Sonics Sold to OK City Investor Group
Posted on Tuesday, July 18th, 2006 at 11:32 am by Brian Robinson
According to the Seattle Times…
This either guarantees a move or it completely forces the city’s hand to resolve the issues. The league would have to approve any move.
The team has not announced the new ownership group but we have reason to believe it could be.
Change that, the report is now that Clayton Bennett out of OK City. Here’s a disturbing quote.
“We are absolutely committed to the Hornets this year and next,” Bennett said. “But we also are 100% committed to finding a team for this city in the long term.”
Again you heard it here first…
July 18th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Problem is as Memphis and New Orleans proved, the league is completely gutless.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Can I get directions to Howard Schultzs’ home. I just wanna chat with him.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:38 am
Farkin A!
If they are indeed sold I think there should be a final SC event. Burn all your Sonics gear and get pissin drunk!
July 18th, 2006 at 11:43 am
This is what the state and city get for leaving the team between a rock and a hard place. It is the most sensible business decision for the sonics ownership. It sucks.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:46 am
This could be good news. Maybe it’s an ownership group with more willingness/ability to work with the city on a new arena. We can’t automatically assume the intent is to move the team from its established fanbase.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:50 am
Hopefully it is a way to force the city’s hand, if not, this is outrageous. Not even allowing the team to go on the open market. Completely unbelievable. Schultz should move back to New York if he wants to be able to live comfortably in Seattle without getting pummelled on the streets.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:54 am
well all the’ no money for the arena’ folks got their wish…
Do I get a refund with interest?
July 18th, 2006 at 11:54 am
KJR just said Clayton Bennett group?
Dunno.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:54 am
According to the PI, there’s a news conference scheduled for 3pm.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:55 am
What the feezy??? I’ll never drink a sugar free vanilla latte with non-fat milk again.
Ok, that’s a lie, but I won’t be happy about it!
July 18th, 2006 at 11:56 am
D’oh! Guess I should read further before posting … sorry for the repeat.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:56 am
Can we get a list of all associated products with the seattle owners group? besides schultz?
July 18th, 2006 at 11:57 am
And finally the diehard anti-Wally fans get what they want… no more Wally Walker.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
ARG that quote, Brian you are killing me.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
lets march on the furtado center! serious.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
Agreed. Brian lets organize a march, with signs etc?
I’m furious.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
How much are we willing to bet that the ownership group recoup their “losses” in a sale of the team AS HAS HAPPENED WITH EVERY OTHER FRANCHISE PURCHASE. So you lose money in the short term then get it all back when you sell. Hmmm, what does that sound like maybe the entire home owning population of the country. Yes, I lose money taking care of fixing up my house every year, but you know what, I’ll make it all back and more when I sell.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Where is everyone?
July 18th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
Well, at least the Huskies are playin some great ball. I will never drink a cup of Starbucks coffee again as long as I live, nor will I but any of their other products, I swear on my gandmothers grave.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
Really sorry for you guys
July 18th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
The Clayton Bennet group has been trying to lure an NBA team to Oklahoma City.
Seattle deserves to lose the Sonics. The state and city have not been very supportive. And, the people of the state only support the team when they do well. I think the sonics have made many bonehead moves over the last 10 years, but this is not one of them.
I am pissed because basketball is the only sport I enjoy watching and I have been a sonic’s fan since the start of the franchise.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
The ownership group got pretty much forced into this. Anyone who heavily protested any funds for the arena just got exactly what they asked for. I believe 100% that the organization did not want to do this and eventually just gave up.
What I’m hoping desperately for is that some of the original shareholders from seattle maintained some type of minority ownership and that there will be some basic effort to continue to negotiate with the city. If they do this then they have a gun to the city’s head, and can get a deal done to keep the team here. If the city doesn’t step up soon then the team moves. It’s as simple as that. The ownership called the cities bluff and we are going to suffer for it.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
# Green_NGold Says:
July 18th, 2006 at 11:46 am
“This could be good news. Maybe it’s an ownership group with more willingness/ability to work with the city on a new arena. We can’t automatically assume the intent is to move the team from its established fanbase.”
Why would a business man trying to bring a team to his city keep it in Seattle?
July 18th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
I will definatly march, who’s bringing the torches, I’ll bring the pitchforks. Are we putting schultzies head on a pike??? Please??
July 18th, 2006 at 12:08 pm
The NBA is insane if they let the team go from Seattle to Oklahoma….Seattle is the best location they have on the West Coast besides LA
July 18th, 2006 at 12:08 pm
Gaylord Entertainment (formerly Gaylord Properties) is actually based out of Nashville, TN.
The interesting twist here is that Gaylord Entertainment recently paid $80 million over 20 years to obtain the naming rights to Nashville Arena (home of the Nashville predators). This seems like part of an attempt by the company to generate brand recognition of the Gaylord Entertainment name.
