It is getting very interesting.



By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
September 24, 2007

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070924/thumb.c73fad913cea44b19fdee13107bf201a.supersonics _keyarena_watw105.jpg (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/photo;_ylt=AjYafs2fazF1rGDpYMKMy0.LvLYF?slug=c73fa d913cea44b19fdee13107bf201a.supersonics_keyarena_w atw105&prov=ap)
AP - Sep 24, 4:20 pm EDT
More Photos (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/gallery;_ylt=Ah8zhDkBKZcP5Zg8Y_eYq.yLvLYF)
SEATTLE (AP) -- Seattle officials filed a lawsuit Monday to keep the SuperSonics from leaving town, saying the team's profitability in much-maligned KeyArena "has less to do with KeyArena than perhaps the Sonics' ability to defend the high pick-and-roll."

Seattle files lawsuit against SuperSonics' attempt to move - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Ap1Z5cXH2PE4rZebr9ArWse8vLYF?slug=ap-supersonics-keyarena&prov=ap&type=lgns)

:hoops:

When I first moved to Seattle, I sided with the Sonics. Being a basketball fan, I was willing to commit a few extra dollars (mine and others) to keep the franchise here. However, after reading about the negotiation tactics of the ownership group, I tend to side with the city now.

Stern says SuperSonics' departure from Seattle is an 'inevitability at this point'
By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer
February 16, 2008 NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Sorry Seattle, there is no saving your Sonics.
That's the feeling of NBA commissioner David Stern, who said Saturday he expects the SuperSonics to leave the city, either this year or when their lease expires in 2010.
"It's apparent to all who are watching that the Sonics are heading out of Seattle," Stern said during his annual All-Star weekend press conference. "I accept that inevitability at this point. There is no miracle here."
Stern says SuperSonics' departure from Seattle is an 'inevitability at this point' - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Av4SC3kvguk00u1curr9Fvq8vLYF?slug=ap-all-star-stern&prov=ap&type=lgns)

:hoops:

I think the relocation is contingent on the willingness of the OKC citizens to pay top tax dollars for a new stadium for a bottom feeding team.

Despite what Stern says, I don't think it's over yet.

It's such a shaft for the locals to have to pony up the money for new arenas, and then they become profit mechanisms for private groups or companies.

You'd think people would smarten up and say "no", build it yourself.

I think its always a tough process to decide how to pay for a new stadium, but the owners really need to pony up most the time for the brunt of the costs... The city/region has alot of costs they have to pay either way, roads and such.

If the owners are forced to build there own stadiums I bet there alot more likely to keep there teams at home too LOL

I think its always a tough process to decide how to pay for a new stadium, but the owners really need to pony up most the time for the brunt of the costs... The city/region has alot of costs they have to pay either way, roads and such.

If the owners are forced to build there own stadiums I bet there alot more likely to keep there teams at home too LOL

I think it is over is Seattle for the Sonics.

If Stern is saying it is over, it is over.

The question is when they move to Oklahoma City do they change their nickname from Sonics (ostensibly for sonic boom due to Boeing being in Seattle) to Oilmen or maybe Wildcatters.

I like that

Oklahoma City Wildcatters.

:hoops:

I think it is over is Seattle for the Sonics.

If Stern is saying it is over, it is over.

The question is when they move to Oklahoma City do they change their nickname from Sonics (ostensibly for sonic boom due to Boeing being in Seattle) to Oilmen or maybe Wildcatters.

I like that

Oklahoma City Wildcatters.

:hoops:

It ain't over.



Ceis and Marty McOmber, spokesman for Mayor Greg Nickels, both criticized Stern for using a public forum to drum up support for relocation.
"It's quite clear that the NBA no longer seems to want to honor the contracts they sign with cities," Ceis said. "So we'll have to have a federal court enforce that. If Mr. Stern thinks this lease is for sale, that's not the case."



City rips Stern for 'publicity stunt' (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/351698_arena18.html)



Bennett won't get the 500 million dollars of public money for the new arena. Right now, I think he is racing the New Orleans Hornets to relocate to OKC. If Seattle wins their lawsuit, then the Hornets will be able to move to a more desirable location at least 1 year before the Sonics.

