Do Seattlesun a favor everybody

[Seattlesun]

PLEASE make it a point to post on the Gen Board in the Clay Bennet is a D-Bag thread every day. Its my start to fighting what is going on here in seattle.

A story came out today in the Seattle papers highlighting emails sent by Clay Bennet after buying the Sonics to his cronies in OKC. Essentially, the team was bought for the sole purpose of moving it to OKC by a bunch of rich white guys with no concern whatsoever to Seattle, their fans, or their history. If this precedent is set, any team in the NBA becomes vulnerable, its not ok for a billionaire to buy a team and move it away after 40 years of history.

My start to the fight is making that thread on the Gen board 70 pages of speaking out against Clay Bennet. I will be doing more but help me out here Suns brothers. Sometimes there is right vs wrong and this is one of those times.

[Seattlesun]

tsherk, KJ, Tast - can you guys get the other mods involved too please? i just want to see that thread last and NBA fans educated. it is not ok for a billionaire to swoop in and buy an NBA team and move it.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... sheds.html

[JohnVancouver]

It's exactly what Heisley did with the Grizz here in Vancouver - I'll never forgive Stern for it.

Pr*ck

[Go7enKs]

I still can't believe Stern is not only allowing all this travesty but he's actually doing NOTHING, not even pretending to stop this or make it look a little better. I mean he's completely OK with all this. I'm really disappointed because Seattle is a great basketball city and as we all know, this will set a very dangerous pecedent. Basically, in the future, every owner will be allowed to say: "you don't pay for a new arena? We're moving to (fill the blank with any city)". That's simply against any sport morale and ethics. It's ridiculous and I'm very disappointed with a lot of writers who just don't care. Nobody has called out Stern on this (except for Bill Simmons) and eveybody seems fine with this scandal.

I really hope the Sonics fan can find a way to keep their team and kick Bennet's ass.

[JustMoe]

I absolutely agree that this procedural method has to be stopped, and I hate seeing the Sonics move as much as I hated seeing the Hornets leave Charlotte. The whole insanity of the latter example can be seen in the fact that Charlotte received a new team just two years later after building the new arena that has been required. The whole system is complete bulls**t, but what do you expect from Stern & Co?

Didn't know that it went the same way with the Grizzlies franchise, though I still see a difference in this case since there wasn't much support for the team in Vancouver (ironically the same happens in Memphis), while the Hornets, at least as far as I know, were very popular in North Carolina.
Now the Sonics, in my opinion, are an even worse case since this is an established franchise (40+ years in Seattle), making the reasoning for the move to Oklahoma City look embarrissingly weak.
Funniest part about this is that, at least in my opinion, they'll won't be making a lot more money in OKC than they did in Seattle. I highly doubt they'll receive the support the Hornets got for those few games, especially in the long run.
Good thing Stern will let the same crap happen to that city again anyway, my prediction: Seattle gets a new franchise in 2014, either thanks to another expansion draft, or maybe they'll just buy the Grizzlies

The way they threated the Soncis franchise, the city of Seattle and especially the Sonics fans is a shame, but anyway, I'm convinced this is already a sealed deal, doubt there's any chance of the Sonics staying in Washington at all. F**k Clay Bennet and, as usual: F**k David Stern - that guy is the devil, I'm telling y'all.

[Go7enKs]

Well you know, alas I have to agree with you. I fear there's nothing much to do. But if the Sonics move, well guys buckle up cause one day it could happen to the Suns or whatever ur favorite team is.

I just read a couple of articles about the e-mails and I'm still in shock. It's unbelievable this is really happening. It's a major scandal and even if this should hurt David Stern I really fear he will get away with it again, like with the refs scandal. Can't believe it. Really. I feel very bad for all the Sonics fans and people who care, love and spent a lot of money to support the team. They don't deserve this. Stern and Bennet should really be ashamed.

[whambamslam]

I lived in Seattle from 02-04 and boy do they love the Mariners, but it is a great sports town. I think it just gets forgot about sometimes because its in the pacific northwest and far from all the big cities. I couldn't believe that e-mail thing. That is ridiculous. Sonics really should stay in Seattle. Sure it may seem like a good idea to give OKC a franchise right now after how much they supported the Hornets, but that hype will wear off and they'll be in 3 years after they move if they aren't winning they'll be wishing they had stayed in Seattle

[Seattlesun]

OKC is a poor, small cow town. Seattle is a rich, large, cultural diverse city with Microsoft and Boeing and ports to Asia. Moving a franchise from here to OK is bad for the nba, bad for everyone.

