Walker Says Sonics May Consider Moving Cities

[min0 lee]

Source

FRANK HUGHES; The News Tribune
Published: December 15th, 2005 02:30 AM

SuperSonics CEO Wally Walker said for the first time Wednesday that if the team does not get some response from the city of Seattle and the state by the end of the 2006 legislative session, it will begin accepting inquiries from other cities about the possibility of the Sonics moving.
After a city council meeting Monday that led Walker to believe nothing is going to get done in the next legislative session, which begins in less than a month, he said the team is being forced to look at alternatives, including playing elsewhere.
???The Seattle SuperSonics want to stay here, and we will look at other local options,??? Walker said. ???But if people from other cities call, we will pick up the phone for the first time.???

Walker said the team has received inquiries from other cities ???through back channels.??? He declined to say which cities were interested, but Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City, Anaheim, Calif., and Las Vegas have arenas and have made it known they would like to an NBA franchise.
???We have said, both back channel and directly, that we are pursuing ???Option A,??? ??? Walker said, referring to the possibility renovating KeyArena. ???But if the city can???t make up its mind whether they want us here past 2010, then we have to look at all our options.???
Walker made his latest comments after a city council meeting he said virtually nullified the team???s chances of approaching the state legislature in January and seeking public funds for a renovated KeyArena.
The city council says it will not complete its information gathering process until sometime in February, which leaves little time for the Sonics to put together a package to present in Olympia.
Last season the Sonics went to Olympia in February to ask for public funding and were told they had come too late in the session and to come back next year.
???It means that our next chance for any resolution is 2007,??? Walker said. ???We need to make a decision.???

 

[gr81]

yes us up here in Seattle have been well aware of this little mini drama. its nothing but a bunch of BS. The city is perfectly fine with paying for two new stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks, but when the cities most important team the Sonics informs anyone of the horrible lease they have for Key Arena that has caused them to lose millions of dollars each and that they either need a renovation or a new stadium, all of a sudden our state legislature has no answers. If the Sonics move I swear to god there will be some hell to pay. Seattle is a Basketball city first and foremost. The Sonics have been the cities most successful pro sports franchise BY FAR and we just simply cannot lose them. Its been a very upsetting few months for seattle fans, thats for sure

 

[min0 lee]

I hate when owners put the loyal fans through that crap.

 

[gr81]

well this time its not the owners fault, its the cities. I mean last year the Sonics went 52-30 and were a second round playoff team, a very successful season for sure, and due to fact that they have a horrible lease from the city for Key arena, they still lost about 17 mill last year. They are losing millions each year and the state legislature is draggin their feet bigtime. I would be doin the exact same thing if I were Howard Shultz. Hopefully someone will wise up and get the job done. Problem is some moron from the Olympia legislature made a public comment in Sports illustrated about how Seattle as a city wouldn't miss the Sonics at all since they already have two pro sports teams, and that the Sonics generate no substantial revenue. That comment was obviously biased and idiotic, but it has caused some people to be upset. The Sonics have been here longer than any of our other teams and they are the most special out of all the Seattle teams IMO. we will see

 

[Decker]

Yeah, let's use public funding so that a bunch of millionaires can play a child's game.

If the Sonics are tanking to the tune of $17 million a year ($60 million over the last 5) then maybe the team does need a change of venue...and maybe the NBA needs a collective bargaining/revenue sharing agreement more like the NFL's.

 

[Pepper]

"Seattle's most important team" = the Sonics.

 

[kicka19]

yes us up here in Seattle have been well aware of this little mini drama. its nothing but a bunch of BS. The city is perfectly fine with paying for two new stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks, but when the cities most important team the Sonics informs anyone of the horrible lease they have for Key Arena that has caused them to lose millions of dollars each and that they either need a renovation or a new stadium, all of a sudden our state legislature has no answers. If the Sonics move I swear to god there will be some hell to pay. Seattle is a Basketball city first and foremost. The Sonics have been the cities most successful pro sports franchise BY FAR and we just simply cannot lose them. Its been a very upsetting few months for seattle fans, thats for sure

 

[musclepump]

Most successful? Please. I hate the Sonics, all they do is cause bad traffic on the exit I need off the freeway each night they play at home. I say let them go!