It would be an outrage if the owners of the Sonics are able to hijack the team in this way. I have to admit, I haven't been paying much attention to this situation until recently. I guess I just assumed that Seattle didn't care very much about it. After reading these articles, I am sickened by the likes of the current owners, the former owner, and David Stern.

ESPN Page 2 - The Sports Guy: Save the Sonics mailbag (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080228&sportCat=nba)

ESPN Page 2 - The Sports Guy: Seeking solutions for Sonic gloom (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080229&sportCat=nba)

I have never been one to rip on Stern, since I think overall he has done an excellent job of running the league, even though I disagree with some things he has done. But this is an absolute abomination for him to stand aside and not do what he can to save a 41-year-old basketball franchise. I guess after reading about the whole thing, I finally realize that this could happen to any franchise. Imagine Davidson gets older and finally sells the team, or dies, and then the team gets sold to a group of real estate agents from Wyoming or Las Vegas or Iowa or something who then proceed to demand a HALF BILLION dollars from the city (that's extortion) to keep them from leaving. I think that should give most of us cold sweats just from thinking about it. With all the economic trouble Detroit has been in, if the Pistons were to be stolen away like that, imagine the psychological devastation that would be left behind.

I think something that has not been talked about very much, but that could potentially have a positive effect, is if we and other fans of other sports teams write to OUR OWN owners, and urge/demand/beg them to use their clout to speak out against this from happening. If the owners of the NBA get the message that their "constituents" aren't happy about this, then maybe they would be more likely to speak out about it. I feel like this topic needs more discussion. What are your thoughts?

Lawyer, estate agents and city council, what better could we expect from them ?

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.

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.



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.

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 (http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-31-87/Clay-Bennett-Might-Leave-the--Sonics--Name-Behind.html)

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?

Clay Bennett Might Leave the "Sonics" Name Behind (http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-31-87/Clay-Bennett-Might-Leave-the--Sonics--Name-Behind.html)

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?

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 :gun1:

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:


Dear Pistons organization,
I am a huge fan of the Detroit Pistons, and I have a lot of love and respect for Mr Davidson, Joe Dumars, and all others who make this great franchise what it is. For this reason I am writing to ask you to vote against Mr Clay Bennett's ownership group's bid to relocate the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City. The dishonest and insincere practices they have engaged in make me fear that such a thing could happen to any team in the NBA, even to our beloved Pistons org. When commissioner Stern seems to sanction this kind of cut-throat behavior, it makes it all the more necessary for the fans to let the owners of our team know how we feel. Voting against it would send the message to your fans all over the NBA that you truly respect and appreciate us, a favor that we are sure to return. Please use your influence to prevent this hijacking of an obviously beloved franchise from taking place. Looking forward to many more wonderful years of Detroit basketball excellence and fan support.
Thank you,
(name)


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.

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.

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...

not sure the details but caught something this morning about the old owner sueing to get the team back because the sale terms said to make a good faith attempt to stay in seatle.... from everything i have heard they have in no way satisfied those terms... so maybe an 11th hour save might be made.

not sure the details but caught something this morning about the old owner sueing to get the team back because the sale terms said to make a good faith attempt to stay in seatle.... from everything i have heard they have in no way satisfied those terms... so maybe an 11th hour save might be made.


Heard the same thing. I think the old owner (starbucks money) doesn't want to alienate the fans as paying customers of his fancy coffee. He is simply trying to cast himself in a different light. He'll never really get to buy them back. NBA supports the move, according to the national sports pundits.

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...

That's a good idea. That way the Pistons and the Mad Ants could share their practice facilities. :nerd2:

It's done. Sorry Wood :(

Sonics move to Oklahoma City - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-supersonics-seattletrial&prov=ap&type=lgns)

It's done. Sorry Wood :(

Sonics move to Oklahoma City - NBA - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-supersonics-seattletrial&prov=ap&type=lgns)
Stern and the dirtbags who bought the Sonics have lied to the fans about this at every possible opportunity. When they had the chance to do the right thing, almost every owner rubberstamped the relocation plan, including Mr. D.

