NBA returning to Seattle?

[Sports Hernia]

Sac will never build the arena. Seattle got punked by the NBA.

And Sacramento just punked the NBA, like you said, that new arena will never get built, as they don't have the cash!

 

[Snohomie]

If St. Hansen isn't able to get a public commitment of an expansion team, on a timeline he agrees to, I hope he sues the everloving bejeebus out of the NBA. We know how much the behind-the-door promises of David Stern are worth.

 

[pinksheets]

If St. Hansen isn't able to get a public commitment of an expansion team, on a timeline he agrees to, I hope he sues the everloving bejeebus out of the NBA. We know how much the behind-the-door promises of David Stern are worth.

I agree. Everybody says that if he does we'll never get a team back, but fine, that's where I'm at anyways. Go nuclear on the NBA. If they can scorch earth here then we'll return the favor.

And as Mitch pointed out on KJR today, this all to keep the team in Sacramento, an absolute crap market. It almost seems like a joke.

 

[JOz56]

If St. Hansen isn't able to get a public commitment of an expansion team, on a timeline he agrees to, I hope he sues the everloving bejeebus out of the NBA. We know how much the behind-the-door promises of David Stern are worth.

I agree. Everybody says that if he does we'll never get a team back, but fine, that's where I'm at anyways. Go nuclear on the NBA. If they can scorch earth here then we'll return the favor.

And as Mitch pointed out on KJR today, this all to keep the team in Sacramento, an absolute crap market. It almost seems like a joke.

Yup, at this point I'm aiming to ruin the NBA. I don't care if it leads to never getting another team, they have made it clear they don't want us.

 

[JSeahawks]

If St. Hansen isn't able to get a public commitment of an expansion team, on a timeline he agrees to, I hope he sues the everloving bejeebus out of the NBA. We know how much the behind-the-door promises of David Stern are worth.

I agree. Everybody says that if he does we'll never get a team back, but fine, that's where I'm at anyways. Go nuclear on the NBA. If they can scorch earth here then we'll return the favor.

And as Mitch pointed out on KJR today, this all to keep the team in Sacramento, an absolute crap market. It almost seems like a joke.

What can you sue for though? I'm assuming he knew that even if he had an agreement to purchase the team that the other NBA owners would still have to approve relocation. Clearly Seattle is getting screwed, but it doesnt seem like within the system they did anything you could sue for.

I'm not trying to take the NBA's side, just asking the question.

 

[Laloosh]

I'm as disappointed as the next guy but some of you are getting pretty "Fatal Attraction" about it. Sucks but give it a few days to let things shake out. If anything, someone should just publish David Stern's cell phone number once a month so he has to keep changing it. Don't get mad, get even

 

[Snohomie]

https://twitter.com/TheMontyShow

SF Sports guy who has been saying that Sacramento would keep the Kings and talking Seattle expansion for at least a week. More accurate than most so far. He's saying that Hansen and NBA are working on an expansion deal.

Public announcement or it never happened. I hope Hansen remembers that he is dealing with a snake.

J - I imagine it would be an antitrust suit launched "by" the Maloofs (paid for by Hansen), claiming the NBA is a monopoly denying them the right to sell their team for what it is worth.

 

[pinksheets]

If St. Hansen isn't able to get a public commitment of an expansion team, on a timeline he agrees to, I hope he sues the everloving bejeebus out of the NBA. We know how much the behind-the-door promises of David Stern are worth.

I agree. Everybody says that if he does we'll never get a team back, but fine, that's where I'm at anyways. Go nuclear on the NBA. If they can scorch earth here then we'll return the favor.

And as Mitch pointed out on KJR today, this all to keep the team in Sacramento, an absolute crap market. It almost seems like a joke.

What can you sue for though? I'm assuming he knew that even if he had an agreement to purchase the team that the other NBA owners would still have to approve relocation.

I'm not trying to take the NBA's side, just asking the question.

