Source: Sonics And Storm Sold To Group From Oklahoma City
SEATTLE (AP) -- 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 PM [5 PM-Oklahoma time] 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 Key Arena with the city of Seattle that lasts until 2010.
OKC group buys Sonics
Moderator: Moorese
OKC group buys Sonics
Van wrote:It's like rimming an unbathed fat chick from Missouri. It's highly distinctive, miserably unforgettable and completely wrong.
Sonics, Storm sold to group from Oklahoma City
By GREGG BELL
and TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writers
July 18, 2006
SEATTLE (AP) -- A group from Oklahoma City has agreed to buy the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics and the WNBA's Seattle Storm.
The new owners have set a 12-month deadline to reach a new arena deal with Seattle officials -- something the previous owners didn't accomplish in two years. After that, the new owners gain the option to move the team to Oklahoma.
Until then, Seattle, come support your teams!* (*bold added) -- RadioFan note
That's the conflicting message Seattle fans took away from Tuesday's announcement that the Basketball Club of Seattle, headed by Starbucks Corp. chairman Howard Schultz, will sell the teams for $350 million to the Professional Basketball Club LLC, headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett.
"This isn't how we wanted to go out," Schultz said of the decision to sell to an out-of-towner.
He said he turned down higher offers from potential buyers that he felt would move the team immediately. Some earlier offers were known to have been from San Jose, Calif., and Kansas City, Mo.
Bennett is the president of Oklahoma City investment firm Dorchester Capital. He was key to temporarily moving the New Orleans Hornets to his city following Hurricane Katrina. He told a Tuesday afternoon news conference at his new team's training facility that whether the Sonics remain in Seattle beyond 2007 would depend on whether the team can reach an agreement with the city to replace or renovate KeyArena.
The arena was remodeled in 1994-95 and the Sonics have a lease until 2010 with the city. The team and NBA commissioner David Stern both have said that lease is the league's most unfavorable to a team and must be changed -- or better yet, a new place must be built with a new lease -- for the teams to remain viable in the region.
"It is not our intention to move or relocate the teams -- as long, of course, as we are able to negotiate a successor venue to the current basketball arena and arrangements to ensure the Sonics and Storm can succeed," Bennett said.
He was asked what would happen if he and his partners, who have no known Washington ties, can't reach an agreement in 12 months with local politicians.
"If we weren't able to find a successor facility and relative lease by then, we have the option contractually to ... evaluate our position," Bennett said.
To many Seattle fans, that spells Oklahoma City.
In February, upon the formation of his investor group in Oklahoma City, Bennett declared: "The bottom line is, we want a team for this market."
A seemingly dejected Schultz said he came to realize he had to sell the team in the last 30 days. But he used the words "in Seattle" at least a dozen times while discussing the team's long-term future under Bennett.
When asked what he would tell a Seattle kid who loves the Sonics, Schultz said: "I told my children, and children of those I know, that I did this obviously with concern and trepidation. But I believe strongly this new group has a commitment to staying, provided elected officials meet him halfway.
"I do not believe the team is moving."
Even Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett joined the cautious chorus.
"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."
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels pledged to work with Bennett.
"We're going to try and work with Mr. Bennett and his group," Nickels said. "I think they're going to see Seattle is a great place to do business. And hopefully their team will do well on the court and the combination of those will allow us to have an extension of the lease beyond 2010.
"We have been providing very specific offers to the Sonics. We think it's an important part of our community. Those are still on the table."
And Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a statement, "I am encouraged that the new owners want to stay in the state. I have worked with Mayor Nickels and the City Council and hoped that the teams would stay in KeyArena because I have been concerned about the long-term viability of the Seattle Center."
Schultz said city and state officials should realize now that the Sonics really may leave Seattle.
"If the city didn't believe we'd potentially move the team, we obviously have a group now that does have an out," Schultz said. "But that's not what (the new owners) want to do."
AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.
-----
Somebody in the AP needs to learn to distinguish between writing a column and writing a story, and it's not Jeff Latzke.
Sheesh. Media bias? Nah ....
By GREGG BELL
and TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writers
July 18, 2006
SEATTLE (AP) -- A group from Oklahoma City has agreed to buy the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics and the WNBA's Seattle Storm.
