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<title>Slog - Comments on Bennett&apos;s Lawyers Taunt City&apos;s Expert Witness</title>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn</link>
<description>The story this afternoon was not Clay Bennett&apos;s testimony, but rather the cross examination of the city&apos;s sports economics expert. Smith College sports economist (and Harvard PH.d) Andrew Zimbalist was brought in by the city to talk about high-falutin concepts like &quot;consumer surplus&quot; and &quot;externalities&quot; and &quot;contingent valuation.&quot; The point of his testimony was to introduce the idea of intangible value—mainly that intangible value—like water cooler chatter—exists in cities with sports teams, but you cannot put a $ figure on it. This is key to the city&apos;s case because they want the judge to enforce their &quot;specific performance&quot; lease. (A...</description>
<copyright>Copyright 2008</copyright>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:35:10 -0800</pubDate>
<lastBuildDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:42:54 -0800</lastBuildDate>
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<docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs> 

<item>
<title>Comment by Jerod</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Fuck. Now it's all up to Alexie.</p>]]></description>
<author>Jerod</author>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053174</link>
<guid>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053174</guid>
<category>City</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:42:30 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Comment by PC</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>To: Clay Bennet lawyers<br />
From: Seattle voters<br />
Re: your lawsuit</p>

<p>Pleasee put into evidence the fact that 78% of Seattle voters said no way to any subsidies unless the team guarantees a commercal rate of return.  In other words, there is a law on the books in Seattle that basically rejects the whole premise of the City's case that there is value, intangible or not, in having a team here. </p>

<p>You can find the power of the people like in article one of the city charter, too.  It's right there. </p>

<p>We the people of Seattle, already said there's no "goodwill value" from this team.  End of court case. </p>

<p>Signed, <br />
</p>]]></description>
<author>PC</author>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053253</link>
<guid>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053253</guid>
<category>City</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:42:15 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Comment by elswinger</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Can we please keep the Storm?  Sue Bird is yummy!</p>]]></description>
<author>elswinger</author>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053265</link>
<guid>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053265</guid>
<category>City</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:58:04 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Comment by Fnarf</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Andrew Zimbalist is one of my heroes. It sucks that's lousy on the stand. Too bad none of the principals in this case can read.</p>]]></description>
<author>Fnarf</author>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053297</link>
<guid>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053297</guid>
<category>City</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:38:30 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Comment by John</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>@3, the Storm have already been sold to a local group and will be staying.</p>

<p>I would have no problem paying for a new stadium if the public were to have equity in the team. IIRC, the Sonics were bought for about $300 Million, and it sounds like they want about another $100 Million in stadium to stay. Fine, give the city 30% interest in the profits and appreciation of the team.</p>]]></description>
<author>John</author>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053464</link>
<guid>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053464</guid>
<category>City</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:28:25 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Comment by cw</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>PC, </p>

<p>I'd like to apologize for all those rubber red playground balls that smacked your uncoordinated body when your were in school.  You clearly don't understand sports or sports fans.</p>

<p>The happiness that the city of Boston is experiencing tonight and these past few months cannot be easily measured, but it changes lives (mostly in positive ways).  I can't explain it to you and it saddens me.  </p>]]></description>
<author>cw</author>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053485</link>
<guid>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053485</guid>
<category>City</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:16:22 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Comment by poppy</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>I think it will be kind of awesome to have a WNBA team but not an NBA team.</p>]]></description>
<author>poppy</author>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053602</link>
<guid>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053602</guid>
<category>City</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:17:48 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Comment by him</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>PC- Seattle voters didn't say the Sonics had no value.  They just said they're sick of giving welfare to billionaire sports franchise owners.  Sonics definitely have value, albeit not to everyone.  But if 100% unanimity is required for something to have value, we'd have nothing.</p>

<p>I think the judge basically tossed out the expert's testimony once she confirmed that he had previously assigned a value to the 'intangibles' - especially for the low low price of $7.5M.  Also starring as a piss-poor Seattle witness was Mayor McCheese Nickels, when he finally agreed the lease was a bad deal for the Sonics, and then brilliantly added something to the effect of "but it's not good for Seattle either."</p>]]></description>
<author>him</author>
<link>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053722</link>
<guid>http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/bennetts_lawyers_taunt_citys_expert_witn#c1053722</guid>
<category>City</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:42:54 -0800</pubDate>
</item>


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