Oklahoma City investors purchase NBA, WNBA Seattle franchises

katodelder

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Apr 22, 2004
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Sorry to go off topic a bit, but it looks like the Pens are gonna stay in Pittsburgh, and if OKC gets the Sonics, where does that leave Kansas City? A brand new arena will be ready next year with no tenant. Will KC get the Hornets? It doesn't look like any NHL franchise is ready to move anytime soon (perhaps Atlanta in a couple of years if things don't get sorted out there?) and I can't see Hockey expanding to 32 teams until well into the next decade/CBA. What will KC do?
 

Dolemite

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I don't think you can campare the two, the Sonics have a 35+ year history there, was their first major sports franchise and first ( and only) to win a championship. Vancouver had no history and never warmed up to roundball with a crummy expansion team.

The citizens of seattle, much like portland, do not like to heavily subsidize billionare owners's sports franchises, which rubs the NBA ( and david stern ) the wrong way. SO The NBA will leave a larger, much more afluent market for OKC which looks to a sports franchise to raise the visability of their city.

Correction. The Seattle Storm (WNBA), University of Washington Men's Football (National Championship), and the Seattle Millionaires (Stanley Cup) have won championships as well.
 

Dolemite

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At the same time this sucks for Seattle who deserves a better fate than this.

The Fans? Oh yeah, they're getting the shaft.

This is all the past owners fault. Barry Ackerly/Wally Walker for agreeing to the lease and making Key Arena into a basketball only arena in the first place and Howard Schultz and his ownership group for not doing their homework before purchasing the team.

As a former Seattle Resident I already know what's going to happen.

The Oklahoma City Sonics will be ready to play next season.
 

Famous Flames

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Good for them, I can't believe there wasn't any professional team in OKC.

I think you mean major professional sports team. There are professional minor league hockey and baseball teams in OKC. Not to mention the "professional" teams just a little south in Norman.
 

thebigstubbs*

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If the Sonics move, it won't because Seattle wouldn't support them. It'll be because the city of Seattle didn't want to line the new owner's pockets with an absurd stadium agreement. It's why the Saints aren't going to San Antonio--SA officals wouldn't let Tom Benson have his cake and eat it to. And the new ownership group has almost got to say what they did so they can get all the leverage they can when it comes time to negotiate.

Sonics owners wants the state to build them a new arena and give them money for other stuff

wont happen.

If the sonics move, the new owners would not want to get an nhl team right away and over saturate the market.
 

HF_Rangers

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If the Sonics move, it won't because Seattle wouldn't support them. It'll be because the city of Seattle didn't want to line the new owner's pockets with an absurd stadium agreement. It's why the Saints aren't going to San Antonio--SA officals wouldn't let Tom Benson have his cake and eat it to. And the new ownership group has almost got to say what they did so they can get all the leverage they can when it comes time to negotiate.

Sounds an awful like the Whalers situation in Hartford a decade ago.

The first I heard about the OKC group buying the Sonics, I thought that was the green-light to move the team, but the NBA has yet to approve the sale. I'd think there's a 50/50 chance the team stays in Seattle, they really need a new arena there because KeyArena is one of the most outdated venues in the country and very small for the region it services.
 

Dolemite

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Sounds an awful like the Whalers situation in Hartford a decade ago.

The first I heard about the OKC group buying the Sonics, I thought that was the green-light to move the team, but the NBA has yet to approve the sale. I'd think there's a 50/50 chance the team stays in Seattle, they really need a new arena there because KeyArena is one of the most outdated venues in the country and very small for the region it services.

Outdated?!?! It's practically brand new. The team messed up when they built this arena big time and the state and city aren't about to pay for their mistakes.
 

kdb209

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Jan 26, 2005
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Sounds an awful like the Whalers situation in Hartford a decade ago.

The first I heard about the OKC group buying the Sonics, I thought that was the green-light to move the team, but the NBA has yet to approve the sale. I'd think there's a 50/50 chance the team stays in Seattle, they really need a new arena there because KeyArena is one of the most outdated venues in the country and very small for the region it services.

Yup. The new ownership group has basically given the city 12 months to come up with a new arena commitment or it's OKC here I come.

http://news.bellinghamherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060719/SPORTS/607180356/1004

The sale led to immediate speculation that Bennett's group, the Professional Basketball Club (PBC), would move the team to Oklahoma City - which played host to the New Orleans Hornets last year and will again this season after Hurricane Katrina damaged New Orleans - though Bennett, Walker and Schultz were adamant that Bennett is committed to keeping the team in Seattle - sort of.

Bennett said Seattle has a 12-month deadline to either come to a binding agreement on the assurance of a publicly funded successor to KeyArena or the group would move the team to Oklahoma City.

When pressed on the issue, Bennett admitted the deadline is closer to six months because the 105-day legislative session ends in late April, by which time the team will know if it will be awarded public funds.

"It is our hope that we are on our way to a new facility. If not, we are contractually permitted to relocate," Bennett said.

He clarified that the contractual clause is in the purchase agreement with the Sonics, not with the city.

Though a city spokesperson said Seattle plans to hold the Sonics to their lease, which expires in 2010, Ed Evans, one of Bennett's four primary partners, said the PBC would try to buy out the lease if it decides to move the team, though he was not specific.

More interesting is the fact that the Sonics apparently turned down a $75M higher bid to move the team to San Jose.
Schultz said the team turned down higher offers from other bidders who were transparent in their desire to move the team because, he said, the Basketball Club of Seattle wanted to keep the franchise in the Puget Sound area.

