New Downtown Arena

[dankrutka]

I really like the Indigenous jersey. My favorite design is the Statement jersey from 2017-2019. I wish the navy blue and orange versions became the primary jerseys.

[April in the Plaza]

I really like the Indigenous jersey. My favorite design is the Statement jersey from 2017-2019. I wish the navy blue and orange versions became the primary jerseys.

Agreed - The statements go pretty hard. Lots of possibilities there.



Credit: https://www.dailythunder.com/new-era-new-look/

[BoulderSooner]

there should never be any "sunset" jerseys they are terrible

[Pete]

There is a new survey being circulated to some OKC residents by an anonymous source but almost certainly backed by the Chamber of Commerce.

Based on the questions, it seems to pretty clearly lay out the arena plan which is to be presented to the public in final form by the end of the summer.

There were more 'questions' but they were mainly laying the groundwork with the main points Holt has made in his speeches.

Adding up the numbers: $891 million in sales tax + $70 million in MAPS 4 money + $75 million from owners = $1.036 billion. I strongly suspect this does not include the cost of the property, assuming the Cox Center will be used.

All the following were framed in the: would this cause you to vote for the measure?

[Dob Hooligan]

Id bet my savings on a rebrand in the next decade.

I can’t think of an NBA that has rebranded without changing cities in the last 30-40 years

[jdross1982]

There is a new survey being circulated to some OKC residents by an anonymous source but almost certainly backed by the Chamber of Commerce.

Based on the questions, it seems to pretty clearly lay out the arena plan which is to be presented to the public in final form by the end of the summer.

There were more 'questions' but they were mainly laying the groundwork with the main points Holt has made in his speeches.

Adding up the numbers: $891 million in sales tax + $70 million in MAPS 4 money + $75 million from owners = $1.036 billion. I strongly suspect this does not include the cost of the property, assuming the Cox Center will be used.

All the following were framed in the: would this cause you to vote for the measure?

Love it.

[shai2022]

I canÂ’t think of an NBA that has rebranded without changing cities in the last 30-40 years

You do realize the Jazz rebranded literally last year right? A rebrand doesn't have to mean changing the name of the team.

Hawks, Warriors, Pistons, Rockets, Suns have all rebranded recently.

If you want a name change example, the New Orleans Hornets, who played in OKC if you remember, rebranded to the Pelicans in 2013.

[Pete]

I love the Thunder but our branding is embarrassing and it only looks worse with every passing year.

[Jake]

I really like the Indigenous jersey. My favorite design is the Statement jersey from 2017-2019. I wish the navy blue and orange versions became the primary jerseys.

Agreed. These are the way forward.

[April in the Plaza]

If $75M is the extent of the ownership group’s share, we should be looking at a 40-year lease with a $5 Billion liquidated damages clause (should the owners or their successors elect to move the team during the primary term) and a complete re-brand of the logos, marks and uniforms.

[Jake]

There is a new survey being circulated to some OKC residents by an anonymous source but almost certainly backed by the Chamber of Commerce.

Based on the questions, it seems to pretty clearly lay out the arena plan which is to be presented to the public in final form by the end of the summer.

There were more 'questions' but they were mainly laying the groundwork with the main points Holt has made in his speeches.

Adding up the numbers: $891 million in sales tax + $70 million in MAPS 4 money + $75 million from owners = $1.036 billion. I strongly suspect this does not include the cost of the property, assuming the Cox Center will be used.

All the following were framed in the: would this cause you to vote for the measure?

You can build a serious arena with 1.036 billion. Looking forward to seeing what it looks like.

[BG918]

You can build a serious arena with 1.036 billion. Looking forward to seeing what it looks like.

For comparison Fiserv Forum was $524M - not saying OKC doesn’t deserve a $1B arena but there will be plenty of eyebrows raised when compared to Milwaukee

The Fiserv Forum cost $524 million — $250 million from taxpayers in various forms, $174 million from the team’s owners and $100 million from former Sen. Herb Kohl, who saved the team from leaving Milwaukee not once but twice.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/opini...le/5384338001/

[Mississippi Blues]

I don't think a rebrand is a remote possibility. Our Knicks replica colors and uniforms are quite popular worldwide (plus within the league office and board of governors).

What? With the exception of the sunset orange’s, the Thunder jersey’s are nothing like the Knicks and any worldwide popularity of the Thunder is because of the players, especially Durant, Westbrook, and now SGA. Also worth noting that for about a decade, the Thunder were regularly one of the best teams, so that alone is going to boost their popularity regardless of how mediocre the branding is. I actually like the Thunder’s colors but that doesn’t save just how bland everything else is.

