Let's keep in mind to that there was a home baseball game last night as well.

I think that's the point.

Since baseball started at the beginning of April, the Mariners and Sonics have only shared 1 home game on the same date: April 18th

So I wonder what the actual attendance for the Sonics game were on the 6th, 9th and 18th...when there weren't any home baseball games.

Since baseball started at the beginning of April, the Mariners and Sonics have only shared 1 home game on the same date: April 18th

So I wonder what the actual attendance for the Sonics game were on the 6th, 9th and 18th...when there weren't any home baseball games.

Answered my own question, lol:

April 6th - 17,072

April 9th - 16,004

April 18th - 16,117

(Attendance stats from box scores listed on ESPN.com)

April 6: Lakers (17,072)
April 9: Rockets (16,004)
April 18: Mavericks (16,117)

Remember, this is tickets sold not fans in the seats.

April 6: Lakers (17,072)
April 9: Rockets (16,004)
April 18: Mavericks (16,117)


yeah, that's what I found too. =)

Change the name, or keep Sonics?

Also, you have to consider....why would Seattle support a team owned by OKC investors.

We supported a team owned by a Charlotte/New Orleans investor...

Change the name, or keep Sonics?

Personally, I think Sonics would fit just fine.

I'd kinda like to change the colors though. Green, white and gold just doesn't really do anything for me.

Funny you guys talk about that, I know we've briefly talked about it before but that really will probably be a serious topic that Bennett and Co. probably have already made a decision on or have been working on. I read an article yesterday that said that very same thing. Bennett owns the Sonics name however he could sell it to the city of Seattle for a price for a future NBA team. I think he should, sell it back to Seattle, reduce his obligation to them and honor their history, and start a fresh, clean name for OKC!!

Funny you guys talk about that, I know we've briefly talked about it before but that really will probably be a serious topic that Bennett and Co. probably have already made a decision on or have been working on. I read an article yesterday that said that very same thing. Bennett owns the Sonics name however he could sell it to the city of Seattle for a price for a future NBA team. I think he should, sell it back to Seattle, reduce his obligation to them and honor their history, and start a fresh, clean name for OKC!!


Yeah, that's an interesting point.

I wouldn't necessarily be against that, I just fear the stereotypical name for the Oklahoma City team (anything to do with cowboys, farming, native americans, etc).

I know that's our heritage, but I'd also like to see our teams break free from those types of names. The Sonics (as was discussed either in this thread or in another) would fit nicely because of our history with aviation.

why would Seattle support a team owned by OKC investors.

Why do people shop at Wal-Mart or go to McDonald's, when locally owned businesses sell the same things?

Disconnect or indifference.

People buy what they want and think little about who is making money off of it.

Think it's a little late for a Save the Sonics grass roots campaign...Needed that before the legislature convened

Sending an S.O.S.: OKC deserves an NBA team, but so does Seattle

By Steven Pyeatt
Guest commentary

Imagine coming home from school on your eighth birthday. You anxiously await your present, hoping for something fantastic.
Your father gives you an envelope and you open it to find a piece of paper. A fancy piece of paper, but still, not the new bike you were hoping for. Then you look at the paper and see that it is a stock certificate for something called "The Seattle SuperSonics.”

You have never seen an NBA game but your father tells you that you own a piece of Seattles first professional sports team (an amazingly small piece, but any piece is a big deal). Come fall you will get to go opening night for the first-ever game of a pro sports team in Seattle.

Over the next 40 years the memories mark the passing of your life.

Watching future NBA legend Lenny Wilkens become your city's first All-Star player. Slick Watts with his bald head and headband working magic with the ball. Being there as Jack Sikma and Dennis Johnson lead the team to Seattle's first-ever professional sports championship. Being part of the biggest parade in city history celebrating the NBA championship. Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton coming within two wins of winning another title only to lose to Michael Jordan and the best team in NBA history.

Then comes heartbreak as your local owners and elected officials bicker over the future of the team. Everyone wants to blame everyone else while you stand there amazed at the lack of leadership and vision that is putting the future of a valuable part of your city's history at risk.

Like a divorce, you dont care who is right or wrong, you just care about the future of the children.

