Does this mean H Sultz suit is done?

[McG]

Anyone know why his lawsuit is starting until Spring 2009? I thought the two cases would be back-to-back, with the same judge ruling over each, etc. This plus the lack of an injunction makes it seem like there's about 0% chance the Supes could move back, but I sure hope that they can bleed out as much $ as possible from Clay Clay and Co.

[pr0wler]

Oh the lawsuit isn't starting till Spring 2009? Oh well no wonder it's a done deal. I was under the impression the trial would start in a couple weeks or so and I figured that if they haven't left yet then why can't they stay if Clay loses the case. But by 2009 they'll be in OKC already and it's highly unlikely the judge will force the team back to Seattle even if we win the case.

[jenn_gp]

Why has it changed to Spring 2009? Last night I heard on Elise's show that on July 11th, they will start the discovery phase of the case. That's next Friday.

In a matter of 14 hours, the case has been pushed back a year? How did that happen?

[McG]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/s ... ltz04.html

It sounds like great news. Schultz is going for the walk-off home run. Obviously it would be difficult for any judge to completely rescind the sale when it would leave the team in complete limbo without a lease or arena (as it would if he won this summer).

Schultz's lawyers are hoping that the legislature is able to get Key Arena funding within the next year, giving Pechman a viable option and hopefully certain cause to rescind the sale. According to ESPN's legal analyst, Schultz is actually the favorite to win this case (55-60%). The biggest question is whether a 'win' would be rewarded with monetary damages or the complete rescinding of the sale like we all hope for. Waiting until 2009 simply makes the option of rescinding the sale (in the case of a 'win') all the more likely.

[jenn_gp]

Waiting until 2009 simply makes the option of rescinding the sale (in the case of a 'win') all the more likely.

I disagree. If Schultz truly wanted to effect the chances of Pechman rescinding the sale of the team, he should have put up money July 2nd for a restraining order to keep the team here. I am one of those people who believe that Pechman isn't going to give the team back to Shultz when its been playing in OKC for a year.

The more time that passes by, the less likely we are to keep our Sonics here.

None of this--whether it be THIS Sonics team, or a new Sonics team, doesn't matter without an ARENA DEAL. It all comes back to that.

"Now's the time to get to work."
-Christine Gregoire

What an absolute joke.

[McG]

"Now's the time to get to work."
-Christine Gregoire

This quote pissed me off more than anything Bennet, Stern OR Nickels said after the settlement.

Regarding Schultz's strategy, I think it would have been near impossible to actually keep the team here over the next year or two, even with an injunction. The Key Arena lease was in essence voided and even if Schultz was successful it would have left the team here with no place to play. In this scenario the city doesn't want to negotiate a (new) Key Arena lease as the $ they would be getting <<<<< the $22.5 million they would owe Bennet per year if they were to stay. I think this was the best move available considering the circumstances, and hopefully it puts even MORE pressure on the legislature to get an arena deal done.

[jenn_gp]

^Your statement just goes to show what this in the end was all about:
The money.

[McG]

^Your statement just goes to show what this in the end was all about:
The money.

For the city of course. For Schultz at least we have some semblance of realistic effort on his part. I'm personally not banking on this case to be our savior but I will stay interested in anything that gives us a chance, and this is about all we have left.

[jenn_gp]

As of 10:23 pm tonight, Schultz says he's in this case for the long haul. I'm still grasping at the slightest bit of hope. The city totally screwed him along with everyone else when it comes to this case though. I'm glad he's sticking to it, but don't expect much.

It's an interesting perspective hearing Yarmuth talk about the settlement and how he doesn't think the NBA was very convincing in terms of their promise to bring the NBA back to Seattle..I'd tend to agree with Yarmuth. The city CAVED.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketbal ... onx08.html

Yarmuth declined comment on Keller's remarks, but did respond when asked if Schultz's suit runs counter to the city's desire now to work with Commissioner David Stern to find a replacement team in the next five years.

"We were asked to participate in the city settlement, but we chose not to do so because we feel the BCOS lawsuit is Seattle's best chance of having an NBA team playing in Seattle in the future," Yarmuth said.

"We didn't feel the assurances by the NBA were sufficient for us to abandon our separate lawsuit."

[JStockLivesOn]

I was really glad to read this bit of news. This has been total bull for you guys from Square One, and -- whatever motives one might ascribe to Mr. Schultz -- hope isn't completely dead for the loyal fans of Seattle. It's obviously an enormous long shot, but I'm pulling for you guys. The Seattle Supersonics will always be a legendary franchise.

[pr0wler]

Until the door is finally shut on the Sonics coming back to Seattle I will never lose hope. Even when it was announced last week that they were moving I still knew there was a chance so I didn't give up. Whether Schultz is doing this to preserve his tarnished image, whether it's because he feels guilty that he's one of the causes of this mess...I don't really care. He's in it for the long-run and seems to want to do everything in his power to try to bring back the Sonics and that's the best I can hope for.

