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Does anyone from Seattle want a new team? Who here feels like shelling out $50 to watch pro basketball? This process left a scar...

Why is Nickels selling out such a shock? The guy only cares about politically correct policies like recycling, mass transit, and higher taxes. He didn't care that there were 10 fans or a million fans of the Sonics, he just cared about recovering the revenue the city would have lost because it probably was funding the self-cleaning public toilets for homeless people or something.

mojomarc wrote:Why is Nickels selling out such a shock? The guy only cares about politically correct policies like recycling, mass transit, and higher taxes. He didn't care that there were 10 fans or a million fans of the Sonics, he just cared about recovering the revenue the city would have lost because it probably was funding the self-cleaning public toilets for homeless people or something.

Ask the Save Our Sonics guys...they'll explain it.

Sweezo wrote:Does anyone from Seattle want a new team? Who here feels like shelling out $50 to watch pro basketball? This process left a scar...

Good question, Sweezo. The Sonics fans that I know are all either giving up on the NBA entirely or shifting to other teams, primarily Portland. But if a franchise was brought in and they did the sorts of community things that KP has done down in Portland to really endear the team to the city (bring in good citizens to play for the team, require lots of outreach, cheap rafters seats to get people hooked, etc.) then I think a lot of the fans will come back.

I can't believe a bunch of rednecks came in and stole a team that has been here for 40 years... I'm very sorry about this guys, and you're more then welcome to join us on the Blazers forum.

You may be right. Fans can be fickle. But I won't be one of them...there's a lot of fairweather types in Seattle, just like any other city I guess, who probably don't care too much about what happened today and will forgive and forget if another team comes in and provides a source of entertainment. But for the diehards who've, you know, logged 25k posts on the goddamned internet talking about their team over the last decade...this won't be forgotten.

Sweezo wrote:

mojomarc wrote:Why is Nickels selling out such a shock? The guy only cares about politically correct policies like recycling, mass transit, and higher taxes. He didn't care that there were 10 fans or a million fans of the Sonics, he just cared about recovering the revenue the city would have lost because it probably was funding the self-cleaning public toilets for homeless people or something.

Ask the Save Our Sonics guys...they'll explain it.

Please. I'm sorry, but SOS was deluded from the get-go that they could make a difference. About the only difference they did make was forcing Nick Licata to recant his "Seattle doesn't care about the Sonics" statement. Nickels just played with them, used them as pawns so he could get fair value for the city's coffers for the revenue they would have lost if the Sonics moved.

Nickels is a consumate politician. I never understood why, when the politicians in Washington continue to screw the citizens, that people keep putting so much trust in them.

Sweezo wrote:You may be right. Fans can be fickle. But I won't be one of them...there's a lot of fairweather types in Seattle, just like any other city I guess, who probably don't care too much about what happened today and will forgive and forget if another team comes in and provides a source of entertainment. But for the diehards who've, you know, logged 25k posts on the goddamned internet talking about their team over the last decade...this won't be forgotten.

Believe me, Sweezo--I hate that this happened to you. We've discussed this a number of times over the last few years on this board, and you know I am not even remotely a Sonics fan, but you and a lot of the other Sonics' fans on here are class acts and I'm very sorry for your loss. I can understand completely that the die-hards are smarting like this was a bad divorce and the wife got the kids and you got no visitation rights.

Still, look at what happened when the North Stars left Minnesota for Dallas. Not only did the Minnesota fans come back, but you can't buy a Wild ticket. If Seattle really is the basketball town that many on this board have argued for, the pain you're feeling now will be replaced by excitement for the new team, particularly when they beat OKC.

mojomarc wrote:Please. I'm sorry, but SOS was deluded from the get-go that they could make a difference. About the only difference they did make was forcing Nick Licata to recant his "Seattle doesn't care about the Sonics" statement. Nickels just played with them, used them as pawns so he could get fair value for the city's coffers for the revenue they would have lost if the Sonics moved.

Nickels is a consumate politician. I never understood why, when the politicians in Washington continue to screw the citizens, that people keep putting so much trust in them.

My response probably came across as flippant but that wasn't my goal. I guess I can own up to this now since everything's over but I had access to information from the SC guys along that the rest of the public wasn't privy to, and I can completely understand why they would feel a bit bamboozled by Nickels at the moment. Complete snow job up until the very last second...

I'm not surprised at a politician flip-flopping, but after investing so much time and resources, to let the team go for a check and nothing else is baffling. I honestly think it could cost Nickels his job.

Personally I have no interest in supporting a new NBA franchise or waiting for 5 years to get one.

41 years should matter. To make matters worse I started a new job yesterday and the Job super intendant was from OKC. A guy asked him why he was working out here and he said "no money back there."

And of course he doesn't even like basketball. I'm so bitter right now. I don't really have any effort for one last grand post where I get banned by having pictures that break the terms of service or a few paragraghs filled with expletives. I'm out.

