Kings staying in Sacramento impacts Mariners

[skibum2007]

You will not escape these statements, regardless of the bullshit you post.

1. Who sold the Sonics?
2. Who let the Sonics out of their lease two years early?

Hmmm, these questions were not answered by the Wazzufan. Maybe he can answer them now?

 

[skibum2007]

Come on, wazzufan.... you seem to love punishment.

Itemize where I'm wrong, and prove me wrong.

 

[skibum2007]

Go find a link yourself. Renton and Bellevue both offered him free land, he refused

So what? What is your point? Do you have a point? Anyone in an argument who says "go find a link yourself" knows he's done. Free land, but no arena? LOL

So if I would offer you free land but no house? Are you game?

No wonder Washington State is broke.

 

[skibum2007]

Wazzufan scurries away as usual... even with a different website.

Tell ya what, wazzufan.... Let's start a thread... me versus you? You game? Or will your sorry ass run off again and cling to that lubricant called "entitlement" yet again?

 

[unlvmariners]

It's funny how skibum just sits in front of his computer and waits for a reply from wazzu.

 

[Destroydacre]

You will not escape these statements, regardless of the bullshit you post.

1. Who sold the Sonics?
2. Who let the Sonics out of their lease two years early?

Thunder fans aren't really defensive, we have a great team. I am sure your Seattle Storm is a nice team.

Yes Howard Schultz sold the Sonics. However he sold them to Bennett on the basis that Bennett would make a "good faith effort" for 12 months to keep the team in Seattle. That sale occurred on June 18, 2006. But Bennett never did make a good faith effort to keep the team in Seattle. Emails between Bennett, Tom Ward and Aubrey McClendon confirm this. These emails are from April 17, 2007. Still well within the "good faith effort" time frame.

Ward:

"Is there any way to move here for next season or are we doomed to have another lame duck season in Seattle?"

Bennett:

I am a man possessed! Will do everything we can. Thanks for hanging with me boys, the game is getting started!"

Ward:

"That's the spirit!! I am willing to help any way I can to watch ball here next year."

McClendon:

"Me too, thanks Clay!"

There's also McClendon's quote to the Oklahoma Journal Record:

“We didn’t buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here. 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.”

Bennett followed that up by lying to David Stern. From Aug 17, 2007:

"You are just one of my favorite people on earth and I so cherish our relationship, Sonics business aside, I would never breach your trust. As absolutely remarkable as it may seem, Aubrey and I have NEVER discussed moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City, nor have I discussed it with ANY other member of our ownership group. I have been passionately committed to our process in Seattle, and have worked my ass off.

"The deal for me has NEVER changed: We will do all we can in one year time frame (actually 15 months) to affect the development of a successor venue to KeyArena. If we are unsuccessful at the end of the timeframe, October 31, 2007, we will then evaluate our options. I have never wavered and will not."

That email contradicts the emails above and McClendon's statement. Now lets focus on Bennett's supposed "good faith effort" on a new arena. There was no effort, there was no negotiation. There were conditions set in stone by Bennett that he knew Seattle could not meet. He would accept nothing except a new $500M arena. He would not pay one penny of his own money for the new arena. He just told Seattle to get it done. That does not sound like a good faith effort to me.

The Sonics want a $500 million arena of their own design, financed by $300 million in state money, plus $100 million or so in land and cash from the city of Renton. Renton would own the arena, and be responsible for major maintenance and repairs, but the Sonics would keep all revenues from all events, and not be responsible for a penny of construction cost overruns. Of the remaining $100 million not covered by taxpayers, that would mostly be offset by naming rights, seat licenses and other such deals, bringing Bennett and his partners’ total contribution to… just about nil.

And finally we have the lawsuit. Yes Seattle sold out the Sonics, and yes they took the money. However there were only 2 years left on the current lease. There is absolutely no reason to think that Bennett would not ride out the last two years of the lease and then move the team at which point there would be nothing to stop him from doing so. It's not like there were 15 years left on the lease. That might have been a big deal. Two years would not have been for a "man possessed." So yes you can blame Seattle politicians for the Sonics leaving in 2008, but no you can't throw all the blame on them for leaving.

So put everything together and what do we have? We have a prospective owner who lied to Schultz about putting a legitimate effort keeping the Sonics in Seattle to facilitate a sale. We have a man who lied to the commissioner of the NBA about his intentions from the get go. We have a "good faith effort" that consisted of nothing but build me a brand new half billion dollar arena, while the city of Seattle was still paying off bonds on Safeco and CenturyLink fields. We have an owner who was committed to moving the Sonics out of Seattle while he was still well within the "good faith effort" timeline. So yes, Howard Schultz is partly to blame and yes Seattle politicians are partly to blame, but who is the biggest person to blame for the Sonics leaving Seattle? Clay Bennett and there is no doubt about it.

 

[skibum2007]

It's funny how skibum just sits in front of his computer and waits for a reply from wazzu.

Stop avoiding the questions and trying to deflect with nonesense.

1. How did the Sonics get in the hands of an OKC ownership group?

2. How did the Sonics get the clearence to move away from Seattle?


Suck on it...

 

[skibum2007]

Yes Howard Schultz sold the Sonics. However he sold them to Bennett on the basis that Bennett would make a "good faith effort" for 12 months to keep the team in Seattle. That sale occurred on June 18, 2006. But Bennett never did make a good faith effort to keep the team in Seattle. Emails between Bennett, Tom Ward and Aubrey McClendon confirm this. These emails are from April 17, 2007. Still well within the "good faith effort" time frame.

