Help Seattle Keep The Sonics

[venom_7]

in light of recent information being exposed about the Bennett/Shultz deal, I think its time we Kings fans stood up for our fellow basketball lovers.

http://thesouthfloridafan.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-help-seattle-keep-their-sonics.html

I CALL ON EVERY NBA TEAM BLOG TO POST THE ADDRESS OF THEIR OWNERS. IN ADDITION, LETTERS SHOULD INCLUDE SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

"As a form of protest, we vow to boycott any game next season in which the Oklahoma City Sonics play, whether it be in our arena or watching it on television."

There's no way everyone will boycott the games, but even a strong showing would make the statement loud and clear. Post this EVERYWHERE!!! Unfortunately, the ability to save the Sonics rests not with the heartbroken fans of Seattle, but with the rest of us. WE NEED TO CONVINCE THE NBA THAT THE OKLAHOMA CITY MOVE WILL CAUSE MAJOR ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS IN OTHER NBA ARENAS!!!

Again, I call on everybody to post some version of the above on NBA blogs all over the country.

While I don't know if this will work exactly as planned, we can still let our voices be heard on this issue.

Basically whats happened is Shultz sold the team, as he had every right to do. The new owner came in and said they need a new arena, but it was really just a cop out because Mr. Bennett had every intention of leaving town ASAP. We'd all be up in arms if this were to happen to our Kings, so lets show some class and gall and help the Sonics fans out.

So if you can afford the postage:
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif] ARCO Arena Mailing and Shipping Address:
ARCO Arena
One Sports Parkway
Sacramento, CA 95834

Email Bill Simmons:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=feedback/sportsguy

Email the Sacbee:
[/FONT] bbradley@sacbee.com

ok well I am gonna send a few things out. It will take 5 minutes outta my day, so I'm down with it.

 

[Kingzrool]

Passing this along.

Dear Co-NBA Brother,

I’ll start with this: I’m a Sonics fan. I realize, that on any given night, if your Kings are going head to head with my Supes, we are on opposite sides of the fence and wouldn’t buy each other a beer. Today, however, I’m hoping that you’ll be able to see beyond the court to the bigger picture.

As an NBA fan, I would imagine you’ve been following to some extent, what’s happening up here in Seattle. We are in the midst of having our hearts ripped out by a deceitful ownership group trying to steal our team. A local ownership group has stepped up to the plate in an effort to save the team, and the community has rallied behind them. Despite the local momentum, much of how this all plays out will hinge on how the NBA Board of Governors will vote regarding the relocation bid. The vote is scheduled to take place in 2 days (April 17). Here’s where you come in.

Let your team’s owner know that you do not support the relocation of the Sonics to Oklahoma City. Email him. Write him a letter. Call him. Let him know you will boycott any game next season in which the Oklahoma City Sonics play, whether it be in your arena or on tv.

A warm-hearted Miami Heat fan who has gotten involved in the protest gave us the idea to reach out to other team’s fan bases and had this to say on our Sonicscentral.com blog: “Spread this idea around as much as you can. It’s going to take the other teams to prevent this from happening. Let’s save the Sonics!”

I implore you- if you feel like what is happening is wrong - if you aren’t buying Clay Bennett and David Stern’s lies and cover ups - if you don’t want to see a precedent set where the NBA can rip 40+ years of tradition away from any community that doesn’t bow it’s knee in submission - then take action. The Board of Governor’s meeting is in 2 days. We love our team as much as you love yours. If we don’t stop this travesty from occurring, it could happen to any team or market. Please do your part and help us. It’s the 11th hour, but it’s not too late!

I know the Kings could be going through the same things the sonics are in the future, so i urge you to help support us, and we can assure you that the Kings will have our full support if the time comes.


Our most sincere thanks,

Brett

 

[FakeInjury]

This is a sad truth. The kings will relocate eventually. whether it be 4 or 5 or 10 years, the kings will relocate. I noticed the Malloofs are very appreciative of their kings fans, a little too appreciative if you get what im saying....the lack of suspicion that doesn't rise, rises suspicion. I'm afraid Kevin Johnson isn't going to solve anything other than the mysteries of political suicide.....

