Owner: Goal to move Sonics to OKC

[Fatal1ty]

New owners intend to move Sonics if deal can't get done
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2972255

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma City energy tycoon says the group that purchased the Seattle SuperSonics (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=sea) hopes to move the NBA franchise to Oklahoma City, but he acknowledges the team could make more money in the Pacific Northwest.

"But we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here," Aubrey McClendon, chief executive of Chesapeake Energy, told The Journal Record for a story in Monday's edition. "We know it's a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it's great for the community and if we could break even, we'd be thrilled."

Majority owner Clay Bennett has set an Oct. 31 deadline for an agreement on a new arena in Seattle. Otherwise, he has promised to begin relocating the team. Kansas City also is considered an option as relocation; the city is looking for an anchor tenant for its new arena.

"They've got 60 days to make some decisions they haven't been willing to make in the past year," Aubrey McClendon told The Journal Record, "and if they make them in a way that satisfies Clay, then the team will stay there. If they don't meet the requirements he's laid out, the team will move, and Clay has indicated they'll come to Oklahoma City."

McClendon said he, Bennett and others in the ownership group became interested in purchasing an NBA team after the New Orleans Hornets temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons after Hurricane Katrina.

"We started to look around, and at that time the Sonics were going through some ownership challenges in Seattle," McClendon told the newspaper. "So Clay, very artfully and skillfully, put himself in the middle of those discussions and to the great amazement and surprise to everyone in Seattle, some rednecks from Oklahoma, which we've been called, made off with the team."

Bennett's group bought the Sonics a year ago, saying the arena at the Seattle Center was outdated as the home for the NBA franchise and the WNBA's Seattle Storm.

In a statement issued earlier this month, Bennett said KeyArena -- the Sonics' current home and the smallest venue in the NBA -- is not an option for the team.

He said the Sonics' ownership group had hoped Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels would rally support to find a solution.

"Instead he focused on unworkable concepts that are not acceptable," Bennett said in his statement, adding that he hopes other civic leaders step up.

This year, the Legislature convened without authorizing any tax money to help build a new arena.

Bennett, an Oklahoma City businessman, issued a "call to action" last month, asking for offers to help save the team.

Nickels said earlier this month that if the Sonics were willing to put $100 million into a new arena or the KeyArena, then the city might be able to match it. Bennett has set an Oct. 31 deadline for an agreement on a new arena. Otherwise, he has promised to begin relocating the team. Kansas City also is considered an option as relocation; the city is looking for an anchor tenant for its new arena.

"They take pride in Seattle not needing an NBA team to be considered a world-class city. That's probably true -- they don't," McClendon told The Journal Record.

"But I think for Oklahoma City to distance itself from other midsize cities, I think enthusiastic support of a well-run, successful NBA team says a lot about the spirit of this community. We've got a can-do spirit, and we've got a fan base that's turned out. This is a sports town; nobody ever knew it was a pro sports town. I think it is."

[Fatal1ty]

MannyBeltre just wet himself...

[MannyBeltre]

Our owners are just a bunch of whining bitches. It has been obvious for the past couple weeks that Bennett and the rest of the Oklahoma hicks main intention was to move the team down south, screwing Seattle and the NBA. They whine that Seattle isn't doing anything, but offers are being presented to them and they keep turning them down.

"Put up 100 million and we can renovate KeyArena"
"KeyArena is not a viable option, we need a world class arena"

"The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is interested in building an arena on their property"
"That plot of land is 20 miles south of Seattle, it is not a viable option" (5 miles south of where they were hoping to build the proposed arena)

"David Sabey is interested in purchasing the team and building an arena in his Boeing Field property"
"We are not interested in that plot of land, it would not be viable"

Bennett is just a bunch of talk and does no shit to keep the team here. He wants 500 million from the state, but wont comment on how much he will put up. He says he wants an arena like the Pepsi Center, AT&T Center, and American Airlines Arena, and those all cost just over 200 million. But when he is offered a 200 million dollar deal, he runs away and criticizes the city. At some point he has got to realize what a dumbass he is trying to play us like this.

I actually view this as a positive though. Howard Schultze, the Starbucks billionaire a-hole who sold the team put a clause in the contract that Bennett and co. must give a full hearted effort to keep the team here. This may cause trouble since McClendon says "The plan from the beginning was to move the team to Oklahoma".

David Stern will also be pissed at Bennett, and could finally step in put him in place. Stern definitely doesn't want to give up the 13th biggest market for the 49th. He knows how much better it would be to have the Sonics in Seattle. I definitely see him stepping in now.

The worst part is that Bennett complains about how he is portrayed in Seattle, and the belief that they dont want to keep the team here. B*tch now has nothing to hide under and complain about, hopefully it is poured on him from the National media.

The 60 days dont mean anything, as it is likely an initiative will pass that forces the team to play here from 2010, but we'll see.