The new owners have set a 12-month deadline to reach a new arena deal with Seattle officials -- something the previous owners didn't accomplish in two years. After that, the new owners gain the option to move the team to Oklahoma.
Until then, Seattle, come support your teams!* (*bold added) -- RadioFan note
That's the conflicting message Seattle fans took away from Tuesday's announcement that the Basketball Club of Seattle, headed by Starbucks Corp. chairman Howard Schultz, will sell the teams for $350 million to the Professional Basketball Club LLC, headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett.
"This isn't how we wanted to go out," Schultz said of the decision to sell to an out-of-towner.
He said he turned down higher offers from potential buyers that he felt would move the team immediately. Some earlier offers were known to have been from San Jose, Calif., and Kansas City, Mo.
Bennett is the president of Oklahoma City investment firm Dorchester Capital. He was key to temporarily moving the New Orleans Hornets to his city following Hurricane Katrina. He told a Tuesday afternoon news conference at his new team's training facility that whether the Sonics remain in Seattle beyond 2007 would depend on whether the team can reach an agreement with the city to replace or renovate KeyArena.
The arena was remodeled in 1994-95 and the Sonics have a lease until 2010 with the city. The team and NBA commissioner David Stern both have said that lease is the league's most unfavorable to a team and must be changed -- or better yet, a new place must be built with a new lease -- for the teams to remain viable in the region.
"It is not our intention to move or relocate the teams -- as long, of course, as we are able to negotiate a successor venue to the current basketball arena and arrangements to ensure the Sonics and Storm can succeed," Bennett said.
He was asked what would happen if he and his partners, who have no known Washington ties, can't reach an agreement in 12 months with local politicians.
"If we weren't able to find a successor facility and relative lease by then, we have the option contractually to ... evaluate our position," Bennett said.
To many Seattle fans, that spells Oklahoma City.
In February, upon the formation of his investor group in Oklahoma City, Bennett declared: "The bottom line is, we want a team for this market."
A seemingly dejected Schultz said he came to realize he had to sell the team in the last 30 days. But he used the words "in Seattle" at least a dozen times while discussing the team's long-term future under Bennett.
When asked what he would tell a Seattle kid who loves the Sonics, Schultz said: "I told my children, and children of those I know, that I did this obviously with concern and trepidation. But I believe strongly this new group has a commitment to staying, provided elected officials meet him halfway.
"I do not believe the team is moving."
Even Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett joined the cautious chorus.
"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."
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels pledged to work with Bennett.
"We're going to try and work with Mr. Bennett and his group," Nickels said. "I think they're going to see Seattle is a great place to do business. And hopefully their team will do well on the court and the combination of those will allow us to have an extension of the lease beyond 2010.
"We have been providing very specific offers to the Sonics. We think it's an important part of our community. Those are still on the table."
And Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a statement, "I am encouraged that the new owners want to stay in the state. I have worked with Mayor Nickels and the City Council and hoped that the teams would stay in KeyArena because I have been concerned about the long-term viability of the Seattle Center."
Schultz said city and state officials should realize now that the Sonics really may leave Seattle.
"If the city didn't believe we'd potentially move the team, we obviously have a group now that does have an out," Schultz said. "But that's not what (the new owners) want to do."
AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.
-----
Somebody in the AP needs to learn to distinguish between writing a column and writing a story, and it's not Jeff Latzke.
Sheesh. Media bias? Nah ....
Van wrote:It's like rimming an unbathed fat chick from Missouri. It's highly distinctive, miserably unforgettable and completely wrong.
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Diego in Seattle
- Rouser Of Rabble
- Posts: 8829
- Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2005 1:39 pm
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RadioFan wrote: Until then, Seattle, come support your teams!* (*bold added) -- RadioFan note
You're kidding, right?
You really don't understand the dynamic there.
Very, very few people in the Seattle area are from the Seattle area. They have no longstanding loyalty, and even the natives have little loyalty.
A hall-of-fame bandwagoning town...bad.
Throw out Husky football, and that town is a sports train wreck.
To put it in perspective -- I went to the first ever game at Seahawk Stadium. The tix were given to me. There were more empty seats than you could shake a stick at...in the first freaking game in the new stadium. The Seahawks weren't threatening to maybe win a championship, so nobody gave two shits about the team. Go to a game this season, and you won't see more than about 3 freaking jersies in the "real" Seahawk colors, and there isn't a jersey that doesn't have a #37 on the back in the house.
