Official Seattle SuperSonics 07/08 SEASON Thread

[you big dummy]

Season Schedule





News:
Sonics Tell NBA They Will Move To Oklahoma City...

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Breaking News: Sonics Tell NBA They Will Move To Oklahoma City
November 2, 2007 - 2:34 pm

RealGM Staff Report -

Seattle SuperSonics & Storm Chairman Clayton I. Bennett made the following statement on Friday regarding the future of the franchise.

"We notified Commissioner Stern that we intend to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City if we succeed in the pending litigation with the City, or are able to negotiate an early lease termination, or at the end of the lease term.

"We have not made a decision regarding the future location of the Seattle Storm. We appreciate the deep local interest and support for the Storm and have begun to evaluate a future course of action for the team.

"Notwithstanding the uncertainty and difficulty of this challenging time, we remain completely committed to the success of our basketball teams. We will continue to provide our players, coaches and staff the tools and support they need to be competitive."

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Seattle Group offers to buy the SuperSonics

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SEATTLE -- A local group of investors has offered to buy the Seattle SuperSonics to keep the city's oldest major league professional sports franchise from being moved to Oklahoma City.

The group headed by Dennis H. Daugs, a private wealth manager and managing director of Lakeside Capital Management LLC, issued a news release Friday saying the group had written a formal letter of interest to Sonics owner Clay Bennett of Oklahoma City, who also owns the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.

"We want to recapture the spirit and love of basketball in Seattle by bringing the Sonics and Storm back to local ownership," said Daugs, a former minority owner of the NBA franchise.

The statement did not identify anyone else in the group, nor would Daugs give that information Thursday in an interview with The Seattle Times. Also unclear was how much the group would be willing to bid.

Bennett, who bought the Sonics from a local group headed by Starbucks Coffee chairman Howard Schultz for $350 million last year, has said the club is not for sale. Schultz's group paid $200 million for the franchise in 2001.

Bennett, unhappy as was Schultz with Key Arena, threatened to move the club unless an agreement was reached to build a new stadium by Wednesday. He has not issued a statement on the future of the club since the deadline passed.

"This town loves the Sonics and Storm," Daugs said in the statement. "We have a genuine appreciation of the fan base. We respect the many loyal fans and we want to build a populist movement to keep the teams here. We believe there is strong local support for the Sonics and Storm."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

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-ESPN

For a dummy, you make a lot of sense​

"You Big Dummy'08."​

 

[darthska]

I know it doesn't apply to this thread (yet), but... in an attempt to discourage people from mistaking these season/news threads from game threads, I'll be editing out game info from titles of season/news threads for a little while, until everyone is clear on the difference between season threads and game threads. Stuff like, "12/06 vs LAL" (for example) only makes people wonder if this is the season-long thread or the game thread.

Additionally, we would PREFER people indicate something like "'07-'08 Season Thread" or "Sonics News" in the titles, but that's not a demand or rule or anything.

The point is to just make it clear where the game discussion is and where the season-long discussion is, and not blur the line between the two in the process.

4L8O15S16T23!42 ​

My 5 teams: 1. ANGELS, 2. LAKERS (I grew up on Angels/Lakers games), 3. UK WILDCATS (my wife is from Kentucky), 4. TN TITANS (we married and started our lives together in Tennessee), 5. L.A. SPARKS (WNBA/Sparks fan since Day One). When my teams aren't playing, I'll always show love for these SoCal teams: L.A. CLIPPERS, S.D. PADRES, Anaheim DUCKS, USC TROJANS, S.D. CHARGERS, L.A. AVENGERS, L.A. DODGERS, U.C.L.A. BRUINS, L.A. KINGS, L.A. GALAXY. "This game is in the refrigerator! The door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's gettin hard, and the Jello's jigglin!" -Chick Hearn (R.I.P.)​

 

[you big dummy]

For a dummy, you make a lot of sense​

"You Big Dummy'08."​

 

[exileue]

From True Hoop

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Save Our Sonics: This Game is FAR from Over

November 2, 2007 5:57 PM


I just got off the phone with Steven Pyeatt, who is the co-founder of the Save Our Sonics and Storm movement.

I wanted to get his reaction to Clay Bennett's announcement that he is applying to the NBA to move the team. His reaction was very interesting.

