The idea of moving the Sonics to Oklahoma is idiotic

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I'm personally against tax payers paying for arenas and stadia.

Dallas wouldnt' foot the new Cowboys stadium, and the mayor took a lot of heat for it. But I supported her. Jerry Jones can give up ownership to the city, if he expects the city to pay.

Seattle's public schools are sub-par, everytime there's a big rainstorm the antiquated sewers exceed capacity and unload raw sewage into the Sound. But we've footed a billion dollars subsidizing rich baseball and football players and owners. I don't think this town loves basketball enough to sell a part of its soul to the Okey.

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by hyrum

They spent their money on two separate baseball and football venues. Maybe they could have handled that better and kept the NBA, too.

Or...maybe you can have an ownership group who are, at least, willing to meet halfway in honest negotiations. There are cities in the PS who will give tax breaks and free land to build an arena, but the current ownership will not talk to them unless the tax payers are flipping 90% of the bill. Additionally there are people here who are willing to buy the Sonics and are actually *gasp* open to negotiating with the city on a new lease. Shocking!

Shultz is the one who screwed the town over, not the other way around. If he didn’t want to deal with the City of Seattle, fine. Yes, they are pain-in-the-ass Kyoto Protocol types, but why not sell to local ownership who ARE willing to deal with them?

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Because who is doing to care about the small-market Oklahoma team? Where are the TV eyeballs going to come from?

Imagine if all the NBA teams were offered better arena deals, but every deal placed them in a market smaller than 35th largest.

Would that be smart?

Teams that are currently making money....why would they want to move to a smaller market? The Lakers are already the most expensive ticket in the league. They sold out all luxury suites. Why would Buss move the team to Peoria just because the city offered to pay for his stadium? The local rate for a luxury suit, parking, concessions, etc are much lower in these smaller markets. Plus, the TV deal is fatter in a bigger city.

Only teams that are losing money would even care to move. Hence, the Sonics are moving.

[hyrum]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Because who is doing to care about the small-market Oklahoma team? Where are the TV eyeballs going to come from?

Imagine if all the NBA teams were offered better arena deals, but every deal placed them in a market smaller than 35th largest.

Would that be smart?

No that wouldn't be smart, but they won't all move. Its not smart to operate any business $17MM per year in the red, either, so something has to give. That is not chump change.

Also one must consider the advantage of being the only pro team in the smaller market. There is no competition for attention with MLB baseball or NFL football, just college sports and a minor league hockey and baseball teams. Also, I believe in this case there is a statewide draw, so one should probably add the Tulsa market to the eyeball count -- I don't know the numbers, or even how much of a stretch that is, myself. The Hornets owner could tell you how many season tickets were sold outside of the OKC metro market area.

Free land is nice, but Bennett is sitting on a competing offer of an arena in-place with a profitable lease arrangement. Its up to the competition to at least come close to that.

FWIW, I think Bennett is into Nat Gas, not oil.

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

Only teams that are losing money would even care to move. Hence, the Sonics are moving.

The Sonics are moving because Bennett never intended to keep them here. He is making demands he knows will not be meet, even in the face of proposals that will make the team operationally profitable. He is a billionaire and wants an NBA franchise in his hometown. Minority owners in his group have said as much.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by 8ballrollin

The Sonics are moving because Bennett never intended to keep them here. He is making demands he knows will not be meet, even in the face of proposals that will make the team operationally profitable. He is a billionaire and wants an NBA franchise in his hometown. Minority owners in his group have said as much.

I have read as much, as well. So you are of the opinion that he asked for public funding knowing full-well he was not going to receive it, thereby getting his out card handed to him?

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by hyrum

No that wouldn't be smart, but they won't all move. Its not smart to operate any business $17MM per year in the red, either, so something has to give. That is not chump change.

At this point, I only want them to be forced to stay in the current lease through 2010, which looks like it will happen. I hope (and fast) that Bennett loses as much money as possible, in a franchise for which he greatly overpaid.

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

I have read as much, as well. So you are of the opinion that he asked for public funding knowing full-well he was not going to receive it, thereby getting his out card handed to him?

Yes. And by doing so he satisfies the "good faith" portion of the sales agreement with the previous ownership group, ratified by the NBA, to look first at options to keep the team in Seattle.

[hyrum]

Originally Posted by 8ballrollin

At this point, I only want them to be forced to stay in the current lease through 2010, which looks like it will happen. I hope (and fast) that Bennett loses as much money as possible, in a franchise for which he greatly overpaid.

Well, then you are asking to have a sucky team in your city for another 2 years. Is an owner going to spend money on quality players, coaches, facilities, etc, if he is losing that kind of money with no hope of recovery until he gets out of town? I don't know why a city would want team with those kinds of constraints in their town.

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by hyrum

Is an owner going to spend money on quality players, coaches, facilities, etc, if he is losing that kind of money with no hope of recovery until he gets out of town?

Too late. They have already dumped all of their good veterans and are the definition of 'rebuilding'. This is the starting five:

C – Robert Swift

PF – Chris Wilcox

SF – Kevin Durant

SG – Wally Szczerbiak

PG – Earl Watson

It's a team built around young talent, with hopes of competing for a playoff spot 2-3 years from now (or more).