NBA returning to Seattle?

drdiags":2u8yyont said:

I can see why the Clippers would want to stay in the LA Market, but that would have to be a team that could consider selling to Hansen and not have a ton of blow-back. Don't know if the current Sterling is the same Donald Sterling who was a brunt of jokes on how badly he ran that team.

Since they share the Forum, it wouldn't be because of a building that they were leaving. Just some idle thoughts in my pea-brain.

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While unlikely, can we still fistbump doc and pass the man a Centrum Silver for this thinking? Yeah, Sterling wouldn't sell, but it's a deal the NBA owners would do, actually. Sterling's a drag on the owners fraternity. And, while losing LA would be tough, the ellure of Hansen/Ballmer and getting Sterling out, would make it passible in committe.

Dreaming about the Bucks and Pacers and Clips are all kind of crazy to me. The NBA just blocked us from moving the Kings, a team that has been passed around like a bong at a frat party, from a city that is a broke garbage dump. Unless Milwaukee or Indianapolis (and their respective states) just throw up their hands and roll over, there is no way either of those teams get moved.

Hansen should have sued the NBA and forced them to guarantee expansion because at this point, the next path into the NBA for Seattle is probably coming up in about 2035.

Those that think the NBA will be watered down should just stop watching the NFL then also, I mean there are only a hand full of eliete QB's in the league and any other team should just be folded. Manning, Brady, Rodgers, and now possibly Wilson. Rest of the teams are watered down at QB and should just sit out till next years draft.

Thats how everyone looks at the NBA, if Kobe and Lebron or Durant sin't on your team your a faliure and there isn't enough players in the world like them so don't expand the league anymore.

Bullshit, blame Phil Jackson for the triangle offense and setting up the clear and one on one match upo with a elite player like Jordon or Bryant for this. Team basketball and actually playing defense can win championships. It's lazy coaching and entitled players that need to be changed.

Smelly McUgly":3ldzxji8 said:

Dreaming about the Bucks and Pacers and Clips are all kind of crazy to me. The NBA just blocked us from moving the Kings, a team that has been passed around like a bong at a frat party, from a city that is a broke garbage dump. Unless Milwaukee or Indianapolis (and their respective states) just throw up their hands and roll over, there is no way either of those teams get moved.

Hansen should have sued the NBA and forced them to guarantee expansion because at this point, the next path into the NBA for Seattle is probably coming up in about 2035.

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You're wrong, actually. The NBA PREFERS markets like Sacramento, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Portland, etc. You know why? Becuase they're the ONLY professional dog in town. I respect your opinion, honest, just make sure its a correct one next time.

Kay, sweetcheeks?

hawkfan68":107ziys9 said:

Lords of Scythia":107ziys9 said:

Isn't there supposed to be a competative bidding process for expansion teams? I think we all know who'd win that, but just sayin--would they just annoint Seattle?

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I'm not sure about that but didn't they just give Charlotte a team when they lost their team? Expansion doesn't make sense in the bigger picture unless you add 2 cities. Just adding one creates an unbalance in conferences (one would have more than the other) plus decreases the amount of money each team receives. I think that is the sticking issue, Seattle wants a team but what other city has stepped forward for a team? If there were 2 cities looking for teams then I don't think expansion would be as big issue. I'm surprised that Kansas City or St. Louis hasn't made a push for a NBA team. Both cities had a team before and lost them.

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There just isn't enough interest in Kansas City all the support is too fractured like City Hall and has too many personal agendas/politics/vendettas to organize into a single united front. St. Louis isn't a basketball town all they care about are the baseball Cardinals. They are similar to Green Bay in that they're not as big as they project. Population wise.

wanna thank all you sonic faithful for getting me interested again. Now I am wondering why I would ever give a squirt of piss again??? Really, I see nothing redeeming about the NBA at this point, other than landing an NHL team.

Dear Mr. Stern.

My butt, your face.

Over it.

GO HAWKS!

pehawk":hbkr8wgv said:

Smelly McUgly":hbkr8wgv said:

Dreaming about the Bucks and Pacers and Clips are all kind of crazy to me. The NBA just blocked us from moving the Kings, a team that has been passed around like a bong at a frat party, from a city that is a broke garbage dump. Unless Milwaukee or Indianapolis (and their respective states) just throw up their hands and roll over, there is no way either of those teams get moved.

Hansen should have sued the NBA and forced them to guarantee expansion because at this point, the next path into the NBA for Seattle is probably coming up in about 2035.

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You're wrong, actually. The NBA PREFERS markets like Sacramento, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Portland, etc. You know why? Becuase they're the ONLY professional dog in town. I respect your opinion, honest, just make sure its a correct one next time.

Kay, sweetcheeks?

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Uh, did you quite mean to quote me? You seem to have gone off the rails there, son.

I agree with all of that, by the way. It's pretty clear that the NBA wants to be able to hold up these cities that only have one pro team for as much public money as possible. How that conflicts with what I was saying, I'm not sure, and honestly, I don't think you are sure about it either.

