<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>As part of the deposition for the upcoming trial between the city of Seattle and the Sonics' ownership group over the team's KeyArena lease, it has come to light that Sonics owner Clay Bennett has little sympathy for the players who do not want to leave Seattle, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting. In an e-mail to Oklahoma-based public relations consultant Brent Gooden after hearing some of the Sonics players were upset about the prospect of moving the franchise to Oklahoma City, Bennett responded by writing, "Boo hoo," according to a line of questioning by city of Seattle attorney Jeff Johnson. To which Gooden replied, "Great response. I would play wherever for half of the lowest paid player on the team."</div> http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/364678_arena27.html Wow, such douche bags. I hope they lose this trial.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 27 2008, 03:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>If Clay Bennett ever moves an NBA team to Oklahoma City, there is no God.</div> He comes off as an asshole with his reply, but Oklahoma City recieved the Hornets very well. Who's to say they wouldn't rally behind the Sonics? It seems like they're a good basketball town.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Voodoo Child @ May 27 2008, 04:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 27 2008, 03:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>If Clay Bennett ever moves an NBA team to Oklahoma City, there is no God.</div> He comes off as an asshole with his reply, but Oklahoma City recieved the Hornets very well. Who's to say they wouldn't rally behind the Sonics? It seems like they're a good basketball town. </div> I don't think that's the issue, rather how Clay Bennet is f'ing Seattle over with his dooshbaggery.
I agree. This is some low down dirty sh*t! You think the Sonics would have even been sold if Bennet didn't lie and say he would do everything within his power to keep them in Seattle and then wipe is ass with the agrement and move the first chance they got? This is so messed up...so wrong.
I'm sure that there are owners far worse than Bennett. He doesn't come off as being an asshole--he just comes off as being stupid. Did he lie about his intentions of keeping the Sonics in Seattle? Yes. He put together an arena plan that he knew was get rejected by the state legislature because he wanted the arena to almost to be fully funded by local tax payers. He never indicated how much money that his ownership group was willing to invest in the arena because he didn't want to be held to that dollar value in the event that miraculously the legislators inexplicably accepted their arena proposal. But the argument can be made that when you purchase anything it is yours to do what you please. His choice was to make this team as cheap and as young as possible in order for the team to suffer in the short term and prosper down the road. From his actions you can automatically assume that he never wanted to stay in Seattle but his constant threats of moving before the October 31, 2007 deadline, the email correspondence with his ownership group and David Stern indicating a desire to move to OKC, and an inability to keep members of his ownership group quiet is ultimately what has caused Bennett to be in the legal situation that he is. Had he kept his mouth shut, communicated with his business parters via phone calls or text messages, and instructed anyone in his ownership group to refrain from any talk directly related to the Sonics departure from Seattle the only thing that Bennett would have to worry about is what dollar amount it would take to buy his way out of the Key Arena lease. It is amazing that as wealthy as these men are they don't have the intelligence to keep their deception and their callousness towards those who are negatively affected by their actions off of the record. This ownership group has very deep pockets and they are going to need all of their resources to make up for their stupidity. As hated as Bennett is across the country you have to admire the lengths that he is willing to go to bring the NBA to his home state. That doesn't make him an asshole. What would make him an asshole is if he turned on those that have followed down his path of deception. I just wish that he had chose to relocate a team in a city that was willing to move. It would have made certainly made life much easier for Clay and the fans of Seattle.
I just wish Schultz had held off on the sale a bit longer to try and find a local buyer. Even at a reduced price.
