Wow- Supersonics leaving Seattle.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by 8ballrollin

I believe the premise of your post is incorrect.

No thinking person thought the Sonics were going to stay after they were sold to non-local ownership. No one cares about arguments over owner's rights to sell assets. Of course, they can do what they want - as long as it's ratified by the league and other owners (except in the NFL case of Al Davis, who had to sue to move his team).

On the city being screwed, it depends on what you mean by city.

If by city, you mean the municipality of Seattle, who cares? They've been made whole via the settlement. If by city, you mean the fans of a 40-year-old franchise (that won a NBA title), then yes, they've been screwed over. By who? That's open for debate.

On the free market side, I don't see US sports leagues operating in free markets (see antitrust exemptions). I think The Premiership in England is better model of a free market in a sports league. You can build a team in any city you want (I think there are five in London). If a team wins, they stay in the League, if not...they're relegated. If the NBA worked this way, the Clippers and teams like them, would have been kicked-out of the league years ago by more competitive teams. I digress.

Besides MLB, which other US sports are exempt from anti-trust?

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

Besides MLB, which other US sports are exempt from anti-trust?

As we both know, only MLB does. But that wasn't so much the point of my post, just an aside - the whole thing about markets.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

Hey, I was unhappy, to be sure.

But I never claimed it was "not fair."

LA had the chance to keep the Raiders but they got distracted by a sutpid land grab that is still going on to this very day.

So was I bummed that we lost the Raiders? Sure. Was it "unfair" or was it "the NFL's fault?" No.

Seattle wants to try to paint this as an NBA con job. In reality, Seattle should have agreed to the new ownership's demands and pay for the arena. If they didnt want to pay (which is fine, too), then they should not whine about unfairness. What is really laughable is that Seattle sees that a rich investor with ties to OKC buys their team....and he makes a very clear demand to pay up or else.....so Seattle calls his bluff and then gets burned. What else were they expecting?

TripletDaddy, let me try to make this really clear for you. Here in Seattle WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE NBA!!! The only people who care are those gross sports radio hacks. No one is really even talking about it. We don't care. Had we cared, we could have kept them because WE CAN BUY AND SELL OKLAHOMA CITY A THOUSAND TIMES. Capisci?!

I'll make you a prediction. Clay Bennett will never pay that $35 million because we're not going to renovate the Key and we don't want an NBA team. We have values.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

TripletDaddy, let me try to make this really clear for you. Here in Seattle WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE NBA!!! The only people who care are those gross sports radio hacks. No one is really even talking about it. We don't care. Had we cared, we could have kept them because WE CAN BUY AND SELL OKLAHOMA CITY A THOUSAND TIMES. Capisci?!

I'll make you a prediction. Clay Bennett will never pay that $35 million because we're not going to renovate the Key and we don't want an NBA team. We have values.

Fair point. I actually believe you. Had more people cared about the team, it would likely still be there.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

Fair point. I actually believe you. Had more people cared about the team, it would likely still be there.

But the way you keep glorifying this as an example of capitalism at work is really horse shit. Today I thought, we're subsidizing Kobe Bryant's $30 million salaray with taxpayer money, and paying peanuts to kids we send to Iraq and Afghanistan to get ripped apart. A crazy connection I know, but both professions are paid out of the public purse. This makes me want to have nothing to do with professional sports. The U.S.A. has become a freak show. Worse than Augustan Rome by far.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

But the way you keep glorifying this as an example of capitalism at work is really horse shit. Today I thought, we're subsidizing Kobe Bryant's $30 million salaray with taxpayer money, and paying peanuts to kids we send to Iraq and Afghanistan to get ripped apart. A crazy connection I know, but both professions are paid out of the public purse. This makes me want to have nothing to do with professional sports. The U.S.A. has become a freak show. Worse than Augustan Rome by far.

How is Kobe's salary paid out of the public purse?

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

How is Kobe's salary paid out of the public purse?

I assume he plays in a subsidized arena like everywhere else.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I assume he plays in a subsidized arena like everywhere else.

Staples was built with private dough....Roski (owner of Kings) and Anschutz Entertainment Group (who then bought out Fox's 40% interest).

I am pretty sure that the a portion of the land was picked up by the city. Less than 100M.

I still dont see how the public pays Kobe's salary.

Does the public pay my salary if it turns out that my firm is located in an office building built on land subsidized by local muni bonds?

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

Staples was built with private dough....Roski (owner of Kings) and Anschutz Entertainment Group (who then bought out Fox's 40% interest).

I am pretty sure that the a portion of the land was picked up by the city. Less than 100M.

I still dont see how the public pays Kobe's salary.

Does the public pay my salary if it turns out that my firm is located in an office building built on land subsidized by local muni bonds?

Your comparison is off base. The bottom line is the rent for an NBA arena is subsidized. The rent doesn't come close to covering the city's layout for the arena. If you work in a building financed through sale of minicipal bonds it's just a loan to the developer. He has to retire the bonds, pay them back with interest. That's not a subsidy but a financing mechanism. Municipal bonds are sold to private investors who expect to be paid, and who can sell their bonds because the market believes the borrower is good for the money. It's not the same thing as the city building the arena and giving a rent subsidy, as I expect you know.

Absent the subsidy, the owner couldn't afford to pay his spoiled super stars such high salaries.

[SeattleUte]

Here's how it works Tripletdaddy:

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/news/a...unch_stad.html

Now that you know that 100% of professioanl sports profit margin is funded by taxpayers, and ergo fucking Kobe's entire salary is paid by taxpayers, do you still think the NBA is such a great deal? Do you still think it's a model of capitalism?