More likely that if it is this group that the team moves to the Nashville arena where they would coexist with the hockey and arena football teams. Here is a link to info about the arena, which seats 19K for hoops.
http://www.wjhw.com/nashville.html
July 18th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
One more reason I hate this city. Sell the only team I’ve followed, and loved.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
Oh yeah, thank Nick Licata for this. I’m sure he’ll get re-elected for directing money from pro sports teams to the “arts”.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:14 pm
The following is to those of whom who support the ownership group rather than the city and state politicians:
You are all a bunch of doltish imbeciles.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
“Can I get directions to Howard Schultzs’ home. I just wanna chat with him.”
Can’t put this all on Shultz by any means. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t he just the face of the ownership group, and not necessarily the majority owner? There are some other local owners as part of that group.
See ya Supes. We might as well apply for an expansion team now. We are as good as gone.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
This is a dark day for the city of Seattle.
Who voted for these f#$cking A**holes in office over there?? Christ man, they just lost a whole lot of great sports memories…past and future.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
You can it all on Shultz, IMO. Because he’s the face of the ownership group. He took that on and seems to have totally blown in the most extreme way possible.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
Honestly, I am down to march on the Furtado Center. Count me in on that ish. Anyone else?
July 18th, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Schultz was never in it for the long haul, it appears. A KeyArena remodel is very doable if you have ownership who want to make it happen! I don’t know if I can watch this press conf. Howie owes Seattle A LOT! He was just another idiot salesman from Brooklyn before he got here. urrrrrggg
July 18th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
As Brian said, this is the game that gets played sometimes, most likely now that the fire in my gut has calmed down a bit, this forces another local ownership group to step up or it forces the city to get something done. But I can tell you this that the city counsel, no matter how lame they are, don’t like being put in this position. Schultz is dead in this town though for pulling this stunt. He just ruined his rep, whatever was left of it.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
i can´t believe. I from argentine and this is in spanish sorry but i´m ungry.
Se cagaron en todos los fanaticos de los sonics como siempre la plata maneja el mundo y esta no fue la excepción, nos dejaron una ciudad sin equipo y sin alegria. En argentina hay muchos fanaticos de seattle supersonics y digo asi porque los sonics siempre van
a ser de seattle. Me imagino que todos los que viven en seattle deben estar muy mal al igual que yo. chau
July 18th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
First and foremost, you all need to know that I’m a libertarian.
Now, with that noted, let me tell you that it isn’t the responsibility of the tax payers to fund a sports franchise within a state and/or municipality. On the contrary, it’s up to those of whom who own the franchise to pony up the cash, finances, and resoursces to operate the ballclub.
Unfortunately, the Seattle Supersonics were operated in a manner wherein the franchise lost money on a constant basis. Unlike most of y’all, however, I don’t blame the lease that the ’sonics had with the City of Seattle regarding the arena to be the main reason as to why the team lost money for the ownership group.
Yet, if the front office (i.e., CEO/President Wally Walker to General Manager Rick Sund) had a team salary around the league minimum — which is approximately $40 million this season — then the owners wouldn’t've lost a collective $17 million or so the past couple of years. In the end, ultimately, the team might be moving elsewhere due to the selfish, gready nature of Howard Schultz and his cronies.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
I think you can blame both the ownership group and city for being total idiots.
Just think in 20 years you will be able to take your kids down to the Space Needle The conversation will go something like:
You: “Son, years ago there was an entire City Center here with amusement park rides, places to eat etc. It was pretty cool”
Son: “You mean you used to be able to ride a roller coaster here where there are 10 parking garages?”
July 18th, 2006 at 12:30 pm
this might be the worst day of my life… july 18th.
I went to lunch at 11:08 worried about if the sonics sign wilcox for a 3 year contract, how will petro get any time if sene blows up. I was thinking… Can we play a line up with 3 big guys?
now i just hope i dont drive my car into oncoming traffic on the way home
July 18th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
AK:
— If the big problem for the team was getting fans then how could you say keeping a league minimum salary would’ve been a good enough team to draw fans. You need to spend money to make money…just spend it smartly
— Why shouldn’t people have to pay for part of a sports arena? I believe that sports team increase the reputation of a city and can help increase the general sense of city pride, which is worth an extra $20 a year in taxes.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Sonics to OK
Paul Allen to Seattle
Book IT
July 18th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Don’t buy a freaking professional sports team unless you are rich enough to lose money. This isn’t a damn investment where you’re trying to turn a handsome profit - it is a money-losing trophy for really wealthy people.
It is ridiculous with the wealth concentrated in this city that they couldn’t track down someone who would pay to keep the team here.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Shultz is public enemy number one in this town and WW should grow a beard and start dying his hair if he wants to stick around. Those two will forever be infamous in this city for shipping off the Sonics. The city shares some blame for sure, but that won’t be remembered. It will be how Stern moved the team to a city that happened to be selling out games last year. And how Shultz let it happen while lying about working with state for one more session. It’s a shortsighted move that will probably cost the NBA access to THIS market for decades. The only silver lining would be if some entity found a way to keep the name for Seattle, but I think it’s pretty unlikely because it’s a good brand.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
I am so glad we didn’t cave in and subsidize this cynical, shallow man named Schultz.