[Kane2111]

Guys... honestly... let it go. This team will never come back. It's gone.

The only way I can imagine the team coming back is in if 10 years they are still a doormat team and the Oklahoma fans have stopped caring. Maybe at that point Bennett will sell the team to some Seattle owner who takes the team home. That would mean a total miscalculation though and a complete and utter failure in Oklahoma....

But that'll never happen, because Kevin Durant is going to dominate the league for the next two decades.

[bennith13]

Kevin Durant will not be in OKC in a few years. Honestly I would not doubt it if OKC was the new Memphis in five years after they still haven't made the playoffs. Its one thing to support a novelty act when you are trying to prove to the league that you can support a team, its totally another thing to support a loser year in and year out.

I am just going to tell you this one time, your post have been border line gloating about stealing our team. You have your own forum now, please stay there. Seattle fans will not be coming over there to bother you.

[wiff]

I am just going to tell you this one time, your post have been border line gloating about stealing our team. You have your own forum now, please stay there. Seattle fans will not be coming over there to bother you.

Thank you bennith13, I have felt that as well.

On the wiretap today. Abouts Shultz lawsuit.

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wireta ... nics_suit/

"I don't think this case is a long shot," Schultz' lawyer Richard Yarmuth said Monday. "This case is based on substantial evidence. There is sufficient evidence to prove that these Oklahoma businessmen fraudulently induced the sale of the Sonics to them. I think there will be substantial evidence to demonstrate they never wanted and never intended to own a basketball team in Seattle."

As we all know Shultz is one cheap guy when it comes to spending money. The emails had nothing to do with up holding the lease, in the city's court case. But the emails do have everything to do with Bennett wanting to bolt immediately after buying the team and saving 75mil buy signing the "Best Efforts" paper. I don't think Howard Shultz would keep up the charade if he didn't feel he had a very good chance at winning this thing. Especially since the city bent over for the OKC Dirt Bags and the team has hit the road.

Personally don't think Howard is going to come away empty handed. It might not be the team but you never know.

Maybe Howard gets the team back, maybe Clay pays him the 75 mil he cheated him from lieing.

But if Howard is awarded a cash settlement he better donate it to the new arena.

I am curious though if Howard is awarded the team back, I wonder how much of the buy out Clay is going to be stuck with? I imagine he'd be stuck with paying the initial 45 mil but the rest he'd be off the hook since the city would have the team back.

[jenn_gp]

^

I am curious though if Howard is awarded the team back, I wonder how much of the buy out Clay is going to be stuck with?

I thought that's when the $22 million dollar over the next 2 seasons figure in the settlement is for? Won't the city have to pay Clay that money back? I believe it is written in the settlement agreement. Or maybe I'm thinking of something else.

And I agree, if Schultz does end up going through with this and wins in the form of monetary damages, he BETTER donate into a fund for a new arena.

What kind of odds do you think Schultz has in winning the Supes back? I think he has a good enough case to win, but I just can't see Pechman rewarding the team back to him after they have been playing in OKC for a year by then. Maybe she could grant him a replacement team deal...longshot I know and probably isnt capable of happening.

[jenn_gp]

^Tom Carr who was just on Mitch in the Morning (listening to On Demand) said the city would have to pay the money back if Schultz wins the case.

[jenn_gp]

According to the Devil's news corporation website, it appears the NBA is trying to step in to control the Schultz case. Could this be the first sign that they may be willing to negotiate some sort of new team, or am I completely dreaming here?

http://www.newsok.com/article/3267822/

The NBA has asked to intervene in a Seattle federal lawsuit to help prevent coffee mogul Howard Schultz's former Seattle SuperSonics' ownership group from voiding the sale of the team to its current Oklahoma owners.

If the judge does undo the sale, the NBA says it has a legal interest in making sure any new owner is "qualified in all respects to operate an NBA team and has the ability to provide for the long-term financial stability and efficient operation of the Sonics."

The Schultz group's requests to void the sale "are fundamentally inconsistent with the most basic rules and regulations governing the operations of the NBA and its member teams, which do not authorize or permit ownership transfers without the express approval of the NBA," the league said in its request for intervention.

The NBA contends the Schultz group is barred from trying to void the sale by a release and indemnification agreement the group signed in exchange for the NBA's approval of the group's sale of the team to a group of Oklahoma owners headed by Clay Bennett.

[jenn_gp]

Video of two @ss-wipes from Oklahoma discussing the NBA's decision to intervene.

http://www.newsok.tv/?titleID=1655880473

[wiff]

You know what this means to me Jenn? That the NBA, David Stern and Clay Bennett are sweating Shultz's case.

Which leads me to think Shultz has a leg to stand on when it comes to his case.

[McG]

Video of two @ss-wipes from Oklahoma discussing the NBA's decision to intervene.

http://www.newsok.tv/?titleID=1655880473

I watched the entire thing just waiting for the banjos to start humming in the background but they must have edited them out.