 

[VF21]

The Kings will relocate eventually? And you know this how exactly?

The Maloofs are too appreciative of the fans? No, I don't get what you're saying at all but then I don't speak paranoid or conspiracy babble. This thread is about the Sonics. If you want to discuss the Kings situation, I suggest people use the "new arena" forum - which I note, FakeInjury, you have also used to post a similar "sky is falling" prediction.

 

[FakeInjury]

I suddenly felt like their situation parallels ours, from the fans POV. And yes i am paranoid of what I can't control or completely understand, which is the political science behind New Arenas being built. & not just in Sacramento. I feel if the sonics were to stay, sacramento would fare better as well...The sky isn't falling but, the economy is slipping. If sacramento Kings org. operates at a loss, it wouldn't be far-fetched to state that moving the team would be/could be financially productive. I appreciate your decent remarks, and i apologize for zig-zaging about biligerently.

 

[Bricklayer]

Basically whats happened is Shultz sold the team, as he had every right to do. The new owner came in and said they need a new arena, but it was really just a cop out because Mr. Bennett had every intention of leaving town ASAP. We'd all be up in arms if this were to happen to our Kings, so lets show some class and gall and help the Sonics fans out.

I find this particular line of argument somewhat ironic given the history of how Sacramento got its franchise in the first place.

 

[Entity]

I was wondering myself if anybody remembered that Sac got a team from Kansas City.

 

[PurpleHaze]

I was wondering myself if anybody remembered that Sac got a team from Kansas City.

...who got the franchise from Cincinnati (for a time playing games in both KC and Omaha) after the team originally came from Rochester. I'm not sure any NBA franchise has bounced around so many different cities in its history - not exactly a good omen.

 

[Bricklayer]

I was wondering myself if anybody remembered that Sac got a team from Kansas City.

Not only that, but we got the team by having a rich guy from our city go over to Missouri and buy the team out there with the sole intention of moving it back to Sacto.

 

[Entity]

Exactly. Now explain to me why in the hell I should care so much about Seattle.

 

[kennadog]

Not only that, but we got the team by having a rich guy from our city go over to Missouri and buy the team out there with the sole intention of moving it back to Sacto.

Did he tell the Kansas Kings' fans they would make a "good faith" effort to keep the Kings in KC, tho? I don't believe so. Couldn't get an arena built, so I think the fans there, knew, without a doubt, the team was moving.

And when he (Lukenbill) had to sell to a new owner (Maloofs), that new owner said they planned on keeping the Kings in Sacrameto and they have. I believe they mean it when they say they want to stay in Sacramento, also. Getting a new arena somehow is going to be the key. If the owners of the Kings and the NBA can't find an economically feasible way to get an arena built here, I'll understand why they would have to move.

Kansas City ended up building an arena, anyway, after the team was gone. 100% financed by the city; zero dollars from a team owner. Since Arco would be torn down, I can see that happening here in Sacramento, too. Which would be dumb.

I really do feel for the Sonic fans and we could end up heart-broken like them. However, it's not just a matter of putting together a local ownership grooup or having the selling owner taking back the team due to a violation of the contract terms (if that's upheld). They have to have an arena plan, too. That arena part is probably the real killer, although at least that lease is up in 2 years.

 

[PurpleHaze]

I really do feel for the Sonic fans and we could end up heart-broken like them.

If we lose the Kings "heart-broken" will be a matter of degrees. In Seattle they'll still have their NFL and MLB teams so I won't "feel" that much for them, when we could end up with just minor league baseball River Cats!

 

[kennadog]

If we lose the Kings "heart-broken" will be a matter of degrees. In Seattle they'll still have their NFL and MLB teams so I won't "feel" that much for them, when we could end up with just minor league baseball River Cats!

Too true.

