Save The Sonics

[RainierBeachPoet]

Well Ive been trying to contact a mod, but everytime i click one of there names i get a msg that says i do not have sufficient privileges. My guess is im too new to the boards.

Ill keep workin on it though. This thread needs and deserves a sticky. Maybe one of you members with a longer history here can send a msg.

Save our SONICS!

fyi

it is stickied in the sonic forum... although it is pretty dead in there these days

seems like between you and me, we could keep this thread on the front page with our constant posts

[Weez65]

OK. TY for tellin me RBP. I have mixed feelings about that. While im thankful to the mods for stickying it, putting it in the Sonics folder suggest that its only of interest to Sonic fans. While this may very well be the case, i hope it is not, because the truth is that its going to have far reaching implications. Its going to be a good yardstick to measure your teams local security against. ( We Sonic fans thought we were pretty safe to.)

Maybe more important though, Is the precedent this sets for negotiations between owners and their teams citys over new venues. Why would any other owner want to pay ANYTHING at all toward a new arena after they see what may happen in Seattle.

If i were a owner who wanted to build a new stadium and i witnessed a successful, David Stern backed, move to OkC, my negotiations would start like this...*whispery voice* "If you build it i will bring my team and play" *Silence as the city trys to digest what the mystic voice has said to them* "But if you dont, if you ask me for one dollar from my own wallet, i will split town faster than a snake oil salesman being chased by an angry mob."

Next thing you know there are no teams in 7 of the smaller NBA citys that seemed to be doing fine, and we have NBA teams in Tallahassee, Montgomery, Jefferson City, Cheyenne, Providence, Little Rock, and Juneau Alaska! All because someone in there community was so desperate for a franchise that they were willing to cave and spend money their community really couldn't afford. Didn't i read that OKC decided to delay or give up on a Light-rail System so they could fund the new arena?

Please dont respond with comments on the likely hood of those communities getting a team, i picked them quickly and nearly randomly as examples. i did no actual research. lol.

So how this is considered a Sonic only problem, or of interest to only sonic fans, well i dont really understand that.

I am grateful to the mods for the sticky though. but mods, if your reading this, any chance of reconsideration? id rather see this stickied out with the other big NBA stories. Either way, ty for considering the idea.

Save our Sonics.

[RainierBeachPoet]

OK. TY for tellin me RBP. I have mixed feelings about that. While im thankful to the mods for stickying it, putting it in the Sonics folder suggest that its only of interest to Sonic fans. While this may very well be the case, i hope it is not, because the truth is that its going to have far reaching implications. Its going to be a good yardstick to measure your teams local security against. ( We Sonic fans thought we were pretty safe to.)

I am grateful to the mods for the sticky though. but mods, if your reading this, any chance of reconsideration? id rather see this stickied out with the other big NBA stories. Either way, ty for considering the idea.

Save our Sonics.

i put that sticky on because i am a mod for the sonic forum; but i am not a general forum mod

also, i think it is jeff who places those forum stickys-- although i could be wrong on that one

i will comment on your other observations a little later

[RainierBeachPoet]

things are getting interesting:

Ratcheting up the pressure on the Legislature, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says his investment group's offer of $150 million in private money for a KeyArena expansion will go away if lawmakers don't act quickly. In a letter to Gov. Christine Gregoire and legislative leaders, Ballmer's group said lawmakers need to authorize a taxpayer contribution to the KeyArena project before the NBA Board of Governors meets next month to vote on Sonics owner Clay Bennett's request to move the team to Oklahoma City. Seattle Times

If no arena plan is passed by April 10, "we will need to go back to our other responsibilities and our offer will expire," said the letter signed by Ballmer, wireless mogul John Stanton, Seattle developer Matt Griffin and Costco CEO Jim Sinegal. Ballmer's group is offering to split the cost of a $300 million KeyArena renovation with the public. They're also willing to buy the Sonics or another NBA franchise to play there. Lawmakers are being pressured to authorize $75 million in car-rental and restaurant taxes in King County for the KeyArena project. Those taxes would not be new

[Bricklayer]

Hey, what's up guys? I just wanted to express my thoughts on this sad situation. I just wrote an article for our newspaper about this mess. It was only an update on what's going on - not a column. Otherwise I would've ripped Bennett and Stern to shreds. Anyway, David Stern visited Salt Lake last Wednesday while I was covering the Jazz game. He spoke with several of us in the press room and I, of course, HAD to bring up the mess in Seattle. I was hoping to see him squirm or at least look uncomfortable talking about it. Nothing. The man is ice cold. He seems perfectly content, even CAMPAIGNING to put the Sonics in OKC. Here's what I transcribed of him talking about the situation:

"I think (the vote by OKC to backup funding for new arena) is a strong sign of support for the NBA and we

[blazerftc]

I'm as angry over this as anyone else. But, this got me thinking. And, this may sound weird. But, why does it have to be the Sonics that move? Aren't the Grizzlies ramping up to a sale? What if Bennett can be convinced to sell the Sonics to the group that wants to keep them in Seattle, turn around and buy the Grizz, and move THEM to OKC? With what my best guesses are on the selling price would be for the Grizz, he'd probably still come off looking like a hometown hero, AND turn a tidy profit on the sell/buy exchange.

