WNBA Detroit Shock moving to Tulsa

[warreng88]

AP source: Detroit Shock are moving to Tulsa

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
Published: October 19, 2009

A Detroit Shock official says the WNBA team is moving to Tulsa, Okla.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Monday because he was not authorized to make the announcement.

Detroit made its debut in the league in 1998 and won titles in 2008, 2006 and 2003. The Shock lost last month to the Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference finals after rallying to earn a playoff spot.

NewsOK

[kevinpate]

Oklahoma City has the Thunder, and Tulsa soon feels the Shock. Nice.

[Midtowner]

Congrats Tulsa! I think the WNBA could actually do pretty well there.

[metro]

I wish they would have held out for an NHL team instead of trying to get some press off OKC. I think this will hurt their and Oklahoma's chances of getting an NHL team in the near future. Oh well, I'd rather have MLS anyway.

[SoonerDave]

I wish they would have held out for an NHL team instead of trying to get some press off OKC. I think this will hurt their and Oklahoma's chances of getting an NHL team in the near future. Oh well, I'd rather have MLS anyway.

Thought we were all collectively thankful in hindsight that we DIDN'T get an NHL franchise considering the relative (lack of) health of the league...now since we're looking for AHL in OKC, not sure the NHL is really on the map.

[metro]

But had Tulsa waited another 3-4 years, the league will have hopefully recouped, the economy as well, and NHL might have been a brighter prospect than what is probably going to be the money losing WNBA. Even if they do break even or eek out a small profit, it's not near the PR the NHL would have brought them.

[Kerry]

Why can't Tulsa have both. The seasons don't overlap. If they get an NHL team they could be called the Awe. Then they could sell dual season tickets for Shock and Awe.

[betts]

I think it's cool. I think Tulsa wasn't getting an NHL franchise anytime soon, and the WNBA is actually a lot more entertaining than Jim Trabor thinks. They've got some incredible athletes, and it will be nice to have an anchor tenant in the BOK Center, I would think.

[venture]

Hopefully Tulsa takes care of them. Reading the comments from Detroit - they were in the way and people didn't want them. Championship games were played at alternate arenas to make way for things like Disney on Ice.

[bombermwc]

Well it can't really be bad news, but it's not exactlly jump and down news. The WNBA has always had a poor turnout and is always on shakey financial ground because of that. Although they do have a more reasonable pay structure for their players...although they of course think they don't make enough.

I'll give it a cautious pat on the back.

[theparkman81]

I am happy for Tulsa, hope that it works out for them, I told my neice who plays basketball at her school and she excited also, I may take her to a game sometime.

[adaniel]

I really hope they do well, and its a big coup for Tulsa. With that being said Tulsa just doesn't strike me as a sports town, unless it involves Jenks or Union. I guess the team can't do any worse coming from a town with 25%+ unemployment.

There's a pretty good chance for success in Tulsa, given the fact there are no other professional sports in the 918. It really is just dependent on how the local populace responds.

[betts]

I think if Tulsa approaches it the right way, it could be very good for the city. Yes, it's the WNBA, but it's still got the words NBA in it, with all that implies. This is a professional team, not a farm team. Women's basketball at OU is very well supported, because it's entertaining. The WNBA takes the best of women's basketball. Courtney and Ashley Paris are not even WNBA starters, which shows the level of talent they've got in the league. It's all in the attitude taken towards this team.

Looks like they're going to change the name and colors, so all you creative types have your chance at glory!

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextr...67446&allcom=1

[john60]

If BOk Center has the ability to put a curtain around its 300-level seating like the Ford Center, I think I would probably use that to close off the 300-level for these games. I'm sure they'll do better than 8,000 a game (at least at first), but I wouldn't bet on them averaging anywhere near 15,000. I think creating an environment that seats 11,000 (or whatever their 100 and 200 levels combined seat) would be a much better experience than playing in front of a sparse crowd.

[megax11]

Congrats to the Tulsa peeps.

This now brings Oklahoma's professional sports to 2...

I would love to see some rich person fork up the money for a NFL capable stadium so we can get one of those. While we're at it, why not get a MLB and NHL team too...

This city would grow beyong belief.

[metro]

I think if Tulsa approaches it the right way, it could be very good for the city. Yes, it's the WNBA, but it's still got the words NBA in it, with all that implies. This is a professional team, not a farm team. Women's basketball at OU is very well supported, because it's entertaining. The WNBA takes the best of women's basketball. Courtney and Ashley Paris are not even WNBA starters, which shows the level of talent they've got in the league. It's all in the attitude taken towards this team.

Looks like they're going to change the name and colors, so all you creative types have your chance at glory!

