The best model in my opinion is the one that has the state paying for all of the infrastructure improvements so that all that is left for the owner to do is build the arena. Any arena that is built with public funds should be owned by the government that foot the bill. If the team is successful, then they can sell to the owner and make a profit. If not then they can pursue new team owners with deeper pockets to improve the product and possibly, buy the arena.

I'd rather that public funds are never spent to facilitate private enterprise.

The Pistons built the Palace on their own, taking enormous risks and running way over budget.

This is the way to do it.

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Momma was queen of the mambo, Poppa was king of the congo, deep down in the jungle, I start banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be, in my place instead of me, cause I'm the king of bongo baby, I'm the king of bongo bong
-Manu Chao

It was unusual to see the Silverdome built in the mid 70s for 55 million dollars. It seats 80,000 people. Then the Palace opened up less than a decade later for the same 55 million, and it seats just a few more than 20,000. I think all of the Detroit sports facilities were built with owner's money, except for infrastructure.

Exactly. And is Bill D having trouble making money off the Pistons? I sincerely doubt it.

Clay Bennett Might Leave the "Sonics" Name Behind

This guy should be tarred and feathered.

The whole idea of abandoning his lease is ludicrous. I heard a speaker at a conference use him as an example.

To get out of the lease cheaply, he has to argue that the Sonics don't provide an economic benefit to Seattle . Meanwhile, he's in Oklahoma City, arguing that the franchise will bring an economic advantage there, which is why they should build him an arena.

It's guys like this that give capitalists a bad name.

You have to wonder who is the bigger fool, Seattle or the OK City?

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Momma was queen of the mambo, Poppa was king of the congo, deep down in the jungle, I start banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be, in my place instead of me, cause I'm the king of bongo baby, I'm the king of bongo bong
-Manu Chao

Mr. Bennett never had any intention of staying in Seattle. He demanded a brand new, 500 million dollar arena paid for in its entirety by taxpayers. He refused a 150 million dollar renovation to the existing World Class arena (circa 1998 when 150 million dollars was spent on upgrades). OKC is offering less than Seattle toward renovations, a much smaller market, and almost no guarantee of fan support. (ticket sales for the Hornets dropped dramatically their second year in OKC).

The owners want to have an NBA team in their hometown, and Stern's NBA believes that the owners of the team should have that right.

In most cases, I would agree. If you own a business, pay the employees, and take the risk, you can put your business anywhere you want it, even if it doesn't seem like a smart move economically.

The difference in this case is that the city has invested alot of money into this franchise. The bonds on arena renovations won't be paid off for another 10 years, and the repayment plan relies on taxpayer money and concession sales taxes at the Key. Guess how many hot dogs and cold beers they will sell when the basketball team leaves town.

As a Seattle resident, I hope the team stays. I've been to quite a few Sonics games since I've been here, and I will truly miss pro basketball if they leave. (Or semi-pro in the case of the Sonics!), but I won't miss Clay Bennett

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"Eastern Conference regular-season champs, baby," said Chauncey Billups. "This is what we set out for when we started the season in training camp. We did it and we're happy." (2003)

agree 100 percent owners should be able to have the team where ever they want.... but the problem with that.... you shouldn't be able to move a team... sorry.... team belongs to the town in my book.... you want a team somewhere else... then get an expansion team... or a team that a town really doesn't support... which is nowhere near the story of seatle.

the more i hear about this... the more saddened i am.

Does anyone have any contact info for the Pistons org (specifically ownership)? I used their email link on the pistons.com site, but I was hoping for something more direct. I sent this letter:

Is this too long? I want something short and sweet, but something that expresses how I feel. I wish there were a way to start a national campaign for fans league-wide to write their owners and ask them to vote against this attempt. The owners are smart, and if they see enough interest from their fans, they are more likely to protect their own interests by making their fans happy.

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"I make my own luck." -HD

I like it. The Sonics situation stresses me out as a basketball fan and Seattle resident.

If Bennett wins and bolts for OKC, the name and history should stay in Seattle. In fact, I'm for a re-distribution of names/uniforms/etc. throughout sports.

IMO, The Colts should play in Baltimore, the Jazz in New Orleans, the Lakers in Minneapolis etc...