Though Walker would not identify those bidders, a report in The Oklahoman said Larry Ellison offered $425 million and wanted to move the team to San Jose, Calif. That report could not be confirmed.
 

GKJ

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Feb 27, 2002
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General Information – The Key Arena originally opened in 1983 and has been the home of the Seattle Sonics since 1995.

what took them so long?
 

HF_Rangers

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Outdated?!?! It's practically brand new. The team messed up when they built this arena big time and the state and city aren't about to pay for their mistakes.

The place is cramped... Keep in mind, the KeyArena is basically a 1994 renovation of the now 44-year-old Seattle Center Coliseum. I did make a mistake when I said it was outdated, but the place is too small and the Sonics should have built a new arena rather than the renovation when they had the chance, as stadiums for the Seahawks and Mariners didn't come until the turn of the century. I blame this on the Sonics, the city shouldn't have to pay for yet another sports arena.
 

Beaner

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Mar 19, 2006
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I'd think there's a 50/50 chance the team stays in Seattle, they really need a new arena there because KeyArena is one of the most outdated venues in the country and very small for the region it services.

It's even worse for hockey as anyone who has gone to a Seattle Thunderbirds game (WHL) can attest too. And their lease arrangement is even worse than the sonics.

But it looks like the Thunderbirds have also had enough of playing in a terrible venue and are seriously looking to moving to Kent.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/hocke...2_tbirds30.html

Heres a layout of the seating arrangement for the Key for Hockey, just to give you an idea...

http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/tickets/singlegame.php

I would not be surprised in the least to see both the Sonics and the Thunderbirds gone from the Key Arena in the next 2-3 years.
 

OUchaser

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Aug 10, 2005
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An NHL franchise is a whole different story, ticket prices for one thing. They would need to have enough people who in total could afford and want to pay big league prices for two sports.

I've lived in OKC for 8 years now (with origins in Denver, much larger), and I really don't think it would be that big of a problem. This city isn't quite the cow town that most people stereotype it as. If you haven't been to downtown OKC in the last couple years, check it out sometime, its grown tremendously. Many people here said the Hornets will struggle since it will be full NBA prices, yet they did quite well, even with the lower half of the Ford Center at pretty high prices. In comparing the Ford Center NBA ticket costs with those for Stars games (closest chance for live NHL games here), it really wasn't too different, with NHL a few dollars higher. Certainly I'm not saying 2 teams should move here next week, but I don't think saying OKC couldn't afford it should be the limiting factor, we have a minor league team with a huge following here, people actually like hockey, albiet many don't understand that holding in hockey is different from holding in football.
 

Dolemite

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I've lived in OKC for 8 years now (with origins in Denver, much larger), and I really don't think it would be that big of a problem. This city isn't quite the cow town that most people stereotype it as. If you haven't been to downtown OKC in the last couple years, check it out sometime, its grown tremendously. Many people here said the Hornets will struggle since it will be full NBA prices, yet they did quite well, even with the lower half of the Ford Center at pretty high prices. In comparing the Ford Center NBA ticket costs with those for Stars games (closest chance for live NHL games here), it really wasn't too different, with NHL a few dollars higher. Certainly I'm not saying 2 teams should move here next week, but I don't think saying OKC couldn't afford it should be the limiting factor, we have a minor league team with a huge following here, people actually like hockey, albiet many don't understand that holding in hockey is different from holding in football.



There's a little more than being able to sell out games that will attract an NHL franchise. Due respect, I don't think of Oklahoma as a hockey state. Football? Defintiely. But How many rinks are there in OKC? My point is that the potential growth of the sport in the community has to be a factor as well.

That and having ownership that aren't tards like the last two former Sonics owners were definitely helps.
 

Dolemite

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Heres a layout of the seating arrangement for the Key for Hockey, just to give you an idea...

http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/tickets/singlegame.php

I would not be surprised in the least to see both the Sonics and the Thunderbirds gone from the Key Arena in the next 2-3 years.

...and this is why I say that former Sonics owner Barry Ackerly should be getting his nuts roasted in the media right now. He purposely built Key Arena in this manner so that an NHL Franchise wouldn't take money away from the Sonics.

I'll also go out on a limb and say that if the T-birds move to Kent they will fold or move out of state within two to four years. There hasn't been a successful hockey franchise south of Seattle...ever. That and Kenton (Kent-Renton) has the worst freeway system in the State.
 

jamiebez

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Apr 5, 2005
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Sorry to go off topic a bit, but it looks like the Pens are gonna stay in Pittsburgh, and if OKC gets the Sonics, where does that leave Kansas City? A brand new arena will be ready next year with no tenant. Will KC get the Hornets? It doesn't look like any NHL franchise is ready to move anytime soon (perhaps Atlanta in a couple of years if things don't get sorted out there?) and I can't see Hockey expanding to 32 teams until well into the next decade/CBA. What will KC do?
Perhaps they'll get the Hornets? Although, there's still a Vegas NBA interest as well - apparently, they were negotiating with the Sacramento Kings before the Kings recent arena deal.

I've always thought KC and Houston would be first in line for NHL teams (relocation or expansion). Could still be true at some point, but I don't see anything happening for a couple of years at least.
 

Hasbro

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There's a little more than being able to sell out games that will attract an NHL franchise. Due respect, I don't think of Oklahoma as a hockey state. Football? Defintiely. But How many rinks are there in OKC? My point is that the potential growth of the sport in the community has to be a factor as well.

That and having ownership that aren't tards like the last two former Sonics owners were definitely helps.

Well they do manage to pack the house for their CHL teams. the lack of other pro franchises would make the NHL a big fish in a small pond and there is loads of oil money floating around the state.
 

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