The LA Clippers vs. Seattle Supersonics Debate

[Wammy Giveaway]

Disclaimer: this is an open debate to all members of RealGM, not just Clipper fans. I'm extending this to Laker fans and other teams as well. Moderators, please create a link so that all team members can see this post. I want a global poll to present to The Starters and ESPN LA.

With Donald Sterling agreeing to let Shelly oversee the sale of the Clipper franchise, it is of no surprise to everyone that basketball fans all over the world are rejoicing in the fantasy of the team being emancipated. But not everything is as roses and rainbows when it comes to relinquishment of ownership, especially for a team who has been meager as far as competitive spirit and franchise health is concerned.

The day the news of Donald caving to sell was spread, a number of familiar and not-so-familiar faces have signed their names into the list of "Clipper Owners-To-Be." One particular name to keep an eye on is billionaire Chris Hansen, who wants to relocate the Clippers to Seattle in hopes of resurrecting the Supersonics.

It seems that whenever relocation is brought into discussion, the Clippers are at the forefront of it. The Sports Illustrated proclaimed worst franchise in the history of sports, who lives in the same arena with the second greatest franchise behind the Boston Celtics by way of title count, in the hands of a greedily-conscious owner who cheats on his taxes, discriminates blacks and minorities, is a tyrannical litigator and manipulator of the law, and has accomplices in high places from real estate (Jerry Buss) to within the league itself (David Stern). He even helped his own son to escape murder charges.

Why should the Clippers suffer from an evil man like him, when the franchise could do much better by leaving Los Angeles and starting all over as a Supersonic? But then, Clipper fans will suffer, for they will be forced to root for the Lakers again given their location. Why not just get new ownership and keep the Clippers in L.A. so that Clipper fans can have both a voice and a choice.

Here are my two cents in the matter:

Clippers Stay: Usurps New York as the mecca of basketball with Lakers and Clippers. Provides an opportunity for a Los Angeles dynasty instead of a Lakers-only dynasty under the right Clippers ownership. Financial growth for both NBA and the city of Los Angeles. Sets a precedent that two teams can live in one city, thereby improving the playoffs and NBA Draft.

Clippers Relocate: Fresh start for the Clippers, distancing themselves from the Sterlings. As a Seattle native, will help repair the city's damaged relationship with the NBA. Lakers reclaim Los Angeles. Act of relocation proves that Donald Sterling and Jerry Buss were in on it, and that the Clippers were a placeholder until another legitimate team took it's place.

1. If you're a Clippers fan, why do you want your team to stay in Los Angeles?
2. If you're a fan of another team, what do you think is in the best interest for the NBA - keep, relocate or contract the Clippers?

[NekiEcko]

Greetings from Hawks land.

I been a big supporter of the Sonics returning back to NBA and I hope that they will return one day (NHL would possibily be there first before the NBA) but Clippers is a rising team with star power, a coach that has seen the mountain top plenty of times and etc, etc, etc.

The Clippers does need their own home and away from the Lakers but I think they should stay in LA area or even around SoCal area if it possible.

My hope that the next owners will know what they are getting into and not being a "Howard Schulz" or anything like that.

So I voted for the Clippers to stay in LA even know that Blazers/Sonics renewed rivality will be so awesome.

[JayClips92]

But then, Clipper fans will suffer, for they will be forced to root for the Lakers again given their location.

You lost all creditability with this line. Trying to call all clipper fans bandwagon Laker fans

[Wammy Giveaway]

But then, Clipper fans will suffer, for they will be forced to root for the Lakers again given their location.

You lost all creditability with this line. Trying to call all clipper fans bandwagon Laker fans

What I'm trying to say is, if the Clippers get relocated, their fan base will cease to exist. Those fans will have no other choice but to be Laker fans. Do you want me to change the sentence?

[bondom34]

They're staying. They should be staying, and will be staying. They've been in LA for nearly 30 years, and not everyone there seems to want to be a Lakers fan.