Then comes the dagger to the heart: The team being sold to out-of-state owners. Even worse, these owners come from a city that is where yours was 40 years ago, hungry to step up to the next level as a city. They have had a taste of what the NBA is all about and they know what they want, a team to call their own.

You look for reasons to hate that city and to hate the people that bought your team. But the city is a good one, deserving of taking that next step, and the new owner is a man with a reputation of integrity. He says he wants to do the right thing, to keep our teams here. You want to believe him but you know how much his city wants the NBA and how he would love to be the local hero that brings them that team.

Not knowing what to do, many turn to insults and anger, pointing the finger at anyone they can. While that may provide an outlet for your frustrations, it doesn't do anything to help the situation, so you choose to stand up and fight.

You form a group, Save Our Sonics and Storm, and you learn from history.

You saw that the Mariners owners had given up and put the team up for sale, you saw the moving vans take your Seahawks to Los Angeles, and realize that sometimes these things go right down to the wire before they get resolved. You refuse to quit no matter how bad the situation looks because you know that today's boys and girls deserve to have 40 years worth of NBA and WNBA memories to mark the passing of their lives.

This isn't about how much money Clay Bennett has, or how much Ray Allen makes, or even how the new facility will be funded. It is about the quality of life and the things that make life worth living.

For some it is the arts, others it is hobbies of all kinds, but all of these things make up the fabric of a great society and they are worth fighting to keep.

So the message we are sending to Oklahoma City is don't get too excited at what you see going on in Seattle right now.

Be it the Hornets, or an expansion team, we all hope you get to have a NBA team in your fine city, but we will not allow it to be our team.

We have fought this battle before and won and will not give up. It isn't over till the moment our team tips off wearing their home uniforms in another arena.

We will get the job done, we must get the job done, because our children deserve to be raised with everything a world class city has to offer.

It isn't personal, you will feel the same way when someone tries to take your team away, but I still have my stock certificate and no one is taking my team.

Good Luck Oklahoma City.

•From the Great Northwest, home of the Seattle SuperSonics and Storm.,

Steven Pyeatt, Co-Founder, Save Our Sonics and Storm

Interesting. While I can agree that its not a done deal yet. It's not looking good for Seattle. I'll expect we'll hear a little more tonight or tomorrow after the NBA's Board of Governor's meeting is over.

the Seattle Seahawks were packing up the moving trucks headed to Los Angeles , when at the last minute the legislature gave them a new arena.

We supported a team owned by a Charlotte/New Orleans investor...

That's because we had something to prove. Seattle has nothing to prove.

Why do people shop at Wal-Mart or go to McDonald's, when locally owned businesses sell the same things?

Disconnect or indifference.

People buy what they want and think little about who is making money off of it.


Umm, because Wal-Mart is cheap.

the Seattle Seahawks were packing up the moving trucks headed to Los Angeles , when at the last minute the legislature gave them a new arena.

Big difference in the interest level of keeping the NFL and in keeping the NBA

I can understand Steven Pyeatt's view in his letter above. I would probably feel the same way. This is just a tough issue that involves more than what we can wrap our hands around. It involves what responsibilities a city has to privately owned professional sports franchises, the increasing player salaries (already obscene), league politics, local politics, investors hometown ties, forty years of history and emotions, TV & Radio rights and its relationship to market size.....one could go on and on with all of the complexities of this deal. It's tough on both ends. But Steven Pyeatt's view that he eloquently outlined in the post above is certainly understandable.

--------

Umm, because Wal-Mart is cheap.

Ummm, exactly! People's loyalties can be bought. Give them what they want (or think they want, at least) at the price they want and they don't care who is making money off of it. In terms of sports teams, they don't even have a choice. You like basketball in Seattle, you go see the Sonics, you don't do a bakground check on ownership.

That's not to say that there aren't community concious consumers. There are, but Wal-Mart, McDonals's, etc. are examples that most just do not care. Price and product (sometimes) are all that matters and, in the case of sports, it's often just product that matters, because they can't really price shop in the same market.

This guy from CBS Sports wrote a few months back that OKC is only dreaming and is preoccupied with lust for the Sonics and Hornets but says we'll never get a team. Let's all make sure to write him an email after we get a team within 2 years, probably sooner.