 

[bozzwell]

Not only that, but we got the team by having a rich guy from our city go over to Missouri and buy the team out there with the sole intention of moving it back to Sacto.

Not quite the same given that:

- terms of purchase agreement for Sonics stipulated that genuine effort be put in trying to keep them in Seattle
- the lease is valid for 2 years, whether Key Arena is good enough or not (ARCO's been "good enough" for Maloofs and us for quite a few years after its "use by date" expired)
- there is a legit option to keep Sonics in Seattle and put up a viable arena plan (Ballmer with $300mil).

And in all this, Stern has taken a side and stubbornly advocated against all of these points:

- backing Bennet even after all the behind-the-scenes moves (no pun intended) contrary to the sales contract and public proclamations were published
- denying that there are alternatives, when there are legit alternatives even at this late stage
- sticking to Key Arena is not adequate and that's that routine as if that happened overnight and Seattle and it's people could have grown one overnight at any point in this saga.

 

[kupman]

In Seattle they'll still have their NFL and MLB teams so I won't "feel" that much for them.....

..and don't forget, they also have the Pike Place Fish Market.

Kennadog - do you have a reference on what the final bill on Sprint Arena in K.C. was and how is was fiananced...i.e. what kinds of taxes

 

[hrdboild]

Guess this makes it official.

Total BS. How can you ignore the OBVIOUS evidence that these owners had no intention to stay in Seattle and have been doing everything they can to obstruct the process and force a move to Oklahoma City? David Stern should be fired. What kind of a commissioner allows a team with over 40 years of history to be moved without listening to the offers that were being made by Seattle groups to buy the team back? What a disgrace. David Stern -- you are no better than Bud Selig.

 

[Kingzrool]

Guess this makes it official.

Paul Allen and Mark Cuban were reportedly the only owners to vote against the move.

Does not bode well for Sac.

 

[BMiller52]

Does not bode well for Sac.

I definitely agree

 

[kennadog]

Guess this makes it official.

Total BS. How can you ignore the OBVIOUS evidence that these owners had no intention to stay in Seattle and have been doing everything they can to obstruct the process and force a move to Oklahoma City? David Stern should be fired. What kind of a commissioner allows a team with over 40 years of history to be moved without listening to the offers that were being made by Seattle groups to buy the team back? What a disgrace. David Stern -- you are no better than Bud Selig.

They can ignore that, because the issue of intention and good faith efforts is a contractual issue. That one has to be fought in the courts. It's not the place of the NBA to make legal decisions about whether someone violated the terms of a sales contract. Not only that, but if the OK city buyers lose that one in court, it won't matter if the NBA owners approved the move.

 

[kennadog]

..and don't forget, they also have the Pike Place Fish Market.

Kennadog - do you have a reference on what the final bill on Sprint Arena in K.C. was and how is was financed...i.e. what kinds of taxes

Apparently $276 million. I was wrong. It's not all public money. A public-private partnership with AEG was involved. From this site, however, you can see a lot of development going on over the last 10 years or so, that involves public financing to a degree. WWII museum, convention center expansion, new performing arts center....

It's pretty amazing the development going on there. I was impressed. Sacramento could only dream of this. They are currently adding 1,800 hotel rooms to the existing 1,400!

http://www.visitkc.com/meeting_planner/whats_new/index.cfm?page=sprint_center.htm

 

[KCKingsCountry]

..and don't forget, they also have the Pike Place Fish Market.

Kennadog - do you have a reference on what the final bill on Sprint Arena in K.C. was and how is was fiananced...i.e. what kinds of taxes

Rental car tax, basically visitors to the city are paying for the arena.

 

[kupman]

Rental car tax, basically visitors to the city are paying for the arena.

Thanks. You may be the person to talk to on this issue given your location. I think a few cities have paid for arenas in this manner, including Dallas.

K.C. is a great town. I hope that you are able to land and NBA and NHL team. The city has done wonderful things with the downtown and you should be very proud.