Sonics, Sonics and more Sonics
I had a telephone conversation with a Seattle City Councilman for the first time earlier today, and I hung up the phone with a better understanding of just how toxic the situation has become up there.
During our 10 minute conversation, Councilmember Richard McIver made it clear that he wants to keep the Sonics in Seattle. He also made it clear that they are in no way interested in building a new arena.
My direct question: “Is there anything else you guys can do to try to get a deal done?”
McIver: “I think there’s some things I hope the Mayor’s office is working on. I believe if they chose to stay there might be some opportunity at doing some remodeling of the existing facility, provided that they’re willing to put a substantial stake in it. I think we will be willing to do something in that way as long as we’re in a partnership.”
OK. Let’s review. Not only has Clay Bennett said a countless number of times that he’s not interested in a renovated facility, but not once has the ownership group said anything about putting up their own funds. Sounds like irreconcilable differences to me.
But then I press the issue and ask McIver in these exact words: “What’s the climate of the civic leaders in the area? Are you all completely against a new arena? Are renovations the only way you guys see fit?”
McIver: “I think that’s all that you’re going to see in Seattle. ”
Now, McIver, it’s worth noting, is the Chair of the Finance and Budget Committee, which according to the Council’s Web site, “makes recommendations on legislative matters relating to the financial management and policies of the city and its agents.”
From what I gathered of his explanation, much of the reason why McIver is against a new building is because it doesn’t make sense for long term economics.
“My basic premise, and one that I think even Oklahoma needs to be worried about, is if you build a new stadium and you have a 30 year bond and you have leases that last about 10 years. Then you find that the facility is determined to be not adequate. So over a 10-year lease, you still have a 20-year payment left on a facility.”
McIver makes great points, and, without having talked with them (yet), I’m sure his fellow Councilmember’s agree with him, especially considering Seattle recently built Safeco and Quest Fields for the Mariners and Seahawks. This thing is not going to get done before Oct. 31. The best solution I see for Seattle is NBA commissioner David Stern stepping in. But that still might not do much. Seattle is tired of paying for arenas. Nothing Stern can do about that.
I do, however, think Seattle’s political leaders are now ticked at the ownership group and are going to try to get them to stay for the heck of it. Aubrey McClendon’s comments had a lot to do with it. Seattle Times columnist Steve Kelley points that out in his piece today. There’s also a good story in the Times about whether or not the city can hold the Sonics to their lease. All worth reading.
- Darnell Mayberry
Clay Bennett Speaks
Why am I not surprised that news continues to come out of Seattle surrounding the Sonics’ situation? In Saturday’s editions of The News Tribune, a report citing an unnamed source outlined what Sonics managing partner Clay Bennett apparently told Sonics employees during his trip to Seattle earlier this week. The source tells the paper that Bennett said Oklahoma City is ready to foot the bill for the Sonics to relocate next season.
The reporters reached Bennett late Friday night, and he didn’t deny the report, saying only the statements were a hypothetical example of how a community that is interested in relocating a business might pay some of its mitigation costs.
But the article spells out what Bennett apparently told employees about what OKC is willing to pay, which includes:
* Any legal fees involving the team’s fight to break the KeyArena lease.
* Whatever the settlement is to the Seattle Center to buy out of the lease.
* All relocation fees the NBA would force the team to pay other owners.
* Costs of physically moving the team’s staff and offices.
* Costs of upgrading the Ford Center to make it NBA-ready.
* Costs of building a new arena, and when it’s finished, keeping the old facility running.
Bennett said his comments were in response to a question about how could Oklahoma City possibly be a competitive market to Seattle.
“The response was an attempt to provide some clarity as (to) why it is so important that Seattle respond and recognize at once that the team is at risk,” Bennett told The News Tribune. ”Without a successor venue at KeyArena, and without a modern facility, the team cannot remain economically viable in this marketplace.
“Our deal has never changed. On July 18, 2006, we outlined very clearly what needs to happen in order to keep the team economically viable in the marketplace, and we are continuing in the pursuit of that objective.”
My question for Bennett at his point would be for what?
If OKC is indeed willing to pay for all that, pack your bags. And something tells me, if Bennett and his partners know that OKC is indeed willing to give that much, half their bags are already packed.
- Darnell Mayberry
Seattle City Council “Window dressing.”
The situation between the Sonics and Seattle has become as ugly in the last few weeks as it’s ever been. You’ve got Mayor Greg Nickels and Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis talking tough about what they will and will not do for the Sonics, mainly how they won’t negotiate on a buyout of the lease. You’ve got Aubrey McClendon saying the group didn’t buy the teams to keep them in Seattle, comments he got fined $250,000 for by the NBA. And now you’ve got the City Council trying to strong arm the Sonics into honoring their lease until it expires in 2010 by passing a law that prohibits the city’s pro teams from getting out of their leases early.