[Mississippi Blues]

^^^^ Yikes! That's truly awful. Sorry. I just think it's a really poor logo concept.

I would appreciate something celebrating our Indian heritage but I'm fine with the Thunder. Indians are not mascots.

If you’re talking about the Native American Heritage uniforms in Laramie’s post, those aren’t a concept; they were actually used as an alternative uniform in the 2018-19 season. What about those uniforms imposes “Indians as mascot”? Or am I misunderstanding?

[caaokc]

Wow. $1.036 billion is no joke. I really hope this place is next level

[Colbafone]

Man. I just want it to be known. For every single person that's ever said Oklahoma couldn't support an NFL team.

Just let this sink in. AT&T stadium, one of the pinnacle stadiums in the world, was built almost exactly a decade ago for almost exactly what this new stadium will cost us.


By no means am I directly comparing the two. There are massive differences between an entirely enclosed NBA arena and it's required amenities and an NFL stadium that can close it's roof and it's required amenities.

But what I AM saying, is that we could fund such a beast. And I've said this from the beginning of Maps 4, I wish we'd put MORE money into the Maps 4 stadium.

Anyway, all that said, we're about to have the nicest NBA Arena/General Venue in the US. I am so incredibly hyped for this.

[PoliSciGuy]

For comparison Fiserv Forum was $524M - not saying OKC doesn’t deserve a $1B arena but there will be plenty of eyebrows raised when compared to Milwaukee



https://www.jsonline.com/story/opini...le/5384338001/

So the Bucks owners pitched in a little over 20%, while the Thunder owners might pitch in…7%? Jeeeez.

[mugofbeer]

So the Bucks owners pitched in a little over 20%, while the Thunder owners might pitch in…7%? Jeeeez.

Maybe the Bucks owner has a lot more money to pitch in. Do you have access to their liquid asset numbers?

[PhiAlpha]

Man. I just want it to be known. For every single person that's ever said Oklahoma couldn't support an NFL team.

Just let this sink in. AT&T stadium, one of the pinnacle stadiums in the world, was built almost exactly a decade ago for almost exactly what this new stadium will cost us.


By no means am I directly comparing the two. There are massive differences between an entirely enclosed NBA arena and it's required amenities and an NFL stadium that can close it's roof and it's required amenities.

But what I AM saying, is that we could fund such a beast. And I've said this from the beginning of Maps 4, I wish we'd put MORE money into the Maps 4 stadium.

Anyway, all that said, we're about to have the nicest NBA Arena/General Venue in the US. I am so incredibly hyped for this.

Factor in Inflation, additional raw material cost increases, and the probability that the total cost here includes some costs related to the development of the lots surrounding the arena on the cox block (pretty sure the cost of AT&T was 99% the stadium)… but regardless it is impressive how far we’ve come since hosting the hornets.

[PhiAlpha]

So the Bucks owners pitched in a little over 20%, while the Thunder owners might pitch in…7%? Jeeeez.

1) We don’t know the final numbers for what thunder owners are going to pitch in.
2) What are the two ownership groups worth and as mug said…how do they compare in liquidity?
3) How will the lease/profit sharing compare between the two?

[PhiAlpha]

I can’t think of an NBA that has rebranded without changing cities in the last 30-40 years

Rebranding doesn’t have to include changing the name or mascot. I think most here are advocating for at minimum a new logo but in general it seems that the people advocating for change want new branding, not a new brand.

[Canoe]

If $75M is the extent of the ownership group’s share, we should be looking at a 40-year lease with a $5 Billion liquidated damages clause (should the owners or their successors elect to move the team during the primary term) and a complete re-brand of the logos, marks and uniforms.

I like the way April thinks.

[Canoe]

Maybe the Bucks owner has a lot more money to pitch in. Do you have access to their liquid asset numbers?

Mug stop defending the Bucks owners. Our owners are good people, but it is fair to ask them to pay a fair share. This is a city wide effort and every class of people should play their role, from the mayor to the owners, to the people.

[Jake]

I know they didn’t necessarily have to give any money to the arena, but ownership not even giving 10% would be funny in a sad kind of way. I’m glad the city will own the arena.

[HangryHippo]

I love the Thunder but our branding is embarrassing and it only looks worse with every passing year.

Completely. I really liked the Barons branding given our O&G history, but the Thunder is just comical.