B_Con- crashing that press conference and shouting “get out of town” sounds pretty good! I bet security gets tighter when his aides read the postings on this site this afternoon.
Anybody else out there with a loud voice who can get to lower queen anne by 3:00?
July 18th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
I’m going to be at the Furtado Center (490 5th Ave N by Memorial Stadium I believe…) with a sign and my Shawn Kemp Jersey. I strongly encourage all of you to come as well.
If the Sonics move to Oklahoma am I still a Sonics fan? Or do I just hate the NBA unconditionally? Or do I become an Lakers fan when I move to Cali for college? Things were so much clearer yesterday…
July 18th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
Seattle is a bigger market than OK city ?
The NBA maybe won’t allow such a move
July 18th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
Interesting to note that the PI is reporting that the new ownership group plans to keep the team in Seattle:
SEATTLE — A group from Oklahoma City has agreed to buy the Seattle SuperSonics and the Seattle Storm, a source with the SuperSonics said Tuesday.
The team scheduled a 3 p.m. press conference to officially announce the sale and the source indicated the new ownership group plans to keep the Sonics and Storm in the Seattle region.
The Basketball Club of Seattle - owners of the NBA Sonics and WNBA Storm - would not officially comment until the press conference.
In February, majority owner Howard Schultz threatened to possibly move or sell the city’s oldest major league professional sports franchise, saying the team has lost about $60 million in the past five years, and blaming a revenue-sharing lease at KeyArena with the city of Seattle that lasts until 2010.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
Schultz is going from a Seattle icon, even a hero, to being an absolute villain… Wow. MARCH ON THE FURTADO CENTER!
My I-Pod just shuffled to Rage Against the Machine. This is too much…
July 18th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
Whoever is to blame, the bottom line is that only the fans are really losing out here.
The rich ownership group recoups all their losses and continues to make millions.
The fans are left with nothing. And the way Stern seemed to place the blame on the city of Seattle, I can’t see the city getting an expansion team at any point in the near future.
So…does everyone become Blazer fans now?
July 18th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Didn’t Howie say they had no intention of selling to an out of state ownership group?
This scumbag has lied to the fans right from the start. Five year plan? Five years to have the value of the franchise appreciate was the actual plan.
Time for people in this region to stop buying overpriced coffee.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Well, Myk, you’re right on some accounts.
Yet, for everyone ounce of blame placed on the members of the Seattle City Council, a ton of blame must be placed on the members of the Seattle Supersonics ownership group.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
“The team scheduled an afternoon press conference to officially announce the sale and the source indicated the new ownership group plans to keep the Sonics and Storm in the Seattle region.”
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/2030AP_BKN_SuperSonics_Sale.html
July 18th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
Yea, they plan to keep the Sonics in Seattle, just like out of towner Jeff Smulyan wanted to keep the M’s in Seattle and out of towner Ken Behring wanted to keep the Seahawks in Seattle. Wake up, they want to move them to OKC if they get the approval and the chance to buy it before another local buyer steps in.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
Yea, they plan to keep the Sonics in Seattle, just like out of towner Jeff Smulyan wanted to keep the M’s in Seattle and out of towner Ken Behring wanted to keep the Seahawks in Seattle. Wake up, they want to move them to OKC if they get the approval and the chance to buy it before another local buyer steps in.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:44 pm
It’s natural at this stage to play the blame game. But it certainly isn’t going to change matters.
But some interesting points have been brought up that need to be further looked into.
The main one is that even though if the current ownership group intended to sell the team, how seriously did they look into trying to sell to someone that was committed to keeping the team in the Seattle area? Even if they had bad relations with the city, since I assume most of them are business owners of some kind with ties to Washington State,should they have felt an obligation to ensure any sale would have kept the team in Washington? Or is it every man for himself and take the money and run? And I wonder if Schultz selling off $55mil of his Starbucks shares a couple of months ago played into any of this. Did he have to pay off the other owners to get approval? Did he have to pay off any of the outstanding losses and debt to make the team more attractive?
July 18th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
Wow… this is so upsetting! I am angry at the city right now and yes very angry at the schultz camp (seriously no more starbucks for me).
Sonics are the only team I follow.. I read this site at least once a day and was so excited to see the progression of swift and all the rest of the boys this coming year… all that excitement of reading the Sene stuff this morning and now this punch to the stomach.
