Seattle Poll #2: Where should a new team come from?

by EngineerScotty on Jul 3, 2008 4:00 PM PDT

Since yesterday's poll, more has come out. Apparently, David Stern is now willing to work with the city of Seattle--they're no longer on the NBA's !@#! list. OTOH, they won't get any special favors--if they want a new franchise, they need to get in line and compete with Las Vegas, St. Louis, and a few other NBA-less cities that might make good expansion candidates. (OTOH, OK City didn't have to compete with anybody--and I suspect that if a Seattle businessperson were to buy a team with the intent of moving it to Seattle, and Stern tried to block it--he'd lose; just like the NFL was unable to prevent the many migrations of Al Davis' Raiders).

And one more thing. The NBA is uninterested in expansion, at least not in North America. (Stern has long had eyes across both oceans).

So, the poll question is: If Seattle is to get a first-class pro team (i.e. no NBDL or such; Seattle deserves better than that)--where should it come from? The poll assumes the current team is GONE; so "undo the sale and move the real Sonics back" is not listed as an option.

Poll

Where should a new Seattle franchise come from?

They shouldn't get one--at least for a long time. They had their chance and blew it.

7 votes

From an expansion franchise. Relocation just means some other team's fans get stomped on. Even if it dilutes the league and increases the payroll, the Seattle market is worth it--and the NFL has 32 teams.

25 votes

Relocation, but only of a franchise with a short history and questionable fans support (i.e. the Grizz or the Bobcats). No expansion--the league is too diluted.

60 votes

Relocation--of any team that wishes to come. This is a business, after all.

10 votes

By any means necessary, whether expansion or relocation.

6 votes

Via a new major basketball league to compete with the increasingly corrupt and money-hungry NBA

2 votes

By expansion of a foreign pro league (the Euroleague, the Chinese Basketball Association) into the North American market.

3 votes

113 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 14 comments

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Comments

I'd vote for the Grizzlies.

After all, they were a Vancouver team just a few short years ago. They could rename themselves the “grizzled sonics” or “supergrizzlies” and have as their logo a bear with a jetpack. Colbert could have threatdowns every time they went on a win streak. It’d be awesome!

Plus it’s obvious no one in memphis gives a damn about that team. The return of a franchise just a year or two after losing the sonics would inspire some serious fervor in Seattle, I’d think.

by howlingfantods on Jul 3, 2008 4:20 PM PDT 0 recs

What about The Seattle Colberts?

He just had a spider named after him, and an eagle and I think a junior hockey team. It would provide a suitable irony.

"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West

by Honka Playboy on Jul 3, 2008 10:40 PM PDT up 0 recs

+1

LMA's reign as "LaMonster of the Low Post" has just begun!

by LaMarvelous on Jul 4, 2008 2:12 AM PDT up 0 recs

+sign

Vote Sam Bowie as Greatest "Other" Blazer Ever.

by Outlaw is Rejector on Jul 4, 2008 4:47 AM PDT up 0 recs

Clippers

Why steal a franchise from Memphis when there are two teams in Los Angeles. That just doesn’t seem very fair at all.

There are no stupid questions, only stupid people

by blazersfan50 on Jul 3, 2008 5:07 PM PDT 0 recs

And two in the Staples Center

Ridiculous. Might I suggest leaving the Clippers (they might have had Clipper Ships once in LA, at least during the filming of Mutiny on the Bounty and Pirates of the Carib). Move the other team: Seattle at least has Green Lke and Lake Washington. For that matter, Klamath Falls has a L*ke.

"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West

by Honka Playboy on Jul 3, 2008 10:43 PM PDT up 0 recs

another point

Also no one in LA cares about the clippers, in fact no one really cares about them because they are LAs other team. Move them some where that people would care about them like Seattle

by ifarr on Jul 4, 2008 10:04 AM PDT up 0 recs

steal one of the texas teams

Oden...Aldridge...Roy.....THE REAL BIG THREE
Watch my brandon roy vid

by CroRupt on Jul 3, 2008 5:31 PM PDT 0 recs

No, no, no

I saw Memphis in that A: They will always stink. B: They have a pro team that plays for the college, and C: where else could they come from? Most of the other teams are stable.

Clippers should be in San Diego.

New Basketball League

West
Seattle
Vancouver
San Diego
Las Vegas
San Fran? Calgary?

Central
St Louis
KC
Cinncinati
Pittsburg
Birmingham? Nashville

East
NYC
Buffalo
Virgina
Tampa
Baltimore

by Blazersaurus on Jul 3, 2008 8:00 PM PDT 0 recs

I'd like to see another league

There is room for something different and enough good markets for it. I’d love to see a league of fan owned teams.

by danielfarrell on Jul 3, 2008 10:35 PM PDT up 0 recs

32 teams would be nice

even though stern wouldnt like it, add two more teams (id like a pro team in vegas so i could catch a few more blazer games) and then half of the teams would make playoffs which is just aesthetically pleasing.

Greatness + Greatness = Great Greatness

by noam16 on Jul 3, 2008 10:04 PM PDT 0 recs

Engineer Scotty, you write really good fanposts...

A engineer scotty post is a must read for me, everytime. I hate to sound like the fanpost police, but you have made 5 in the last day or so, and 4 of them are about the Seattle situation. I love your ideas but could you possibly try to consolidate them? Its so hard to keep up as it is with the fury of fanposts lately. I dont mean to sound like a jerk, because I love your perspective and you always make sweet polls. Your I-5 rivalry post is A+ work in my opinion, please dont hate me… :>)

RUDY > MJ

by myemic23 on Jul 4, 2008 12:03 AM PDT 1 recs

I don't understand the fear of "dilution"

Yeah the NFL has 32 teams and each team has something like 50 players. NBA teams only have 12 to 15 players each. Come on. Where does the fear of dilution come from?

Goodness knows there is plenty of bball talent in this world. Let’s share the love, folks, instead of hoarding it. I say expand the league to at least 32 teams. Seattle deserves a franchise. So does Baltimore and probably a few other cities too.

Where have all the flowers gone?

by bilingual octopus on Jul 5, 2008 12:43 AM PDT 0 recs

Expansion Draft!

I don’t want any part of an expansion draft! The Blazers have an awesome 10-man lineup and I don’t want to lose one of those guys for nothing. Yeah, basketball in Seattle sounds cool…until the team takes Frye or Pryz! I voted for relocation.

by erastus25 on Jul 7, 2008 7:26 AM PDT 0 recs