The Washington State Legislature appears today to have dealt the death knell to the tenure of the Seattle Supersonics (NBA) and Seattle Storm (WNBA) in the Emerald City.
Owner Clay Bennett, Board Member (and Hall of Famer) Lenny Wilkens, and other members of the ownership/management team received the news personally from legislators this afternoon. They were told that no vote for taxpayer funding of the proposed new arena complex in Renton would be taken this year, and there would not be any consideration during the 2008 session either.
That being the case, it is likely that the team will petition the NBA by early next year to be able to move both franchises to the Oklahoma City area, where a majority of the new ownership group reside.
This is not to say that this will be an easy process for them, because the team has a binding lease with the city of Seattle for tenancy in the Key Arena through 2010, and they are planning to exit town after the 2007-2008 season. The city does not plan to let them leave without a fight and quite a bit of monetary damages to cover the losses that will result from their flight: the fate of Key Arena and the whole of Seattle Center are likely to be in doubt, the jobs of seasonal workers who depended on this income, taxes and other revenues generated by tickets, parking and concessions, to mention just a few.
It should be remembered that these are the only two teams who have managed to bring league championships home to their Seattle fans: the Sonics in 1979, and the Storm in 2004. One might imagine that this will demoralize already depressed Seattle sports fans even more than they already are, to whit: the Seahawks window of opportunity for a Super Bowl repeat and win is narrowing by the day, and the Mariners don't look ready for prime time/the World Series just now, either.
I, personally, believe that these wealthy gentlemen could manage to arrange for majority private funding for their wonderful new arena--Paul Allen managed it for QWest Field (he and his holding companies own 51% of that facility)--but they have not offered to do so, any more than their predecessors, including Starbucks magnate Howard Schultz. If, as they profess, they really want to keep the team in Western Washington, rather than take them to OKC to replace the departing Hornets, why don't they do this? The Legislature might be a bit more willing to speak with, and assist them with some funding (the state stadium authority is, after all, the owner of the other 49% of the Q), if they did so.
Adieu Ray, Lauren, Sue, and the rest of you. Hope you enjoy it in OKC.....
Hey sleepless-First of all, cool pic to lead off your post. Now THAT'S a keeper. Can you imagine it with an autograph?
Anyway, I'm sure you're quite disappointed at the prospect of the Supersonics (is their name still officially "Super" or just Sonics?) and Storm moving, yet you are handling it well. Sometimes a sports fan's gotta say enough is enough, and call for these owners to find their own resources to build their "offices." It's hard for me to imagine Seattle without pro basketball, but then I never would have believed the North Stars would move out of Minnesota, the Jets out of Winnipeg, or the Browns or Colts moving from their original NFL cities, either. I guess nothing is sacred anymore.
I was in Seattle shortly after Key Arena was opened, and it seemed to the citizens there to be a huge sense of pride. What is wrong with the building? Is it just getting old? I think it was built in the early '90s, right? If that's old, even by today's standards, we are all in trouble. I guess today's sports venue are built with an expiration date, while stadiums/arenas of the past were built with a sense of permanency, if that's a word.
Good post, and best of luck in your teams not moving. I'll never forger as a kid in NoDak watching the NBA playoffs on tape delay late at night, and the dreaded Sonics always seemed to beat the Suns when it counted. Yup, I liked the Suns even then.
Husker: Can't be the Hornets, they are just going back to NOLA, not being disbanded. I don't know if they are allowed to change the name or not. Guess that is up to the commish and the owners. Don't know that they should keep Sonics, though, either, as that should be forever tied to their time here. Don't want to think of them like the Indianapolis vs Baltimore Colts.
Ricko: Yep, they sre still the Supes, just that no one but Kevin Colabro ever calls them that any more. The Key was renovated in the 90's. Think it has actually been around about 20 years or so more than that. Thing that Schultz and his cronies labeled as the cause for the laaving was the lack of luxury boxes. They put suites in with the renovation, but they never sold out like they hoped they would, or like they do at the Safe and the Q. They just claim that the lease is not favorable enough for them.
It has reached the point that they are selling good stickets for $10 each this year, just to get some glutei into the seats. Another sad thing is that this means that our WHL team will be abandoning us, too, and moving farther south to Kent or thereabouts, where not many people are likely to go and see them play.
Those were the glory days, Sonics-wise. Not likely to see much of that in their swan song season next year. (And, yes, I like Ray Ray and would like to have that one autographed).
The gutting is already scheduled. Clay Bennett as much as made that crystal clear yesterday in his public statement after getting the news.
So guess that you can expect a new team in your "neck of the woods" (more or less) in about a year from now. They are packing the moving vans as we speak, figuratively.
I am a 50 something health care professional transplanted to Seattle from SoCal in 2001 (and, before you ask, no, I don't want to go back). My tastes in sports are pretty eclectic, but in order of preference, I guess they would be baseball, hockey, basketball, football--col lege and pro/men and women alike. Teams I "HATE": USC (I went to UCLA); University of Michigan (born and raised in Columbus OH to a large family of OSU alumni/alumna e), and--probably most of all--the d***ed Yankees. I have worked in a variety of capacities at the MLB, NBA and NFL venues here in Seattle and at UW (hey, what true sports fan could pass up the possibility of getting paid to do something you would have done anyway (and had to pay for it)?)