This whole deal is part of plan to extort as much money as possible from taxpayers. If the league wants to be able to make a credible threat against state and local officials who hold the pursestrings, they have to pull this kind of crap at times to show they mean business.

The crooked referee problems are nothing. This is what real corruption looks like.

This is ridiculous and inexcusable and tonight millions of NBA fans have been alienated by David Stern and the city of Seattle. I hope they get a ton of heat for this.

It's done. Sorry Wood :(



Yeah. Sux for you dude... sux for everyone.

The NBA turns my stomach more often than not.

:reading::mad::burp::kleenex::crying::hurt::Cry:

This really sucks. God Bless the Pistons! Hello college ball.

:reading::mad::burp::kleenex::crying::hurt::Cry:

This really sucks. God Bless the Pistons! Hello college ball.

Oh my God. I just knew it was going to happen, but I didn't believe it until it did.This so sucks for us linwood. Now we have to carpool (with the price of gas and all) to Portland to see our Pistons. Or Sacramento? (yuck). Road trip to Golden State in Oakland? Damn, I might have to MOVE over this!:faint::faint2::hurt: :swear2::swear2::gaah::gaah::lame::lame::kleenex:

Oh my God. I just knew it was going to happen, but I didn't believe it until it did.This so sucks for us linwood. Now we have to carpool (with the price of gas and all) to Portland to see our Pistons. Or Sacramento? (yuck). Road trip to Golden State in Oakland? Damn, I might have to MOVE over this!:faint::faint2::hurt: :swear2::swear2::gaah::gaah::lame::lame::kleenex:
Sorry, guys. This really burns my guts to see this dirtbag buy his way out of his underhandedness, and then make faux apologies for the "misunderstandings" that have ocurred over this. There were NO misunderstandings. Bennett et al's media blunders made it abundantly clear what their intention was all along.

Now Sonics fans can only hope and dream that Schultz's law team pulls some serious magic out of their hats in their lawsuit. That one is still going forward.

I would be surprised if Oaklahoma can support a team long term. They have a metro population 1/6 that of Seattle.

Now they are talking about possible expansion for Seattle? Like we need another team.

I would be surprised if Oaklahoma can support a team long term. They have a metro population 1/6 that of Seattle.

Now they are talking about possible expansion for Seattle? Like we need another team.

Yeah, the quality of talent in the league will be even more watered down.

:(

I would be surprised if Oaklahoma can support a team long term. They have a metro population 1/6 that of Seattle.

Now they are talking about possible expansion for Seattle? Like we need another team.

I think that Seattle will get a team by way of relocation (Memphis, Sac).

This (http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/poll/index?pCat=46&sCat=82) is the most disturbing poll I have seen on ESPN. It asks:

How long would you be in mourning if your favorite team left town?

-A year or two
-Several years
-Decades
-Until the day I die

If you look at the results, almost every state in the country and international voters picked "Until the day I die" as their answer. Overall it received 44% of the votes. There was only ONE state in which the most popular answer (40%) was "A year or two". This state had over 1,400 voters participate in the poll.

This state is OKLAHOMA.
:gun1:

How long would you be in mourning if your favorite team left town?

-A year or two
-Several years
-Decades
-Until the day I die

There was only ONE state in which the most popular answer (40%) was "A year or two". This state had over 1,400 voters participate in the poll.

This state is OKLAHOMA.


I always thought Scranton, PA would get a team before OK City.

Stern and the dirtbags who bought the Sonics have lied to the fans about this at every possible opportunity. When they had the chance to do the right thing, almost every owner rubberstamped the relocation plan, including Mr. D.

This whole deal is part of plan to extort as much money as possible from taxpayers. If the league wants to be able to make a credible threat against state and local officials who hold the pursestrings, they have to pull this kind of crap at times to show they mean business.

The crooked referee problems are nothing. This is what real corruption looks like.
This is an awesome post and you are an awesome man. It's great to see fans call this what it is. Bad business and extortion.