Sonics Owner: I AM moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City

[registerthis]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...csmove03m.html



1/2 a billion bucks?

Get real.... for a building with one tenant, ridiculous.

Meanwhile

Local group makes pitch to buy Sonics

I'll never, ever again cast my support towards a publicly financed stadium/arena project after the Columbus-Nationwide Arena debacle. If a billionaire owner wants to pack up his toys and go across the street because the local citizenry won't build him a bigger sandbox, let him walk.

Here in DC, the new Nats baseball stadium is $272 million over the original budgeted estimate. And they're banking on it revitalizing a part of the city that stadium projects have historically not shown a propensity to do. Bad deals all around. Meanwhile, DC public schools sit in a state of disrepair and the District's central library needed a new home yesterday. But, hey, I'm so glad the District decided to pony up $670 million for that white albatross down on the Potomac.

[gm]

wow gm, that was a pretty harsh article. they're doing some serious hatin on portland.

We should probably cut them some slack, imagine if the Blazers were to leave and someone came up and asked if we wanted to become Laker fans?

(OTOH, how could a native Oregonian ever root for the Mariners or Seahawks? That's H*sky country...)

[pedro]

We should probably cut them some slack, imagine if the Blazers were to leave and someone came up and asked if we wanted to become Laker fans?

(Besides, how could a native Oregonian ever root for the Mariners or Seahawks? That's H*sky country...)

I guess I just won't weep for them when they get washed away by a giant tidal wave

[gm]

I guess I just won't weep for them when they get washed away by a giant tidal wave

Hey, no joking about earthquakes/tidal waves, my wife's family lives in Tacoma.

(Besides, I wouldn't want to be stuck on low ground around here either, should the Columbia and Willamette rivers start "backing up")

[pedro]

Hey, no joking about earthquakes/tidal waves, my wife's family lives in Tacoma.

(Besides, I wouldn't want to be stuck on low ground around here either, should the Columbia and Willamette rivers start "backing up")

True enough.

[westofyou]

True enough.

[pedro]

yeah, but that just flooded "the pearl district"

what's the downside?

[Chip R]

You seem the say thing with cities trying to lure businesses with tax incentives. Its probably not to the same degree but I know Louisville makes it very lucrative for Ford to keep to plants here.

It's different for businesses that have a great deal of employees that spend money there, that live there, that have their kids go to school there. A company like Ford also produces a product 365 days a year. Granted, they don't get 15K people out to see them make cars but I don't think that's something a company like Ford is going to lose sleep over. A sports team is only going to play in that town every so often. While they do employ concessionaires and stadium people, it doesn't offset the importance a large industry can bring to a city.

You move a sports franchise and there are going to be some people out of work and fans will be sad. You shut down a Ford plant and the local economy goes into a depression.

[gm]

yeah, but that just flooded "the pearl district"

what's the downside?

I'm guessing the trains didn't run on time that week