For starters, even though this man has been living this project for ages, and knows all the key players, he was so unconcerned by today's news that he hadn't even bothered to read the press release.

"Clay Bennett is like the guy robbing the convenience store," says Pyeatt. "He has to convince the clerk that he has a real gun, it is loaded, and he's willing to use it. Otherwise, he's not going to get any money out of register. This is just one more step in that process."

Pyeatt is convinced that while this might be a big public relations moment, nothing has changed in assessing the power stuctures at play. And he thinks there is an excellent chance Seattle will hold onto its team.

"People have been talking like this is crunch time," he explains, "but I don't even think this game has reached halftime yet. The way I describe it is that we have a lot of hand grenades in the bucket. And we keep lobbing them at Clay Bennett, and he keeps throwing them out the window. But eventually, one of them is going to blow up in his face."

Pyeatt and I talked for the better part of an hour, during which time he recited countless reasons for Seattle basketball fans.

The local political situation has shifted dramatically. The comments of Aubrey McClendon, a report showing that the Seattle Center development without an NBA team, and the discovery of the "specific performance" clause in the lease -- seemingly a legal way to bind the team to Seattle into 2010 -- have made it so that on the Seattle City Council, according to Pyeatt, there is now unanimous support for the efforts of Save Our Sonics.
The region itself is booming in such a profound way that the NBA can't really want to leave. Pyeatt cites a study saying the population in Seattle region -- which includes, by one estimate, 70,000 millionaires -- will grow by as many people in the next decade as live in all of Oklahoma City. Also, as Clay Bennett pointed out when he first bought the team, a lot of those people will be high wage-earners working for Microsoft and the like. What's more, Seattle is a gateway to the Pacific Rim and Asia -- the key growth area for the NBA overseas.
The state-wide political scene has changed dramatically, too. Pyeatt: "The governor of Washington won or lost her office -- depending who you ask about the recount -- by about 130 votes. Sonic fans have let her know that there are more than 130 of them who would like her to keep the team here. And if the team is playing its first game in Oklahoma City next November 2, that won't be good for her re-election effort on November 4."
Pyeatt has not heard specifics, but has heard through back channels that the city and state governments have agreed in principle to a plan that they are both happy with to fund an arena.
A dark-horse candidate to build an arena, the Muckleshoot Tribe, has the land, the cash, and the will to get a stadium done, and has contributed mightily to Washington state politics.

It is very expensive for Clay Bennett and his co-owners to keep fighting for this team, against the obstacles they are now facing. They paid, says Pyeatt, more than the team was worth. They are losing millions a year. They are facing a class action lawsuit from shareholders, and another lawsuit enforcing the lease. Relocation fees would be in the tens of millions.
The people at Save Our Sonics have a lot of angles left to work. Pyeatt outlined some of them. For instance, Pyeatt and others from Save Our Sonics are traveling to New York next week to meet with David Stern, and Pyeatt hopes, Billy Hunter.

They have messages for each. To Stern, they want to recommend that the NBA and its relocation committee not act on Clay Bennett's request until pending litigation has resolved, which could be the better part of a year from now. "If David Stern and the NBA votes to allow relocation, by our understanding of the law, the NBA and its owners who vote for relocation could be named as defendants in the lawsuit to enforce the lease," says Pyeatt. "That would be a big mess. On the other hand, if the NBA sits this one out, then they can wide in wearing their white hats to encourage some kind of compromise deal when this is all over."

If the people from Save Our Sonics can meet with Billy Hunter, they will ask the head of the Players Association to examine the current collective bargaining agreement. "We believe there is a clause stating that if NBA revenues decline, the Players Association can re-open negotiations of the CBA," says Pyeatt. "Believe me, no one wants that. But if you move a team from Seattle to Oklahoma City, guess what, revenues are going to decline."

Pyeatt is also aware of some conditions of the sale from Howard Schultz's group to Clay Bennett's group. Apparently Schultz and his partners could have sold for more money to a group from California, but took less with the condition that the new owners would make a good faith effort to stay. (The terms are expressed, Pyeatt says, in a confidential "side letter" that has not been made public, but may be part of discovery in the upcoming trial.) If Bennett's group does not make a good faith effort to stay, one of the possible remedies, Pyeatt speculates, is that the previous owners may be entitled to buy the team back -- and while Schultz may not be interested, many from that group are.

