Sonics Get New Arena Agreement In 6 Weeks Or They Move...

[duncan228]

Things are heating up in Seattle.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/nba/09/21/sonics.arena.ap/index.html

Sonics want arbitration on lease

SEATTLE (AP) -- The Seattle Sonics are demanding arbitration on their lease in Key Arena.

There's three years left on the lease, but team owner Clay Bennett wants to move unless there's an agreement by the end of next month on a new arena.

Bennett told a news conference today the team lost $20 million last season and it can't continue this way in Seattle.

Bennett leads a group of Oklahoma City businessmen that bought the team in 2006 for $350 million.

Bennett says he hopes to have a decision from a three-member arbitration panel by January. That would give him time to ask the NBA to relocate the team for the 2008-09 season.

The Sonics are likely headed to Oklahoma City if they don't get a new arena agreement in the next six weeks.

[Kyle Smith]

I may have to fly back to Seattle and kick some ass.

I don't want my sonics going anywhere.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

OKC Sonics

[duncan228]

OKC Sonics

We better get used to it.
I guess it doesn't sound too bad.

[Extra Stout]

Bennett of course is insincere here. Seattle could throw the moon and the stars at him, but no deal will ever be "good enough," because he wants to put a team in Oklahoma City.

[K-State Spur]

Seattle could throw the moon and the stars at him

but they won't. and they did for the M's and the Hawks. Sonics are clearly 3rd fiddle in that town. I can't blame the ownership for wanting OKC - a city that would love a pro sports franchise - and I can't blame the people of Seattle for letting him go.

[Samr]

OKC would not only get a basketball team (finally), but one with Durant and a future. Hell, I think they would be happy with the Hawks. A potentially powerful team like the Sonics would be a dream come true for them. Lucky bastards.

[ChumpDumper]

It's ok. That area around Seattle is going to get three CBA teams in the next couple of years. Maybe they can prove they can support a D-League team in the next decade or so.

[baseline bum]

OKC has proved they're a great market, but I hate to see them get their team at the expense of another group of true fans. I'll still always hate them for booing Tim when he turned his ankle in game 6, but you gotta admit their crowd was impressive in games 3,4, & 6 in 2005.

[duncan228]

OKC has proved they're a great market, but I hate to see them get their team at the expense of another group of true fans. I'll still always hate them for booing Tim when he turned his ankle in game 6, but you gotta admit their crowd was impressive in games 3,4, & 6 in 2005.

I agree.
Booing Duncan was classless.

I saw many Sonics games from 1997-2004. Their fans are great.
Even without sell outs the crowd that was there could make some noise.
And they did so with Payton and then with Ray Allen.
I always had a blast at their games no matter who they played. (Never got to see a Spurs game though...)

[Darkwaters]

OKC has proved they're a great market, but I hate to see them get their team at the expense of another group of true fans. I'll still always hate them for booing Tim when he turned his ankle in game 6, but you gotta admit their crowd was impressive in games 3,4, & 6 in 2005.

Should have let OKC keep the Hornets. New Orleans could care less about them and they'll probably be on the move (again) in a couple years anyways. Besides, the people of OKC would rather have the Hornets any day of the week.

[baseline bum]

Should have let OKC keep the Hornets. New Orleans could care less about them and they'll probably be on the move (again) in a couple years anyways. Besides, the people of OKC would rather have the Hornets any day of the week.

That would have been the logical thing. No way New Orleans will support that team now, when their attendance was awful before Katrina.

[Phil Hellmuth]

LOL @ seattle, they got two of the nicest stadiums with football and baseball but don't wanna dish out the bucks for bball.

[duncan228]

LOL @ seattle, they got two of the nicest stadiums with football and baseball but don't wanna dish out the bucks for bball.

True stuff.
The Mariners and the Seahawks have nice stadiums.
The first time I went to Key Arena I was shocked.
I expected better.

[MajorMike]

One of the main reasons the Seattle govt is balking at the new Sonics arena, is that they got bad deals in the other 2 and are in debt still from the Key arena remodelling. They won't pay out any more money while they have debt, therefore its pretty much a dead issue.

[BacktoBasics]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-supersonics-keyarena&prov=ap&type=lgns