The biggest question remains unanswered: If the NBA cancels Hansen’s purchase agreement, by what mechanism would the league force the current owners to sell to the Sacramento group? As I have written here before, this fact—that a purchase agreement has been signed, that the Kings are not a beef cattle up for auction—is the single strongest factor in the Seattle group’s favor. Continue reading Seattle to NBA: Do We Get Our Sonics Back or Not?
Conlin, who studied history as an undergraduate, sounds like a history major still when he argues that, “Only since World War II has it become customary for local governments to be primary funders–and the current trend may be away from public finance.” That “only” refers to about 70 years. Continue reading City Council’s Two “No” Votes on Arena Justify Their Lack of Love
God bless Chris Hansen. After proposing one of the most generous arena investment deals in the history of American professional sports, he absorbed insults from anti-everything idiots, endured a misinformation campaign by the city’s newspaper, survived a blindside hit by the myopic Seattle Mariners and finally swallowed his privacy just so City Council members don’t have to explain capitalism to old ladies. Continue reading City Council Covers Ass, Fans Get Free Beer in Seattle Arena Win-Win
Art Thiel at Sportspress Northwest, which has become the go-to source for arena news, tackles the I-91 implications here. Oddly, back in 2008, when a “Save the Sonics” proposal that called for $150 million in public and $150 million in private funds was floated, Van Dyk said “he thinks the latest proposal could be a good deal for taxpayers,” according to the Times. Continue reading Op-Ed: Seattle Arena Proposal Beset by Paid Nabobs of Negativism
I’ve seen some strange arguments put in play myself. There are the people who wonder whether Seattle–the city that supported the Sonics from 1967 to 2008–can now afford to support “another” team, as if the previous 40 years didn’t exist. That’s a bit of a head-scratcher. There’s the concern about congestion in the stadium district–my god, congestion! Continue reading Top 5 Reasons Why the New “Sonics” Stadium is Safe for Seattle
Yesterday a buzz started building that something new was afoot in the attempt to bring the NBA back to Seattle. Insiders were whispering about a game-changer. This morning, it’s clear what that is: Hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen revealed three big investor names on KJR Sports Radio: Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, and Erik and Peter Nordstrom. Continue reading Ballmer and Nordstrom Brothers’ New Triangle Offense May Get NBA’s Attention
Ironically, given producer Adam Brown’s ejection from Howard Schultz book-signing at Costco in 2011, director Reid is joining Reign Man Kemp for a DVD signing at the SoDo Costco from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. this Thursday, May 17. It looks like you need to be a Costco member to get in, in which case you already know the address: 4401 4th Avenue South. Continue reading Sonicsgate Documentary Gets an Assist from Shawn Kemp
