Settlement in Seattle?--UPDATE: Team apparently leaving, more to come

by EngineerScotty on Jul 2, 2008 4:39 PM PDT

Nobody else has commented, and it's a big enough topic...but there are rumors of a settlement in the Sonics/City of Seattle lawsuit.

link

No words yet as to what the settlement entails. However, the prospect of a settlement suggests to me that Bennett will get what he wants--the franchise now called the Sonics in the Ford Center this season--and Seattle will get something more than just a couple million bucks in lost rent. (Funny how a forthcoming trial verdict will bring two sides to the bargaining table).

Some wonder about the possibility of a settlement binding anybody besides the City of Seattle and the Sonics, though--the NBA is not a party to the lawsuit, and David Stern lacks the authority to promise anything (such as a future NBA franchise) to Seattle. (That said, I doubt the Board of Governors would oppose Stern were he to ask them to award Seattle investors a team). There's also the Howard Schulz lawsuit--but if a future team is promised to Seattle, I'm sure Schulz would go away--especially if a few millions were to be sent his way. Given how SBUX stock is doing these days, he might be happy to take the money and run.

Thoughts?

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According to SuperSonicSoul,

the Sonics are leaving; and the City is getting $75 million.

Not sure if the team logo/colors are staying or going.

http://www.supersonicsoul.com/

by EngineerScotty on Jul 2, 2008 4:44 PM PDT reply actions

fadsjklfjklsjf! They are gone!

75 million settlement with no promise of future team. How am I going to watch Blazer games in person in Seattle. Ughhhh….

RIP Seattle Sonics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXf3lASwjI0

BINGO, BANGO, BONGO

by blzrfan on Jul 2, 2008 4:44 PM PDT reply actions

If Seattle gets a new team will it be called the Sonics?

Or does the name move to OK too? Seems like the fine citizens of OK would prefer a different name. Oh well. What a bummer.

Where have all the flowers gone?

by bilingual octopus on Jul 2, 2008 4:50 PM PDT reply actions

Named owend by Seattle

From what I hear they will have to get a new name becuase seattle seued for the naming rights. Much like the cleveland browns. I believe they keep the records too.

by RipCityRoyCity on Jul 2, 2008 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Correct.

Seattle keeps the name, colors, records, and Squatch should they get another team.

by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Jul 2, 2008 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions

And the number is $45 million, not $75 million.

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Jul 2, 2008 10:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Unless..

Seattle doesn’t get a new team within 5 years, in which case it is, in fact, $75 w/ six 0s.

"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan

by 12sharks on Jul 2, 2008 10:45 PM PDT up reply actions

RIP I-5 rivalry

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jul 2, 2008 4:51 PM PDT reply actions

I feel like I just got punched in the face.

This is the feeling of something horribly wrong happening that you have no power to correct.

I f*ing hate you, David Stern.

Good-bye Sonics. I wanted you to lose every game in life. I already miss you in death.

BLZRS FRVR

by nightbluefruit on Jul 2, 2008 4:56 PM PDT reply actions

Makes me sick

This just feels wrong. Hopefully, Schultz will win his lawsuit and the team stays in Seattle.

$75 million is a lot of money. Bennett must be sure the Sonics in Okie are going to be a gold mine. Wasn’t he claiming if the Sonics were forced to stay in Seattle, that he would lose $60 million. How is losing $75 million better?

by JasonT on Jul 2, 2008 5:10 PM PDT reply actions

Word is...

he’s working on a settlement, too.

by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Jul 2, 2008 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

That would be awesome.

by bocious on Jul 2, 2008 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

wow

A city finally had a chance to fight back, and their spineless leaders caved.

Seattle fans must be fuming.

--Dave
Addicted to Quack, SBN's Oregon Ducks blog

by David Piper on Jul 2, 2008 5:13 PM PDT reply actions

bennet said he dosent want his team to be the sonics

on nba tv he spoke about having a team name that embodies the okies…. wow ive never been to oak city,,but im betting sacramento is partying now that they know that they are not the worst destination road city in the league,, i may be wrong maybe i should google the city and look into the life style..i just cant bring myself to do it

if it can be conceived it can be achieved

by lyfefindsaway on Jul 2, 2008 5:32 PM PDT reply actions

OKC actually isn't a bad place.

I wonder if the NBA will redo division alignment, though, because the “northwest” just got even more ridiculous.