Oklahoma City Sonics? Hornets? Not gonna happen - CBS SportsLine.com (http://cbs.sportsline.com/columns/story/9573738)

Umm, because Wal-Mart is cheap.

No, they are not "cheap." They are inexpensive. The people that shop there do so because they do not like wasting money.

No, they are not "cheap." They are inexpensive. The people that shop there do so because they do not like wasting money.

Same difference.

Same difference.

No. You are wrong about that. Cheap is low in quality and inexpensive is low in price making the latter a good value. Two totally different things.

Actually a lot of it is just cheap. You get what you pay for, even at Wal-Mart. A lot of that stuff is made cheaper just for wal-mart, but with the same brand. Most don't notice until they're back at WM 6 months later replaceing the same cheap crap.

Anyway, what were we talking about?

Cheap is low in quality

exactly.

Wal-Mart

As I said before, Wal-Mart is cheap.

Don't turn the Sonics thread into a Wal-Mart thread. Please..........

Don't turn the Sonics thread into a Wal-Mart thread. Please..........

I concur. Back to topic.

Let's keep this thread about the Sonics...ALWAYS!

This thread has gone sixteen pages and is still on track, very impressive.


Now back to the Sonics and Bennett.......


Easy180.............I have been trolling around on the Seattle area message boards and I do agree, that the Sonics are not the Seahawks. However by reading posts from the Seattle people they feel as if they have seen this all before.

Like I said about the Seahawks they were already moving and Seattle gave them a new arena. Then there was the Mariners, they were going to move as well, but ended up with a new arena.

The people on the message boards in Seattle are all saying the same thing, "We have seen this all before", and each time Seattle gets it's new arena and everyone is happy.

Actually a lot of it is just cheap. You get what you pay for, even at Wal-Mart. A lot of that stuff is made cheaper just for wal-mart, but with the same brand. Most don't notice until they're back at WM 6 months later replaceing the same cheap crap.

Anyway, what were we talking about?

You know, BDP, I didn't realize this about Wal-Mart until recently. I bought a Sony product there and later learned that the particular model number is available only at Wal-Mart and it is not of the same quality as comparable Sony products. I am glad to know this. I'll stay away from certain things at Wal-Mart because of it.

----------------

Let's keep this thread about the Sonics...ALWAYS!

Honestly, this thread has become a bit beastly. A new Sonics Thread (Post-Hornets) makes sense to me.

----------------

NBA to study possible move to Vegas

Associated Press
Posted: 3 hours ago



NEW YORK (AP) - There are no plans yet for what happens if the SuperSonics leave Seattle. Las Vegas still has hopes of being the possible destination.

Las Vegas' goal of landing an NBA franchise is still alive after commissioner David Stern said Friday he will appoint a committee of owners to study the proposal Mayor Oscar Goodman submitted about how his city would handle a team.
Stern has been opposed to playing in Las Vegas while there is gambling on the league, though he invited Goodman during All-Star weekend to make his proposal and said he would include it on the agenda during the two-day board meeting.

Goodman's letter failed to offer a compromise that would block betting on a potential Las Vegas franchise, but that hasn't yet ruined his chances. Stern said that after subsequent discussions with city officials, the owners asked for the committee so there could be further study "without prejudging anything."

"We're not sitting still because we're forming an owners' committee," deputy commissioner Adam Silver said.

Silver said the committee likely would be established in the next several weeks, consisting of owners from stable franchises with no potential of moving. Besides the gambling issue, the committee would study where the team would play and what a possible relocation fee would be.

The NBA currently has no team to move. But that could change in a year.

Stern said the SuperSonics updated the board on the "disappointing week that they had there in terms of not even a vote on their measure."

Washington's legislative leaders recently announced they wouldn't vote during the current session on a proposal to use county taxes to help build a new $500 million arena in the Seattle suburb of Renton.

The Sonics' lease at Key Arena runs through 2010, but the Sonics aren't obligated to play in Seattle past next season without a new arena deal, and owner Clay Bennett said after the failed vote measure that he doubted they would do so.

Oklahoma City would seem to be the likely destination if the Sonics do move, since Bennett is from there and the city strongly supported the New Orleans Hornets over the last two seasons. But nothing was decided this week.

"There's no current Plan B," Stern said. "There's a willingness by the team to meet with any and all who are in Seattle."