Tulsa World: Team owners make formal announcement: WNBA is coming to Tulsa

The fact that the major investors are from OKC should say something about the Tulsa sports market......

[bombermwc]

Agreed John - "taking out" the seats will not only make it feel less empty, but it would be louder as well. I think that's better for the fans and players...heck the have even done that at the Myriad before...tennis. I actually thought the place looked better with the curtain..lol.

Anyway, they could always take the curtain down if sales started to look like they could support more seats...cause I have a feeling it would be hard to fill the place after the first season. WNBA just has a bad history...even though they're more true to the sport than any NBA player.

Also agreed metro - i thought it was definitely interesting to see that the investors were from OKC...not Tulsa. Kind of makes you wonder where the Tulsa folks are...and ironic that Tulsa can thank OKC for this one....bwahahaha

[Floyd]

Don't get too high on your Tulsa-bashing horses. This is, in part, a (welcome) quid pro quo for Mayor Taylor's support of the Sonics move--a move the league would not have supported unless the Tulsa metro had been included in the proposed market.

Anyone questioning Tulsa as a "sports market" is using their short memories of University of Tulsa basketball, including WAC and Conference USA tourneys; PGA majors; LPGA stops; Bedlam baseball sellouts; high school football wars; financially healthy hockey and arena football teams; etc. as an excuse to get a dig in at the sister city. Tulsa as a market can and will support plenty of sports just fine.

EDIT: I should be clear, I'm specifically addressing Metro and bombermwc's posts directly above. The otherwise positive posts are appreciated. It will be fun having the team in Tulsa.

[progressiveboy]

Don't get too high on your Tulsa-bashing horses. This is, in part, a (welcome) quid pro quo for Mayor Taylor's support of the Sonics move--a move the league would not have supported unless the Tulsa metro had been included in the proposed market.

Anyone questioning Tulsa as a "sports market" is using their short memories of University of Tulsa basketball, including WAC and Conference USA tourneys; PGA majors; LPGA stops; Bedlam baseball sellouts; high school football wars; financially healthy hockey and arena football teams; etc. as an excuse to get a dig in at the sister city. Tulsa as a market can and will support plenty of sports just fine.

EDIT: I should be clear, I'm specifically addressing Metro and bombermwc's posts directly above. The otherwise positive posts are appreciated. It will be fun having the team in Tulsa.

Well I have to give this a big question mark??? Tulsa should be grateful that OKC investors are willing to invest in your community since it is quite obvious Tulsa does not have the leadership to get it done. Oh sorry, not to be a Tulsa bashing thread.

[Floyd]

Nobody's ungrateful. This is a cool thing and a good example of how Tulsa's leadership (Mayor Taylor, etc.) worked with the OKC Thunder folks to make sure that both markets ended up with a professional basketball franchise. But I object to Metro's notion that the investors being OKC-based somehow diminishes the standing of the Tulsa "sports market."

[betts]

I agree that this is related to the Mayor's support of the NBA when David Stern et al visited. I was VERY appreciative of her support, and I was very pleased at the number of people in Tulsa who turned out for the Thunder's preseason game, despite TU having a game that very night. Although the ownership isn't precisely the same, how cool is it that we have the NBA, the WNBA and the NBDL all in our state? I'm just hoping Bill Cameron wasn't one of the "Wind" supporters when they were picking a name for our team.

[bombermwc]

Floyd - I think you misunderstood me. I'm in no way bashing Tulsa. I'm very glad that they have the WNBA. I'm just saying that in pretty much every market the WNBA is in, they have a hard time compared to NBA. It will be the only pro franchise in town, so that gives them a good advantage, but Tulsa isn't the only place lke that. Uncasville, CT (yeah anyone checked out where that's at...wow) is even smaller. I don't really know the history of that team, so I can't really say anything about it.

The other point was, why was someone from Tulsa not more interested in a deal like this? I'm sure there are Tulsan investors in the group, but it's off to me that they didn't play a larger role in the major shareholders.

[Floyd]

I think you're absolutely right about the WNBA in smaller, non-pro markets. This Slate article suggests that it's the logical step for the league and references the Tulsa move positively: How to fix the WNBA. - By Josh Levin - Slate Magazine

[jbrown84]

Good for Tulsa.

I'm not sure I buy Floyd's insenuation that Mayor Taylor traded a brief press conference appearance or two for a WNBA franchise owned mostly by OKC investors, but I think Tulsa can support the team.

Sounds like a similar relocation to ours. Coming from a bigger city where they weren't wanted or supported.

Why change the name though? I think it goes well with Thunder.

[jbrown84]

Championship games were played at alternate arenas to make way for things like Disney on Ice.

Ouch!