Save Our Sonics is working with the City of Seattle Mayor's office to help secure funding for the rebuild of Key Arena, by leveraging public support. Part of that effort will have to be keeping public interest in support going while a team is not here. In order for a city, like Seattle, to have a chance at getting an NBA team you have to have three things: committed business support (Ballmer, Griffin, SCI); an arena and public interest (see SOS not above); and the support of the NBA (see NBA statement on the settlement between Seattle and the PBC).
Other cities that are, or were, going after NBA teams have had arena deals fail, or no commitment from a potential buyer of an NBA team.
Las Vegas - no arena
San Jose - no arena
Kansas City - no owner, "settling for NHL"
Some in the story put Seattle at the top of the NBA list. Making sure we are at the front of the line depends on following through on financing of the Key Arena rebuild, and your support of it completing, while keeping the three parts together over the next 18 to 24 months.
To quote Bill Murray from the movie What About Bob, "Baby steps, I'm at elevator".
Step #1. (as always): fund Key Arena, encourage people that decide this funding to support your interests.
Percy Allen's column at Seattletimes.nwsource.com
I think that it is fair to say that Howard Schultz's lawsuit against Clay Bennett's PBC ,and now the NBA, could help make sure that Seattle is at the front of the line for the next expansion team or relocation. The case may ensure that the line that looks like one city, Seattle, stays a list of one city.
If the league did expand it would most likely be two teams to keep the Eastern and Western Conferences the same number. That is just not going to happen before an existing team is available for sale and relocation. An owner that wanted to relocate to Seattle but not sell to SCI (Ballmer, Griffin) would have to pay the 150 million dollars that SCI has committed to rebuilding Key Arena.
Have a great day,
Mr Baker
Sent from my iPhone
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2 comments:
If I had my druthers I'd rather have an expansion team. But I don't, none of us do. It kinda sucks that it could come down to a team like Milwaukee that has just as much as a storied history there as our Sonics did here. And as far as Memorial Stadium I totally agree with you. It's just sitting there rotting away. The bowl is already dug out and it's in a better location than the Key Arena is. But SCI wants the Key to work....again. We can only hope that there is tangible foresight in the renovation and making it more than just a basketball venue. But it aint my money.
Everybody will rationalize why taking another city's team is OK.
As long as Kohl is a Senator I do not see him being able to sell the team and know it will move. The nba has raised the amount it gives small market teams that are not moving to smaller markets.
I really do think the Griz are the target for Ballmer.
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