Let's see.......Bennet owns the Sonics, and he's from Oklahoma City? What are the chances of him moving the team to Las Vegas? Wishful thinking on their part.

I agree. People just don't want to come to realization that OKC is a lead contender for a major league franchise.

okclee and others,

one thing you are not realizing (and some of my fellow Seattleites posting there [who are just fans by the way and do not represent the majority up here]), is that the Seahawks and Mariners ARE AND WERE locally owned at the time of their stadium initiatives. Also, the Seahawks and Mariners have a MUCH LARGER following than the SONICS. These two teams are THE ONLY MLB and NFL teams in the Pacific NW, and both leagues are ahead of the NBA anyways - so it means MUCH MORE to Seattle/WA to finance those teams' arenas (as Seattle needed to replace the Kingdome which it blew up anyways) but the same is not the case for the SONICS.

You should have also seen a few of the majority opinion which is - the SONICS have an arena which was expanded 10 years ago. The SONICS are not a top team nor is the NBA a top league. And finally, they are owned by an outsider group - so it will be a little sad to see them go but "see ya later" if you expect us to build you an arena.

Seattle is not in the same position as OKC is. Seattle is a Top Tier II city and has a very large impact on its region (not that OKC doesn't). But Seattle was major league 40 years ago, so it doesn't need the SONICS to define its big city status whereas OKC does. This is why we will not build the SONICS an arena - especially one in a low-class suburb that Renton is just so Boeing/Bennett/Prentice can go get rich while the city of Seattle and most of the region loses. It's just not worth it for us.

In addition, as BDP mentioned - we have HUGE issues regarding our infrastructure up here. We have freeways in worse condition than I-40 yet would cost billions to fix due to earthquake damage as well as its location fronting puget sound for instance or spanning a 2-mile wide lake for other instance. In addition, think OKC schools are/were bad, ours are worse. Hard to believe but we have some major problems and it all has to do with funding. but we need to fix what was done (we diverted some $3 billion+ to Boeing to retain part of the 787 airplane mfg when they moved their hq to Chicago, this came from the education funds by the way with the intention of using bonds/incremental sales tax Bennett wants us to give him to pay them off - same for the Safeco Field and Qwest Field construction). This is how the state magically came up with those funds, using education; but this has also contributed to the fall of our system - teachers make avg $38,000 per session in an area whose median salary is above $55,000.

The legislature will ask voters in November to approve a comprehensive $12B+ plan to improve our transportation infrastructure over 20 years. I plan to vote no because I hate these "comprehensive plans" as you quickly lose visibility on what project cost what and which project's accountability. I liken this to a "blank check" and will vote no. I would vote yes, however, if each project was individual.

But I digress - These are much more pressing issues than the SONICS and even given they are ALREADY starting to advertise for that comprehensive tax and the problems we have with our infrastructure, the SONICS are a day too late to step in line for a handout.

from today's Seattle Times:


Sunday, April 22, 2007
Sonics' solution so simple
By Danny Westneat

Seattle Times staff columnist



Related

Danny Westneat's columns via RSS

Forget Renton. Forget building the world's most expensive arena out in the 'burbs.

It's time for the Sonics to come home. Now that state lawmakers have sensibly ignored the bloated fantasy of a $500 million Sonics and Storm palace in Renton, the burning question is: What next?

Are the teams as good as gone to Oklahoma?

Is Seattle stuck with a debt-ridden KeyArena?

Is this broken relationship irreconcilable?

Without a big shift, the answers are yes, yes and yes.

But the 40-year marriage of team and city doesn't have to end like this. Compromise is a lost art, but there is one right under our noses that could save the Sonics without exorbitant public subsidies.

It would build a modern arena with double the space of the tiny Key. It would eliminate the debt that's crippling Seattle Center. It would involve no state money and no sales taxes.

The idea is simple. Sonics owners say they're willing to spend "more than $100 million" on the Renton arena that the state just shunned. What if they put that $100 million-plus into KeyArena instead?

A year ago, the team, under different owners, was pushing a $220 million rehab of KeyArena that would create, the team said, a "first-rate multipurpose facility."