[Weez65]

i put that sticky on because i am a mod for the sonic forum; but i am not a general forum mod

also, i think it is jeff who places those forum stickys-- although i could be wrong on that one

i will comment on your other observations a little later

Thank you RBP. Much appreciated. And from what i have seen you do a great job staying on top of things.

The man was practically smiling the whole time he said this. He's apparently looking forward to bringing the NBA to OKC and the statement, "I hope somebody back at the office is focusing on (re-aligning the NW Division) as we speak," is a tell-all sign that he's resigned to the Sonics' impending departure.

GRRRRR. What a snake.

I'm as angry over this as anyone else. But, this got me thinking. And, this may sound weird. But, why does it have to be the Sonics that move? Aren't the Grizzlies ramping up to a sale? What if Bennett can be convinced to sell the Sonics to the group that wants to keep them in Seattle, turn around and buy the Grizz, and move THEM to OKC? With what my best guesses are on the selling price would be for the Grizz, he'd probably still come off looking like a hometown hero, AND turn a tidy profit on the sell/buy exchange.

Im not really up on the Grizz and how there looking future-wise. But the Sonics definitly have a bright future. Durrant will be paired next year with a pick that should be very high. And i dont know all the Sonics draft picks, well i dont know any really, but i think i they got a couple other high picks when they unloaded talent. I may be wrong but i think the Sonics are more desirable to rebuild with. ( Now im going to go find out about the draftpicks. lol. )

And btw, yet one more thing that is very frustrating about all this. we had to endure some bad basketball to get durrant. But at least when an NBA fan goes to games during a loosing season he knows the one comfort he has is that his team is going to get better quickly. Better through high draft picks. So Seattle fans had to sit through the lean years, now some thief is taking what WE earned and the people in OKC will sit and watch a team grow that we should be watching, OUR reward! But hey, dont worry, we may get another team...an expansion team...sigh. more lean years and this time we may not get so lucky with our ping pong balls. ><

[A.M.G.]

Holy ****, are the Supersonics actually moving? To Oklahoma City?? Because the owners demand a new arena be built using tax dollars, despite the existence of a recently restored arena??? That is beyond retarded.

What would happen if the Knicks ownership said that Madison Square Garden wasn't good enough and they were moving the team to St. Louis. They would be stopped, by David Stern. If David Stern allows this travesty to take place, he has FAILED as a Commissioner.

[RainierBeachPoet]

Holy ****, are the Supersonics actually moving? To Oklahoma City?? Because the owners demand a new arena be built using tax dollars, despite the existence of a recently restored arena??? That is beyond retarded.

What would happen if the Knicks ownership said that Madison Square Garden wasn't good enough and they were moving the team to St. Louis. They would be stopped, by David Stern. If David Stern allows this travesty to take place, he has FAILED as a Commissioner.

this could be the slippery slope of cities being held hostage by the owners

[danumber88]

They realy need a good gm to fix their whoel team up.. i mean I hope Durant gets some decent around him to develop.

[RainierBeachPoet]

markeymark

thanks a MILLION for putting this thread in a sticky. this case of bennett and seattle could shed light on what might happen between other owners and current nba cities

we do not want to see a slippery slope of owners holding a gun to communities' head while they benefit financially

we all owe you a debt of gratitude for putting this in front of all ish-ers

[RainierBeachPoet]

Ratcheting up the pressure on the Legislature, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on Monday put an April 10 expiration date on his group's offer to pay $150 million toward a $300 million KeyArena expansion. But Gov. Christine Gregoire and Democratic legislative leaders insisted that because the Legislature is scheduled to adjourn Thursday, it's too late to approve a taxpayer contribution to the arena project. They suggested if Seattle leaders think Ballmer's offer is so great, the city could front the public's $150 million share while the state appoints a task force to study the issue. Seattle Times

[RainierBeachPoet]

put to music: save our sonics

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78543

[Weez65]

markeymark

thanks a MILLION for putting this thread in a sticky. this case of bennett and seattle could shed light on what might happen between other owners and current nba cities

we do not want to see a slippery slope of owners holding a gun to communities' head while they benefit financially

we all owe you a debt of gratitude for putting this in front of all ish-ers

Thank you. Anything that brings more attention to whats happening to Seattle, cant be a bad thing. TYVM Markeymark. :)

[markymark]

no prob guys... I've always been a sonics fan (just gotta go with AI and the nugs for now)... it's the least I could do :)