If nothing else, taking Rose will at least piss off Pat Riley.

by wjb1492 on Jul 2, 2008 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions

I made the same point a few months ago

The Blazers should rejoin the Pacific division, the Suns should move to the Southwest, and the Grizzlies should move to the Northwest. If the Blazers stay in the Northwest division, they and the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Oklahoma Rustlers will have to cross two time zones to play intra-division games, which is unfair compared to every other team in the league.

Besides, we all know that the Team That Must Not Be Named is our most hated rival, and I want to see our Blazers pound them as often as possible each season.

"I woke up this morning, Barbosa and eggs in my bed." --BlueBooYay

by MiledAnimal on Jul 2, 2008 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree, but...

Phoenix will come unglued if that happens because of all the SoCal transplants in the Valley of the Sun.

I saw it happen with the Diamondbacks, and I bet it will be the same with the Suns. They want to be paired with SoCal.

MLB2PDX!!! (someday...)

by The Cactus Leaguer on Jul 2, 2008 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions

And we should care...?

I’ll concede that D. Stern would rather do wind sprints naked over broken glass than pass up the opportunity to get Kobe and Shaq on the same court five or six times each season.

"I woke up this morning, Barbosa and eggs in my bed." --BlueBooYay

by MiledAnimal on Jul 2, 2008 8:26 PM PDT up reply actions

$75 million?

That would be a nice down payment on a new stadium. Or a refurb of Key Arena…

I wonder what the owners of struggling NBA franchises in Atlanta, Memphis, etc. are thinking about the Seattle market opening up? Seems to me a refurbished Key Arena or new stadium is all it would take to lure another team there…

"I woke up this morning, Barbosa and eggs in my bed." --BlueBooYay

by MiledAnimal on Jul 2, 2008 5:35 PM PDT reply actions

Really?

I mean, I’ve never been to Key, but isn’t it just thirteen years old? How bad could it be right now? That always seemed like a lame excuse, but if it would stop other teams from coming, you’d know better than I, I guess – what’s the deal?

"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan

by 12sharks on Jul 2, 2008 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions

I only know what I read

Here’s a short article on the situation.

http://www.citizensformoreimportantthings.org/page2.html

"I woke up this morning, Barbosa and eggs in my bed." --BlueBooYay

by MiledAnimal on Jul 5, 2008 9:37 AM PDT up reply actions

It's Now Time...

To start converting all Sonics fans to blazers….I’ve been working on it the past few months. Should be even easier now.

This is really sad for Seattle. The only Blazers game I got to see last year was up here (I live in Seattle).

Sorry Sonics.

Converting Sonics Fans...One Bitter Fan At A Time.

by S-dog on Jul 2, 2008 5:38 PM PDT reply actions

it would be easier than what ive done

ive converted 3 die hard spurs fans to border line blazer maniacs!!!!..I know Im good!!!

if it can be conceived it can be achieved

by lyfefindsaway on Jul 2, 2008 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions

The Best Solution

I think the best solution is to award clay bennett an expansion team at a dicounted price and have him resell the Sonics back to their previous owner. What do you think? I mean it is pretty obvious that Bennett had no intention of staying in seattle when they traded all of their star players and made no attempt to retain Rashard Lewis.

by RipCityRoyCity on Jul 2, 2008 5:50 PM PDT reply actions

way to late for that

the sonics are gone as of 5pm today. expansion is at best a 2 year proposition, and Stern has been on record already as saying furhter expansion is not in the cards for awhile.

Seattle’s best chance is for the Hornets, Grizzlies, or Kings to move there at some point

by douglast on Jul 2, 2008 7:26 PM PDT up reply actions

Grizzlies are for sale, probably...

............................ the NBA WANTS to vacate Seattle for a couple years, to put the fear of god into the next dozen cities it extorts for new arenas built from public funds.

Crony capitalism at its dirtiest…

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Jul 2, 2008 10:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Sacramento and Milwaukee

get your arenas built now.

--Dave
Addicted to Quack, SBN's Oregon Ducks blog

by David Piper on Jul 3, 2008 8:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Right

as I suspected all along, enough money comes back to make a big start on the cost of the new arena they’ll build to bring in the Grizzlies, Hornets, or an expansion team.

I still expect Schulz to settle, too, with another chunk of Bennett’s money, and join the new ownership setup with the dough he gets.

I actually think Schulz has a stronger case than the city of Seattle had. Bennett & co had some really stupid emails. But he won’t get the team back now—once the city settled, he’ll settle too.

Other people don't have as much practice at being wrong as I do -- HT, timbo

by jscot on Jul 3, 2008 12:02 AM PDT reply actions