Cuban's comments on OKC

[metro]

Screw Mark Cuban, here is his latest comments on OKC in today's AP Wire, of course, Seattle ran this as the headline.

Mark Cuban prefers Sonics in Seattle, not Oklahoma City
The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — If Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had his way, the Seattle SuperSonics would stay put instead of moving to Oklahoma City.

Cuban doesn't think it's smart business to move a team to a smaller television market where he already sees a concentration of other franchises nearby.

"My prejudice is against having a Dust Bowl Division in this part of the country," Cuban told The Oklahoman. "I don't think in the big picture that helps the NBA. I think a bigger market helps the NBA.

"My preference is that they stay in Seattle. That's my preference."

The only owner to vote against the Hornets' move from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2002, Cuban still expects the SuperSonics' proposed relocation to be approved by his peers when NBA owners consider the move at their April 18 meeting.

"Like everything else in the NBA, it'll be 29-1," Cuban said. "Usually if (the relocation committee members) say it is (going to pass) then it is, but they've been wrong a whole lot lately."

Three members of the NBA relocation committee visited Oklahoma City last month to tour the Ford Center and watch a presentation from city officials. Commissioner David Stern said those three members would recommend approval of the move.

"I'm completely open-minded about it," Cuban said. "My prejudice is, I'd rather see (the Sonics in) a bigger market that's established. But if the (financial) numbers say otherwise or the information dictates otherwise then I'll do the smart thing. I've given up stuff that would help the Mavs and would help the NBA over and over and over again."

Heading into the meeting, Cuban doesn't believe adding another team to an area that already has teams in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Memphis is a good idea.

"I think that's bad for the league," Cuban said. "Because there's not enough TV weight. There's not enough demand from a TV perspective from outside that little area. It's nice, but when you've got San Antonio versus Dallas, which you'd think is a great marquee matchup, no one outside our area (cares). That's bad. You don't expand the market at all."

Cuban downplayed any possible impact a franchise in Oklahoma City would have on his bottom line and said that isn't a factor in his opposition to the SuperSonics' relocation.

"From an NBA perspective, they're all NBA fans," Cuban said. "It's not going to take any money out of my pocket. It's not like I'm not selling out every game anyway. It's not like people are going to come from Oklahoma City."

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

[mmonroe]

What a *#$&@)$ D-Bag.

[kevinpate]

Folks on one side of the river often underestimate folks on the other side of the river. It doesn't matter much which side of the river one is standing.

[SoonerDave]

For all his stupid Dust Bowl comments aside, I must admit he has a decent point about the concentration of teams in one area. He does, however, tend to contradict himself when he points out that no one in OKC is going to drive to San Antonio to watch the Spurs play the Mavs.

I think the OKC folks did a pretty decent job of marketing the Oklahoma television market, eg something like 2 million people being on a par with some region of New York (specifics may not be spot on, but that was the idea).

I guess the only question I have for him would be why would you advocate keeping a franchise in a town that has so clearly asserted its abject lack of interest in retaining them?

[Kerry]

If Cuban sees a problem with too many teams in the area then I suggest he relocate the Mavs to Seattle. Problem solved.

[dismayed]

Well, it's not a surprising article since:

1. He's a complete jerk, and

2. He's just interested in screwing us so his Mavs don't see a dip in attendance and/or viewership.

[john60]

Bennett and Sam Presti are playing their cards to where they are going to have the ability to get some great young guys (draft picks) and some great free agents with all the cap space that will free up in the next couple years.

If that works out, and our squad is able to be a playoff contender in the next few years, we could have one HECK of a rivalry with Dallas.

With that being said, they'll probably dismiss us as hillbillys for a while...oh well. Will make it that much more fun to beat Cuban and co.

[mmonroe]

Kerry.. i think you hit it on the nose.

[onthestrip]

Though brash, Cuban is a very smart man and he does make a decent point. But I could care less, I just want a NBA team.

