Stern: SuperSonics' departure inevitable

[northernpuppy]

http://tsn.ca/nba/news_story/?ID=229857&hubname=

I don't know if this has been posted here already.
But it's kind of sad as a fan of the Kemp/Schremp/Payton combo.

[Sweezo]

This is the same attitude he's had the entire time...it's nothing new.

Odd how locally elected politicians haven't signed off on a plan that would allow the team to move out of town, which would make them accountable to that portion of the electorate who roots for the Sonics.

[Det the Threat]

An answer to Stern's comments by Tim Ceis.

Tim Ceis, Seattle's deputy mayor, responded strongly when told of Stern's comments.

"If Mr. Stern had any kind of integrity, he wouldn

[chrisjr88]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar20 ... id=3249625

[Relientk101]

yeah i saw him talking on NBA TV...he's such a d*uche bag.

[Dick Tate]

Odd how locally elected politicians haven't signed off on a plan that would allow the team to move out of town, which would make them accountable to that portion of the electorate who roots for the Sonics.

Yep, accepting a buyout would enrage the portion of the constituents who are pro-Sonics. Funding a new arean would enrage a much larger portion of the electorate. Sitting on their asses while they wait it out may cost the City more in the long run, but at least the politicians won't be losing any voters during the process. It's the safe plan. Government inaction.

[Tony Starks]

F*CK DAVID STERN

F*CK CLAY BENNETT

F*CK THE NBA

that is all

[wiff]

I love it. You think Stern would be saying this if there wasn't a banner flying in the sky that said "Stop Clay - Sonics Must Stay"?

I love the 30mil buy out for the next two years. Wow what a deal.

So does that mean Clay thinks an NBA team is only worth 15mil a year to the City it's in?

This is going to get even uglier.

Either I'm going to be happy as heck to watching that little troll eat crow or I'm never going to watch an NBA game again in my life.

[Tony Starks]

Honestly, as long as Stern is commissioner, I'll never be an NBA fan again. Even if the Sonics do stay.

[Det the Threat]

Honestly, as long as Stern is commissioner, I'll never be an NBA fan again. Even if the Sonics do stay.

Yeah, Stern has lost it a while ago and should've stepped down a couple of years ago.

[D5150]

if stern isn't going to step in and try to be part of the solution, he should remain neutral and keep his good damn mouth shut. it never ceases to amaze me the lengths desperate people will go to. a 30 million dollar offer just months before the trial? the sonics leaving is inevitable? sounds like stern is trying to strong arm the city."they are leaving one way or the other so you might as well give up". these guys DO NOT want to go to court. they will be exposed as lying hipocrites.
and what really blows me away is that these fools can't keep their mouths shut. they know they are going to court and that every syllable they utter in the meantime will be dissected and twisted and thrown right back in their faces during the trial. i mean stern is a lawyer right? just wait until the city's lawyers get to read out loud in court some of sterns comments, or bennett's, or the best one of all, aubrey's "we didn't buy the team to keep it in seattle" comment. the comment he made while bennett was suposedly making "good faith effort" to keep the team in seattle. i mean just stop talking already!
but hey, maybe stern is right, maybe the sonics departure is inevitable. he usually gets his way after all. but what is even more inevitable and undeniable is that if the team does leave, so will many fans. this will only serve as an embarrasment for stern and the league. this will be a black eye right on his pudgy, smug little face. and this will send a clear message to every other team in the league. if they can do it here, they could do it almost anywhere.

btw: the owners have not yet voted on the relocation proposal. so how can stern say they are gone no matter what? what if the owners reject the proposal? or does stern already know which way the vote will go? if he does, this has been collusion from the start. maybe its time to sue the league.

[jenn_gp]

I love it. You think Stern would be saying this if there wasn't a banner flying in the sky that said "Stop Clay - Sonics Must Stay"?

Did the banner actually get noticed? I DVR'd 2 hours worth of Inside the NBA and watched all the All-Star festivities on Saturday night and I never heard them mention it.

And agree that Stern should keeo his chicken neck mouth shut about the whole situation. I knew he had a hand in selling the team to Bennett, but the more he opens his mouth, it appears he was the mastermind behind it all. It really does look like he wants the Sonics to leave, even if it isn't the most financially sound decision for the league.

btw: the owners have not yet voted on the relocation proposal. so how can stern say they are gone no matter what? what if the owners reject the proposal? or does stern already know which way the vote will go? if he does, this has been collusion from the start. maybe its time to sue the league.

You make a good point. If this is what really happens, this sounds like there could be some tampering issues that will need to be addressed in court.

[jenn_gp]

I have decided to stay away from the General Board...the posters who are speaking about the Sonics move are pissing me off, as usual. People can be so ignorant and show the have no clue about what's going on.

There's also a thread about asking people to vote for which city they think the Sonics will move. I found that to be a tad offensive considering there was never a "stay in Seattle" option.

