what they want. If you held a gun to my head on this issue, I would say that Schultz will lose his breach of contract case because it just smells of publcity stunt whether it is true or not while the city of Seattle will win the lease agreement case becase Bennett never really want to keep the Sonics in Seattle. Then, the city will either make the Sonics stay for the duration of the lease or negotiate a very large buyout in the $100-150 million range. Now, this is just a theory on my end.
KEVIN, EDMOND - May 23, 2008 at 11:18 am
Kevin, you may be right. One question however, obviously if you've "come to the conclusion that neither side has a freaking clue what is going on," then logic shows that either YOU know what is going on and the rest do not- OR- YOU also don't know either and are as guilty as the rest of us of flailing away another theory....you seem to KNOW that neither side is going to be happy. How do you know that? That the rest of us don't know a thing(there have been SOME intelligent postings), you may be correct-but the assumption that "neither side will be happy" shows that you yourself are either a very bright attorney or an armchair one as well.
Rick, Yakima - May 23, 2008 at 10:23 am
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore Rick
Reading these forums are better than reading the funnies. I have come to conclusion that neither side has a freaking clue what is going on. Just a bunch of armchair attorneys who think that because they read an article or listened to their lawyer friend they can give the approximate decision by the judge. When it is all over, neither side is going to be happy.
KEVIN, EDMOND - May 23, 2008 at 9:44 am
trolls, Chris? See, the problem is that a lot of Okies don't want to face facts about the line of bull that was fed to you...do you count yourself in that category??
paul, yukon - May 23, 2008 at 7:16 am
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore paul
You trolls in Seattle are pathetic. Biggest bunch of crybabies I've ever seen. Your city and state made the decision to send the team off to a city that was willing to step up to the plate. More pitiful are the posers on these boards that claim to be from OK when it is obvious they are from WA.
Chris, Oklahoma City - May 23, 2008 at 7:08 am
Paul, thanks for clarifying that...see where you are coming from now
Larry, Oklahoma City - May 23, 2008 at 5:55 am
"Paul, to be fair, the job count is probably colser to the high 60's (but no where near the 170 jobs they told the Legislature (the lease says they only need UP TO 125 spaces...am sure that number includes spaces for individuals other than employees).
Larry, Oklahoma City - May 22, 2008 7:58 PM>> Yes Larry, thats right, it IS closer to 70, but I have dropped the players roster from the number I posted. The 18-20 names on the players roster won't be a job picked up by an Oklahoman, and come to think of it, neither will the positions of coach, assistant coaches, trainers, team doctors, etc, so since they only employ 68-69 people now, chances are they got 60 million in tax breaks for something like 25 jobs that'll be filled by Oklahomans, sounds like a wonderful deal to them..
paul, yukon - May 23, 2008 at 4:50 am
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore paul
Derrick: Don't even engage that troll. The fact 2000 people showed up at the Library and they had to move the meeting to the High School footbal stadium across the street will be ignored by him. Trolls post idiotic comments in attempts to drag you down to their level instead of participating in intelligent discussion. This is done because they are incapable of honest debate so they get their kicks from disrupting the process. Ignore them and they get no satisfaction.
Karma, OKC - May 23, 2008 at 12:54 am
mickey you need to read some of the prior post. Then you will realize why that was published.
Darrell, Clear - May 23, 2008 at 12:45 am
The Oklahoman Editorial where this paper finally admitted they ARE tax INCREASES:
_________________________________________________________________
http://newsok.com/flying-colors-despite-economy-tinker-bond-passes/article/3243639/?tm=1210815433
_________________________________________________________________
Flying colors: Despite economy, Tinker bond passes (5/15/08)
_________________________________________________________________
“...Tuesday was the fourth election in seven months that involved an INCREASE in either the PROPERTY TAX or the SALES TAX. Yet all four measures — a school bond issue, a municipal capital improvements bond issue, the Ford Center sales tax and the Tinker proposal — won majority support”
Larry, Oklahoma City - May 23, 2008 at 12:42 am
That's because Pickens is used to playing in the big Pond with the big Frogs. Unlike Clay who is getting schooled about playing with the big boys......... What does the relative income levels or Government efficiency have to do with the lawsuits anyway?
mickey, sumner - May 23, 2008 at 12:24 am
If Boone Pickens has purchased the team I really don't feel the issues we have today would have happened.
Darrell, Clear - May 22, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I have lived all over the U.S. Seattle has a very good standard of living. Ok is not like Mississippi and not dirt poor. So saying one is better than the other is a waste of time. I do feel the government is better managed in Washington. I have provided links below and read what they say. These groups study state governments in depth.
Darrell, Clear - May 22, 2008 at 11:19 pm
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003688349_webmillionaires01.html
Darrell, Clear - May 22, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Study says King County has 68,000 millionaires
Darrell, Clear - May 22, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Ok someone asked me for links
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/states_card.aspx?abrv=OK
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/states_card.aspx?abrv=WA
Darrell, Clear - May 22, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Roger, Great to hear!! Glad to hear you won't be spreading any mis-information in the future.
Larry, Oklahoma City - May 22, 2008 at 8:43 pm
I completed all four of your assignments Larry and I came up with the same conclusion...It doesn't really matter...Still have to pay it
ROGER, MOORE - May 22, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I didn't bring it up (was responding to the person who did), just trying to correct mis-information. And , no, I am not Paul (you will notice I gave Paul a correction too). But then I guess you missed the last part of my post where I said "Read. Comprehend. Learn. Understand."
Larry, Oklahoma City - May 22, 2008 at 8:24 pm
"Here we go again with this “extension” nonsense"...Larry it is more like here YOU go again with the extension nonsense...We got ya...Back in '07
ROGER, MOORE - May 22, 2008 at 8:07 pm

News Photo Galleriesview all