Seattle SuperSonics bought by OKC group... thoughts?

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Anyone here a Seattle Supersonics fan? What do the locals in Seattle think of the OKC group buying the NBA team and WNBA team? I know folks here in OKC are very excited knowing that we have a dedicated fan base ready to put 18,000 fans in the seats for NBA home games. We've proven it during last year with the Hornets.
 
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It will be interesting to see what the long term attendance numbers in regards to a team in OKC...me personal feelings are that the success they had there were due to the fact it was new...when they are playing 60+ games there, I would be surprised if they can maintain the numbers.
 
They played a full season here, Matt... What I'm reading is that unless Seattle builds an all-new facility, then Clay will most likely move the team to OKC in 12 months. Seattle is still paying for the upgrades to the Key Center done in 1995.



Perfect timing for OKC since the (OKC) Hornets are moving back to New Orleans for the 2007-2008 season. I know we'll miss Chris Paul and the rest of the team. Doubt 'CP3' will be playing for the Hornets much longer since he's going to be the next NBA superstar.
 
I see Seattle being in the same situation as Sacramento. Either the city builds a new arena for the team, or the team leaves town. The Kings will either move or be sold once the Maloofs are allowed to buy an NBA expansion team if no new arena gets build here. And it doesn't look real good for that to happen.
 
I didn't realize the Hornets had made the final decision to move back to New Orleans. In fact the Daily Oklahoman this morning had a headline about two teams for one city. We are way too small for that, but it looks like one of the teams may be here for a while.



As a taxpayer, I sure hope OKC doesn't get blackmailed into building some huge arena that we can never fill. I also like the small-town atmosphere we have in our city. We don't need all the hooligans that come with a major league team that is actually in a position to win a national championship. Watching them turn over police cars and set them on fire is something I'd rather see on TV someplace else.
 
The press and reports on Fox Sports NW are saying the group is committed to stay in Seattle for now. The agreement with the city/Key Arena is good for 2 years but the Starbucks owner who is selling the team is selling for a reason. Seattle is already paying for Safeco field and the new Football Stadium, how much green can you bleed?:huh:
 
KeyArena is a horrible venue. Horrible traffic and bad parking. It litterally takes longer to drive to arena and park than it takes for the actual game to be played. Majority of the season ticket holders leave on the eastside and they have pitched other cities to build an arena for them to play, which won't happen. I see them in Seattle for one more season and they will probably move to OKC. I think fans would care more if they were a playoff team year in and out.
 
As a taxpayer, I sure hope OKC doesn't get blackmailed into building some huge arena that we can never fill.
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That just happened in Wichita. They are building a downtown arena to replace the Kansas Coliseum, but they don't have any major teams there that will use it.
 
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The NBA commisioner has made it clear he wants a team in the Big Easy. Whether it's the Hornets or some other franchise is anyone's guess. Fan attendance for the Hornets was lousy in New Orleans even before Katrina, will it be any better in a year?



OKC had excellent turnouts for Hornets games this year. I went to my first NBA game there, and was impressed with all they did. The Ford Center is only a few years old, and can seat over 18,000 people. No problems with parking or getting to the arena since it is just of I-40. I made it from my home in Yukon to the game in less than 25 minutes, and that is a 20 mile drive.



No matter what happens, it would appear very likely OKC will have a permanent NBA and WNBA team in a year.
 
SeattleSportTrac -

KeyArena is a horrible venue. Horrible traffic and bad parking. It litterally takes longer to drive to arena and park than it takes for the actual game to be played. Majority of the season ticket holders leave on the eastside and they have pitched other cities to build an arena for them to play, which won't happen. I see them in Seattle for one more season and they will probably move to OKC. I think fans would care more if they were a playoff team year in and out.
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Wow...I can't believe you're buying into the Sonic's hype. Key Arena is a good venue to watch basketball. I live in Tacoma and it is very easy to get in and out of the Seattle Center area. True, parking sucks, but even during sold out events, I never pay more than a few bucks to park.



The Sonics/City of Seattle lease is up after the 2010 season and it is iron clad. The Sonics are stuck in the Key for the next 4 seasons...even the NBA will sue the new ownership if they try to break their lease.



The Key Arena was state of the art when it was renovated in 1995. The nuances and points of contention the current ownership has is the penis-envy they have with the in-town major sports facilities. Qwest and Safeco are beautiful arenas and quite costly. The Sonics have the misfortune of being the most loved (at the time) franchise and got a sweetheart deal with the city. Now...the Mariners and Seahawks used threats and muscle to get their deals...the Sonics tried to get a better deal in an anti-tax-minded society (in less than a decade after their current one). The Sonics lost out.



