NBA's Seattle Supersonics relocate to Oklahoma City.

[Rover]

I never said I was neutral, only that I do not hold any ill-will towards the good people of Oklahoma. I do think the evidence is clear the new owners always intended to move the team to OKC, coupled with Seattle letting the new owners out of the lease. If that had not been allowed, there would have been more time to get a new arena approved.

What evidence is clear is that the OKC owners gave Seattle every chance of keeping the team but Seattle was arrogant and tried to dictate terms. Thunder owners clearly stated what they wanted and everyone knew they were serious about moving it if Seattle couldn't or wouldn't do it. They "always intended to move" IF....

Seattle blew it. The victim role Seattle plays is laughable, but typical. The big bad bully was fooled by the geek with glasses. Hard to feel sorry.

[VincentC]

What evidence is clear is that the OKC owners gave Seattle every chance of keeping the team but Seattle was arrogant and tried to dictate terms. Thunder owners clearly stated what they wanted and everyone knew they were serious about moving it if Seattle couldn't or wouldn't do it. They "always intended to move" IF....

Seattle blew it. The victim role Seattle plays is laughable, but typical. The big bad bully was fooled by the geek with glasses. Hard to feel sorry.

Interesting thoughts The main point was the OKC owner only gave Seattle 30 days to get a new arena approved, that is an impossible task for any large city, with limited open land. However, its all water under the bridge. Seattle is getting a new Sonics team soon. And it will be a fun rivalry between the two great cities.

Onward and Upward.

[BDP]

Interesting thoughts The main point was the OKC owner only gave Seattle 30 days to get a new arena approved, that is an impossible task for any large city.

Especially when the city spent that time passing legislation to make it harder to approve a new arena.

We can quibble about what the owners' real intentions and contingencies were in terms of relocation, but Seattle's intentions were immediately clear. And that's fine. I-91 passed by 74% and it was a direct reaction to the owners' attempts at new or improved facilities for the team. It could have been 30 days or 30 months. After I-91 passed, it was clear to everyone that there would be no new arena approved in Seattle. Certainly not in the time remaining on the lease.

Again, if the NBA wanted the team to stay in Seattle and play in Key Arena, that would have happened. And if there was any regret about it, they had an opportunity to "right that wrong" just a few years later and voted 22-8 against it.

[PhiAlpha]

Especially when the city spent that time passing legislation to make it harder to approve a new arena.

We can quibble about what the owners' real intentions and contingencies were in terms of relocation, but Seattle's intentions were immediately clear. And that's fine. I-91 passed by 74% and it was a direct reaction to the owners' attempts at new or improved facilities for the team. It could have been 30 days or 30 months. After I-91 passed, it was clear to everyone that there would be no new arena approved in Seattle. Certainly not in the time remaining on the lease.

Again, if the NBA wanted the team to stay in Seattle and play in Key Arena, that would have happened. And if there was any regret about it, they had an opportunity to "right that wrong" just a few years later and voted 22-8 against it.

This and Schultz selling the team are the two things that few angry Sonics cans acknowledge when bitching about the team leaving. Your owner doesn’t sell or doesn’t choose an ownership group from a market that is very obviously trying to get a team…the team probably stays. Don’t pass a bill that essentially makes it impossible to use public funding for an arena again… they still might have stayed longer. Seattle did both and it’s shocking that anyone expected a different end result after that, just as it would’ve been dumb to vote no on the arena bill here and just assume that it wouldn’t be the first step in a probable relocation.

[VincentC]

This and Schultz selling the team are the two things that few angry Sonics cans acknowledge when bitching about the team leaving. Your owner doesnÂ’t sell or doesnÂ’t choose an ownership group from a market that is very obviously trying to get a teamÂ…the team probably stays. DonÂ’t pass a bill that essentially makes it impossible to use public funding for an arena againÂ… they still might have stayed longer. Seattle did both and itÂ’s shocking that anyone expected a different end result after that, just as it wouldÂ’ve been dumb to vote no on the arena bill here and just assume that it wouldnÂ’t be the first step in a probable relocation.

Schultz is the ultimate blame, he sold the team to an outside interest. Schultz years later finally acknowledged that. When the news of a out of state interest purchased the team , I knew immediately the new owner would move the team to OKC. And it has been proven to be an excellent move, he purchased the team for approx $350 million, and the Thunder are now worth $3 billion, plus they have a devoted fan base. That is all goodness.

Seattle came close to getting the Sacramento Kings, but Stern stepped in to make it impossible.

But, we are getting the next expansion team, so the Sonics will be back. As I have stated many times, I am not one of those Seattlites that hold any ill will towards the great sports fans in Oklahoma, its a great sports town.
You should get an NFL team if the NFL expands again. It would be better to put a team in OKC than all the way in London UK.