Government around here always squabbles and squabbles and never gets anything done even when the people want it (see monorail etc). The prior ownership has me mad - all this squabbling over cash yet King 5 says they got 100 million more than they paid for them. Also the manner at which they just suddenly sold them without any kind of open market chance for any other seattle buisness to get involved etc has me upset…
July 18th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
AK:
— I completely agree that both sides are at fault. But I also feel that the public is at fault for not stepping up to the plate
Everyone,
— Does this possibly foreshadow a move of Portland up to Seattle? It just seems unimagineable to me that they would leave a team in Portland and not Seattle.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
that pi article might have saved my life
July 18th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
This link lays out the proposals the Sonics supposedly left on the table from the city: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattlepolitics/archives/105107.asp
July 18th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
What other companies are part of this ownership group? I know that Car Toys and T-Mobile are also a part? Does anybody else know?
July 18th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I haven’t felt this bad since my dog died. I did e-mail Licata to wish him a short and pain-filled political life.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I would love to see a new owner and replacement to Wally Walker that would keep this team in Seattle. However, from the perspective of a buyer the arena deal and the city’s attitude towards helping do not appear very enticing. Unfortunately, I think it is may be fools gold to believe the team will stay in this unfavorable environment.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Sales price of $350 million. Nice profit from a $200M investment. F**k those guys. The rich get richer…
July 18th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Of course they will say they intend on keeping the team in Seattle, for now.
They can’t move to Oklahoma for another year at least and if they came right out and said they are bolting after next year they know they would incur huge losses because nobody would spend their dollars on a team that is leaving Seattle.
I expect all the politicly correct things to be said and spin doctoring at it’s finest will be on display.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
Don’t panic, Griff. At the moment there isn’t any reason to believe that the OKC group will take the team from the area. The Sonics have a fantastic fan base here and a larger market than OKC or KC or where ever they might go out there. Renton is still a possibilty and I’m sure that city officials aren’t going to just lay down and die.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
“Seattle is a bigger market than OK city ?
The NBA maybe won’t allow such a move ”
They sold out 35 games last year. It’s a shortsighted ploy by the NBA for short term gains. The NBA is hot there right now. Long term, I think the NBA is dumb to abandone this market… but we may see it happen and i doubt we will see another team here anytime soon if it does leave.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Of course they will say they intend on keeping the team in Seattle, for now.
yeah… I agree the sonics are gone at the latest by 2010.
If I wasn’t working I’d be with you B_con. I dont care if they arrest me! bring it on mofos. F*** this city. I’m movin to Oklahoma.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/2030AP_BKN_SuperSonics_Sale.html
They have tell this lie to protect ticket sales for as long as the team remains here.
Myk says:
— Why shouldn’t people have to pay for part of a sports arena? I believe that sports team increase the reputation of a city and can help increase the general sense of city pride, which is worth an extra $20 a year in taxes.
We pay way more than 20$ a year Myk. DO you go out to dinner, drinks, get a hotel once in a while? it adds up quick!
Besides-Howie has been taxing people for years withb $5:00 cups of coffee for years! He is a govt entity in a financial sense.
Hooray for the city council for not caving to this guy!!!!!!!!!!!
July 18th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
“Don’t panic, Griff. At the moment there isn’t any reason to believe that the OKC group will take the team from the area. The Sonics have a fantastic fan base here and a larger market than OKC or KC or where ever they might go out there. Renton is still a possibilty and I’m sure that city officials aren’t going to just lay down and die.”
The problem, though, is that we now have an ownership group that has the stated goal of bringing a team to OKC… I don’t see any problem with jumping to conclusions in this case.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
Is the press conf. at the Fertado center? I’ll be there!
July 18th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
“We are absolutely committed to the Hornets this year and next,” Bennett said. “But we also are 100% committed to finding a team for this city in the long term.”
July 18th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
These guys are eventually going to move the team. I can’t think of one reason a bunch of yahoos from OKC would want to own a team way the heck up in SE-attle when they have a sparkling new arena sitting there in their front yard. This is really, really bad news regardless of what rhetoric comes out in the meeting today.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Such is life and we move on…
July 18th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
This sucks.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
Personally, I won’t set foot in a Starbucks if the team is moved… I am going to tell them as much.
Here’s their contact form…
http://www.starbucks.com/customer/contact_forms.asp?nav=3f
Not that i think it will change anything, but if Shultz isn’t going to support the community, I won’t support him.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
I’m right in thinking that the Furtado Center is around Memorial Stadium and is Sonics HQ right? I don’t wanna be in the wrong place.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
[...]
sonicscentral.com - We Bleed Green and Gold » Blog Archive » Sonics Sold to OK City Investor Group [...]
July 18th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Oklahoma sucks
I wanted to come to seattle to see the team but in Oklahoma…
July 18th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
I blame the city more then shultz. Im not going to vot e for a single incumbant… but I’ll never vote republican… man looks like Aaron Dixon is my man… Go Green Party (I bet they would have kept the sonics here… they are the GREEN party).
July 18th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Furtado Center:
http://girlshoops.scout.com/3/Furtado.html
July 18th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
I guess I may have wasted my time getting worked up over that Sene pick!!!
I’d imagine they’ll be gone within a couple years and I really don’t know what I’ll do as far as following the league.
