Seattle Soap Opera

As a season ticket holder for the Los Angeles Rams their last five years and witnessing in person the final game before the team's move to St. Louis, it is hard to put into words what its like to have your team ripped out from under you and relocated to a city halfway across the country.

Now comes the saga of the Seattle Supersonics. Howard Schultz of Starbucks fame sold the team to an ownership group from Oklahoma City a few years back under the contigency that the new owners would act in good faith to keep the team in Seattle. Of course there was no way the team was going to stay and now Schultz realizing his sales of Lattes and Caramel Macchiatos would take a huge hit in his hometown has decided to sue to get the team back (a wee bit too late Howie, sorry you are slightly more popular in the Emerald City as Art Modell was in Cleveland after he moved the Browns).

NBA Commissioner David Stern has been the wingman in the move (how dare the legislature not immediately build a new arena for the team) from the 13th TV market to the 45th. The other NBA owners will approve the move (the savings on travel alone for the east coast teams is enough to get the votes).

As a Blazer fan it's sad to think of our archrival not being the short drive up the 5 freeway. Nothing against the good people of Oklahoma City, but Seattle has been a great NBA city and this move stinks w/the stench sticking to many hands.

 

It's a travesty. I am a lifelong NBA fan and it's disgusting. But...

...might there be a glimmer of hope?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3347564

 

Color me highly skeptical. That's like asking Art Modell to save the Browns. This guy Schultz is as slimy as Bennett and David Stern has failed in his responsibility to the fans. I'm sad for Seattle.

All Schultz is trying to do is what he has done in this whole saga -- cover his own ass enough to be able to sell more mochas and lattes to his hometown. He doesn't care about the team. He doesn't care about the fans. He cares about his image and his coffee chain.

 

I hear you Nick and agree its a travesty. Sadly, I concur w/Steve and think this is just a window dressing move by Schultz. I don't think he realized the amount of venom the Seattle public would direct towards him (most people blame him because it is logical that the new owners would want to move the club to their hometown). I honestly think he was of the mindset that the city would blame the new owners and not him (there is no way he didn't suspect they'd move) and now he has to try something in order to be able show his face around town.

 

Well, you may be right....in fact, I agree with you, but I thought it was worth a mention since the story broke today.

 

Jazzy Mormons, don't dis-count them.

And are you saying the Labrea Tarpits don't count as lakes?? Lakes of death, yes, but lakes nonetheless, no?

 

Fair enough, but if that's the case, move the Memphis team to OKC -- I'm too lazy to do the research but aren't they poorly supported with a poor arena situation -- meaning they only make milions rather than mega millions? Everyone involved in the Seattle saga, Bennet, Mr Starbucks, and David Stern, have come out of this stinking like excrement from how they have handled themselves

 

I thought this was interesting too -- Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam on the Sonics --

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3349688

Amen.

 

Don, I'm doubting if the NBA even gets a piece of the pie from individual teams merchandise sales (one of the few things teams don't share). So don't think for an instant the NBA will make even a single more dollar from this move (except for travel costs). Television revenue is what drives the bus, and bottom line is TV markets do matter. You mentioned the Nets-Spurs final, what do think was more important to the league, the fact that Nets gear doesn't sell well or that it was the worst rated NBA Finals in the last 25 years? I'm not doubting that OK City will have great support, but Seattle has been a great NBA city for 40 years, and that 3 main characters in this drama are utter scumbags.

 

I agree SoCal. So much depends on TV market. I'm not sure where Seattle and Ok City fall on that list, but I assume that Seattle is much further up the food chain. Sure Don, people on the East Coast might not be watching, but do you think enough people are tuning in on the East Coast when Ok City plays Portland? I'm guessing the Seattle market would more than make up for the loss of East Coast viewers.

 

A small percentage of sales perhaps, but the vast majority belongs to the individual teams. As far as sponsorship, regardless of time zone the market that is bigger than Miami, Cleveland, and Denver, is going to bring in more $ than a market that ranks below Birmingham, Alberque-Santa Fe, and Harrisburg (+ surrounding cities). Nationally broadcasted games (especially playoff games) are put on EST primetime.

This isn't about the NBA getting more money, because there is no way they are. It's about an ego-maniac coffee peddler who is about to run out of town, a Commish who was pissed he couldn't make the local government bend over and is going to get the last laugh, and new owner that wants his hometown to become a major-league city and lied about having any intention whatsoever (in my Stephen A. Smith voice) of staying in Seattle.

 

I'm clueless on putting up links. According to DMA Rankings, Seattle is 13th, OKC is 45th.

 

While true, it does get a bit tiresome to have to watch primetime television at 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening. Also, the west coast has the most populous state in the country..... (not quite sure if that even fits in here but i'm never really sure about anything) or maybe thats just me getting a bit P.O.ed at the inconsideration to us in the pst.

 

If anyone wants to read more about the whole Sonics move, Bill Simmons wrote a nice series of articles a while back on the injustice of it. They're a little dated, but still good.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ortCat=nba

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ortCat=nba

These are both pretty long, but if you have some time to kill definitely worth the read.

 

The basketball team that once resided in one of America's greatest cities (if you've never been, you've seriously have missed out) is packing their bags and slinking out of town after the new owner from Oklahoma City Clay Bennett settled w/the city of Seattle.

The closest thing this resembles is when the Cleveland Browns left for Baltimore. The team name (don't think Boeing is moving? :roll: ) & colors will stay in Jet City. I will forever blame Howard Schultz (CEO of Starbucks) for a being a rat-bastard, m%$^*#&@*%$&# who sold the team to a party who had no intention of keeping the team there (as an aside glad to see people are wising up to the stupid $4 swill he hocks).

If you can't tell I was born in Seattle (both Mom & Pop went to UDub) and while I grew up in Portland and love the archrival Blazers, to see the Sonics move is wrong on many levels (don't think Liverpool fans would want to see Everton move to Wales).

 

Well there's usually a theme to the professional sports teams in seattle. The ownership group demands some new digs and the mariners and seahawks did before they got moved out of town (well I doubt the hawks wouldve moved). The soncis didn't and there they go..... There's probably going to be pressure on Sounders FC to get an SSS as well. Sigh......... looks like its time to follow the blazers.....

 

this is the latest chapter in "why i've begun to hate american sports 101".

this one is entitled "franchising is the death of everything: how public tax dollars are wasted on private ventures, who in turn screw the public."

i'm seriously going to go vomit.