Trouble was, then-owner Howard Schultz had lost a lot of money and wasn't willing to pony up much more. But the new owners say they are. With Renton all but dead, why not meet back at the Key?

The Sonics and the public could go 50-50 on the cost of renovating KeyArena. Say the price is up to $250 million. That's $125 million each.

The Sonics were going to spend at least that much in Renton, anyway. For the public, it's a quarter-of-a-billion dollars less than Renton.

It would leave us with just one basketball arena — happily, the one we've already got. We could drop the sales tax on restaurants. Imagine: a tax canceled! There would be zero state money needed. The entire public share could be paid for by extending local hotel/motel and car-rental taxes.

Seattle Center would get a new arena, with money to pay off the old arena's debt — lifting a white elephant from the city's back. There's even money left over, $35 million that could be used for arts or recreation projects around the county.

Best, it would keep the teams where they belong. In Seattle. Even Chris Van Dyk, backer of Initiative 91 limiting sports subsidies, said he could support such a meet-in-the-middle deal. And that it could comply with the initiative.

I ran it by the Sonics and some government types. All were skeptical. The Sonics now say fixing the Key is a "Band-Aid," despite hawking it a year ago. The politics are radioactive. The city and team have not spoken this year.

C'mon, are we really this dysfunctional? Here's an idea to save the Sonics, save Seattle Center and, compared to the alternatives, save some money.

Of course, it requires leadership from our politicians. And compromise from our pro sports team. So as good as I think this idea is, I don't suppose I'll hold my breath.

Sure is interesting that he's suggesting this when we have people here saying a $100 million upgrade of the Ford Center won't be enough...

He is recommending spending $250 Million on the Key...That would build a world class multi functional arena here with the costs so much lower

A $100 Mil on the Ford Center would make it a gem for sure...But only for another decade

Yeah, he's scrambling.

HOT ROD, what's the latest from Seattle?? I haven't heard anything new from the Seattle Times.

It is pretty quiet even on their forums....Guess the story has died down some

I do know Bennett is in Seattle discussing the fate of the front office personnel and discussing the possibility of relocation with them...Of course it's more about whether they even have jobs after this week

Should hear some kind of announcement today or tomorrow I would think

Yeah that's what I've seem to concluded, the releases we heard last week were hyping us up for an announcement soon. (Hopefully this week). Not to mention they were a public last effort attempt to push for legislation before the session ended. Well, obviously the session ended without any progress on the issue. Hopefully he's just laying low as Stern and Board of Governors probably advised him to for a few days, wait until the session ended for a few days after, talk about personnel changes, and they make another announcement about personnel, then shortly after about the status of relocation.

I haven't seen anything on any online boards lately so didn't know if HOT ROD had personally heard anything on the streets since.

I'd be a little surprised if the announcement was made any time prior to the start of the NBA Finals. Usually the league discourages major story breaks during the playoffs (so as not to divert attention away from the participating teams and the games themselves) and uses the day or two runup to the start of the Finals as its time to roll out major news for the upcoming season. Of course, with a story of this magnitude which seems to be on the verge of breaking as it is, it could be an even bigger PR disaster to attempt to sidestep or dismiss the issue until a "more convenient" time for the league.

Yeah, seems like they would wait for the finals to be over. When is that?

Usually around the third week of June. That might be pushing it, especially since the draft is generally two weeks afterward. If the Sonics are in fact headed to OKC this fall, they will need to be prepared with OKC Sonics signage for the draft room, hats and jerseys or shirts for the draftees and a graphics package for the television coverage. If the new owners already have a new name and identity under wraps then they will most certainly need to have all of those materials worked up and ready to go in advance and it will be very hard to conceal that stuff for very long - especially since trademarks and tradenames must be registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office first. There's a group of "logo sleuths" over on the sportslogos.net web community that sniffs this stuff out all the time, so the NBA will need to be prepared to beat them to the punch. That's why I say that the NBA would prefer to push any announcement back to the Finals at the earliest but it just might not be feasible to do so.

Pretty exciting to be discussing this stuff, eh?

There's a group of "logo sleuths" over on the sportslogos.net web community that sniffs this stuff out all the time,

Anything about this being discussed there?

Anything about this being discussed there?

