Mark Cuban on the Sonics situation

Post #1 » by **HMFFL** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:43 pm

"The question is whether Seattle even wants the team," he said while working up a sweat exercising. "If they want them, they have to figure out a way for them to stay. And if they don't it's just a question of where. I'd love to see them stay in Seattle. It's a great city, great fans, just a shame, you know? But I guess sometimes the rain gets to people."

Cuban said the people of city should make a bigger ruckus if they don't want the Sonics to relocate to Oklahoma City or another locale.

"It's not one of those things where you can force people to want them to stay," he said. "If they want them to stay, they want them to stay. And if they don't, they don't. It wasn't like it was a big uproar and that's the thing. You can play politics all you want but it wasn't like people we're screaming and that's a shame because it's a great basketball city."

Cuban is not sold that the Sonics are headed for Oklahoma and he said he is open to any new ideas.

"I don't know that they're going to Oklahoma City, we have to see," he said. "At least as far as my personal vote, I am going to keep all options open. It's a question of what's the biggest available market and what's going to help the NBA the most. So we'll see.

"And the more dependent you are on local revenue, the more important your lease and arena deal is. And the more important you're lease and arena deal is, the worst position that Seattle's in competitively. So I think that the piece the people don't quite understand in Seattle. I think they think it's 1996 and if they can do it think they can do it now.

"But the difference between 10 years ago and today, with the economics of the NBA and the way the collective bargaining agreement is structured is night and day. Night and day. That just puts Seattle is a significant competitive disadvantage.

Cuban isn't sold on Oklahoma City and said he will not vote along with other owners just for the sake of agreement.

"Isn't Oklahoma City bigger than Seattle?" he asked. "In a metropolitan city, I don't know. I haven't seen the numbers. But I don't think it's strong enough. If it isn't I'll vote against it. I am not going in with any preset notions, so we'll see what happens, I am open minded like that."

Link

Jasen777 · Post #2 » by **Jasen777** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:53 pm

Seattle is slightly larger if you just count the cities, 582,00 to 537,000. But if you count the metropolitan area Seattle is much larger, 3.2 million to 1.2 million.

your_dallas_mavericks · Post #3 » by **your_dallas_mavericks** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:44 pm

Jasen777 wrote:Seattle is slightly larger if you just count the cities, 582,00 to 537,000. But if you count the metropolitan area Seattle is much larger, 3.2 million to 1.2 million.

Are you counting Norman as well? The OKC metro area includes Norman, Stillwater, El Reno, Shawnee. It encompasses about 5 or 6 counties. I live up here. We want an NBA team. We supported the Hornets and would prefer them to be the team we end up with. But, we would take Durant, Green and the Sonics. By the way, The ownership of the Sonics is made up of businessmen from the OKC area. People from Devon and Chesapeake Oil as well as certain banks and telecommunication corporations. OKC has nearly as much in their metro as Seattle does. We want a team, we're hungry, we're proven.

Post #4 » by **catalyst** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:10 pm

If they are the same size cities, it comes down to supporting the team, which Seattle has failed to do. This game is about giving up to keep your team. The dallas arena bond passed 51-49, with the pros spending 10-1 over the the antis. I think everyone now is glad they stayed,a nd very resentful of Laura Miller that the Cowboys will go to Arlington.

Jasen777 · Post #5 » by **Jasen777** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:47 pm

your_dallas_mavericks wrote:Are you counting Norman as well? The OKC metro area includes Norman, Stillwater, El Reno, Shawnee.

It counts Norman, Reno, and Shawnee. It doesn't count Stillwater but that's only another 50,000 tops. I used to live in Stillwater and we didn't consider it part of the Oklahoma City metro, but maybe it can now.

OKC has nearly as much in their metro as Seattle does. We want a team, we're hungry, we're proven.

No, Seattle is almost 3 times bigger.

Oklahoma City metropolitan area

Seattle metropolitan area

The Oklahoma City area is bigger than Salt Lake City and post hurricane New Orleans though. Oklahoma City can probably support a team, but only if it wins alot. It probably couldn't survive a Mavs in the '90s situation.