Definately a depressing day.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
I’ll be there in spirit
July 18th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
Husky tickets just got a lot harder to get!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
On FoxSportsRadio here in San Antonio, they said it was sold for $350 million and that it’s a done deal. That are projecting that they’d move in 07-08.
Take it for what it’s worth.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
The move to sell the sonics is the most harsh and disrespectful thing you could have ever done to this city Mr. Schultz! I will never shop in your buiseness again, and I will rail against YOU and STARBUCKS every time I hear your named mentioned for the rest of my life! You were steward as well as owner of this team. You have done wrong to the city that has given you so much! GO BACK TO NEW YORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
It’s the lead story in OKC now. http://www.newsok.com/
sad.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
BOYCOTT STARBUCKS!!!! seriously…let schultz know what sonics mean to us
July 18th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
Sonics FO is at 351 Elliot, but the Furtado Center seems like the place to go… Any thoughts on this? I’m leaving in about a half hour for the Furtado Center if no one tells me I’m an idiot and should go somewhere else.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
I believe their projection… how much could it cost to buy out the last two years of the lease… I used to love seattle… I was contemplating taking a job that i would make 45 thou a year because it would keep me in Seattle even tho the average salary for my graduating class will be about 60 thou F*** I dont care now… all of my clothes are sonics. I only have sonics hats and i wear a hat every day…
Life sux
July 18th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
I got 3 posts awaiting moderation. under “Griff- on the worst day of his life ”
help me out guys
July 18th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
To GreenN_Gold: “Why would a business man trying to bring a team to his city keep it in Seattle?”
I posted that before the Clayton Bennet quote was posted. I hadn’t knowledge of it. I was just grasping at straws trying to stay positive anyhow. I don’t like this any more than anyone.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:15 pm
B_con, I’ll post another link:
http://www.seattlecenter.com/information/map.asp
It’s number 14 in the top right of the map
July 18th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Let’s move this team to France or keep it in Seattle !
It must be very tough for you guys, if you want french lessons to know how to make a good revolution or block this city with a major strikeI can teach you !
July 18th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Not quite the 5-year plan i was hoping for…
July 18th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
yo griff-
i got one in awaiting moderatiion too, what does that mean?
July 18th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
Reports are that the Hornets plan to be back playing in New Orleans in 2007-2008.
Only possible ray of hope here is that both Bennett and Schultz are using this announcement/agreement as a bargaining chip to get what they want - Schultz a better arena deal and Bennett to keep the Hornets in OK City long term.
I have to say though for $350M, probably too much to pass up for these cheap b*stards, including arch-criminal Sandeep Jain formerly of Infospace.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
I and my friend will be bringing “dont sell my childhood to OK city” and “Honk if you want the Sonics in Seattle, not OKC!” signs. Furtado Center, for sure.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
FROM BRIAN ROBINSON …
According to SonicsCentral sources, coinciding with the Seattle Supersonics petition to the league regarding the sale, New Orleans Hornets ownership, headed by George Shinn, has applied to the league to permanently stay in Oklahoma City.
The Hornets had previous maintained that they would return to New Orleans as soon as repairs and conditions made it possible.
More Details To Come.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Can someone who is a moderator, start a new thread with my previous post?
Thanks.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
What I think is odd is that this probably leads to a move of Portland up to Seattle…would you guys support a new Seattle team (especially from Portland) as much as the Sonics of old?
July 18th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
BOYCOTT STARBUCKS, effective immediatly.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
if the media thought the anarchists hated starbuck’s, just wait till the get ahold of the backlash on this move
July 18th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
That would be great news.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
This is mean spirited, I think back to howard’s early interviews and how he would call into KJRAM without warning. he was always talking about doing this for the city and fans and creating a winning atmosphere. All of that was BULL$HIT! He feelt disrespected by the city and state when negoations got tough, to get back at them, he hurts us! Why do these pig headed men do this? Why dose he feel he can erase 40 years of memories and years worth to come, from a city, whose has shown him nothing but love! I agree public sentimate was pretty bad latley, but the sonics did a lousy job educating the public on the arena issue. I think he mailed it in a while ago. What an A$$ HOLE!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Having pro sports in this city, in our city, creates such an incredible sense of belonging. The emotional connection is akin to drug addiction or something like that. We put so much emphasis on the team “belonging to us,” to the people of Seattle. Do you know how crazy that is?
Losing millions is easy to do when you own a sports franchise. It’s a toy for restless millionaires…
July 18th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
WTF?!?! Where is this info coming from?!! Other than Brian Robinson… So are we gonna be in Seattle, or in New Orleans, or in OKC?…
July 18th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
Man, wouldn’t that be interesting if NO stayed in OKC. Good old back room NBA politics…its FANtasitc. I really think regardless of where the Sonics go that it would make much more sense to have a team play 30 or so in OKC and 12 in NO and build a regional fan base down there…just don’t see how NO could support a team full time.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
Definately this is sad news for Sonic fans………but the City and tax payers that spoke out against the stadium renovations got what they asked for.