Very briefly but nothing since last Thursday and certainly not to the level that is being discussed here. They're not so much keyed in (no pun intended) on breaking sports news as they are on breaking sports-design news - new logos, color, uniforms. A good 95% of the site is useless to the general sports public. Even I've quit frequenting the place due to the annoying nature of many of the regular posters.

I like it here much better.

But they had no speculation about new logos/names for the OKC Sonics?

But they had no speculation about new logos/names for the OKC Sonics?

No, nothing whatsoever. I suspect that the team will retain the Sonics name and colors for this upcoming season for no other reason than there simply isn't sufficient time to do the kind of focus group work teams like to do before creating or changing a team's name and/or image. The present name, colors and logo will work for a year - just think of that big "S" in the logo as standing for "Sonics" and you're fine. Oklahoma City Sonics (or Oklahoma Sonics) for one season certainly sounds less awkward than "Tennessee Oilers" did for three seasons.

No, nothing whatsoever. I suspect that the team will retain the Sonics name and colors for this upcoming season for no other reason than there simply isn't sufficient time to do the kind of focus group work teams like to do before creating or changing a team's name and/or image. The present name, colors and logo will work for a year - just think of that big "S" in the logo as standing for "Sonics" and you're fine. Oklahoma City Sonics (or Oklahoma Sonics) for one season certainly sounds less awkward than "Tennessee Oilers" did for three seasons.

Ummmm, I prefer Oklahoma CITY.

Ummmm, I prefer Oklahoma CITY.

As do I. I think the market's solid enough not to have to sacrifice its individual identity to serve a necessary statewide constituency. I'm hoping CITY is very much a part of the team's name.

Will the lease be easy for CB to get out of in time for 07/08 season in OKC?

I had hopes for a quick exit from Seattle but all indications are that the team will play one final year in Seattle. The one bright spot for an early exit is the absence of news coming out of the NBA meeting. They were stragely silient on what is the biggest news in the NBA - the relocation of the Sonics. the only "news" was a restatment of the Bennett press release saying that not having a vote was disappointing.

Out in Seattle: Hill as coach, Sund as GM
/ Associated Press
Posted: 20 minutes ago

SEATTLE - The Seattle SuperSonics began remodeling their basketball operations on Tuesday, firing head coach Bob Hill and removing Rick Sund as general manager following one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Seattle went 31-51 in Hill's only full season as head coach, the Sonics' worst record since the 1985-86 season when they finished with an identical record. Only three times in the Sonics' 40-year history have they finished with a worse record.
Hill's contract was set to expire in June. The team said Sund will remain with the team as a consultant during the final year of his contract.

Sonics' majority owner Clay Bennett and vice chairman Lenny Wilkens will lead the search for replacements in both positions.

"Bob Hill and Rick Sund are fine individuals of excellent personal character and are basketball men through and through. They were both extremely helpful to us during this challenging year of transition. We are sincerely appreciative to them for their service and we wish them only the very best," Bennett said in a statement.

Wonder if they will try to hire Byron Scott.

Yeah that's what I've seem to concluded, the releases we heard last week were hyping us up for an announcement soon. (Hopefully this week). Not to mention they were a public last effort attempt to push for legislation before the session ended. Well, obviously the session ended without any progress on the issue. Hopefully he's just laying low as Stern and Board of Governors probably advised him to for a few days, wait until the session ended for a few days after, talk about personnel changes, and they make another announcement about personnel, then shortly after about the status of relocation.

I haven't seen anything on any online boards lately so didn't know if HOT ROD had personally heard anything on the streets since.

Hi Metro.

Sorry I wasn't able to post lately - I've been pretty busy with work. Im actually going to be in OKC this weekend for the Arts Festival.

Anyways, its been pretty quiet here in Seattle - people are starting to realize that the team is gone but people are wondering what move(s) will take place next.

Its sort of a mum's the word - like a fighting dog who got wipped into shape, he just sits there and waits for the next move; that is how I liken many SONICS fans. I do know the WA legislature is adjurned - no mention of the SONICS and no extension of the session for them. The next session will not begin until Jan 8'ish 2008 - way way later than Clay's deadline of Oct 31 2007.

Also, I agree with what was said earlier - we might not here about relocation to OKC until after the finals. The NBA may have told Bennett to lay low a little, so that there will not be any distraction from the playoffs. This makes sense because it is in everyone's interest.