[LittleOzzy]

jenn_gp I do apologize I wasn't trying to offend anyone with that thread, I just thought it would be a good topic of discussion.

In my opinion I would love for the Sonics to stay in Seattle as I hate when teams move, but with the way Stern is talking it doesn't seem likely that Seattle has much of a chance of keeping their team.

I'm glad you guys are fighting this but it seems like the owner of the Sonics has been planning this move since day one.

I also want to say sorry for not including a stay in Seattle option, I noted after that I should of done so, but you can't edit polls on RealGM.

[Monkeyfeng06]

someone needs to kick clay bennett and david stern in the BALLS!

[D5150]

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/soni ... 132112.asp

read the second paragraph of sterns comments.
the city of seattle will get no help or support from stern and the nba. none. he clearly is in bed with bennett, and is actively pushing for the team to move. this is all about being told to go to hell when asking for public money for a private enterprise. they are mad. their egos are brusied. so now they are taking their toy and leaving. i will bet the farm that stern has strongly "encouraged" the owners on the BOG to approve the relocation of the sonics. if congress can spend time investigating steroid use in basball and the nfl's destruction of the patriots cheat tape, shouldn't they take a minute or two and look into this? i think it is clear now, painfully clear, that the team was moving from the jump. at least that was their plan. all they did was try and do the same thing schultz did. nothing new. if the answer to schultz was no, why would bennett expect a different answer? he didn't. he knew the answer would be no.
this was planned from the beggining and stern was in on it.

i call foul.

[OldSchoolNoBull]

Hey guys, Bulls fan here.

I just wanted to say that I really hate what Bennett(and Stern?) is trying to do. I have a deep appreciation of the history of the NBA and its teams, as do many fans. Any real fan of any team should be able to sympathize with what you guys are going through. From Gus Williams and Jack Sikma to Dale Ellis to Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp to Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, it's all part of the history of a team, and the fanbase has grown attatched to that - as it should. The only reason a team should ever re-locate is if there is simply no fanbase in the current location, and that is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE in this case. And if Stern is actually having a hand in this, that should be against the rules, PERIOD. As the commissioner, he should be objective, neutral, and keep his damn mouth shut.

Anyway, I do have a few questions: What is the hope with this trial in June from the fanbase's standpoint? Is it simply that a ruling in favor of Seattle will make Clay Bennett impatient enough that he decides he doesn't want to wait for two years and gives up/sells to somebody else? And if it's not that, what is it?

Also, doesn't the board of governers have to approve franchise relocations? And isn't the board of governers made up of other teams' owners more or less? What motivation would they have to approve such a slimy and ugly relocation? If a majority of the board of governers could be swayed to vote against relocation, wouldn't that kill it right there?

It just seems to me like this is further from being over than Clay and Stern would like to think.

I sincerely hope the Sonics end up staying in Seattle.

[D5150]

^^^

thank you.

first, a seattle victory in court buys time. time for a plan to be developed, time for a possible sale to a local group, just ..time. the local gov has not come forward with a plan yet, perhaps they want to wait until the issue is resolved in court first, and then move forward. but right now time is what we need.

you are absolutely right about the relocation commitee. they will convene their meating on april 16th and 17th i believe, and COULD vote on the issue then. and since they have not yet voted, i wonder how stern can be so sure that the team is leaving one way or the other. seems like he may put pressure on the owners to approve the reloaction, if he has not done so already.

having the support of true nba fans such as yourself that respect the history of franchises means a lot to sonics fans. please spread the word.

[Tony Starks]

One reason the board of governors would vote for relocation is because if they force the team to stay there and surrender to the city's demands (basically just that they don't have any financial responsibility to the team) then it sets a precedent. Other teams will have less leverage with which they can get money from their respective cities.

If they could be convinced that it would be in their best interest to force the team to stay in Seattle (doubtful), then yes that would kill it. Bennett would probably sell.

[Ex-hippie]

One reason the board of governors would vote for relocation is because if they force the team to stay there and surrender to the city's demands (basically just that they don't have any financial responsibility to the team) then it sets a precedent. Other teams will have less leverage with which they can get money from their respective cities.

If they could be convinced that it would be in their best interest to force the team to stay in Seattle (doubtful), then yes that would kill it. Bennett would probably sell.

I'm afraid this is probably correct. Stern is sending a signal to all of the owners that this is a long-term issue that trumps the immediate consideration that Seattle is a bigger, better market than Oklahoma City. Stern has been driving the NBA's gravy train and extorting cities for over two decades now. His message: "We are the NBA and we will not be negotiated with. You will accede to our demands or we will leave." He's telling the owners that even if Seattle is a great city and OKC is a **** hole, this is still in their interest because it keeps the league's extortion racket alive. For this reason, I fear the Board of Governors will approve this move easily.