The Trial/City Rolls Over Thread

[TheUrbanZealot]

I disagree with this. You have no idea. Two years is a lot of time. Remember, it was Stern himself who said that a remodelled Key Arena was just fine for professional basketball. What if they won this case, and then Schultz won his? What if they put the arena remodel package together with new politicians? What if the PR swung wildly in the Sonics favor and put pressure on Stern and the league?

We lost a chance at this gamble. And it was a decent gamble.

A decent gamble? Are you serious? Bennett couldn't have been anymore clear as day. He was NOT selling his team back to local ownership, even if he lost the case. Further, Schultz' case, if nothing else, is a half-hearted miracle to save face at best. Remember, it was SCHULTZ who started this to begin with. He could have sold to local ownership but he wasn't going to make as much as he would selling it to an outside party. He claims he could have made more with a team already guaranteeing a move, give me a break.

We can rip Bennett to shreds all we want, but I think most of us knew his intentions from the onset. HOWARD SCHULTZ, if you don't remember, essentially put the city in a similar position, by asking them to pony up most of the funding for a new arena. The city refused, and the rest is history.

Now, in hindsight you are resting your hopes on the very person who started this mess to begin with? Come on. Schultz is a savvy businessman whom is probably looking to get a cut of a settlement while looking like some type of local hero in the process.

There is absolutely NOTHING, short of Schultz never selling the team to begin with, that would have saved the Sonics from leaving under Bennett's ownership. NOTHING. Al Davis already set a legal precedent with the Oakland-LA Raiders debacle. Bennett would have appealed and won even if he was forced to stay.

Now we have to focus our attention on the future. I happen to be excited about a fresh start under LOCAL ownership with financial power. We have never had an owner with pockets as deep as Ballmer. At least if we have to start over from the ground up, I assure you the transition to a contender under Ballmer's regime will be a lot faster...

[Bulltalk]

Even with the arena funding...they were still being asked to build a ridiculously expensive arena, despite having an arena that isn't the dump it's often made out to be, while knowing a large section of the public didn't want to pay for a new arena so soon after paying for two other arenas when the economy kind of on the skids at the moment.

I know a lot of people really blame the legislature, but I'm not entirely on board with that. Hard to fault the legislature when OKC wasn't being asked to suddenly build anything like what Bennett was proposing in Renton.

i was more referencing the difficulties howard schultz was having when he was initially pining for renovations of key arena. not only that, but david stern and the nba actually assisted him in lobbying for public money if i recall correctly. i don't blame the legislature for balking at the $500m renton proposal; the game was almost over by that point anyway.

If we had time to put an arena package together, that takes a big leg out from under the reasoning for leaving Seattle.

bennett would have simply bled out the two years and left. there was too much invested at that point not to make that decision. for an arena package to matter, either bennett would have had to sell the team back to local ownership after two years to keep it there (fat chance), or the nba board of governers would have had to dis-approve a relocation application by bennett after two years forcing him to sell to local ownership. an nba BOG, mind you, that would not have been very supportive of a city who bled them out for two years of revenue.

all you guys hoping for these sonics to remain here were holding on to a fool's hope; recession was really the only way for that to happen as bennett had too much invested to sell at this point, and the odds of recession would have been slim to none.

Woah! I've seen lots and lots of stranger things happen than this. PR plays a big role in such things. If you get an arena renovation passed, a strong ownership ready to pounce, at least one court case in your favor, if not two...you well might get more than two owners switching allegiances, and the owners are Stern's boss.

Steep hill to climb? Sure. Steeper than getting a new team, and having to do all the these things anyway without ANY guarantee of a new team? I don't think so.

[slick_watts]

Woah! I've seen lots and lots of stranger things happen than this. PR plays a big role in such things. If you get an arena renovation passed, a strong ownership ready to pounce, at least one court case in your favor, if not two...you well might get more than two owners switching allegiances, and the owners are Stern's boss.

