http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/311853_sonics17.html "OLYMPIA -- The Legislature said no, so the Sonics say they'll have to go. For the third consecutive year, the Seattle Sonics failed to convince the Legislature that taxpayers should help finance a new arena for the NBA franchise. "This is a staggering and quite likely a debilitating blow to our efforts to develop a world-class arena facility. Clearly at this time the Sonics and Storm have little hope of remaining in the Puget Sound region," owner Clay Bennett said in a statement. " Looks like the Sonics will be moving to OKC soon..
I'll believe it when I see it, given how long the Sonics have been in Seattle. They haven't done themselves any favors over the last few years by putting out some bad teams though. So where does that put the Hornets?
Interesting thread! Maybe Microsoft will keep the Sonics in Seattle? Just a thought then Microsoft could have the new arena named after them. I really hope that the NBA wises up and changes the name of the teams as they move. The New Orleans Jazz should always be the New Orleans Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, Seattle Supersonics. What in the heck does Jazz and Utah have in common anyway? I could NEVER get use to hearing the OKC Sonics! Do people think the Hornets will now stay in NO? I honestly have no clue?
It would suit me just fine if more local and state governments would say "NO" to building stadiums for millionaire owners.
It was rumored the Hornets tried to buy the jazz rights from the jazz upon moving to NO but the jazz declined because they didn't want to give up their brand recognition. Oklahoma City anything sounds terrible....unless they get an expansion team. This means if shinn wants to move out of NOLA after the lease is up after the 2010-2011 season, he won't have a proven market (like okc) to move to. Kansas City and Vegas have been rumored as potential relocation citys. There will never be a NBA team in Vegas because the Casinos will never take NBA games off the betting line. There's no way to know if Kansas City could support there major league franchises. Things are looking good for the Hornets in the Big Easy. I already put down my deposit for season tickets next year!
I prefer doing what Green Bay did. Let the city and people buy the team. That would stop all this nonsense about owners threatening to move.
i agreed that the hornets should be in nola and that okc was and should have been temporary. but the above statement.... i think you are still just being pissy over your distaste of some in our city govt pretty much trying to steal the hornets. i didnt like that any more than you did. but the sonics previous owner and now current owner have not been able to get anywhere on a new venue. the team was sold with the condition that the new owner continue to try to keep the team in seattle, KNOWING that a new venue was needed and that all efforts to obtain one to that date had been unsuccessful. if they had gotten one, the team probably would not have been sold. i dont care for this keeping up with the joneses mentality at taxpayers expense. but until that changes across the board, these changes will happen. if the sonics move to okc, dont blame okc. blame the new owners. as far as the name the sonics, sonic drive-ins are headquartered in okc. (the company started in a small town about 20 miles east of here.) i see some great advertising tie-ins and sponsorship opportunities there should the team move to okc.
My comments didn't exactly convey my thoughts correctly. I meant that I don't want to see any team MOVE to OKC. I'd like to see OKC get a team when the NBA expands.