[mttwlsn16]

But then, Clipper fans will suffer, for they will be forced to root for the Lakers again given their location.

You lost all creditability with this line. Trying to call all clipper fans bandwagon Laker fans

What I'm trying to say is, if the Clippers get relocated, their fan base will cease to exist. Those fans will have no other choice but to be Laker fans. Do you want me to change the sentence?

Ummmm if they moved there is 0 chance in hell i suddenly become a flaker fan. I'd be disappointed but I'd then root for the sonics, or whoever we became. Why the hell would we turn into flaker fans?

[ejftw]

Why would someone spend over a billion dollars to relocate a franchise, that is on/damn near contending status, in a premier market, has always been in the green, even while mediocre, to a city that was not able to maintain one?


And if the team is to move, I would become a fan of the Phoenix Suns or wherever EJ ends up.

[Forte IV]

I have never been a Laker fan. Even when I first started watching basketball in elementary school and all my friends were rooting for the Lakers, I was never a Laker fan. Hell, I considered myself a Timberwolves fan for a solid month when I first heard about the NBA because the Wolf was my favorite animal. Then I turned on KTLA 5 and watched the Clips play. I will never root for the Lakers. SO once again Wammy. I will continue to ignore your ridiculous claims.

[kylem4711]

I don't like this thread

[RiversideClips]

Who the Heck is Wammy Giveaway ?

Probably a Laker fans that is crying that "we were great in the past" Lakers haven't measured up in the past 3 years. When the lakers get KOBE back every thing will change & the lakers will win again, right?

Wammy's rhetoric + Laker propaganda on a Clippers Board = Nonsense

Thanks for your post Wammy, please don't do that again.

[Wammy Giveaway]

Why does everybody think I hate the Clippers and that I'm a Lakers spy? This is NOT my intent for this thread.

This thread was created so that I could question the board why there are people who want the Clippers to relocate or die off. I've looked at Twitter, Bleacher Report, ESPN, Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, Fansided, NBA, NBC Sports, here. Every where I go, there is at least one holding an opinion that the Clippers should move.

For the Clipper fans, this is your chance to prove why you want to keep them here. I plan to share this with The Starters next week as a Fanmail question.

Look, I want the Clippers to stay as much as you do - I want them to live. I've been keeping an eye on this team ever since the lockout season. Slowly and surely, they've grown, and are continuing to grow. I want them to live so they can have a chance to atone for all of Donald Sterling's sins, including the immortal one of him helping Dr. Jerry Buss buying the Lakers in 1979. The Clippers are like the Boston Red Sox, living in a curse because their owner helped the New York Yankees, their ancient enemy, become the Evil Empire by selling Babe Ruth. It took Boston 86 years and a 0-3 miracle comeback for the Red Sox to absolve themselves of all wrongdoing and automatically win the World Series in 2004. I believe the Clippers will emulate what the Red Sox did to win their first ever NBA Championship.

This is a Cinderella team I relate to the most. The same can be said for the Los Angeles Kings of NHL - I'm not a fan of them, but I love seeing a team who's been an underdog all their life go the distance to shed themselves of that "loser" label.

All I want is to see the Clippers have their Disney ending. If you can't see that, then I don't know what else to tell you.

[Ranma]

Why wasn't this thread posted in the General NBA board? A separate post in the Sterling thread directing to that thread would have served the purpose and would probably not come off as suspiciously or offensive.

[Neddy]

WHAT A MORONIC THREAD.