I guess the City will get to see just how profitable the Seattle Center area can be now, without the Sonics as the cornerstone tenant. Not to mention, the City/taxpayers will get to pay off the remaining balance on the public bonds after the lease expires in 2010 without any proceeds from the Sonics.
AK, sorry, but a huge precedence has been set already in the professional sports industry regarding public financing of professional sports arena’s. I guess you can say that “Seattle” has taken a hypocrital stand on the issue after financing new arena’s for the Seahawks and Mariners……..but then again, who is really going to suffer now for the City taking their “idealistic stand”? The ownership group? lol……not at all…..look at the profit they just turned selling the team………..its the Fans that are going to suffer now.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Well if the Hornets are petitioning to stay in OKC, then that would put pressure on the new ownership of the Sonics to keep the franchise in the Seattle area. Don’t you think?
July 18th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
I hope so princess!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Brian is going to be at the press conference and text messaging me the info. Then I’ll be posting it here so you guys can get it as quick as possible.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Anyone else think that it’s not a coincidence that they’d announce this on a day when the Storm have a random Tuesday day game so that Howie and co. don’t get torn apart by KJR hosts and callers in the lead up to the press conference.
sad.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Anybody think there could be the possiblity that the same thing that happened with Paul Allen buying the Seahawks happening where he was given a 1 year lease to determine if they could get a new arena?
If Shinn is trying to keep the Hornets in OKC I can’t see the NBA letting him cause that would be terrible a terrible PR thing to do to NO. This is where I could see the lease thing happening. Would make no sense for this new group to buy the team if they can’t move it to OKC.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
One might assume the petition to stay in OK by the Hornets will be time-share thing for them until the Key-Arena lease expires and the sonics fly away. New Orleans will be re-populated by then, it’s FANtastic!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I knew it - serious back room politics here. This announcement benefits both guys. Bennett wants to prove to Shinn that he is serious about moving ahead with another team if Shinn won’t commit to OK City and Schultz wants to prove to the city council that he is serious about selling if a deal can’t get done ASAP.
This could work out well for Sonics fans after all. You know the NBA office would prefer to keep the status quo then to have the Sonics move to OK City and have the Hornets sitting out there with no profitable place to play. What a cluster that would be for Stern. Shinn has prostituted himself before for money when he moved to NO so no reason to expect he wouldn’t do it again - just got stuck with the whole “can’t scew NO over because of Katrina” mess.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
The Hornets received strong support from Oklahoma City after being displaced following Hurricane Katrina. Half of the Hornets’ 36 games at the Ford Center were sold out and average attendance was 18,717 — the 11th-highest total in the league and about 500 less than capacity.
Michael Thompson, the Hornets’ director of corporate communications, said season ticket sales are projected to exceed last year’s totals and the team is working on extending agreements with sponsors in the city, which is hosting a major-league sports franchise for the first time.
“That’s the mark of a major-league market, is to step up year after year,” Thompson said. “Oklahoma City is starting to prove that.”
Year after year, eh? The NBA takes a detour to OKC and it’s proclaimed a major-league market?! Give me a break.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
As early as late March of this year Bennett was in negotiations with Shinn to buy 49% of the Hornets so you know there is something going on there. Could also be a possibility that Bennett buys NO straight out - Shinn bought them for $30M so would be making a $320M profit if the sales price was similar.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
COME TO THE FURTADO CENTER!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
So what happens when everyone realizes that the Hornets will never be moving back to NO? Because chances are better that Renton ponies up than that NO ever hosts another pro sports theam. Will this guy try and swap teams?
July 18th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
Get away from the computer and make it happen! I’ll be there! I think a few more will too! COME ONNN!!!!! This is a once in a lifetime moment, and I want to make sure that I was there, showing my love for my team!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
“So…does everyone become Blazer fans now?”
No, never. Who dares spew these vile words?
July 18th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
how long do you guys think that Bennett&Schultz have had this agreement?
July 18th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
This better not have an effect on Wilcox signing….I would assume it wouldn’t.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:49 pm
My deepest condolences to all of you. Here in Seattle, I don’t have Mariner fan friends or Seahawk fan friends but I do have friends who are walking talking Sonic encyclopedias. I don’t think there will be a new team without a new arena. My idea was always to build the arena above the railyard and renovate King Street Station like Boston Garden/North Station or Madison Square Garden/Penn Station and with Qwest and Safeco right there you would have a “stadium district”. Every friend that I’ve brought that up with loves the idea. Why would it not work?
July 18th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Celtics:
— Beacuse people who live in Seattle are stupid and have a very hard time visualizing how improving their city may cost them some additional money.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
It won’t change the Wilcox signing at all. THey will still force him to sign the one-year tender offer
July 18th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Well if another team was smart they’d try to get Wilcox to sign now while this ownership change is happening cause sometimes they cant make any moves for a period of time until the ownership change is official, therefore the offer couldn’t be matched.