It will be sad to see them go after 2010. There's nothing holding the new owners to this city. OKC will mortgage the future and throw anything and everything to get them into town. The new owners will try to pit one city at the other...all the while the decision has already been made.



Goodbye Sonics!
 
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I've never been to Seattle or the Key Arena, so I can't speak for parking or the venue itself, but the Ford Center in OKC is a very nice facility with plenty of parking, and an entire area full of shops and restaurants called Bricktown only a few blocks east.



Dive: I've heard nothing on any of the sports news that the lease between the Sonics and City is 'ironclad'. From what we're hearing, unless the city agrees to fund a new stadium within 12 months, the OKC group will decide where to go - which obviously would mean move both teams to OKC.... the owners bought both the Sonics and the Storm as well.



And we're not throwing anything at them. We have a 4 year old venue that is being paid for by a temporary increase in sales taxes, and have shown we can fill the place to capacity at every home game. It's a dream location for the NBA. Folks here would be happy to provide a home to either the Sonics or the Hornets.



The OKC group is backed by Chesapeake Energy which has plenty of cash to throw at whatever they desire.
 
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16,000 isn't many seats. Lexington, Kentucky built Rupp Arena for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, and it seats over 23,000. They also sell out every time there is a home game. This is for a College Team, in a city smaller than Oklahoma City. It opened in 1976 and was one of the largest arenas at that time.



A professional team will demand a bigger arena with better parking arrangements. There is no space currently to allow that much parking in downtown OKC. Much of the current parking is in outdoor vacant lots, where "small timers" are hawking event parking at between $5.00 and $7.00. In addition, there is a project to move I-40 away from the Ford Center to allow expansion of Bricktown. This new development will make the traffic situation worse IMO. I have been downtown when there was a concert in the Cox Center and a game in the Ford Center simultaneously, and you have to walk very far for parking for those situations.
 
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SeattleSportTrac

Dive - compared to the other venues I have been to for basketball the Key is a joke. And, traffic from Tacoma going into Seattle is always lighter compared to the Eastside into Seattle.
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Having worked on the Eastside for nearly a decade and attending games after work (my former employer has awesome seats)...I'd drive from downtown Redmond to the Key. The traffic from the Eastside is not worse...it is better. You have I-90, 520 and 405 (north or South)...that's 4 ways in. We have one...northbound traffic into Seattle in the late afternoon is pathetic.



They Key is far from Hideous. When i live in So Cal...I went to the Forum (then the state of the art.) and (I can't remember the name) the Clippers house...and before that...I went to the Sports Arena to watch the clippers. I have been to Arco (very nice...in the middle of nowhere...easy in/out)...but sucks if you want to grab a bite prior to the game.



I have been to major sports arenas across this country...I can't count them all...and the Key is far from "a joke." Try Chicago..the old Bulls' home. Talk about a dive.



This is purely a case of penis envy.



As far as a 12-month termination...it will be interesting to watch them. This is merely threat. They will lose their lawsuit. Ever since the Seahawks skipped town in the 90's, leases (across all major sports) have been unbreakable. All the NBA moves have taken place after leases hit their terms or escape clauses.
 
Dive,



I work at Arco Arena. I never really thought it was so bad... Until I went to the Staples Center last April. Arco's a barn! Yes, it's nice that it's got good freeway access, and that it's away from downtown. But the new arena will be built in the old Southern Pacific railyards in downtown Sacramento, making a traffic nightmare when it's built.

Arco is barebones sparse. The roof leaks. The suites are sparse compared to Staples suites. I want a new arena, but I don't want it built downtown.
 
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I grew up with the Sonics...I remember watching the 77-78 and 78-79 championship seasons. What memories for a 14-15 year old. Jack Sikma, Freddy Brown, Slick Watts, Lenny Wilkens, Lonnie Shelton, Gus Williams, Dennis (DJ) Johnson. GP, Shawn Kemp, et al.



It will be sad to see them go. But, I am so tired of teams holding cities up for ransom. Screw 'em. Howard Schultz was by far, the worst owner in Seattle Sports history (Behring was better).



They can go...I hardly care. UW Hoops is much more exciting and I know they won't hold up the city with threats of moving and the program is clicking on all cylinders.
 
...let me also add the the NBA is in bad shape...they had a great run with Magic, MJ and Bird in the 90s+, but they have lost so much market share and their players are far from captivating to watch. The NBA is no longer a team sport (Lebron???).
 

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