I know Bennett was in Seattle today, but he didn't say much other than "you're fired" a couple of times. That was basically it, so wouldn't you agree with me that an announcement might take place in a month (otherwise, he'd have a speach reiterating the team would stay one more year and bla bla bla).

I bet, while he is here - he might be having dinner with a few folks to judge the "private investment interest" as Im sure that is also something the NBA discussed. If there is no interest (and I very-highly doubt there is) - I can almost promise you there will be an announcement soon (perhaps after the finals) tha the Sonics will relocate to Oklahoma City. The question is, 2007 or 2008 with a lame-duck year in Seattle???.

That's pretty much all I know or could speculate at the moment, once I hear/see anything I will post as usual - but I will be out-of-touch for about a week as I will be in OKC city then Chicago.

Yeah, that's what I've started to assume, is that no announcement until after the Finals. Makes sense. Just good to hear word on the streets in Seattle in the meantime. Glad you're coming to OKC this week.

metro et al, this was in the papers today. Looks like that door is finally starting to close permanently!!!


More doubts about Sonics' future as land deal falters
By CRAIG HARRIS
P-I REPORTER

When the Sonics needed some momentum two weeks ago to urge lawmakers to push through a funding package for a new arena, the team boldly announced it had reached a deal in principle to acquire land in Renton for the facility.

A Sonics spokesman, at the time, said negotiations to acquire 21 acres of land for the proposed arena were in the final stages and such an agreement would put to rest questions over the team's commitment to build in Renton.

That deal, however, was never executed, sources said Wednesday, further fueling doubts about the team's long-term future in the region.

Renton, for now, has given up hope that an arena will be built on the south end of Lake Washington.

"We are waiting for someone, whether that be the governor or Legislature or Sonics to show us how an events center development could happen in a timely way in Renton," said Alex Pietsch, the city's economic development administrator. "We are starting to look beyond the events center opportunity and what else is going on in the city."

Lawmakers, who ended their session Sunday, rebuffed the Sonics by not even voting on allowing public subsidies to be used for the proposed $500 million arena.

That caused Sonics owner Clay Bennett to threaten to move the team out of KeyArena after next season even though the team has a signed lease to play in Seattle Center until 2010.

Bennett is slated to meet Thursday with Renton Mayor Kathy Keolker, according to Pietsch. Pietsch did not know what was on the agenda.

The right of first refusal for the land, which is owned by The Boeing Co., remains in the hands of Harvest Partners.

Boeing said it had no comment Thursday.

Dallas-based developer Harvest Partners is working on a 68-acre urban village just off Interstate 405 in Renton's South Lake Washington neighborhood. Part of that land is under construction, but the Sonics had wanted about one-third of the property that has yet to be developed.

Harvest Partners had repeatedly said it wasn't interested in selling those rights to the Sonics. But the developer suddenly changed course two weeks ago when the Sonics were lobbying lawmakers to approve a funding package.

Jim Kneeland, a Sonics spokesman, said April 9 that the announced deal "demonstrates we're serious about getting this property under control. We're working to get that done."

Calls to Kneeland were not returned. The Sonics did not immediately comment.

P-I reporter Craig Harris can be reached at 206-448-8138 or craigharris@seattlepi.com.

Bennett is still here, I think he is closing those doors - more due-diligence, so that he can fully say - we tried!! But the fact that the "land deal" wasn't even a deal (call it a lie, perhaps to try to sway the vote??) means the Sonics are HISTORY in Seattle!!! EVERYONE KNOWS IT NOW!!

The question still remains, when. I think this bad publicity is setting the stage for an early exit - especially since the Sonics HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED ANYTHING REGARDING SEASON TICKETS FOR 2007 YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

I think there will be an announcement soon (whether its tomorrow or the end of May) that the Sonics will not sell Season Tix for 2007 and will instead move to OKC. That message is becoming more and more clear (even tho the media keeps inserting that the move would be "after" 2007; I doubt he'd wait that long now that EVERYTHING that was supposedly done is unwravelling.

Great news for Oklahoma City. !!!!

Since I don't live in OKC I can't buy season tickets, but I will sign up for NBA league pass on DirectTV. I can't wait.