PLus the new ownership may try to cut all costs if they are moving cause they wont get anyone in there to watch the games, especially the casual fan, thus resigning Wilcox might hurt their bottom line. If they are committed to staying in Seattle for a few more years though they need to sign him.
Could you imagine them staying through the lease, become a very good team around these young players, then we have to say bye to them in 2010. I think that would be owrse than them leaving next year.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
The team isn’t moving. I wouldn’t count on it.
Stern didn’t like the tone and way conversations were going, but to remove a franchise from the northwest when the only other franchise is bankrupt would do nothing but destroy any NBA intrest up here.
I personally don’t think Stern could afford that.
On another note, does anyone want to share me a positive of Stern’s era as commish?
We aren’t moving by the way. I’ll bet my life, heart and soul on it.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
“Unfortunately, the Seattle Supersonics were operated in a manner wherein the franchise lost money on a constant basis. Unlike most of y’all, however, I don’t blame the lease that the ’sonics had with the City of Seattle regarding the arena to be the main reason as to why the team lost money for the ownership group.
Yet, if the front office (i.e., CEO/President Wally Walker to General Manager Rick Sund) had a team salary around the league minimum — which is approximately $40 million this season — then the owners wouldn’t’ve lost a collective $17 million or so the past couple of years. In the end, ultimately, the team might be moving elsewhere due to the selfish, gready nature of Howard Schultz and his cronies. ”
They should have pulled a Donald Sterling? Ridiculous!
July 18th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
“The prior ownership has me mad - all this squabbling over cash yet King 5 says they got 100 million more than they paid for them. Also the manner at which they just suddenly sold them without any kind of open market chance for any other seattle buisness to get involved etc has me upset… ”
I really doubt they made that much …
If what they say about their losses is true, then $250 mil + $60 mil in losses over 6 years + brokerage fee for selling the frnachise & relocation … they barely broke even on this deal. This was their chance for a break-even deal and they took it. Can’t say I blame them even though it breaks my heart that this team is likely gone.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:26 pm
“They should have pulled a Donald Sterling? Ridiculous!”
Yeah, they probably should of. If they were serious about keeping the team in Seattle. Lets face it, this is the nightmare scenario and calls into question every decision they have made over the last 8 years. They never trully rebuilt. They allowed losses to pile up. They claim they worked hard with the city and legislature, but I have my doubts about that. I think they work just hard enough to not get something done so they could take this out and not take too much heat. Ultimately, they screwed us as much as Licata. If they lost 1 million, they would say they lost 10, we have no way to trully know how lucrative this deal is for them. They allowed the team to leave if they go.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Well, maybe Paul Allen will renovate Key Arena and then bring the Blazers up here, would be nice to have Roy and Webster and Nate back. “Help me Paul Allen, you’re my only hope”
July 18th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
In one regard I do agree with AK (I think for the first time ever), that taxpayer dollars should not be financing pro sports whatsoever.
With that being said, it is being done everywhere. And not just sports. Taxpayer dollars are being directed for everything under the sun. In a perfect world, every team would operate within a sustainable budget, which would force down the ridiculous player’s salaries to a reasonable level. This however is not a perfect world.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Look at it this way my friends, according to Nielsen Media, the Seattle-Tacoma area ranks 13th in the nation as far as MEdia markets, markets relating to the amount of television viewers in said metropolitian area.
Seattle-Tacoma has about 1.7 million veiwers, or roughly 1.544 percent of the countries veiwers. Quite a bit in the scheme of things.
Oklahoma City on the other hand ranks 45th with 655,000 viewers- less .6 percent of the countries population.
The NBA is in somewhat of a transition period. There are many young stars, and the pace of the game is increasing, and to increase general revenues and intrest in the sport, you want to promote the NBA in areas where you can reach more people.
If Oklahoma gained an NBA franchise, they would immediatly be the smallest market team in terms of media market, and important barometer in national business.
I can’t see how placing an NBA franchise in a city with a small market, that currently has 3 NBA franchises within 500 miles, would out way the loss of removing one of the two teams in the Northwest, one with a large market.
I don’t see how Stern could elect to make that decision if he really wishes to make this league grow in all parts of the country. Then again, he just might have it in for the Northwest seeing as how the Vancouver franchise faired.