[jbrown84]

I call B.S. on the whole "i'm not worried about my bottom line" thing. Only one team owner in the league speaking out against the move and it's... the team that is nearest OKC. Nice try, Cuban.

[solitude]

We are a small TV market, we'll be the smallest market in the NBA - so what? All it does is give us a bigger reason to support OUR team -from Oklahoma City. No "Oklahoma"..... please?

[Kerry]

Actually Solitude - we will be the third smallest market. Memphis and New Orleans are smaller. But the point behind this whole effort is to grow the metro so we will measure success by seeing where we are in 10 years. If we are still the 3rd smallest market in 2018 then we didn't accomplish our goal. However, if we move up to 6th smallest then "mission accomplished".

[metro]

I also find it ironic that in the first part of the article, Cuban was so stern (pun intended) in that the NBA (not just the Sonics) locate to OKC or this part of the country. Then further down, he says "I'm completely open-minded about it". Well Cuban, no you're not, or you wouldn't have said what you said. And like jbrown said, if you as usual are the only one speaking out about the move, I do find it ironic OKC is the closest market to Dallas.

[kevinpate]

One of the relocation comm. members noted when he was here that we're a bigger market today than many realize, once we set aside municipality boundary lines and think in terms of the likely fan base.

I'm thinking by first tipoff year two, if not before, we're gonna have a multitude of DougDawg level of NBA fanatics to pass out fresh fried crow so the naysayers can chew on it and choke.

[BDP]

if you as usual are the only one speaking out about the move, I do find it ironic OKC is the closest market to Dallas.

I don't find it ironic at all. In fact, it's exactly what I would expect. Dallas is probably the franchise that stands to lose the most by the increased competition, so it stands to reason that, if anyone is going to oppose it, it would be the one feeling the most market pressure. Just like when Bass Pro was subsidized you heard a lot from Academy, because they stood to realize the most increased competition. Sure, many of their public arguments addressed broader public policy concerns, but the motivation to take action was pretty transparent and at least partially justified.

The TV issue is definitely a real one for the Mavs and all the other Texas teams in large part because of one network: Fox Sports Southwest. FSSW is more or less the Texas Sports Network and is fed to Oklahoma viewers to expand the market. The Texas teams get a lot of play in Oklahoma right now and it may get split in the future if an Oklahoma City team is included in any broadcast deals.

The flip side is that it may actually increase the worth of any regional NBA TV contracts because it just expanded its market by 2 million or so. And as Oklahoma viewers become more NBA savvy and understand the interrelated playoff implications of games, even those in which an Oklahoma team is not playing, the ratings of all NBA broadcasts should go up.

At the end of the day he has a point, especially in respect to his franchise, but it remains to be seen if that really plays out on the grander scale of the NBA as a whole.

[bombermwc]

Yeah he's full of crap...like usual. He says he doesn't care because it won't affect his team, but at the same time he thinks another group in the area will take away from his team. Anyone else see his contradictions?

Besides that, who gives a rats ass what he thinks. He's one of the most hated owners in the league and has been fined so many times it's not funny. I wouldn't be surprised if the NBA makes him the first owner banned from any games!

Plus, OKC doesn't give a crap about the Mavs. We're all Hornets fans now anyway, so we don't give a rip about what the Mavs do. I did a little dance when the Hornets beat them in a regular season game...first time in how many years?

[MikeLucky]

Personally I have ZERO doubt that OKC will be a superb market for the NBA.

Also, I know he is unpopular, but a man like Mark Cuban doesn't do or say ANYTHING before knowing exactly how it will affect his bottom line. The fact that he is OPPOSING the move is the best news I have heard yet. It proves to me that he already KNOWS what the market here will and can do and he also already knows how it will affect his bottom line. And the fact that he doesn't like the result is good news for us.....

[dcsooner]

Wichita, I too do not in any way doubt that the OKC will be on par with SLC (market size) in terms of consistent near capacity attendence.

[Jen at Airports]

I still can't get passed out bad he did on Dancing with the Starrrrrrrrs.