 

[gr81]

you may not agree with it but you can't even dispute that the sonics are the most successful Seattle has seen. The mariners have never been to a world series, not even close really. I love the Hawks, but lest we forget that the seahawks until last year hasn't won a playoff game in over two decades and had never been the the suberbowl till last year, and still haven' won it. in fact you could probably count the number of back to back to back winning seasons on one hand. This had been teh first year you could even say the words powerhouse and Seahawks in the same sentence. Up until now its been the Hawks getting their asses handed to him by Elway or the Raiders. The Sonics despite this year are one of the most winningest teams in the NBA in the last 13 years. In the 90's it was the Jazz, the Sonics, and the Bulls who won the most games. They have been to the finals three times, won it once, and in '96 just happened to collide with the best team in NBA history, and played them tougher than anyone else that year. From the span of 93-98 (6 seasons) they never won below 55 games and won over 60 games three seperate seasons. In fact in that span no one but the mighty Chicago Bulls won more games! Not to mention they played some of the most exciting basketball to be seen at that time. I wouldn't trade the memories I have of those teams for ANYTHING, I consider it a priviledge to have watched Gary Payton mature into the guard he was, to watch a young Shawn Kemp play with the passion he did, to watch players like Detlef Schrempf and Hersey Hawkins, shooters like Dale Ellis and Eddie Johnson, Sam Perkins stroking them threes like he did. Not to mention listening to the BEST play by play man in basketball Kevin Calabro do his thing all these years. They deserve our respect as citizens of Seattle. This city is a basketball city, it has been since the Sonics were the FIRST pro team here in '68, and it continues to this day with all the pro talent that comes from washington. just look at last years draft. Look at teams like UW becoming a powerhouse in college basketball, even teams like Gonzaga becoming a national household name. CERTAINLY they deserve a stadium before the loser Mariners get one. They have done NOTHING but trade away the best talent in baseball one by one with no positive results. Ken Griffey JR = GONE, Alex Rodriguez = GONE, Randy Johnson = GONE. The Seattle Supersonics are THE reason we were afforded ANY respect on the national stage of pro sports so all you haters can kiss my ass. I love the Seahawks more than anyone, but basketball is my FIRST love and I have been lucky to have watched a GREAT team over the years

 

[min0 lee]

I thought they were a good francise, heck I remember rooting for Shawn Kemp and the Sonics to beat the hated Bulls.
Fun team....

 

[oaktownboy]

i don't understand how y'all come in here and disagree with gr over the fact the Sonics are the best franchise in Seattle. Despite the Seahawks latest run, can anyone remember the last time the Hawks or Mariners were actually playoff contenders?

 

[gr81]

bumping this thread for an update of the situation in Seattle. Recently the legislature decided NOT to vote on an arena proposal for a possible location in Renton, and as it stands now its looks as if the Sonics will become the Oklahoma City Sonics. The city of Seattle has already been ruled out as a location for a nw arena and the other options are getting smaller with each passing moment. New Sonics owner, Oklahoma city businessman Clay Bennet, just today fired coach Bob Hill and demoted GM Sick Sund to a consultant type of role, both moves I agree with. We'll see who he'll hire as coach with his first major move as owner. support among non sports fans on the issue of the team leaving is very thin and there seems to be a sense of bitterness held over from the Mariners new stadium Safeco field. Before Safeco field was built the proposal was voted down by the public, and it was bypassed never the less despite the vote. there was a tax instilled that came out to be about .5 cents on the dollar I believe, which was only applicable to hotels, motels, and restaurants in the city of Seattle to pay for Safeco, which has turned out to be a rousing success. Attendance is near the top of the league despite the Mariners anemic record the last few years. The Sonics arena proposal was simply to take over this existing Safeco tax, NOT to instill a new tax of any kind, and yet it was still voted against which makes very little sense. Its basically a tourist tax which leads me to question why anyone would even object to he funds being diverted from one stadium to another in an effort to keep the Sonics and Storm here but here we are. Bennet has the option to move the team after next season if a deal is not made, and as of now there are no new talks or proposals. I'm pretty worried to say the least

 

[I Are Baboon]

Well that sucks.

Oklahoma City? Please. Move 'em to VEGAS!

 

[gr81]

yes it does succ. especially when you think that Seattle is a bigger market, its not a smart business decision. Plus the hornets didn't do that well there this year I'm fairly sure, what the hell is he thinking!? Vegas would be a better choice I think lol

 

[Richie1888]

how can a team just get up and move city what happens to its fan base no one would watch them play in the new city surely ?

 

[MeatZatk]

Looks like Vegas isn't out the question.


WILL THE SONICS LAND IN VEGAS? - With Leather

 

[Goodfella9783]

ESPN - Celts get All-Star Allen from Sonics for 3 players - NBA