What a bunch of —-s.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
I would never cheer for the Blazers.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Seattle is addicted to Star Bucks. If all Sonic fans boycott Star Bucks it won’t even make a dent in Seattle. Star Buck fans don’t care about the Sonics. I bet Schultz purposely sold the team to an out of state group just to stick it to Seattle. Same old Seattle.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
mk - i just made the same argument in the other thread. The financials do not make a great deal of sense - at least from a macro view.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Yeah, I have a hard time seeing how they’ll make it work long term in OKC.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
How in the world do you figure it a broke even deal???? It looks like they made 90 million to me….plus they got tax breaks on those years they “lost money”…….the brokerage deal was not 100 million what the hell are you talking about…they made a shit load of cash
July 18th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
You could bring the Blazers to Seattle, and cut ticket prices 75%, and I still wouldn’t be a Blazers fan. No way jose.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
“How in the world do you figure it a broke even deal???? It looks like they made 90 million to me….plus they got tax breaks on those years they “lost money”…….the brokerage deal was not 100 million what the hell are you talking about…they made a shit load of cash”
Three words, Net Present Value.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:45 pm
“How in the world do you figure it a broke even deal???? It looks like they made 90 million to me….plus they got tax breaks on those years they “lost money”…….the brokerage deal was not 100 million what the hell are you talking about…they made a shit load of cash ”
Granted, that’s taking their word that their losses were real and what they said they were, but there’s so many other ways they could have made more off that investment.
$30 mil for the relocation fee to the NBA, assume 10% for brokerage (I have no idea what’s normal for a transaction like this), $35 mil, and 60 mil in losses over 6 years that’s $125 mil. What’d they buy it for, $240 mil?
July 18th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
For once in my life I am impressed with Groz’s take
July 18th, 2006 at 3:19 pm
TheSonicsMan-Thanks for the complaint link, I’ve already logged a classic to Starbucks and I’ve already put out a memo at our law firm that NOONE makes Starbucks runs anymore on my watch, I told them I’ll pay half of our daily bill if we switch to Seattle’s Best Coffee, or wherethehellever. And I will keep logging complaints once a day to that A**hole Schultz.
MK-You wanna know anything good David Stern has done for the NBA?? Are you joking? Stern is the best professional sports commissioner ever. He’s brought the NBA to unbelievable heights and made basketball the new America’s past time. Seriously, Stern is amiable, a great interview, willing to make fun of himself (a complete rarity w/commissioners), and as protective of his product than any corporate owner in the US. Be bitter about Seattle, as we all are, but comments like that discredit us in what is obviously a very bad time for the Seattle sports area.
July 18th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
just caught the press conference…man did the new owner stink of bull. I was hopeful they might stay until I heard him speak. I could hear in his speech that now all they have to do is make ridiculous demands compared to what Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma are willing to do to get a franchise and when Seattle/Washington says they are crazy they say, well, we tried and pack up and move.
July 18th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
I think we’re just waiting for the inevitable.
Sonics ARE MOVING. period.
Why would anyone owns a sports team if they have to watch a home game in another city?
And now we’re going to ask for an expansion team.. which costs more money.
great…
July 18th, 2006 at 4:02 pm
wow, put in some late days at the office, come back, and find an M-Cage44 handle lurking around. Are you a fan of my work or big Mike’s?
just kidding…
Its a dark day - I fully excect a ton of finger pointing from both sides from here on out - and my guess is the initial backlash from the Payton trade from the average fan will be nothing compared to the gauntlet Howard and Co. will be run through this time around.
With the team relocating seeming imminent, am I supposed to care about a Wilcox resigning? Sene/Swift/Petro’s improvement? Lew’s extension? Even though its almost a certainty this team is gone, I still do care - which is supposed to be the whole point in the first place. I’m not much concerned with whether or not the B.C.C. of seattle made any money or not off of the sale, I just want my Sonics back.
July 18th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
mtp- SBC is already owned by Starbucks. Pretty soon they’ll be switching to vending machine coffee dispensers like charbucks does (read: not real coffee for the 5 dollars you’re paying).
So somewhere that’s really local, and then get the rest of your law firm a big crate of eggs and nail every sbux you see.
July 18th, 2006 at 4:47 pm
“I just want my Sonics back.”
I’m with ya buddy
July 18th, 2006 at 8:21 pm
I cant believe this.what can be done to keep a city trasure from leaving forever .Your Seattle supersonics. does this mean all those schools that closed are now going to be opened?More money for the viaduct.And I5 between 45th and 130th is going to get repaired now.Thanks alot you f***kers! Great vision by Mayor NIckels and that f***khead Nick Licata.And how about that slimeball Howard.I really think he believes all that public trust s**t.Yuore a real asshole Howard.And a liar.Im really hurt by all this.Big as it gets fan since inception.Love those sonics.
What can us fans do?
July 22nd, 2006 at 10:51 am
You are definitely over-reacting. Usually the stories on this site are pretty rational and professional. But, give me a break. This group stated that they want to work within the current lease. The ownership group has Oklahoma ties, but, they also seem to appreciate the Northwest. I don’t think we are going anywhere.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:39 am
Its a shame to see the team i grew up watching and rooting for slip away from the city. What most dont realize is that as long as there are people like Howard Schultz around, NO team is safe. Not only should the Loyal fans push hard to get some sort of arena deal, they should push for keeping OUR team here where it belongs…Dont blame Bennett, blame the seller…I hope our team will stay, but if not, I wont be the least bit surprised.