NBA returning to Seattle?

[Throwdown]

Nope, according to your mayor you should be supporting no matter what, he did say we couldn't demonstrate fan support when Bennett was screwing us over.

 

[JOz56]

I'm sorry you won't be getting a team in the immediate future, but the Kings belong in Sacramento. The problem was the Maloofs... not the fans, city, or team support. With the Maloofs gone the team will thrive again. I hope you understand that by the team staying in Sacramento, millions of people will avoid having to go through the same heartbreak you did when you lost the Sonics.

Seattle deserves a team, no doubt, and I hope they get one, but Sacramento was not the town to take it from.
-Kings Fan

by millions do you mean the 13000 fans (last in the league) you averaged this season?

dont act all tough ("Sacramento is not the town to take it from") because you got bailed out by Stern and a half ass offer. you got lucky. you didnt survive drowning because you're a strong swimmer, you had a rope thrown to you. and if finishing last in attendance behind NBA powerhouses like the Bobcats and Pelicans is some show of your cities undying love for the team then god help the NBA and Sacramento.

so kindly f--- off

The Kings were grossly missmanaged and the Maloofs had shown their a bunch of cheats and liars.

And the Sonics weren't mismanged their last several years? Seriously? As we were told when we lost the team by anybody smug enough, "that doesn't matter."

 

[m0ng0]

I'd rather shake hands with stern than root for the blazers.

I will leave a candle in the window for you :thirishdrinkers:

 

[TheRealDTM]

I'm sorry you won't be getting a team in the immediate future, but the Kings belong in Sacramento. The problem was the Maloofs... not the fans, city, or team support. With the Maloofs gone the team will thrive again. I hope you understand that by the team staying in Sacramento, millions of people will avoid having to go through the same heartbreak you did when you lost the Sonics.

Seattle deserves a team, no doubt, and I hope they get one, but Sacramento was not the town to take it from.
-Kings Fan

I hope Hansen buys the kings, leaves them in Sacarmento, holds up the arena deal and drives your team into the ground until you feel sick to your stomach.

 

[hawkcrazzed]

I think my whole problem with all of this is that its a big boy business. And Sac just got a hailmary for a blanken team that has 3 other blanken teams with in a short distance. Really u need 4 basketball teams in one state really. You greedy @ss f's get over yourself. You don't have the better offer. You don't have the damn money and also. The HUGE WHALE u all trust wants to sabermetrics the kings so u are going to suck for decades. And be back on the market faster then u got saved. But hey im just a pissed sonics fan who had a longer history, championship, and rabid fanbase. You guys have a team that has never had a home before sac and that was because its easy to put a team in California. But hey if the nba wants to lose money like the phoenix in the nhl. Be my guest but don't expect me to love you when u finally come calling to me. When u realize we have everything u don't.

 

[Uncle Si]

I'm sorry you won't be getting a team in the immediate future, but the Kings belong in Sacramento. The problem was the Maloofs... not the fans, city, or team support. With the Maloofs gone the team will thrive again. I hope you understand that by the team staying in Sacramento, millions of people will avoid having to go through the same heartbreak you did when you lost the Sonics.

Seattle deserves a team, no doubt, and I hope they get one, but Sacramento was not the town to take it from.
-Kings Fan

by millions do you mean the 13000 fans (last in the league) you averaged this season?

dont act all tough ("Sacramento is not the town to take it from") because you got bailed out by Stern and a half ass offer. you got lucky. you didnt survive drowning because you're a strong swimmer, you had a rope thrown to you. and if finishing last in attendance behind NBA powerhouses like the Bobcats and Pelicans is some show of your cities undying love for the team then god help the NBA and Sacramento.

so kindly f--- off

The Kings were grossly missmanaged and the Maloofs had shown their a bunch of cheats and liars. Seattle only out-attended Sacramento in 3 of 23 years.

so you've managed to average less than 14,500 (which would be last) over the three years prior to this season as well. So what you're saying is your city will back a winning team. but when youre losing.....

again.... f--- off. Noone here wants to hear you defend your city. noone here cares. im happy for you. but to say "Sacramento isnt that city" is simply ridiculous

 

[Throwdown]

I'd rather shake hands with stern than root for the blazers.

I will leave a candle in the window for you :thirishdrinkers:

We shall only join hands 4 times a season when you play the thunder, maybe make it 8 when you play the queens.

 

[SonicHawk]

Grabbed this from the 'net.

 

[Throwdown]

with Hansen, Russell Wilson, and Richard Sherman, could this be the greatest era in Seattle Sports?

 

[NorCal]

No, it's not.

If I get you to sign something that says you can't sue me for running you over in my car deliberately, and then I run you over in my car deliberately and you sue for damages, the judge won't drop the suit when I show him the contract where you said you wouldn't sue.

With the example of running someone over with your car aside (its a silly example that doesn't apply here), you do realize that you think it makes no difference that Hansen will be asking a judge to uphold one contract while dismissing another? Like Hansen would say, "Judge, don't worry about that little piece of paper I signed with the NBA. Please just focus on the purchase agreement because thats whats important here"

Really, none of know the details of these documents anyways, to include the agreement with the Maloofs. I would be SHOCKED if there were not contingencies considered in the agreements, i.e. subject to NBA approval.

 

[Throwdown]

Is there really proof that says Hansen even signed something that sounds so stupid?

Or are you just relaying something Aaron I'm Never Wrong Bruski said?

 

[Laloosh]

I know a lot of people are expecting (or hoping) for Hansen to go super sonic and threaten legal action or something but I just don't think he'll go that route. He's already invested what, $90M in this effort? I think he'll play it cool, do what he can to make a case to the full board and at the very least leave them questioning not only Stern, but themselves for saying "No" to such good money.

