OT: Chris Paul and the Seattle Supersonics?

[EL PRESIDENTE]

http://blog.seattlepi.com/davidnelson/archives/230468.asp

We heard the rumor of the Sacramento Kings coming to Seattle a month ago. Well, add the New Orleans Hornets to the list of potential teams coming to Seattle.

According to The Times Picayune, the New Orleans Hornets have a clause in their lease agreement that would allow them to break their lease at the end of this season.

"If the Hornets do not average crowds of at least 14,213 for the next 13 games at the New Orleans Arena, the franchise can opt out of its current lease agreement with the state, according to Doug Thornton, vice president of SMG, the company that manages the Arena and the Superdome." - John Reid, The Times Picayune, Nov. 30th, 2010

The Hornets beat the Charlotte Bobcats in New Orleans in front of an announced attendance of 10,866 on Dec 1st. 12 more game to go?

ever wonder why they left the Hornets in the Western Conference......

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ets-will-be-on-their-way-to-seattle-next-year

If you really don’t think this is going to happen, is it just a coincidence that David Stern got involved in the New Orleans ownership talks the day after Ballmer cashed out his stock and Gary Chouest all of a sudden started to get cold feet?

The Hornets are coming to Seattle. I just have a really good feeling about it.

Add the reports that the NBA may "buy" the Hornets until they can find an owner? hmmmm

 

[bigbailes]

so okc goes into the southwest division and the hornets come into the nw?

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Would be awesome.

 

[MickZagger]

I want Seattle to get a team soon. Mainly, to shut up the fans that are convinced Paul Allen's going to eventually move the team up to Seattle.

 

[Entity]

I would like it, simply because the SuperSonics are a historic franchise that ought to be. The Hornets have been around for 20 years, but they don't have any real history. New Orleans has had their second chance. Their team is winning. They're just not a real basketball town. I went to the last Thunder game at the Garden. Seattle fans are still coming down to those games. Of course, they need to do something about an arena, and in this economy...

 

[Natebishop3]

So does that mean we aren't getting Paul?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

So does that mean we aren't getting Paul?

When Allen moves the Blazers to Vegas, we can all drive up to Seattle and pretend Paul is ours.

 

[Entity]

When Allen moves the Blazers to Vegas, we can all drive up to Seattle and pretend Paul is ours.

I think the most likely move for the Blazers is his yacht. They'll play games out on the deck, and the attendance figures will be 1... with a fiscal worth greater than a combined 20,000.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I think the most likely move for the Blazers is his yacht. They'll play games out on the deck, and the attendance figures will be 1... with a fiscal worth greater than a combined 20,000.

lol! That would actually be kinda cool if PA went batshit insane and refused to sell the team, instead doing shit like that. Play a season on his yacht, a season at the top of Mt. Hood, a season in orbit.

 

[Sedatedfork]

I moved to Seattle 2 months ago. I would love it if the hornets moved to Seattle, but I don't see it happening. The state and city is knee deep in a lot of financial issues and I don't see there being political will to build a new stadium. Unless they want to play in the Key Arena I don't think Seattle gets the Hornets. Now if a mega mogul buyer steps in and finances a stadium, then maybe, but I think this is just wishful thinking.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I think Vegas is a more likely destination ... unless Ballmer plans to privately finance a new stadium out of his own pocket.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

As long as Key Arena is the only arena is the city they wont be getting any NBA team.

Also, Kansas City is trying to bring a team to their city and they just so happen to have a world class newly built arena just waiting for a team like the Hornets.

 

[Sedatedfork]

As long as Key Arena is the only arena is the city they wont be getting any NBA team.

Also, Kansas City is trying to bring a team to their city and they just so happen to have a world class newly built arena just waiting for a team like the Hornets.

Wow, but it looks like their Death Star is only about a third of the way completed.

 

[MARIS61]

I want Seattle to get a team soon. Mainly, to shut up the fans that are convinced Paul Allen's going to eventually move the team up to Seattle.

That's the only way they'd get a team, out of Allen's emotional ignorance.

Seattle has proven they can't support a team.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

NBA to buy the Hornets from Shinn. I think its probably a Microsoft group comes together and buys the sonics....same colors as the Xbox....they certainly have the money to do so. Maybe build a stadium in Bellevue sometime and then play TEMP in Key Arena or wherever.

Seattle fans suck though. But again, its all about winning. And with CP3 and the team they have, they'll probably follow it.

 

[jlprk]

A new stadium would have to be almost totally privately financed. No way the public there is willing to pay much of it. They just paid for new stadii in all 3 major sports in the 1990s and they're tired of it.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Uh, Steve Ballmer sold $1.3B in stock a couple weeks back.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ht...73_steveballmerselling2binmicrosoftstock.html

with maybe another 700M more to come before the end of the year. He's "diversifying", he says. Well, moving from high-tech to entertainment would be diversifying.

 

[BrianFromWA]

A new stadium would have to be almost totally privately financed. No way the public there is willing to pay much of it. They just paid for new stadii in all 3 major sports in the 1990s and they're tired of it.

They're not "tired of it". No one's personal taxes went up b/c of the Qwest or Safeco bonds...they're paid by taxes on services around the stadia and "tourist" taxes like rental cars, hotels, parking and admissions. THey're noted as two of the models of public-private venture partnership. Sonics never got a chance.

 

[jlprk]

Uh, Steve Ballmer sold $1.3B in stock a couple weeks back.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ht...73_steveballmerselling2binmicrosoftstock.html

with maybe another 700M more to come before the end of the year. He's "diversifying", he says. Well, moving from high-tech to entertainment would be diversifying.

That news was on this board and I put up this link. But it's just wishful thinking if you think he's selling stock to buy a team. There's no indication of that.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/insider/trans.asp?view=All&Symbol=MSFT

Washingtonians aren't tired of new arenas? Hokay. Yeah...those darned politicians, opposing their constituents and their silly overwhelming polls...yeah.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I don't remember you posting polls, but I damned sure never got a chance to vote for any stadium. Those "darned politicians", though, did sell out the team to Bennett in the middle of a trial. BTW, did they ever reach the threshold to get that extra 25M they were trumpeting about? I don't think so.

And I go back to the point. "Washingtonians" haven't paid a dime for the stadia. We've paid for the light rail, for art museums, for upgrades to Husky Stadium...but it's users and tourists who pay for Qwest and Safeco. And I'm relatively certain that Sonics fans would be ok with the maximum-by-law of 2% to be added to their parking and ticket prices to have an NBA team in the city.

 

[jlprk]

BTW, did they ever reach the threshold to get that extra 25M they were trumpeting about? I don't think so.

Nickels never intended to, and I don't know why he even took it to trial, with the clown witnesses he put up.

I posted that insider stock sales link on this board, not the famous poll of a few years ago. As for the proposed funding being harmless, that's irrelevant. Washingtonians overwhelmingly opposed it, no matter how it was to be done.

The only viable location for an NBA arena is right where Key is now. The downtown movers and shakers aren't going to drive out to Bellevue after work. Even the ones who live there couldn't entertain business guests in the boxes and integrate it into their work day. The guests would get lost driving back in the rain.

They're not going to tear down Key at age 15, so for the NBA, it's Key or nothing. As I've predicted for years, when the evil Stern meets his death in a painful fire, Seattle may get a team. Not until.

 

[barfo]

And I'm relatively certain that Sonics fans would be ok with the maximum-by-law of 2% to be added to their parking and ticket prices to have an NBA team in the city.

Both of them?

barfo

 

[BrianFromWA]

nah, there's like a cool 2,000 or so.