Seattlesun · Post #6 » by **Seattlesun** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:38 am

you guys, there is no comparison is size between seattle and ok city. this is a huge american city. seattle itself is not huge as regards city limits as its land bound by lakes and the puget sound. but throw in bellevue, everett, tacoma, and all the 'burbs.

the other thing to keep in mind is the corporate differences between the two cities and how important that is to the NBA model. boeing, microsoft, starbucks, etc. lots of moolah in this city.

i hope cuban uses his contentious spirit for good for once and lobbies against the sonics moving because in this case he is 100% correct. it makes no long term economic sense for the sonics to leave seattle.

Sken · Post #7 » by **Sken** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:03 am

I think that is the difference between a Dallas/New York/LA type of geography and some of the other cities in professional sports. In Dallas et al, IF the mayor goes militant towards subsidizing professional venues for owners, they go to the suburbs that are centralized for the entire metro area. In a New Orleans once you get animosity between ownership and the city there is little choice outside of moving to another city. This was true of Pre-Katrina N.O. and it is probably true of half of the NBA markets. There just are not a lot of feasible Arlington or Irving options available to franchises in other markets.

Seattlesun · Post #8 » by **Seattlesun** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:42 am

^^^ thats a very good point. And in fact, outlying areas have been mentioned thoughout the last year. areas that have been mentioned as possible arena destinations include Bellevue (couple miles east of Seattle across lake washington) Renton (15 miles south) Auburn (20 miles south)

The problem is that the city of seattle would not benefit and Key Arena is at the heart of Seattle Center which includes the space needle. The city fights any alternative that does not include Seattle Center as they would then be unable to take 50% of the sonics' revenues.

your_dallas_mavericks · Post #9 » by **your_dallas_mavericks** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:20 pm

Guys face it, Clay Bennett bought the Sonics for the sole purpose of moving it to OKC. He also has cut payroll and talent in order to help him break the lease in Seattle. Durant, Green, and Clay Bennett and company are coming to the Ford Center and making OKC a big league city. OKC lost out barely a few years ago to having a NHL expansion franchise which in turn went to Columbus. Maybe the travelling Hornets could come up to Seattle. Maybe you all could be like the fans of the Cleveland Browns and demand your colors and your name stay in Seattle. That would be a shame though with Sonic's international headquarters just a few blocks a way and sponsorship already lined up. There is just too much momentum to stop it now. It's coming, it's going to happen. Stern or Cuban or anyone can try to stop it, it's not gonna happen. Bennett is bringin' it!

dirkforpres · Post #10 » by **dirkforpres** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:11 pm

The Sonics are going to move to Dallas, and we will have the Sonics and the Mavericks... Like LA has the Lakers and the Clippers.

jwa1107 · Post #11 » by **jwa1107** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:31 pm

it will be a sad day when SEA no longer has an NBA team

SEA is much more metropolitan than OKC but no one there seems willing to step up and pay for an arena the way they will in Texas...

your_dallas_mavericks · Post #12 » by **your_dallas_mavericks** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 10:26 pm

jwa1107 wrote:it will be a sad day when SEA no longer has an NBA team

SEA is much more metropolitan than OKC but no one there seems willing to step up and pay for an arena the way they will in Texas...

OKC is funding an arena like Texas, jwa! We approved a tax to upgrade the Ford Center even though there is no NBA team here. Like Chris Paul said to Kevin Durant last week, "First one to OKC, wins!"

jwa1107 · Post #13 » by **jwa1107** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:01 am

I agree, OKC is taking the right steps. It has become a common practice across the US, but Seattle seems unwilling to participate and they will lose for failing to do so.

Laura Miller lost out on bringing the Cowboys to Fair Park and now Dallas proper will suffer while Arlington-JerryWorld will benefit greatly. They've already stolen the Cotton Bowl, got a SuperBowl, and next will be Texas-OU (amongst other non-football events). And Arlington and Grapevine and Fort Worth and midcities now stand to benefit more than Dallas from these events...

Seattle needs to learn the lesson that Dallas had to and will suffer from for years to come - public funding is a must to benefit from sports-generated revenues.