[whambamslam]

OKC is a poor, small cow town. Seattle is a rich, large, cultural diverse city with Microsoft and Boeing and ports to Asia. Moving a franchise from here to OK is bad for the nba, bad for everyone.

Exactly. I lived in along Lake Washington for a while and that place is loaded. It would be a horrible decision to move to OKC

[dm17415]

I hope the Sonics stay in Seattle, there is just to much history and the city is amazing to move the franchise.

[JohnVancouver]

[quote="JustMoe"]

Didn't know that it went the same way with the Grizzlies franchise, though I still see a difference in this case since there wasn't much support for the team in Vancouver (ironically the same happens in Memphis)

There was great support for the team in Vancouver (I was a reporter at the time for the major daily.) The problem was Stu Jackson, who as a GM makes Zeke look like Red Auerbach*, and then Heisley, who ran the franchise into the ground to build a case for moving it. I was very happy to see he couldn't get a buyer in Memphis ... his whole plan was to relocate the team and then flip it.


(* Jackson could have had both Nash and Yao, ensuring continuous sellouts the past seven years. There is a large and wealthy Asian immigrant population here who would have bought season tickets for the entire family.
Jackson is an idiot. This si the guy who instead of going after Nash gave Bryant Reeves and immense contract ...)

[JohnVancouver]

Well you know, alas I have to agree with you. I fear there's nothing much to do. But if the Sonics move, well guys buckle up cause one day it could happen to the Suns or whatever ur favorite team is.

I just read a couple of articles about the e-mails and I'm still in shock. It's unbelievable this is really happening. It's a major scandal and even if this should hurt David Stern I really fear he will get away with it again, like with the refs scandal. Can't believe it. Really. I feel very bad for all the Sonics fans and people who care, love and spent a lot of money to support the team. They don't deserve this. Stern and Bennet should really be
ashamed.

Stern in particular as he was flat-out lied to - "... amazing as it seems we have *never* discussed moving the team."

Right -

When the Grizz were moved I stopped watching for years

[KayZee]

There was great support for the team in Vancouver (I was a reporter at the time for the major daily.) The problem was Stu Jackson, who as a GM makes Zeke look like Red Auerbach*, and then Heisley, who ran the franchise into the ground to build a case for moving it. I was very happy to see he couldn't get a buyer in Memphis ... his whole plan was to relocate the team and then flip it.


(* Jackson could have had both Nash and Yao, ensuring continuous sellouts the past seven years. There is a large and wealthy Asian immigrant population here who would have bought season tickets for the entire family.
Jackson is an idiot. This si the guy who instead of going after Nash gave Bryant Reeves and immense contract ...)

totally agree

I came to Vancouver 5 years ago, at the time Grizzlies already moved to Memphis so I didn't personally witness the whole situation

but boy I gotta say this city is really a basketball city
EVERYBODY plays basketball here. Everybody watches hockey but nobody plays hockey
if you go to any elementary school or high school or university, the only sport they do is b-ball

and this city is rich since most of the immigrants(which is a very large portion of the population) already earned lots of money before they came.

there's simply no reason they can't have a successful NBA franchise here

[Seattlesun]

The Grizz are a nice comparison. They are moved from a legit city to a much smaller market and look where they are now - they are one of the worst franchises in the NBA, and had to give away their only good player for nothing. And Memphis is still more legit than OKC. Wonder who gets Durant for nothing in 3 years?

[Seattlesun]

Does anyone remember the number we used to leave voice mails for Stern during the playoffs last year?

[HootieRules]

Sad to see. Didn't really know the whole situation until Bill Simmons wrote a bunch about it. David Stern is one disgusting human being to sweep this latest info under the rug.

1-212-407-8300 for you Seattle....

[Go7enKs]

And Memphis is still more legit than OKC. Wonder who gets Durant for nothing in 3 years?

Well...I hope it doesn't happen...but If it does...I hope we get him...:p

[whambamslam]

Looks like Schultz is trying to get the Sonics back!

[whambamslam]

Well the Sonics are off to Oklahoma City

[skatesb16]

I'm crushed. Don't even know what to say. I'm a Suns fan but I've been living here now for 8 years and of course I supported the Sonics. I honestly don't know what to say. I hate the NBA.