Wha?? I'm...sort of...i dont know what to say yet. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In a meeting with team employees this morning, Sonics officials said they were committed to keeping the team in Seattle although they declined to give specifics on how that would happen. </div> So...the team will stay in Seattle?
This looks bad for seattle fans. Id think that it would benefit the investors to Build a new stadium in OKL.
I assume the comissioner has to approve any move, so if moving the team to Oklahoma is part of the deal, we'll hear about it long before the sale is final. I can't imagine that the ownership group plans to keep the Sonics in Seattle permanently, though, unless they have some connection to the city.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Casual:</div><div class="quote_post">I assume the comissioner has to approve any move, so if moving the team to Oklahoma is part of the deal, we'll hear about it long before the sale is final. I can't imagine that the ownership group plans to keep the Sonics in Seattle permanently, though, unless they have some connection to the city.</div> HUH? Who are you?
Yo mama. As best I can tell (and this is all assumption), the Oklahoma group bought the team now because the buying price was fairly low due to Shultz's desire to sell and they're prepared to wait three years for the KeyArena lease to expire before moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City. The most immediate effect would likely be the firing of Wally Walker and possibly Rick Sund, although it's possible they'll keep both for three years just because of their familiarity with the Seattle area. If this goes through, Seattle fans are going to be basketball vagabonds in just a few years.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Shard:</div><div class="quote_post">Go Blazers.</div> Not a chance in heII. Won't support that ego ridden gang of parollees.
Sale Doesn't Mean Sonics Going Anywhere <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Mayor Mick Cornett cautioned Tuesday that the purchase of the Seattle SuperSonics by an Oklahoma City businessman does not necessarily mean that the NBA franchise will relocate to the city. "I think it's presumptuous to assume that Clay Bennett and his ownership group won't own that Seattle team for a long, long time in Seattle or somewhere else. It's presumptuous to assume they're going to move that franchise to Oklahoma City," Cornett said. "I understand that people are going to say that seems to be a likely scenario, but that's just speculation." Bennett was the leader of a group that sought to buy a minority stake in the New Orleans Hornets, who temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina. Upon the formation of his investor group in February, Bennett said: "The bottom line is, we want a team for this market." But on Tuesday, he had a different message. He told a Seattle news conference that he would keep the team in Seattle if an agreement could be reached for a new arena. In a news release, Bennett said he hoped the Sonics would succeed in Seattle for "decades to come." Bennett, the president of Oklahoma City investment firm Dorchester Capital, was vital to the city's effort to bring the Hornets to the city. He led a group of investors who provided one-third of a $10 million promise to the Hornets if they did not meet surpass their revenue from 2004-05 by at least 5 percent last season. Instead, the Hornets easily exceeded their revenue benchmark, and the city will share some of the profits. "Clay is smart. He's got the means to make things happen, he's got good connections, he's trustworthy," Cornett said. "I have high expectations of him and he meets them." The Hornets, who will play 35 games in Oklahoma City this season before returning to New Orleans in 2007-08, don't anticipate the announcement having any impact on the team. "It doesn't change anything," said Michael Thompson, the Hornets' director of corporate communications. "Our goal, our plan from Day One has been to return to New Orleans." Thompson said season-ticket sales in Oklahoma City are projected to exceed last year's totals, when the team sold out half of its 36 games at the Ford Center, and the Hornets are working on extending agreements with sponsors in the city. "One of my concerns about what's happening today is that it will take our focus off of the Hornets and all of the great things that have been going on here, and it shouldn't," Cornett said. The Hornets provided the city's first chance to prove it could succeed as the host of a major league franchise and now "we have proven that we are an NBA city," Cornett said. "We need to continue to support the Hornets franchise with everything we've got," he added. "That hasn't changed." </div> link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AueR...ov=ap&type=lgns
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AueR...ov=ap&type=lgns</div> Yeah, that's bullcrap. The guy who spearheads the movement to bring a basketball team to Oklahoma City doesn't buy a franchise in another state and leave it there. The only way the Sonics aren't moving to Oklahoma is if the Hornets move there first.
The only way that the Sonics are going to stay in Seattle is if they prove to be a team that is capable of generating a ton of revenue in Seattle. That will happen only if they continue to keep their payroll low, increase their win total by 20 games, advance in the playoffs, and sell out all of their home games. As much as I look forward to seeing this year's team get on the court I am a bit upset that there will be a new distraction that will hover around this team for next season and seasons to come. I'm interested in seeing whether or not this move will effect the contractual status of Chris Wilcox. Are the new owners ready to shed the penny pinching reputation that the Sonics have acquired in the past five seasons? I've actually enjoyed watching management put together a competive roster despite being handcuffed by very limited resources. I obviously want the Sonics to remain in Seattle despite the fact that I've never been to the Seattle area. The Sonics have the longest and strongest tradition of all major sports teams in Seattle and it seems to me from a distance that the apathy that the city has towards the team is more of a byproduct of the apathy that the team has towards towards their profession. When the Sonics play w/ passion the city not only matches their intensity but often time exceeds it. The playoff series of 04-05 made it seem as if the Sonics had the most passionate fans in the league. Howard Schultz bought this team as strictly an investment opportunity. When the investment went sour he was looking to sell immediately. He postured as if he was looking for the city to accomodate his requests but I always thought behind the scenes he was really just looking for a buyer. I was hoping that he would try to sell his ownership shares to a local investor but when it comes to making "cents" I don't think that Howard really had the best interest of anyone in mind but himself. Hopefully this group does the right thing and makes an honest effort to get a favorable lease with Key Arena or relocate in an arena that is within a close proximity of Seattle. If not then I'm going to find it very difficult to say that my favorite sports franchise hails from Oklahoma City.
Thiel's take: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/thiel/278066_thiel19.html I pretty much agree, Sonics are as good as gone. It's a sad day in Seattle to be sure.
According to sonicscentral.com, Evans (the second owner) was supposed to check out places in Bellvue and Renton. They're just playing a game with us. This morning on KJR they were playing an interview of Schultz back from January 2000. It was interesting the amount of crap he said. "We are committed to Seattle and winning..." blah blah blah..
I HATE this. I'm at work right now and can barely get anything done because I keep checking ESPN for any more news on this. The Sonics are my team. I cheer for the Seahawks and the Mariners because they're the home teams but the Sonics are the team that I actually follow from game to game. Trying to think what it would be like living in Seattle with this team in OK is almost impossible for me. I don't know how much of a chance the team actually has of staying here because of Bennett's allegiance to Oklahoma but I just keep hoping that some type of miracle will happen that would keep the Sonics at home. And I can't get over how Schultz can say with a straight face that selling the team to this group is the best chance for the team to stay here. If the team were to move though, I'm not sure if I'd want the name and colors to go with them. If they do leave and we ever get another team, I'd like to be able to do what Cleveland did with football and keep the team's history. Just had to vent a little.
I'm hoping we have another season like two years ago. If the Supes start winning, all the ridiculous Seattle fans will come back and sell out the Key and Mayor Nickels will be forced to renovate the arena and whatnot. I just don't think these guys have the gonads to move a team gaining popularity and money and amenities to Oklahoma City if that happens. So lets hope that the Sonics get motivated and start owning teams, and these guys eventually sell to a Seattle business group again.