Steep hill to climb? Sure. Steeper than getting a new team, and having to do all the these things anyway without ANY guarantee of a new team? I don't think so.

i think you are overestimating the effect of public relations in this scenario, and very powerfully underestimating the influence of david stern and the allegiance the nba owners have for one another. without david stern's support, which would not have been given if this lease were enforced, this team was not staying here without the original sale being rescinded. the owners are not going to side with a city who caused them to lose money for two years, and they certainly aren't going to risk looking stupid and abandon clay bennett and david stern in a subsequent vote for relocation. remember, only two owners voted against the move, and one of them was just doing it to be contrary. the other was doing it because he's from here. you're talking about a huge swing in sentiment for a cause that was wholly unsupported and even lambasted by the nba. it wasn't going to happen.

as we have seen, a lot can happen with the support of the nba and david stern. if an arena is funded, seattle will have a team.

[Bulltalk]

[quote="BulltalkWoah! I've seen lots and lots of stranger things happen than this. PR plays a big role in such things. If you get an arena renovation passed, a strong ownership ready to pounce, at least one court case in your favor, if not two...you well might get more than two owners switching allegiances, and the owners are Stern's boss.

Steep hill to climb? Sure. Steeper than getting a new team, and having to do all the these things anyway without ANY guarantee of a new team? I don't think so.

i think you are overestimating the effect of public relations in this scenario, and very powerfully underestimating the influence of david stern and the allegiance the nba owners have for one another. without david stern's support, which would not have been given if this lease were enforced, this team was not staying here without the original sale being rescinded. the owners are not going to side with a city who caused them to lose money for two years, and they certainly aren't going to risk looking stupid and abandon clay bennett and david stern in a subsequent vote for relocation. remember, only two owners voted against the move, and one of them was just doing it to be contrary. the other was doing it because he's from here. you're talking about a huge swing in sentiment for a cause that was wholly unsupported and even lambasted by the nba. it wasn't going to happen.

as we have seen, a lot can happen with the support of the nba and david stern. if an arena is funded, seattle will have a team.

So you're saying there was NO CHANCE of winning in the end on this if we had two more years to work with it? Is that what you're saying? If so, what chance do we have now? I don't see them as being a lot better, and what's more, we'd be stealing some other city's team, like Sweezo said.

That's certainly the higher ground after we've just been screwed. LOL

[Ex-hippie]

all you guys hoping for these sonics to remain here were holding on to a fool's hope; recession was really the only way for that to happen as bennett had too much invested to sell at this point, and the odds of recession would have been slim to none.

I assume you mean rescission. And as I have said right here on this forum (and others have generally agreed in the national press), while the battle for rescission might have been uphill, it was far from frivolous, and "slim to none" is not the experts' views. So let's put our credentials out there, shall we? I'm a parter at an AmLaw 20 firm, and I have canvassed some of my friends and colleagues, including two other partners at the aforesaid firm, a partner at a different AmLaw 20 firm, and a corporate counsel at an AmLaw 100 firm. We all agree that the legal case has legs. I'm supposed to believe that those of us with hope are "fools," coming from someone who doesn't know a rescission from a recession?

[Walton'sBeard!]

It's a dark day in NBA history.

[Bulltalk]

all you guys hoping for these sonics to remain here were holding on to a fool's hope; recession was really the only way for that to happen as bennett had too much invested to sell at this point, and the odds of recession would have been slim to none.

I assume you mean rescission. And as I have said right here on this forum (and others have generally agreed in the national press), while the battle for rescission might have been uphill, it was far from frivolous, and "slim to none" is not the experts' views. So let's put our credentials out there, shall we? I'm a parter at an AmLaw 20 firm, and I have canvassed some of my friends and colleagues, including two other partners at the aforesaid firm, a partner at a different AmLaw 20 firm, and a corporate counsel at an AmLaw 100 firm. We all agree that the legal case has legs. I'm supposed to believe that those of us with hope are "fools," coming from someone who doesn't know a rescission from a recession?