I lived in Tacoma area when the Sonics were leaving town, and their final draw was when the voters of Seattle said a big fat NO to the taxpayers subsidized plan for a new arena. When the Sonics left, maybe a few dozen of fans protested at the city hall, but most Seattelites couldn't care any less. TV didn't even cover a whole lot of it either. they left in a very un-ceremonial fashion.

so now, somebody is gonna pay a billion dollars to move the newest, hottest team in the biggest basketball city in the world, playing in one of the newest, fanciest arenas that already rocks out the clipper colors from the outside (if you haven't noticed, the staple center is colored in red white and blue) and sells out every game, to... the RAINLAND where most sports fans cheer for their championship winning SeaHawks and their lovable losers Mariners, AND move into the dilapidated Key Arena until a new one gets built? have you seen how many times the voters yes-ed then No-ed and city stalled over their monorail project in downtown? really, move out of a sell out Staples Center just so you can move into a much smaller basketball market in Seattle and their KeyWest Arena with no certainty of a move-in ready new arena built nor have a finish date.

**** MoRoNic. pathetic thread.

[Neddy]

If you can't see that, then I don't know what else to tell you.

you can do us all a favor and leave this forum alone.

here is what you are doing. a friend of yours had his parents go to prison, you are an adult but have younger siblings at the house. he knows what needs to be done, and he is going through all the emotions, getting ready to buck up and be the man of the house. then you walk in to his house and ask if your friend is going to send the younger kids to an orphanage or send them to a distant relative elsewhere. what do you think your friend will say or do?

just shut up and leave. you are clearly not one of us.

[Neddy]

can somebody lock this piece of **** thread? thanks in advance.

[Sofia]

OP, when you write to The Starters, tell them they were much more entertaining as The Basketball Jones. I've gone from listening to each podcast twice as TBJ to listening maybe once a week if I've run out of other pods to listen to. Oh and Trey isn't funny and should stop pouting if someone disagrees with his opinion.

[Roscoe Sheed]

If the Clippers were to move, I hope it would be a relatively local move- to Anaheim, Inglewood (I live close to the Forum- it would be cool if they played there, but of course that isn't going to happen), or at most back to San Diego. I think all of these places are unrealistic and that if the Clips are sold they will be playing at Staples still- it is the most state of the art arena in town and I like going downtown to the games. However, it would be nice if they stopped playing in the same arena as the Lakers.

[Clemenza]

F*ck the Sonics.. Get this thread out of here. They didn't even support that team in their final years in Seattle. They didn't even go watch Durant when he was a rookie for crying out loud. All that Microsoft, Starbucks money up there and they let some hick from OKC rob them of the their so called beloved franchise. What a joke. They're a sham. Outside of beating the #1 seed Denver decades ago Seattle never gave a sh*t about the Sonics. Now we hear all this heartfelt "I miss my Sonics" bullsh*t. Where the Clipps gonna play at- the Tacoma Dome?? Go play somewhere Seattle, we're busy. Go get the Bucks or TWolves to move. We're on to bigger and brighter things than sappy fake memories of a team you guys supposedly loved and cared about.

Plus downtown LA-LA Live is on fire right now.. nobody is going to pay a billion dollars and move to the team to where they'll be worth $450 million. F*ck Anaheim too. Downtown LA is where its at right now. LA Clipps fo life!!

[Neddy]

Who the Heck is Wammy Giveaway ?

Whammy is an impostor. now proven to be a flakers troll.

[azncorruptedo17]

reposting:

For all the buyers, the clips are not a household name but in a large market. For anyone to keep saying to move them to seattle, an above-average area at best, with a $1.5b+ bid is an idiotic business move. They would still need to build a new arena that would be up to par which would then add to the expense. Can seattle even afford to help pay for a new arena yet? I would assume yes, but will they?

That nearly puts the cost to almost $2b if the city doesn't want to help fund the arena. Why in the world would a large market team be moved to an above-avg market for that amount?

Seattle to OKC in itself was an exception... Seattle was already bottom 5 in attendance during their rebuilding years, Seattle didn't want to cough up more money to help build a new arena or renovate the current one so essentially at that point Seattle was considered equivalent to OKC in regards to market. A side note: someone from another forum made a point that without Hurricane Katrina, OKC wouldn't have been an option. But since NOLA played there and showed that they can host a team, as well as be receptive, that didn't help Seattle's case in keeping a team. Once an OKC guy bought the team, it was basically a done deal.