Sonics sold, and it's OK
Yikes, they sold the Sonics basketball team to a group from Oklahoma City, and they're threatening to pull the team out of Seattle if they don't get taxpayer money for a new arena.
Paul Allen isn't getting them.
And they might be moving. Oklahoma City has done well as the temporary host of the New Orleans Hornets, and at some point, the Hornets will be moving back to the N'awlins area. Which means that the prospect of moving the Sonics is not an altogether idle threat.
Double yikes!
UPDATE, 3:24 p.m.: And if the Sonics leave Seattle, and Allen still owns the Blazers, what will happen to the Blazers? Triple yikes!
| Posted at 2:06 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (1)
So Seattle will be out a team, and Paul Allen, resident of Seattle, currently owns a team in Portland and wants a new deal? Gulp. Wonder if Nate McMillan will be back coaching NBA in Seattle a lot faster than he expected.
Posted by: Dave J. at July 18, 2006 03:10 PMBye bye, Blazers.
Posted by: Jack Bog at July 18, 2006 03:16 PMwhat will happen to the Blazers?
The Bellevue Blazers has a definite ring to it.
Posted by: Chris Snethen at July 18, 2006 03:40 PMI dunno if he's gonna move them to Seattle. If the Sonics bail due to taxpayer revolt, I'm not sure he's going to go try his hand at it. He played that card once with the Seahawks already.
Blazers will be wherever Da Commish wants them. No one controls a league like the Sterninator. NO ONE!!
Posted by: Sebastian at July 18, 2006 03:57 PMIf they move the Sonics to OK City, will they rename them the OK Soonics?
Posted by: godfry at July 18, 2006 04:07 PMWe shouldn't worry about the Blazers, I guess. The city government wouldn't allow a big business to get away.
Posted by: Jack Bog at July 18, 2006 04:55 PMSo the Blazers move to Seattle. Paul Allen builds the Seattle SuperBlazers a new arena (gotta be competitive ya know). The arena goes bankrupt. The team goes in the pot. Mayor Hales entices the team back to Portland with tax-increment financed public-private partnership. The possibilities are endless...
Posted by: Bill Holmer at July 18, 2006 05:01 PMAs long as we're throwing options around, may I suggest the Baghdad Lakers?
Posted by: Bill McDonald at July 18, 2006 05:06 PMAlright, Rose Garden condos anyone? I didn't think OK City had that big a jones for the Hornets. THe Hornets can move up here, I can't see NO supporting anything besides the Saints.
Posted by: Steve at July 18, 2006 06:12 PMNo worries, people. The NFL prevents owners from owning another sports franchise in not only their own franchise home city, but in any NFL franchise city. So even if the Sonics move, the Blazers are NOT moving north.
Posted by: Jason at July 18, 2006 08:44 PMJack said:
"We shouldn't worry about the Blazers, I guess. The city government wouldn't allow a big business to get away."
So, does that mean you'd support a city bailout of the team/arena?
On another note, I have the following proposition, for the good of the league and country: The Utah Jazz and N.O. Hornets need to immediately swap mascot names. The Mormon 'hive' symbolism fits with the Hornets, and New Orleans would get its identity back. Can I get an amen?? Karl Malone was from Louisianna I think, and he played for the Jazz... can we get him to be a spokesperson for this?
Go Blazers
Posted by: TKrueg at July 18, 2006 09:04 PMNone of this would have happened if we had drafted Adam Morrison.
Posted by: Bill McDonald at July 18, 2006 09:31 PMNone of this would have happened if the Blazers had stayed in the Coliseum.
Posted by: Hinckley at July 18, 2006 09:35 PMon the topic of team names, the NBA has a fine tradition of transferring names to the new city even if the name is unbelievably unconnected to said new city. My favorite two examples are the Los Angeles Lakers (formerly the Minnieapolis Lakers of 10,000 lakes fame of Minnesota) and the even more hilariously named Utah Jazz (formerly the far more appropriately named New Orleans Jazz). Even the Sacremento Kings get their name from the Hallmark empire of Kansas City.
So the OK Sonics (maybe there is a Boeing plant somewhere within a few hundred miles) and the Seattle Blazers make complete sense in the world of the NBA.
But do you remember the Portland Breakers? (hint: USFL)
Posted by: hilsy at July 18, 2006 10:22 PMWe shouldn't worry about the Blazers, I guess. The city government wouldn't allow a big business to get away.
I will assume that was a joke, right?
No worries, people. The NFL prevents owners from owning another sports franchise in not only their own franchise home city, but in any NFL franchise city. So even if the Sonics move, the Blazers are NOT moving north.
So they become the "Tacoma Trailblazers"....
All I can say is "Bye". The Blazers are a black eye for the city. Have been for several years now.
Posted by: Jon at July 19, 2006 07:44 AMHow are the Blazers a black eye anymore? Why don't you pick up a paper sometime and admit you're a bandwagon fan who's fragile ego can't handle a few seasons of losing.
For the rest of us, I think it's going to be important to support the team in whatever small way we can to get back on the right track. Portland needs Rip City again, and they've done just about everything that fans have wanted except win. I honestly think we'll be back in the playoffs by 2008.
I get so sick of the 'just go' attitude. Ironically, these people will probably turn around and blame Portland Libruls for not doing enough to keep them here. It's never enough in Negative Nelly-land...
Posted by: TKrueg at July 19, 2006 09:17 AM"WWPAD? This stands for What Will Paul Allen Do? That's the multi-million dollar question..." Sports Business Radio's take.
Posted by: tigerfan at July 19, 2006 05:31 PM
The busiest thread on the Seattle Times Sonics forum is entitled A plea to Paul Allen.
Posted by: tigerfan at July 19, 2006 05:45 PM
[Posted as indicated; restored later.]
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