Wow- Supersonics leaving Seattle.

[SeattleUte]

As for Paul Allen, comparing how he and Bill Gates have spent their billions is an interesting contrast. Isn't I(?

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

What's more critical to our civic culture, great public schools or an NBA franchse? Seattle schools are not exemplary. How about we improve our schools before we start writing seven figure checks to the likes of Howard Schultz.
Did you know evey time there's a big rain storm raw sewage overflows into Puget Sound? How about we fix that first?

I threw in Benaroya just as a jab to elicit a response.

I've work with SPS as a client for several years, so I've seen what budget shortfalls have done to their staff. You'll get no argument from me on schools vs. teams. But hear me out on this...

Sports teams are a regional asset not just the cities’. People travel from Vancouver, BC, Spokane, and Portland to see games in Seattle (NFL, NBA, MLB). 2.6M people went to games last year at Safeco - and that was for a crappy team.

Seattle is the center of the NW. The center of Seattle is the Seattle Center. The central tenet of the Seattle Center was the Sonics. Now they're gone.

Because teams are a regional resource, the city itself shouldn't support the burden of public funding (which other cities and owners have shown isn't always needed). Safeco and Quest are subsidized by a hotel and car rental tax – which is mostly paid by tourists and business travelers. If the state extended this tax for several more years, it could have paid for part of a new arena or a renovated Key (with private funds making up the other half).

What pissed me off at that a-hole from OK is he wouldn't even consider a renovated Key as an option. The state wouldn't vote on the tax extension and mayor didn't try to broker the sale from Howard to local ownership two years ago. They all suck.

And I do think it's a loss to the city and region. Maybe not to the symphony crowd, but other parts of town, i.e. Rainer Valley knew and paid attention to the starting five at the Key.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by 8ballrollin

I threw in Benaroya just as a jab to elicit a response.

I've work with SPS as a client for several years, so I've seen what budget shortfalls have done to their staff. You'll get no argument from me on schools vs. teams. But hear me out on this...

Sports teams are a regional asset not just the cities’. People travel from Vancouver, BC, Spokane, and Portland to see games in Seattle (NFL, NBA, MLB). 2.6M people went to games last year at Safeco - and that was for a crappy team.

Seattle is the center of the NW. The center of Seattle is the Seattle Center. The central tenet of the Seattle Center was the Sonics. Now they're gone.

Because teams are a regional resource, the city itself shouldn't support the burden of public funding (which other cities and owners have shown isn't always needed). Safeco and Quest are subsidized by a hotel and car rental tax – which is mostly paid by tourists and business travelers. If the state extended this tax for several more years, it could have paid for part of a new arena or a renovated Key (with private funds making up the other half).

What pissed me off at that a-hole from OK is he wouldn't even consider a renovated Key as an option. The state wouldn't vote on the tax extension and mayor didn't try to broker the sale from Howard to local ownership two years ago. They all suck.

And I do think it's a loss to the city and region. Maybe not to the symphony crowd, but other parts of town, i.e. Rainer Valley knew and paid attention to the starting five at the Key.

Bennett is the problem but you really can't blame him. He married into his dough, and he's having a grand old time spending his daddy in law's billions. The guy gave Schultz an offer he couldn't refuse, so you can't really blame Schultz. Then Bennett spent like drunken sailor and even deliberately ran the team into the ground and lost money to get them out of Seattle. But he was like a fish out of water here, and he seems like a case of arrested development. He seemed so infantile in those emails.

Doofus Clay Bennett from Okie City meets the City of Seattle. A perfect storm. We couldn't stand each other. He made us despise the Sonics. Check some of my posts from when he bought the team years ago (I know there's one on Utefans) and you'll see I knew then it was over. I said, Seattle says to the Sonics, shove it! (Mpfunk would remember.)

I'd rather have the Sonics than not, for the right price. I used to be season ticket holder, and went on my firm's tickets after that a number of time. But whether the Sups are a resource or a liability depends on how much it costs. This is not baseball or the NFL.

If they're a regional asset maybe you should swallow your pride and become a Blazers fan, eh?

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by DrumNFeather

I don't get the Oklahoma City move either. There are plenty of other cities that could support an NBA team...but why the push for Oklahoma City?

I don't think there are that many cities. Las Vegas. Where else?

[Mars]

Originally Posted by BlueK

I don't think there are that many cities. Las Vegas. Where else?

I say, move the Clippers to Vegas. LA doesn't need two teams.