In the end, Silver takes over next year and Hansen still has time on his arena deal. Play it cool and when Stern is gone, make them an offer they can't refuse.

I guarantee those of you who are having to be talked off of the ledge right now come around when you see team shops opening up in SODO flying a bunch of green and gold.

 

[Throwdown]

I know a lot of people are expecting (or hoping) for Hansen to go super sonic and threaten legal action or something but I just don't think he'll go that route. He's already invested what, $90M in this effort? I think he'll play it cool, do what he can to make a case to the full board and at the very least leave them questioning not only Stern, but themselves for saying "No" to such good money.

In the end, Silver takes over next year and Hansen still has time on his arena deal. Play it cool and when Stern is gone, make them an offer they can't refuse.

I guarantee those of you who are having to be talked off of the ledge right now come around when you see team shops opening up in SODO flying a bunch of green and gold.

I don't think so either, but this whole ride is going to last longer and thats the worst thing about all of this.

 

[Throwdown]

And I guess this NorCal guy with that clown in his avatar, is right. All prospective owners do sign something saying they won't sue if the purchase isn't approve.

 

[Lords of Scythia]

It's like dealing with a bully, you don't beg for forgiveness and mercy, you punch him right in the MOUTH! Stern and Clay Clay better start counting their teeth 'cause they are going to have a lot less of them in the very near future! :th2thumbs:


Its going to get real UGLY for the NBA, and when it looks like they are going to get their asses handed to them in the courtroom, an out of court settlement will be reached and Seattle will be granted an expansion team or the Kings, much like the Pilots/Mariners situation, thats my prediction!

++++1

Here's the dirty truth - ALL of the pro sports leagues are cartels/monopolies that operate in violation of anti-trust laws. The only reason they haven't blown up is because 99% of the disputes are between owners & players - both of whom have a vested interest in keeping the monopoly alive (the arguments are just about how to divide the $$$$) so it's like the old days of the Cold War and brinkmanship diplomacy ... the sides will threaten the nuclear option at the bargaining table, but neither really wants to go through with it.

HOWEVER - in cases where it's an outsider or a plaintiff dead-set on carrying it through, precedent & law is stacked against the leagues - from players suing for Free Agency, to Seattle suing to get back the Pilots/M's, to Al Davis suing to move the Raiders ... hell, even the USFL suing the NFL (remember, the USFL won every argument in court, it's only because of their own mismanagement they didn't receive damages)

The leagues survive because a) they have deep pockets to keep people from suing or drag it out procedurally and b) when push comes to shove they know it's better to buy the plaintiff off and make them happy rather than see things through to the end.

The NBA can talk tough, but in the end money talks. If Hansen sues, the NBA has a helluva lot more to loose than he does and the owners aren't going to piss that all away because David Stern wants to leave a "legacy". They may bitch about it, but they'll let Hansen in their club - and when the Seattle market is pouring it's $$$ into the league's coffers, they'll learn to get along just fine.

Sounds about right to me.

 

[Blitzer88]

Dave Softy Mahler ‏@Softykjr 2m
Hearing more on Stern not letting Sac lose team. Was never an option for him. Gotta wonder if he was honest with Sea group from start.

SCREW STERN!

 

[twisted_steel2]

Dave Softy Mahler ‏@Softykjr 2m
Hearing more on Stern not letting Sac lose team. Was never an option for him. Gotta wonder if he was honest with Sea group from start.

SCREW STERN!

Sounds about right, we always suspected he was trying to protect Sac.

My question, why didn't Seattle get the same protection? Oh yea, he's buddies with Bennett. Old boys club, maybe Hansen doesn't know the secret handshake yet?

 

[The Outfield]

Explains why KJ seemed so extremely confident from the beginning. Stern probably told him "Don't worry, I will do everything to make sure you keep the Kings, I promise that."

 

[Throwdown]

I saw on Sonicsrising that its only a small penalty to spit in someones face, anyone wanna take the dive with me and spit on Stern?

 

[vedthree]

Still thinking about this whole mess this morning and was listening to Brock & Danny on 710 .... Brock brought up a great point that I hadn't considered:

Despite Seattle's offer being superior in every way, it lacks one MAJOR aspect that Sacto promises to deliver - $250M in public subsidy. Seattle's offer doesn't involve handing public money over to the NBA. I-91 is still in effect here. The "public" portion of our package is not a subsidy, it's basically a loan backed by Hansen/Balmer & paid back to the city (with interest). $250M public money is always going to trump $500M private money in the eyes of all the owners - because none of them want to set the precedent where they may be asked to pony up for their own arena or improvements in the future. It's a Billionaire Boy's Club that survives sucking on the government teat. The potential of the Seattle market means less to the bottom line than having cities like Sacto, Milwaukee, OKC, Charlotte, etc stumbling over themselves to pay the NBA for the "privilege" of providing even more corporate welfare.

Even after this morning when I'm more clearheaded & less emotional about it, I still think going Nuclear is Hansen's only option. We have no guarantee of a team otherwise. We're never going to be an appealing market to the NBA because we've shown we won't play their public money game, and that still hasn't changed. We're their leverage to get public money from other cities, and they'll keep us on the hook for that purpose as long as they can. If we continue to "play nice", there's no telling how long this will drag out. We simply don't have the time to wait. In our lifetimes, at least - we're never going to get a white knight ownership group like this again. we're never going to have the pieces lined up to get an arena like this built, and we're NEVER going to have a government willing to subsidize (hell, it took Hansen moving mountains for the local government to agree to let him spend his own money)

We need to show the NBA unequivocally that we're not going to play their games. This has become even more personal for me - I want this done the right way. I want it validated how bad we've been screwed over. I want an expansion team, not some sloppy seconds, and I want to fight the NBA and win. I'd rather never have a team here than be used again.