Brooklyn Nets: It's official.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">New York developer Bruce Ratner swiped the New Jersey Nets off the auction block late yesterday with a bid of $300 million, ending an intense and sometimes acrimonious three-month bidding war with Charles Kushner.

"We're in the final stages in our discussions with Bruce Ratner," Ed Stier, chief executive of the Community Youth Organization, the nonprofit group that controls the team, said last night. "Our discussions with Ratner moved more quickly and reached a favorable conclusion."


Ratner and his partners expect the deal to be finalized as early as today, clearing the way for the Nets to move into a proposed $600 million arena in downtown Brooklyn by 2009.

For New Jersey, the deal signals a sobering end to a lukewarm 27-year relationship with the first major sports franchise to wear the state's name on its uniforms. It also means Jason Kidd and the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions will be playing two rivers and 18.5 miles away in an arena that might as well be in a different country.</div>

Full Story BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN AND GEORGE E. JORDAN

 

rip east rutherford.

what the new arena will look like (or so they say):

 

I don't know how this is going to work because Brooklyn is all Knicks territory. How do these guys think they're going to sell tickets?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_Fever_834:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't know how this is going to work because Brooklyn is all Knicks territory. How do these guys think they're going to sell tickets?</div>

LMAO

The swamp was terrible and the Nets have had absolutely terrible attendance since being there.

This is a major upgrade.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_Fever_834:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't know how this is going to work because Brooklyn is all Knicks territory. How do these guys think they're going to sell tickets?</div>

Exactly. It's going to take alot for some of the Knicks fans, many who have probably been fans for years, to switch to Nets fans.

 

Brooklyn never had a team since the Dodgers and I'm sure they'll support their new team.

About Kidd leaving, the projected transfer is 2009. It's a long time from now. Kidd said that he might be retired by then but I doubt it.

I wonder how this will affect the already bad fanbase in NJ. Remember Charlotte? When word first came out of the team's transfer to New Orleans, fans stopped going to games. I wonder if this will be the same thing.

But still, I'm sure the new owners have something up their sleeve with regards to attendance. I'm sure they'd want to get their money's worth.

Some side questions, will the new owners offer K-Mart the max salary? I wonder what they're planning to do with the team.

Jay-Z is part owner. How cool is that?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting King James:</div><div class="quote_post">LMAO

The swamp was terrible and the Nets have had absolutely terrible attendance since being there.

This is a major upgrade.</div>

Major upgrade where Brooklyn holds mostly all Knicks fans? I don't think the true, diehard Knick fans want anything to do with a team that's coming from New Jersey, and playing in their own backyard. Do you really believe that the Knicks fans in Brooklyn will turn their backs on the knicks and attend Brooklyn Nets games? I don't think so. Check yourself on that.

 

Now when the Knicks play the nets at their home court, there will be fans of both teams there.

 

This is nothing but the best for the nets. Thhe only thing is that alot of people that live in that area of brooklyn will have to find a new place to live. And a alot of residence are saying that they cant afford to move. So hopefully they find someway to get those people affordable housing, so those people dont suffer. But its for the best but I hate to say New York will always be a knick town no matter what. Its to much history with the knicks & the people of NY. The Knicks have always had players & teams that represent the times in NY, well until recently.

 

hmm...I thought i already posted this... doesnt matter..


I believe that NJ fans wills till go and see the Nets play but in the couple of seasons just before the transfer iIthink there will be a dip in attendance.

I think its cool how Jay-Z is getting a piece of the pie. He made it apparent inhis last concer t@ MSG that he was trying hard to get the Nets to Brooklyn. I think alot of fans will Support the Nets just because of Jay-Zs partial ownership.

 

This is weird. ESPN reported that the arena will be finished in time for the 2006 season.

The development of the place will displace close to 1000 people.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_Fever_834:</div><div class="quote_post">Check yourself on that.</div>

So close minded, I would say try listening to the likes or Benard King, Spike Lee, David Aldridge, Ric Bucher, Marc Stein, or Jay Bilas (NBA Experts) before running your trap to me.

Maybe after you learn something about the league, you can make educated statements for yourself.

As Cube said "check yaself befo ya wreck yoself, *****"

 

The Nets will be fine. Two baseball teams and both have lots of fans,the Nets will fit in just fine. Besides how many people in NY? Chill peeps,the Nets will do better in Gotham than they did in Jersey.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_Fever_834:</div><div class="quote_post">Major upgrade where Brooklyn holds mostly all Knicks fans? I don't think the true, diehard Knick fans want anything to do with a team that's coming from New Jersey, and playing in their own backyard. Do you really believe that the Knicks fans in Brooklyn will turn their backs on the knicks and attend Brooklyn Nets games? I don't think so. Check yourself on that.</div>

It's true that the diehard Knick fans won't attend many Nets games, but with all of the millions of people in New York and New Jersey (still close by) do you not think that they will nearly sell out every game? If the Nets decide to move into the new arena in 2006, I think they'll miss out on keeping Kidd or getting greatness for him. Kidd is one of the six or seven best players in the league right now, but he's getting up there in age. Two seasons from now (2006), he'll be thirty-three going on thirty-four. That age is by no means old, but by NBA standards that's certainly on the decline. New York (Nets) will have to find a franchise that is looking for short-term improvement at that time or ship him out now (hurts me to say that being a Kidd fan).

 

The Nets will be fine in Brooklyn...two basketball teams in L.A. works fine (the same arena for that matter), so I don't see why it wouldn't work in NY...

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting King James:</div><div class="quote_post">So close minded, I would say try listening to the likes or Benard King, Spike Lee, David Aldridge, Ric Bucher, Marc Stein, or Jay Bilas (NBA Experts) before running your trap to me.

Maybe after you learn something about the league, you can make educated statements for yourself.

As Cube said "check yaself befo ya wreck yoself, *****"</div>

You're really funny. David Aldridge? Mark Stein? Ric Bucher? These guys are one of my favorite experts on ESPN that I enjoy listening to in my spare time. Educated statements? Ok, so what I do in the Laker forum isn't knowledge right? Heh, other than yourself, at least people like reading it and give me positive feedback.

 

^ Give it up brah, just let it go.