Words can't describe what an amazingly gravytraining/bandwagoning town that is. I guess that's what happens when nobody who lives there is from there.
The Hawks lost the Superbowl, so I'm guessing I'll have freebies shoved in my face all season long.
I got 99 problems but the 'vid ain't one
Hadn't thought of it that way, Dins.
I've never been up there, but I've read countless tales that it is a town of the relocaled and Bandwagoner Extraordinaire.
Maybe I'm still thinking about a decade ago, when Key Arena was one of the toughest places in the league to play and the Sonics were flat out sick, especially in that building. The Spurs never used to be able to win up there in Seattle's heyday, in no small part because of the crowd.
Every year in the mid-90s it was the same ... check the schedule and mark and "L" next to every @ Seattle, even in years in which the Spurs won 60 games or more.
But these days, I wonder how many folks up there read that story and got the possible cynicism of that line to which you refered.
I've never been up there, but I've read countless tales that it is a town of the relocaled and Bandwagoner Extraordinaire.
Maybe I'm still thinking about a decade ago, when Key Arena was one of the toughest places in the league to play and the Sonics were flat out sick, especially in that building. The Spurs never used to be able to win up there in Seattle's heyday, in no small part because of the crowd.
Every year in the mid-90s it was the same ... check the schedule and mark and "L" next to every @ Seattle, even in years in which the Spurs won 60 games or more.
But these days, I wonder how many folks up there read that story and got the possible cynicism of that line to which you refered.
Van wrote:It's like rimming an unbathed fat chick from Missouri. It's highly distinctive, miserably unforgettable and completely wrong.
The local sports talk(a couple of the afternoon guys are devout haters of all things Seattle-sports, always good for a laugh....there was borderline mutiny when the Blazers traded for Brandon Roy) is kind of laughing about this.
"So, is there one person out there that really believes that the owners are going to 'keep the team in Seattle,' which is what they're claiming? And what's to stop the same thing from happening to the Blazers?"
Even though the hosts know full-well that the Blazers aren't going anywhere, due to the oppressive lease that Allen fucked the team into. BTW -- Allen complaining(and asking for public help...BWAHAHAHAHA) about the lease is tantamount to somebody getting caught shoplifting, and complaining about it when the judge sentences them to community service...shouldn't have tried to steal, and this wouldn't have ever been an issue, dumbass.
But I do really hope that the new owners stay put, and the Bandwagon buys some tickets and supports their team. They have kinda been one of our archrivals for the last 30+ years. Although back in the "good old days," there was a lot more animosity. Late 80's/early 90's, you were almost assured that in at least 2 of the 4 meetings, that there would be a fistfight, usually involving Jerome Kersey and Xavier McDaniel.
Hell, I remember going to some goofy game at the freaking Kingdome, which at the time was the largest crowd ever for an NBA game(that's been broken since, I believe), and I couldn't see shit from my (free) nosebleed seats....but all the brawls were worth the price of admission. People hardly care enough to get out of their seats anymore, much less hook up the fisties over a ball game.
That's not to say Seattletard doesn't still brawl -- just show up at a Seahawks game wearing Ducks or Raider gear...that usually gets it done.
"So, is there one person out there that really believes that the owners are going to 'keep the team in Seattle,' which is what they're claiming? And what's to stop the same thing from happening to the Blazers?"
Even though the hosts know full-well that the Blazers aren't going anywhere, due to the oppressive lease that Allen fucked the team into. BTW -- Allen complaining(and asking for public help...BWAHAHAHAHA) about the lease is tantamount to somebody getting caught shoplifting, and complaining about it when the judge sentences them to community service...shouldn't have tried to steal, and this wouldn't have ever been an issue, dumbass.
But I do really hope that the new owners stay put, and the Bandwagon buys some tickets and supports their team. They have kinda been one of our archrivals for the last 30+ years. Although back in the "good old days," there was a lot more animosity. Late 80's/early 90's, you were almost assured that in at least 2 of the 4 meetings, that there would be a fistfight, usually involving Jerome Kersey and Xavier McDaniel.
Hell, I remember going to some goofy game at the freaking Kingdome, which at the time was the largest crowd ever for an NBA game(that's been broken since, I believe), and I couldn't see shit from my (free) nosebleed seats....but all the brawls were worth the price of admission. People hardly care enough to get out of their seats anymore, much less hook up the fisties over a ball game.
