I'm so angry about the Sonics' pending move from Seattle.

[cboy4]

To Oklafuckinghoma.

No offense to OKC, but this move is the equivalent of millionaires moving from their mansion to a trailer park.

With e-mails, Sonics turn tables on city of Seattle

Associated Press

Updated: June 24, 2008, 9:45 PM ET

SEATTLE -- Turns out, Seattle leaders have some issues with e-mail, too.

After months of enduring bombshell releases of incriminating messages that seemed to doom their case, the SuperSonics have produced damning e-mail from Seattle power brokers in the trial that will determine whether the team will move to Oklahoma City or be forced to play the final two years of its lease at Seattle's KeyArena.

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman will hear closing arguments Thursday to end this six-day trial.

The Sonics lawyers introduced evidence last week showing the former U.S. senator whom the city hired to lead its effort to keep the team was involved in a "poisoned well" plan to force Sonics owner Clay Bennett -- the supposed villain in this civic drama -- into losing so much money he would sell the team to local buyers.

But how much will that matter?

Pechman will be focused on the case's fundamental issue: Exactly what does the Sonics' lease require? And what is the appropriate remedy for the final two seasons of it, which Bennett's Professional Basketball Club LLC wants to buy out so it can move the Sonics to the owners' hometown for the 2008-09 season?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3459508

[Upton]

1. Mr. Starbucks..Howard Schultz

sold the team to Clay Bennett and his group even though he knew this might happen. This after Schultz claimed numerous times that he wanted to save basketball in Seattle. Now it looks like he'll be forever remembered as the man who set in motion a series of events that cost the city of Seattle the Sonics instead. All that said, a recent King 5 poll showed that 58% of the people around here could care less if the Sonics leave.

[cboy4]

2. Well I would argue the 58 percent who voted in the Channel 5

poll -- saying they don't care if the team leaves -- is a deceptive figure, considering I'm sure a lot of people voted in anger.

My point is I'm opposed to teams leaving cities just because taxpayers don't want to foot the bill for half billion dollar arenas .. venues most people can't afford to attend anyway.

This has nothing to do with Seattle fans not supporting the team.

Next team to probably end up leaving because taxpayers don't want to pay for a new area:

[pscot]

3. Howard Schultz is a two-faced jerk

He was pissed off at the city and he sold Seattle and the fans down the river. He knew exactly what he was doing. Now he's trying to weasel out of responsibility. Schmuck.

[MrCoffee]

4. They're leaving, one way or another...

Bennett is ABSOLUTELY going to move the team, either next season or in 2010. Schultz knew that when he sold them. My dead grandmother knew that when he sold them.

Why drag it out for two more seasons? Bennett won't spend a dime more than is necessary to keep the lights on in Seattle, so the team is going to suck massive ass as long as they keep playing here. And they'll be gone at the end of it, regardless. So why not soak as much as possible from him in getting out of the lease and wish them the best of luck?

I don't understand the City stragety here. They're going to lose, either now or later, so why not make it now and start thinking seriously about whether or not they want the NBA here.

[cboy4]

5. Ughh. Yea, we know they're moving. That's not my point.

Why isn't anyone addressing it, which is that teams which are supported at the box office should not be allowed to move just because taxpayers don't want to foot the bill for new arenas for millionaire owners.

The San Francisco Giants play in a privately financed stadium because the taxpayers did not want to foot the bill for a public owned stadium.

That's how you can get it done.

[KamaAina]

6. The novelty will wear off after a few years

and OKC will become Memphis without the blues.

Oh yes, Clay Bennett is a fuckmook of the first order. He tried to convince the New Orleans Hornets to stay up there after Katrina, even convincing them to play almost all of the '06-'07 season in the (insert cheesy nickname here) City, long after the Arena was fixed and NOLA largely resettled.
Once he even made them wear these:



:grr:

Of course, as the game of Musical Teams continues, owner Shinn's wandering eye will eventually be cast upon Seattle, where, I hear, the coffee is nearly as good as that in NOLA. :-)

[LisaM]

7. If I had my way, municipalities would have more rights in their teams

After all, we supply the city name, generally some portion (or all) of the faciliites, the regional quirks that make the team loved or hated around the league, and THE FAN BASE. Yet we have zero rights when it comes to moving them around. I think that's ridiculous and a bad model.

I don't really get why Howard Schultz even bought the team in the first place. I also think Clay Bennett and his cast of characters totally lack ethics. I wish the people of OKC would complain. Who wants a tainted team, anyway?