It’s a mess. Ceis has called the situation “dysfunctional.”
But it’s Ceis’ comments in Friday’s editions of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that have caught my eye. Ceis calls this ordinance that the City Council is trying to pass “Window dressing.” According to Ceis, it means nothing.
In P-I columnist Art Thiel’s piece, linked above, he writes about asking Ceis whether the ordinance adds any type of reinforcement to the lease.
“I’m not sure it does,” Ceis is quoted as saying. Theil then poses the question, “So it’s just window dressing?”
“I’m sure it is,” Ceis says.
Ceis goes on to say: “It’s a communication to the fans, the league, the team, that we’re not interested in giving up and letting the team go.”
A more telling quote comes earlier in the piece when Ceis all but admits it’s not in the city’s best interest to force the Sonics to stay.
“We all are going to go down the drain together,” Ceis says. “The worse we make it for him (Bennett), the worse he makes it for us.”
History proves that sports franchises typically have the upper hand in these types of situations. But it sounds to me like the Deputy Mayor of Seattle is admitting that the Sonics have the upper hand in this battle. Which means all of the tough talk eventually means nothing.
In the end, Seattle will either put up or take a buyout. We’re just counting down the days and sifting through the window dressing.
-DM-
Quest For Gold Begins Tonight
The FIBA Americas Championship games began today and the USA Men’s Basketball team tips off tonight against Venezuela. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic at 10 p.m. and, according to ESPN’s listings, replayed on ESPN2 at 11.
At stake for the boys in Vegas this week is an Olympic birth in next summer’s games in Beijing, China.
Here’s the roster: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Kobe Bryant , Tyson Chandler, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Mike Miller, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Amare Stoudemire and Deron Williams.
Not bad.
Can’t really complain about the roster. I would like to have seen Shaq instead of Chandler, Ray Allen instead of Mike Miller and Allen Iverson instead of Deron Williams. But that’s my dream as a fan. My wishes don’t make much sense if you’re trying to build a solid tradition for now and the future. Shaq is 35, Chandler is 24. Allen is 32, Miller is 27. Iverson is 32, Williams is 23.
The guys they chose not only fit better in desired roles (i.e. Chandler’s shot-blocking ability and Williams’ distributing. Ray Allen isn’t that much better of a shooter than Miller), but they’re just so much younger than the guys I would like to have seen as a fan. That means they’ll be around for longer and can play in the next two Olympic Games, barring injury of course.
Just think, When the 2016 Olympics roll around, Chandler will be 33. Deron Williams will be 32 and Mike Miller, well, Mike Miller’s career will likely be over at 36. But he’ll only be 32 during the 2012 Games, while Allen will be 37 and likely retired.
Just think, a 2016 Olympic team of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tyson Chandler, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire and Brandon Roy!
If Durant and Oden live up to expectations, along with Wade, James, Anthony and Paul, we could be looking at another Dream Team in 2016. But I digress.
I still have my doubts about this current team. Not because of the roster. But because the USA squad has laid an egg for it seems like the past decade. Our last gold medal in 2000 seems like a lifetime ago after the way we were waxed in the 2004 Olympics and the 2002 and ‘06 World Championship games.
But I expect this team to run through this week’s tourney by routing the competition to easily receive a birth in the 08 games. But when they get to Beijing next summer, I now know anything can happen.
-DM-
Continuous updates from here out
So the powers that be have spoken. As a result this blog will be constantly updated throughout the year with NBA news and notes, rumblings and rumors. A lot is going on this off-season, be it trades and free agency, dirty refs or the Sonics potential relocation to OKC. This is the place where I’ll post and hopefully discuss all of it with you folks.
Might as well start today. Steve Largent, the Hall of Fame wide receiver and former Oklahoma politician, was asked about the Sonics situation and was quoted in the Seattle Times as saying “business is business.” Largent, remember, spent 13 NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and knows a thing or two about sports in the Great Northwest. Largent, according to the Times, thinks the Sonics deserve to stay in Seattle, but he also said that if previous Sonics owner Howard Schultz wanted to make sure the team stayed in Seattle he shouldn’t have sold to out-of-state businessmen.
Largent brings up a good point that many people seem to be overlooking. Don’t blame Clay Bennett and his ownership group for being businessmen or accuse them of trying to “steal” Seattle’s team. Bennett is doing what any savvy businessman would do. He saw an opportunity and jumped on it. Schultz is the one who sold the team to out-of-state businessmen who, from Day One, made it clear that they would move the team if a new arena deal was not reached. Bennett gave and continues to give the city of Seattle and surrounding areas the first crack at keeping the franchises. But they seem to be uninterested in doing what it takes. So, as Largent said, business is business.
-Darnell Mayberry-
