I doubt I really had the 2 hours to spend going through this thread, I certainly wasn't taking notes. Let's see what I can remember here and we'll try to trudge through the rest.
The MOU
Portland city leaders talk to Seattle city leaders and vice versa. All the time. They're tight, along with San Francisco and Oakland and San Jose. Since I've already seen what happened with the Timbers in Portland, I believe I can safely say this: Seattle regards the MOU as a protection document, but they've structured a deal that doesn't have to protect a lot. SO... what they will do is what generally makes Chris Hansen happy, and that's to let him make changes that don't cost the city much more money. I strongly believe the MOU is not an issue, unless there's a change or two the NHL wants in order to smooth things along. Mayor McGinn's comments about the viability of Key Arena caught my attention, it didn't have to be said because it's already in the MOU. Why was it said? Has the NHL suggested amending to allow the Tacoma Dome (or, heck, even some sharing between Key and Safeco Field) into the picture? Or is that their "out" if it comes to it? Would Seattle fight that change if it were being proposed? If proposed and fought, could it lose the NHL this time?
I-91, EIS
The real issue isn't that the city hasn't found a workaround, the issue is whether citizens groups can tie up the process a few years in the courts. EIS... I think that's even less of a problem. This does not assume that the citizens groups are well-financed, but let's note that the Mariners have been against, and I can see where $$ could be funneled.
The Fan Base
I get the Canada vs USA brawl in this thread. I expect nothing less. The nuanced consensus is reasonable, however. If the NHL is going to have 3-4 options (expansion AND relocation) in the next few years, I expect a spread between a couple Canadian markets and larger American markets, not everything in one basket. Winnipeg got theirs, so perhaps it's Seattle's turn. However, the asinine notion that fans in the Pacific Northwest don't get hockey can take a freaking long walk off a short pier in a stiff wind, thank you very much. If anything on the American side, we've had a more unique look at the sport (via the WHL) than those who think the college track is worth lionizing.
Another Sighing Portland Comment
If my ears and eyes haven't deceived me, both the Seahawks and Mariners claim that 10% of their season ticket base AND overall ticket base is from Portland. Funny thing: 10 years ago, there was an effort to bring MLB to Portland, and the Mariners suddenly started claiming 30% in an attempt to block that from happening (that would have cut into the Mariners' TV market). So any numbers rendered here should warrant skepticism. I don't really think Seattle needs the help. Of course, Paul Allen and Vulcan (maybe not in that order) blocks any notion that Portland will get NHL anytime soon. A couple funny things could happen in the interim, so keep an eye out, just don't hold your breath.
Convergence Zone aka "The Perpetual Rain Cloud"
Seattle actually has a reputation for a reason. There was a point where Seahawks attendance was atrocious and warranted a possible leaving, but there's really been no issues since moving into CenturyLink (with some teams more competitive than others). The Mariners have been a AAA team for some time now. Sonics attendance actually started going down after the lockout mini-season of 2000. Still, it's a different economy than even 10 years ago, Seattle has solidified, and the Mariners suck. The old arguments about Seattle being a poor sports market are old... though perhaps not completely without merit. Still, for anyone trying to take shots based on that history, I can find your history at least as poor. So never mind the NHL is better served in Portland, that's just not going to be an issue. Seattle won't be a southern market in the NHL. It'd be alright.
