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News & ArtsTuesday, February 7, 2012
Sports The Return of the Supersonics?
Posted by Charles Mudede on Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 12:54 PM
The buzz:
The Associated Press reports that "the city of Seattle has been working behind the scenes the past eight months with a hedge-fund manager to bring an NBA team back to town." This could happen next fall if the Sacramento Kings don't like the deal offered for a new arena in that city, the AP notes.
The man behind all this is 44-year-old Christopher Hansen, a hedge-fund manager and Seattle native who now lives in San Francisco, the wire service reports. He "approached the city about his desire to buy an NBA team and build an arena south of Safeco Field," where the Seattle Mariners play, the AP notes.
Why did I post this piece of gossip? Because it gave me a reason to post this old skool rap...
1
There's a chance that they can get the NHL (in the form of the Phoenix Coyotes) to come along, too.
2
It's weird to see slog posts about a sports team. Isn't there an art exhibit coming to town that nobody will bother to see?
4
"Why did I post this piece of gossip? Because it gave me a reason to post this old skool rap..."
Disappointed that it wasn't "Don't believe the hype".
@2: We do have every other single corporate media to do that for us, I guess.
Disappointed that it wasn't "Don't believe the hype".
@2: We do have every other single corporate media to do that for us, I guess.
5
Man, I almost don't want to hear about rumors and speculations. I don't want to get my hopes up...
BUT YES YES YES, TEN HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES YES - Bring Back The NBA!!
And let's have some HOCKEY while we're at it!!
BUT YES YES YES, TEN HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES YES - Bring Back The NBA!!
And let's have some HOCKEY while we're at it!!
9
@Democrat1234
The owners don't necessarily want to leave, they are broke. They already tried to move to Anaheim in return for the city paying off their debts. They only options they have is to sell the team or move to a city that will pay off their debts. It's also highly unlikely that anyone is going to buy the team to keep it in Sacramento.
The owners don't necessarily want to leave, they are broke. They already tried to move to Anaheim in return for the city paying off their debts. They only options they have is to sell the team or move to a city that will pay off their debts. It's also highly unlikely that anyone is going to buy the team to keep it in Sacramento.
10
Could they call them the Sonics, or did the Oklahoma City people who bought the Sonics from the Seattle people buy the name as well? If so, what would we call it?
11
@10. The OKC people left the name Sonics with the city of Seattle as part of the deal when they left. I would hope that any future NBA team in Seattle will inherit that name.
12
@Catalina
They'd be the Sonics. The NBA usually doesn't let teams change their names when they move. That's the reason you have teams with names that make no sense: Utah Jazz (New Orleans), Memphis Grizzlies (Vancouver), LA Lakers (Minneapolis). The reason that OKC changed their name was specifically because the were reserving the Sonics name for a new Seattle team.
The NBA realized it's only a matter of time before they were going to come back here. New Orleans can't support a team. Sacremento can't either. Charlotte is failing on their second attempt. Memphis may have to move again. Milwaukee would have moved already if they weren't owned by a Senator. And there are only three places that could support a team that don't already: Kansas City, Seattle, and Vegas. Unless you think that Chicago would accept a second team or LA would accept a third; Seattle will be getting a team sooner rather than later.
They'd be the Sonics. The NBA usually doesn't let teams change their names when they move. That's the reason you have teams with names that make no sense: Utah Jazz (New Orleans), Memphis Grizzlies (Vancouver), LA Lakers (Minneapolis). The reason that OKC changed their name was specifically because the were reserving the Sonics name for a new Seattle team.
The NBA realized it's only a matter of time before they were going to come back here. New Orleans can't support a team. Sacremento can't either. Charlotte is failing on their second attempt. Memphis may have to move again. Milwaukee would have moved already if they weren't owned by a Senator. And there are only three places that could support a team that don't already: Kansas City, Seattle, and Vegas. Unless you think that Chicago would accept a second team or LA would accept a third; Seattle will be getting a team sooner rather than later.
13
They will be the Seattle Supersonics if and when we get a team. Today is an amazing day - not only does it feel like summer, but Charles "My Least Favorite Slogger" posted an awesome post. 2 things I love are the Sonics and Kurtis Blow's Basketball. And here they are together. I once stage managed at a festival in Denver, and Kurtis Blow was on my stage... he was late for his set, I was scrambling to find him... the green room was a trailer... I ripped the door open and there he was, in a cloud of smoke, surrounded by ladies, with a sheepish grin on his face, like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar... he put on a killer set, even breakdancing... the man is a legend.
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@5 their plan is to make the new stadium hockey-ready. So yes -- NHL would be coming to Seattle sooner or later.
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@Will in Seattle
Jerry Reinsdorf would require a payment so large to allow another team in his territory I don't think moving to Chicago would be viable.
Jerry Reinsdorf would require a payment so large to allow another team in his territory I don't think moving to Chicago would be viable.
17
@12,
Hate to say it, but I think that poop bucket that is anaheim might be the most viable site for relocation at current. Or at least the most lucrative -- if this guy w/ the seattle ties could swoop in there to play favorites it may work out. The OKC/seattle rivalry would immediately qualify as among the best in sports. And the vitriol aimed at clay bennett, should he show his face, would be comically absurd. Hope it happens.
Hate to say it, but I think that poop bucket that is anaheim might be the most viable site for relocation at current. Or at least the most lucrative -- if this guy w/ the seattle ties could swoop in there to play favorites it may work out. The OKC/seattle rivalry would immediately qualify as among the best in sports. And the vitriol aimed at clay bennett, should he show his face, would be comically absurd. Hope it happens.
18
@Mikethehammer
I think the league would have the same problem moving a third team to the LA area as they would moving a second team to Chicago. The two teams are going to demand huge payments for sharing their territory. I'm not sure a potential investor wants to deal with that headache.
I think the league would have the same problem moving a third team to the LA area as they would moving a second team to Chicago. The two teams are going to demand huge payments for sharing their territory. I'm not sure a potential investor wants to deal with that headache.
19
If they build a new stadium, it should come with a permanent restraining order banning Wally Walker from the premises.
21
I'm all for it, so long as not a penny of public money is involved with the entire enterprise.
exceptions-
Favorable zoning & traffic treatment, etc. is OK by me.
Yeah, my medication is too strong.
exceptions-
Favorable zoning & traffic treatment, etc. is OK by me.
Yeah, my medication is too strong.
23
I am against any new teams unless their stadiums are paid for with private money. Seattle and king county have too many revenue shortfalls to be pushing levies to pay for venues which serve to enrich the laready rich.
25
if you were pissed when the Sonics left seattle, you can't morally support luring the Kings away from Sac
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@25 An entirely different scenario. The Kings are the NBA's vagabonds. Sacramento is just the current stop. And the purchase would come with an explicit intent to move the team, as opposed to the 30 pieces of silver exchanged for the Sonics. No one is lying to Sacramento, America's most economically challenged city.
28
@21 I totally agree. If new owners want to go ahead and build themselves a new stadium, I will happily go see the Sonics again.
But no more damn public money for stadiums.
But no more damn public money for stadiums.
29
Shouldn't Seattle pay off the $50,000,000 they owe on the Kingdome first? You know, the one they demolished.
30
OMG, that rap. Some popular athletic kid lip-synced that song in a talent show when I was in junior high (they had a dance routine and everything), and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I literally have not heard that song since then until now.
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