Only way I'll come back is if Howie somehow manages to win his court case.

If Howie loses his case hello Gonzaga Bulldogs. They are my #2 anyway and it looks likely they could be my new #1 unfortunately.

I love how the NBA first said a Key Arena remodel wasnt good enough then a couple months down the road an arena remodel is fine.

Sweezo wrote:

mojomarc wrote:Please. I'm sorry, but SOS was deluded from the get-go that they could make a difference. About the only difference they did make was forcing Nick Licata to recant his "Seattle doesn't care about the Sonics" statement. Nickels just played with them, used them as pawns so he could get fair value for the city's coffers for the revenue they would have lost if the Sonics moved.

Nickels is a consumate politician. I never understood why, when the politicians in Washington continue to screw the citizens, that people keep putting so much trust in them.

My response probably came across as flippant but that wasn't my goal. I guess I can own up to this now since everything's over but I had access to information from the SC guys along that the rest of the public wasn't privy to, and I can completely understand why they would feel a bit bamboozled by Nickels at the moment. Complete snow job up until the very last second...

I'm not surprised at a politician flip-flopping, but after investing so much time and resources, to let the team go for a check and nothing else is baffling. I honestly think it could cost Nickels his job.

It will.

I'm so disgusted I barely have words. I always knew this outcome was a good possibility, but just the same, I thought sanity would prevail in the end. Why not promise OKC a new NBA team, and have Bennet sell the team back to local ownership? Seattle is like the capitol of the entire northwest region of North America.

Stern is a foul human being.

wiff wrote:And of course he doesn't even like basketball. I'm so bitter right now. I don't really have any effort for one last grand post where I get banned by having pictures that break the terms of service or a few paragraghs filled with expletives. I'm out.

I hope no one goes this route. Believe me when I say the people who run this site have been very supportive of Sonics basketball from the get go, and posting a bunch of stuff that I would have to edit out and then have to discipline people for it absolutely not something I have any interest in doing.

Bennett's a villain. Stern's a villian. Schultz is a villain. Nickels is a villain. And that's an exhaustive list as far as I am concerned...

I really hate the Seattle political establishment. It was one of the reasons why I moved to Bellevue two years ago and a reason why I'm looking to move out of Puget Sound completely. I really hope I'm wrong and Nickels' job was lost today, but I have never seen the depth of support for the Sonics in my 13 years in the Seattle area for the team that would lead me to believe it will happen. Nickels has the businessmen of the city in his pocket and tremendous support out of the Capital Hill/Montlake crowd which I think could be enough to keep him in a job. But boy, do I hope I'm wrong. I would love to see nothing more than a shake-up of the ruling oligarchy in Seattle.

So does everybody who is saying the "city sold out or rolled over" that this lawsuit wasn't about where the Sonics would play permanently? It was only for two years and then they move to OKC anyways? Then Seattle would have had 0% chance of getting a team beyond 2010.

At least this is a chance they get a team long-term. It might be a remote chance, but it's a better chance than last week.

I'm not sure what everybody is complaining about? The Sonics were leaving no matter what. And I live in Seattle. I think the outcome was fair. The Seattle Center is going to get renovated if not for basketball, for other things (maybe the NHL).

You have to look at how many unstable franchises there are in the NBA. New Orleans, Memphis, Charlotte, etc. all come to mind. Don't think there isn't a chance a team could move here.

Sweezo wrote:Bennett's a villain. Stern's a villian. Schultz is a villain. Nickels is a villain. And that's an exhaustive list as far as I am concerned...

Ackerley is a villain in this as well, as are Gregoire and Frank Chopp on the political scene.

Is anyone really surprised that the Sonics website already has a link up for OKC people to request season tickets and an FAQ about the move? They must have had this prepared long before today

mojomarc wrote:Please. I'm sorry, but SOS was deluded from the get-go that they could make a difference. About the only difference they did make was forcing Nick Licata to recant his "Seattle doesn't care about the Sonics" statement. Nickels just played with them, used them as pawns so he could get fair value for the city's coffers for the revenue they would have lost if the Sonics moved.

Reluctantly, I have to agree with you. Today's insistence that there was no settlement was the final confirmation that they were full of crap all along. Perhaps they were fed that crap unknowingly by the city; I can't say. Their repeated citations of supposed inside sources that never panned out were already growing tiresome. They did a nice job being vocal and elevating the issue's visibility, but that's about it.

For me, it's not even about a lack of political support, it's the manner in how this unfolded. I do value other political decisions over sports, but I don't view them as mutually exclusive.

But I'm not a Seattle voter, and I feel like Rossi paid more lip service than anything else because neither he nor his party did anything to push the issue either, so my vote doesn't matter. Then again...it never really does, does it?