That's not to say Seattletard doesn't still brawl -- just show up at a Seahawks game wearing Ducks or Raider gear...that usually gets it done.
I got 99 problems but the 'vid ain't one
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The Assassin
- Raider Fan
- Posts: 3171
- Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 12:27 am
- Location: Las Vegas,Nevada 89130
You know, I just don't know.
Sure OKC may be full of yayhoos, and it sure as hell offers less "shit to do" to its residents...
But on the other side of the coin, even with their fickle fans, there's probably at least 4 times as many people in the Seattle area as there is in the OKC area(and probably over 4 times as many people as the LV area).
There is THAT.
Simple supply/demand economics enters the equation at some point.
Sure OKC may be full of yayhoos, and it sure as hell offers less "shit to do" to its residents...
But on the other side of the coin, even with their fickle fans, there's probably at least 4 times as many people in the Seattle area as there is in the OKC area(and probably over 4 times as many people as the LV area).
There is THAT.
Simple supply/demand economics enters the equation at some point.
I got 99 problems but the 'vid ain't one
-
The Assassin
- Raider Fan
- Posts: 3171
- Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2005 12:27 am
- Location: Las Vegas,Nevada 89130
Dinsdale wrote:You know, I just don't know.
Sure OKC may be full of yayhoos, and it sure as hell offers less "shit to do" to its residents...
But on the other side of the coin, even with their fickle fans, there's probably at least 4 times as many people in the Seattle area as there is in the OKC area(and probably over 4 times as many people as the LV area).
There is THAT.
Simple supply/demand economics enters the equation at some point.
Speaking of fickle do we have a frontrunner in the Blazer sweepstakes?
Al Davis=Fidel Castro
The Assassin wrote: Speaking of fickle do we have a frontrunner in the Blazer sweepstakes?
"Fickle" is an excellent choice of words, since it almost seems like after the excellent(depending who you ask) draft, Allen looks like a kid playing with his toys again.
Who knows, maybe he'll keep it.
Personally, I want Allen gone(sin, Paul's younger brother Marcus), but I'm about tired of watching 40-50-something men behave like a bunch of little drama queens. That's possibly the most pathetic part...well, that and Allen standing there and flat-out lying to everyone's face.
It would be nice if Terry Porter's group could get together with Mark Wattles(owner of Hollywood Video), and just get it done. Of course in this scenario, Porter would have to have the final say and full control to make it work. Plus, a lot of people around here know a lot of less-than-flattering stuff about Wattles(lots of illegal business practices, and the book-cooking and embezzlement, while never caught on to by the authorities, is part of local folklore), so he might not make for the best cash-cow.
We'll see, but my gut feeling is that when the 2006-07 season rolls around, Paul Allen will still be the owner of the Blazers, unfortunately. I'm not calling it a stone-cold-lock, but my gut feeling tells me that things won't change much.
On the bright side, the draft rocked.
I got 99 problems but the 'vid ain't one
True, on all accounts. However, OKC had something like the 4th-highest attendance this year in the league. I was surprised, given the otherwise relative lack of interest in basketball in this state outside of Stillwater.Dinsdale wrote:Sure OKC may be full of yayhoos, and it sure as hell offers less "shit to do" to its residents...
But on the other side of the coin, even with their fickle fans, there's probably at least 4 times as many people in the Seattle area as there is in the OKC area(and probably over 4 times as many people as the LV area).
There is THAT.
Simple supply/demand economics enters the equation at some point.
Not sure if it was just the novelty of having a temporary NBA team or if there really is that much interest to support a major pro team in OKC in the long run. Corporate sponsors stepped up last year. My hunch is they would again for a longer term, if there was a possibility of a team moving permanently there.
Van wrote:It's like rimming an unbathed fat chick from Missouri. It's highly distinctive, miserably unforgettable and completely wrong.
Dinsdale wrote: We'll see, but my gut feeling is that when the 2006-07 season rolls around, Paul Allen will still be the owner of the Blazers, unfortunately.
^^^$$$$$$
My bud just got an e-mail from the mailing list, which offered him nosebleeder season tix...for $199.
Looks like Dins and crew might be catching a whole buncha games this season.
WAR -- LaMarcus
I got 99 problems but the 'vid ain't one