Well, actually, the NBA will always be more willing to see the Bucks leave than SacTown, because the Bucks compete for pro sports dollars. The Kings are the only game in town.

drdiags":dd2f7fb4 said:

I can see why the Clippers would want to stay in the LA Market, but that would have to be a team that could consider selling to Hansen and not have a ton of blow-back. Don't know if the current Sterling is the same Donald Sterling who was a brunt of jokes on how badly he ran that team.

Since they share the Forum, it wouldn't be because of a building that they were leaving. Just some idle thoughts in my pea-brain.

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Not to nick pick but its called Staples and its in downtown LA not Inglewood. Details??? Anywho, Sterling on his deathbed might make that deal and then burn the cash to deprive any offspring the lyxury because he's that big of a douche. Until that day comes the Clips are a big enough cash cow splitting TV revenue in that market that it will never happen. Especially while the Lakers are down.

pehawk":1pn64a2q said:

Well, actually, the NBA will always be more willing to see the Bucks leave than SacTown, because the Bucks compete for pro sports dollars. The Kings are the only game in town.

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Milwaukee has the Bucks and Brewers. That's it. They are probably about the same level in the NBA's eyes except more entrenched as franchises anyway.

You're splitting hairs, they also have the Packers.

C'mon, sugartits, keep up!

I don't quite agree with your take, pe. It's not that the NBA wants small markets because they are one horse towns. They want small markets that are one horse towns (because they're small markets) because those are the cities they can most hold hostage in exchange for huge public funds. You want to lose your only sports team? You want us to scar your civic pride a bit and head to a "real" city? Oh, we'll do it, bitches.

It's a horrible business model that I think is unsustainable. It's parasitic, which means moving from city to city, sucking up public money until they're sick of it, then moving onto the next. Eventually you'll run out of reasonable targets or they'll be enough cities say "hell no" that the NBA is going to lose a huge source of cash influx and foundation building (through gifting arenas). They'll have shaky reputations in big markets who make sense simply because of the money and audience in the market, and be stuck in the small towns that don't have the advertising revenues, the spending power, or local economics that can push money into their league through traditional, stable means.

Well, Silver is thought of in circles to be a guy who's more for the big time cities as opposed to Stern who was down for the small markets they could bend over.

Well, I think it's both. I believe the original intent leans my way.

He's thought to be, but he's also definitely Stern's hand picked successor in a league that is still going to have Stern involved post-retirement. I refuse to get myself too optimistic about Silver beyond him not having the kind of spite for our city that Stern has.

pehawk":a9x4ll3k said:

Well, I think it's both. I believe the original intent leans my way.

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Original intent when?

If it's not about being able to leverage for public subsidy, then it doesn't really make sense. How much more money can you make uncontested in a small market than you can in a large one with other teams? I'd bet, overall, you make less. I really don't think the central idea is to run from competition. It's simply the lack of competition that gives them ultimate power of those smaller host cities. "The only game in town is leaving", etc. Seattle is a larger market than OKC by over 2.5x, obviously there were a lot of variables in that situation, but just comparing the two markets, I don't see anyway that OKC makes a more profitable destination based on lack of competition. It's all about the buildings.

Throwdown":2bshx3nv said:

Well, Silver is thought of in circles to be a guy who's more for the big time cities as opposed to Stern who was down for the small markets they could bend over.

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This. Exactly why I think relocation is the way we get a team also. Silver is all about the big markets, so why expand and keep the small markets when some are flailing? Silver might want to play a little musical chairs with Seattle rather expand.

But then again I ask, which current owner is willing to make himself a villain to his home city/state like Schultz or the Maloofs? Do you really see Kohl or Jordan doing that? I kinda don't.

I don't know if it'll be relocation or expansion, I do believe we will have a team in the next 2 years though.

Milwaukee isn't as easy as people are trying to make it seem, 6 year lease, owner is pretty adamant about not wanting the team to go to an out of towner. Charlotte is about to change their name back to the Hornets, they have a world class arena already, it might just be a case of the Bobcats brand not catching on.

Who else is there? We aren't getting the Pacers, and they aren't going to move a team from Atlanta to Seattle, Memphis just got a new owner who seems committed to to staying there, Minnesota already said no, I'm running out of teams that would be even remotely possible.

Throwdown":2k7njikz said:

I don't know if it'll be relocation or expansion, I do believe we will have a team in the next 2 years though.

Milwaukee isn't as easy as people are trying to make it seem, 6 year lease, owner is pretty adamant about not wanting the team to go to an out of towner. Charlotte is about to change their name back to the Hornets, they have a world class arena already, it might just be a case of the Bobcats brand not catching on.

Who else is there? We aren't getting the Pacers, and they aren't going to move a team from Atlanta to Seattle, Memphis just got a new owner who seems committed to to staying there, Minnesota already said no, I'm running out of teams that would be even remotely possible.

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I think the Bucks lease buyout is less than 100 million, which isn't much for HBN. I mean they upped their bid 100 mil and offered 125 million relocation fee. A 100 million buyout is not going to deter HBN.

Now their owner did buy the Bucks in 85 in order to keep them in Milwaukee. BUT, if Chris Hansen comes to town and offers 525 million for a franchise valued at 312 million...that will get anyone to the table. I think it's the Bucks or the Bobcats. I don't care that they are changing their name, it won't work. They don't care about that team. Hell, they have so many better college basketball teams to watch in Carolina.