A Small Development With The Sonics
The relocation committee that will ultimately approve or deny the Seattle Sonics’ move to OKC has been appointed.
In the group is Miami Heat owner Micky Arison, Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Warriors owner Chris Cohan, Nets part owner Lewis Katz, Pacers co-owner Herb Simon, Sixers chairman Ed Snider and Spurs owner Peter Holt.
Two of the more interesting members of the group are Peter Holt and Lewis Katz. Sonics owner Clay Bennett was a part of the Spurs ownership group that included Holt in the early 90s before Holt acquired majority interest. Wonder what kind of relationship they have today? Katz is an interesting addition because he and the other Nets owners are in the process of moving the team to Brooklyn, where an estimated $3.5 billion sports arena and business and residential complex is being built. I would think Bennett would have Katz’s support.
In other Sonics news, Seattle Times columnist Steve Kelley wrote a piece in Sunday’s paper, crying out to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for help in keeping the Sonics in Seattle. Worthy of a look.
-DM-
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Comments
yeah, there are no facts that point to Seattle possesing any sort of business savvy. Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, Boeing, Costco…….should I continue? I know it doesn’t compare to Sonic Burger but we are trying up here.
Thank god paul allen isn’t on the comittee? He wants the sonics to leave. He gets an entire state added to his market if the sonics leave. But i guess expecting well thought out commentary is a little beyond OKC.
Bennett has at least three of the relocation committee members on his side (Jerry Buss, Lewis Katz, and Peter Holt), he just needs to focus on the three that are more skeptical. I think Chris Cohan and Herb Simon will be relatively ‘easy’ to swing because they are from small markets and should recognize the benefits of Oklahoma City’s one-team-in-the-market attribute .
That leaves Ed Snider. I wonder what does it take for a recommendation? (a simple majority of the relo board? or a unanimous yes? or 2/3rds majority). I would think that OKC would get the relocation bid approved in all of those cases unless it requires a unanimous yes – in which case Bennett needs to hit Snider hard about OKC’s Renaissance!
I wish that the Utah Jazz ownership was because they OWE Oklahoma City (since it was Oklahoma City’s own Istook who allocated federal funds for SLC’s light rail – while at the same time denying his OWN hometown the same).
One thing’s for sure, thank GOD Paul Allen is not on that committee; looks like Seattle’s crying out to Steve Ballmer now yet Bennett wont sell as long as he can move the team by at least 2010. Seattle is quite ’stupid’ in many respects – they should have made a ‘deal’ with the NBA that once they get an arena they get a team or resurrect the Sonics. … Too bad intelligence/patience/business savvy did not make it to the NW.