It drives me crazy when people talk like something's fact when it is anything but fact.

[slick_watts]

I assume you mean rescission. And as I have said right here on this forum (and others have generally agreed in the national press), while the battle for rescission might have been uphill, it was far from frivolous, and "slim to none" is not the experts' views. So let's put our credentials out there, shall we? I'm a parter at an AmLaw 20 firm, and I have canvassed some of my friends and colleagues, including two other partners at the aforesaid firm, a partner at a different AmLaw 20 firm, and a corporate counsel at an AmLaw 100 firm. We all agree that the legal case has legs. I'm supposed to believe that those of us with hope are "fools," coming from someone who doesn't know a rescission from a recession?

i'm not going to go into why i was typing recession.

i know what rescission is, and while i cannot and don't care to compare 'credentials' with you, i have done my own 'canvassing' (who SAYS that?) of 'friends and colleagues' in the sports and entertainment practice (which includes sports and stadium finance) of a large firm here in NY (sorry, only amlaw 100!) and they seem to have the opposite view of you and many of the legal experts commenting on the case. quoting odds as slim to none was probably sensational of me, but i still don't think it was likely, and i'm sure you of all people will forgive the sensationalism.

i still stand by my point, however, that a small chance of success isn't worth the price of ultimate defeat.

[jenn_gp]

Well, I got out of the house for a little bit and caught up. I've been reading every post and I just don't know what to do or say. Other than that I feel like I have lost a peice of myself today. Mayor Nickels has sold a peice of my childhood, my memories, my life for 45 million dollars. It makes me sick.

I just don't know...I said I'm out, but I honestly can't turn away from you guys. I remember back in 2005 when it pretty much felt like we were a family.

[dre_1614]

After thinking about it I am not going to follow the team to OKC. I hate the owner Bennett, and I wont help him make money.

Once Seattle gets a new team ill be a fan again, but I guess ill be rooting for the Bulls now(I'm a huge Derrick Rose fan).

I know I'm new to this forum but you can catch me over in the Bulls forum. peace, and I hope to talk to you guys and gals once we get a new team.
-Dan

[BballFanAddict]

ESPN's legal eagle has a nice Q&A article that breathes of some hope for Sonics fans. Worth the read anyway.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/stor ... nicsmoveQA

[jenn_gp]

I most certainly will not be following this team in OKC.

Did anyone else hear that they are going to be making REPLICA banners and championship trophy in OKC. What happened to the agreement they make about leaving the team HISTORY, NAME, and colors? When I heard that on KJR I just about slit my wrist.

[Sashobe]

Dark day for Las Vegas. With Sonics out of Seattle, the city of Seattle will be the first team they would look at for an NBA team. Not my home of Las Vegas.

[jenn_gp]

^That's your reasoning for this being a sad day? Wow. Not trying to start anything, but you come onto the SEATTLE Sonics forum and type this? Wow.

There is no promise guaranteed by the league that we're first in line. You can get your hopes back up now

[yearsago]

Argh they played the PBC press conference.

Clay Bennett Crying.

Jesus f**king christ I hope that guy burns in hell.

[t-time]

Sorry to hear guys. Its bull$hit that this has happened. Its pretty sad that a decorated NBA 'team' like the Seattle Supersonics are being run like a Subway or McDonalds franchise.

[yearsago]

Dark day for Las Vegas. With Sonics out of Seattle, the city of Seattle will be the first team they would look at for an NBA team. Not my home of Las Vegas.

Dude get that sh*t outta here.

Las vegas isn't getting a team because the NBA is having all sorts of issues with gambling, Not because now Seattle is a open market. Here is a idea, lets go have a team in the gambling center of the world

[Cyborg21]

I really wanted the Sonics to stay in Seattle this sucks

[neplife]

damn this is horrible news, I'm gonna miss the I-5 rivalry. If anything take solice in that you live in the beautiful NW and not a pit like Oklahoma.

[yearsago]

Bennett is going to make replicas of the banners wtf?