If they deny the sale, there are antitrust implications, regardless of what NBA by-laws are, they don't trump federal law. The NBA is a de facto monopoly that one could argue coerces all parties into waiving legal rights due to being the only game in town. If they refuse to consider expansion, there are antitrust implications there as well, as it can be argued that this de facto monopoly is acting as a cartel that unfairly constricts the number of teams to line their own pockets. If Hansen actually took over the team and they tried to deny relocation again, there's always the antitrust route Al Davis took against the NFL, as well. These are 30 separate businesses, not one company that actually grants "franchises" in the sense that McDonalds does. When a Tampa Bay ownership group was denied their perfectly sound PSA to buy the SF Giants with the intention of relocating, they sued the MLB, the MLB panicked and granted Tampa expansion. These professional sports leagues basically operate on wink and nudge type agreements that everybody involved has an aligned interest not to see this whole thing blow up, because they do operate on very shaky legal ground. It's why during the past NFL lockout there was a lot of talk, and even a lawsuit started (which was pulled back when an agreement was reached) that would have nuked the entire concept of the NFL draft. I have no idea if Hansen and Ballmer would even consider going this route, but if anybody knows some good antitrust attorneys, it's going to be Steve Ballmer.

The NBA's greatest weapon against antitrust suits is that they have the deep pocket books to stay in the legal process game longer than most potential plaintiffs, not a strong basis in law.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

Steve Sandmeyer ‏@SteveSandmeyer 1h
Welp...there goes my theory RT @ChrisDaniels5 NBA Commish David Stern just spoke on @NBATV - said expansion not on table

 

[NorCal]

The antitrust route is a dubious route. One, nobody has denied a sale yet. Plus the by laws do play a role. The fact of the matter is nobody has really won an antitrust suit of this nature, so there is no case law on point. The lockout correlation is the wrong one to make. Different issues. Courts are not kind to owners suing their partners. They are more open to players suing, but its still very expensive.

 

[hawkcrazzed]

sue the shit outa them worked for the mariners. funny how an orginaztion like the mariners could set a precident in a team they don't want back.
the nba doesn't want to be here fine. need to stand up and take the fight to them.

 

[pinksheets]

The antitrust route is a dubious route. One, nobody has denied a sale yet. Plus the by laws do play a role. The fact of the matter is nobody has really won an antitrust suit of this nature, so there is no case law on point. The lockout correlation is the wrong one to make. Different issues. Courts are not kind to owners suing their partners. They are more open to players suing, but its still very expensive.

There isn't case law on this because the leagues never let it get that far. They set up certain criteria for considering relocation and sales agreements so that they have something legally defensible, as opposed to trying to just blatant exert absolute control. If taken to court, I'd love to see them explain why staying in Sacramento makes more economic sense than the Seattle relocation, and it's why the NBA does not want Hansen and Ballmer pushing for an ownership vote, because they have no reason to deny them. If they could show an ownership group is not economically viable, they have nothing to fear in court, but other than that, owners can sell to who they want, and really, can move teams to where they want. Like I said, they are counting on those parties not having the balls to take them to court, not on a strong legal foundation. Like I said, the MLB balked at the lawsuit against them by the Tampa group that had a sound PSA to buy the Giants, and that league even has some antitrust protection, the others have none.

 

[mech.romance]

This news just ruined my week, and it's only Monday. =(

 

[BlueThunder]

Now I'd love to see the Maloof's say "ok, fine. We're not selling then. So where's our new arena? Let's get this done!". That'd be great!

 

[Feed the Hawk]

Funny thing is, I'm not even sure Stern cares about the size of the market for teams. Why else would he support the Sonics to OKC, arguably the smallest market in all of pro sports. There's more going on underneath the surface.

 

[Hawkfan77]

http://diylol.com/meme-generator/****-david-stern/memes/im-a-*******-cocksucker

 

[Blitzer88]

https://twitter.com/TheMontyShow

SF Sports guy who has been saying that Sacramento would keep the Kings and talking Seattle expansion for at least a week. More accurate than most so far. He's saying that Hansen and NBA are working on an expansion deal.

Public announcement or it never happened. I hope Hansen remembers that he is dealing with a snake.

J - I imagine it would be an antitrust suit launched "by" the Maloofs (paid for by Hansen), claiming the NBA is a monopoly denying them the right to sell their team for what it is worth.

I don't see expansion happening. I mean Mitch Leavy called Ballmer and put his responses on twitter and he believed expansion was out of the question and than Stern tonight echoed that same sentiment. Its all over, and its a shame. Just life as a Seattle sports fan.

 

[Feed the Hawk]

Now I'd love to see the Maloof's say "ok, fine. We're not selling then. So where's our new arena? Let's get this done!". That'd be great!

This would also make me happy. Fold that paper tiger.

 

[Throwdown]

I find it odd that the Sac group has until Friday to get their act together. The hell happens if they don't?

 

[SeatownJay]

I find it odd that the Sac group has until Friday to get their act together. The hell happens if they don't?

Stern will continue to give them extensions.