Ward:


Bennett:


Ward:


McClendon:


There's also McClendon's quote to the Oklahoma Journal Record:



Bennett followed that up by lying to David Stern. From Aug 17, 2007:



That email contradicts the emails above and McClendon's statement. Now lets focus on Bennett's supposed "good faith effort" on a new arena. There was no effort, there was no negotiation. There were conditions set in stone by Bennett that he knew Seattle could not meet. He would accept nothing except a new $500M arena. He would not pay one penny of his own money for the new arena. He just told Seattle to get it done. That does not sound like a good faith effort to me.



And finally we have the lawsuit. Yes Seattle sold out the Sonics, and yes they took the money. However there were only 2 years left on the current lease. There is absolutely no reason to think that Bennett would not ride out the last two years of the lease and then move the team at which point there would be nothing to stop him from doing so. It's not like there were 15 years left on the lease. That might have been a big deal. Two years would not have been for a "man possessed." So yes you can blame Seattle politicians for the Sonics leaving in 2008, but no you can't throw all the blame on them for leaving.

So put everything together and what do we have? We have a prospective owner who lied to Schultz about putting a legitimate effort keeping the Sonics in Seattle to facilitate a sale. We have a man who lied to the commissioner of the NBA about his intentions from the get go. We have a "good faith effort" that consisted of nothing but build me a brand new half billion dollar arena, while the city of Seattle was still paying off bonds on Safeco and CenturyLink fields. We have an owner who was committed to moving the Sonics out of Seattle while he was still well within the "good faith effort" timeline. So yes, Howard Schultz is partly to blame and yes Seattle politicians are partly to blame, but who is the biggest person to blame for the Sonics leaving Seattle? Clay Bennett and there is no doubt about it.

Wonderful! Another Sonics fan who wants to dabble in the middle rather than ignore the obvious.

His point: Bennett lied.

His result: The team moved anyway.

Why did the team move anyway?

Why did the team move?: "Howard Schultz made the decision to do so."

LOL, let's hear you guys spin with you don't have a night with Megan Fox.It will be almost as entertaining.

 

[skibum2007]

Some of you, tell me how it all happens without the actions of Howard Schultz.

Any of you.

One of you.

Three of you.

A dozen of you.

 

[skibum2007]

Yes Howard Schultz sold the Sonics. However he sold them to Bennett on the basis that Bennett would make a "good faith effort" for 12 months to keep the team in Seattle. That sale occurred on June 18, 2006. But Bennett never did make a good faith effort to keep the team in Seattle. Emails between Bennett, Tom Ward and Aubrey McClendon confirm this. These emails are from April 17, 2007. Still well within the "good faith effort" time frame.

Can you prove Bennett did not make a "good faith effort" to keep the team in Seattle in a court of law? ANSWER: No, you cant.

Can you prove emails among (not between since that is poor grammar) the OKC ownership group proves a lack of a "good faith effort" in this? ANSWER: No you cant.

Can you disprove an ownershiip group who pays $350 million dollars to Howard Schultz does not have the right to do with the franchise that he and his fellow owners so choose?

ANSWER: No you can't.

Go away, asshole. Bring it on if you want to babble about the middle rather than concetrate on the macro of this transaction. I will correct you.

 

[skibum2007]

1. How does this team move without the actions of Howard Schultz?
2. How does this team move without the actions of Greg Nickels?

I will repeat this question over and over until you're just 'done' which was admittedly back in 2007.

 

[Destroydacre]

Wonderful! Another Sonics fan who wants to dabble in the middle rather than ignore the obvious.

His point: Bennett lied.

His result: The team moved anyway.

Why did the team move anyway?

Why did the team move?: "Howard Schultz made the decision to do so."

LOL, let's hear you guys spin with you don't have a night with Megan Fox.It will be almost as entertaining.

And another Thunder fan who has his head so far up his ass he can't tell night from day. There's no spin in that post. Everything I posted is fact. And it's painfully obvious you didn't read it. It doesn't matter to me, what happened has happened and nothing is going to change it. It's just very humorous how blinded you are by your bias.

Oh and no I'm not a Sonics fan or a fan of the NBA. I quit watching the NBA after the 98 lockout and feel free to go ask people on the NHL board just what I think about the NBA if you don't believe me.

Go away, asshole. Bring it on if you want to babble about the middle rather than concetrate on the macro of this transaction. I will correct you.

 

[skibum2007]

LOL, you never answered any of my questions.

 

[skibum2007]

Repeating:

1. How does this team move without the actions of Howard Schultz?
2. How does this team move without the actions of Greg Nickels?

 

[skibum2007]

Everything I posted is fact.

Name the facts. Again. Itemize them.

 

[skibum2007]

It's funny how skibum just sits in front of his computer and waits for a reply from wazzu.

No, I wait for a coherent response from any of you.

 

[skibum2007]

So far nothing, as usual.

 

[blstoker]

Name the facts. Again. Itemize them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Dp20ydm1E

Here, if you need the help, here's a little help for you research.

 

[bone3421]

skibum give it a rest......

all i have seen is you post a bunch of BS.....there is always two sides of a story and you seem to be the only one not getting that

also you are the only one calling people names.....

 

[Banned 10x]

I was shocked at the vote yesterday, I never thought a bunch of businessmen would turn down the chance to make more money in the long run but.... they did. I do believe Stern had his greasy paws all over that relocation committee and the unanimous decision proves that in my eyes. If relocation is truly off the table then Seattle will never see an NBA team. How can there be a better offer for a team then the current one?

As far the Sonics leaving and placing blame, I go directly to our city gov't. They treated Stern and Schultz like children. Well, us fans are paying for that. Seeing what Sacramento has done all Nickels had to do was the bare minimum to keep the team and they would still be here. I don't have too much hatred for Bennett, he is just a pawn in Stern's vindictive game.