Pyeatt also suggests that the local government might flirt with using eminent domain to simply claim the team. It's bold and has never made it to a court before. But in cases where it has been threatened, it has prompted negotiations. "No way any sports league wants that case to make it to court," explains Pyeatt. "They might say it's 99% likely they'd win, but once it gets to court, you never know what's going to happen. And if that 1% prevails, no team in any league can ever strongarm a city again."

When you put it all together, though, what is Pyeatt's best guess as to what will happen? He points out that the Mariners and Seahawks were way further down the road to leaving than the Sonics are, but similar forces conspired to keep them in town. He's betting the same thing will happen this time: the NBA will not want to abandon the burgeoning Seattle market, and some kind of compromise will be reached. Perhaps Bennett and company will take the team to Oklahoma and another franchise like the Grizzlies will come to Seattle, or perhaps the Grizzlies or another team will be given to Bennett and company to take to Oklahoma City.

One way or another, he suspects there will be NBA basketball in Seattle for years to come, and Clay Bennett's announcement today did nothing to dissuade him.


Seattle SuperSonics

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Keep the Sonics in SeattleKevin& Chris& Jeff& Luke& Delonte& Earl& Damien & Nick& Johan
Out of towners don't be knowin about the best-kept's/Ain't nothing better than the summer in the NORTHWEST​

 

[nbadotcom]

Can $tern reject the bid to move?
It seems that having a team in Seattle rather than PoDunklahoma City is in the best interests of the league

2007-2008 PHOENIX SUNS
PLANETORANGE
Nash-Marion-Stoudemire-Bell-Barbosa-Diaw-Hill-Banks-Skinner-Marks-Piatkowski-Tucker-Strawberry​

 

[franchise206]

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Perhaps Bennett and company will take the team to Oklahoma and another franchise like the Grizzlies will come to Seattle

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:x

LOVEYOU want them..
not because everyone else does.."

 

[ballinboykz]

This is what I think. Seattle NEEDS an NBA Franchise. Its not going to look right to see another team named the sonics that are not in seattle. Like, does it come down to a bad fanbase? Not enough revenue? Not enough tickets sold? What does it come down to that is forcing the NBA to move them to a new city. If the sonics were to move, Oklahoma City would be the place to be. But the sonics should never, NEVER be moved to another city.

.:: |Team| Toronto| Raptors| ::.​

.:: We Aint Scurred of the C's ::.​

TEAM PRARIE BOYZ​

 

[you big dummy]

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Perhaps Bennett and company will take the team to Oklahoma and another franchise like the Grizzlies will come to Seattle

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For a dummy, you make a lot of sense

"You Big Dummy'08."​

​

 

[airmaxin1]

Man I grew up watching/attending Sonics games.
Gonna be weird seeing "Supersonics" at then end of a different cities name....Oklahoma Supersonics :x

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[Kanye]WHY CAN'T THEY GIVE AN NTer A CHANCE MAN I GOT THE MOST POSTS IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW FAM[/Kanye]

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-RawSheed

 

[exileue]

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Like, does it come down to a bad fanbase? Not enough revenue? Not enough tickets sold?

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Keep the Sonics in SeattleKevin& Chris& Jeff& Luke& Delonte& Earl& Damien & Nick& Johan
Out of towners don't be knowin about the best-kept's/Ain't nothing better than the summer in the NORTHWEST​

 

[dmbrhs]

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even one of the minority owners admited they would make more money in seattle than they would in OKC. so i guess money isn't the real reason for moving the team.

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Keep the Sonics in Seattle

KEVIN / & JEFF/ & Wally / & Chris / & Luke / & Earl / & Damien / & Nick / & Johan​

​

 

[ballinboykz]

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apparently 40+ years of supporting a team doesn't equal up to OKC's track record of a year and a half.

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.:: |Team| Toronto| Raptors| ::.

.:: We Aint Scurred of the C's ::.

TEAM PRARIE BOYZ​

​

 

[gottagitdemjs]

I'm from Kansas about 120 miles from Oklahoma City. The word around here is that they're moving because Seattle would not agree to build a new facility and Key arena is a dump. <--media words, not mine. Another thing is, OKC has proven that it can sell out game after game with the Hornets the past couple years.

Mr. Muggles
Leading the revolution: 2008 BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA!​

 

[dmbrhs]

I'd also like to point out the histories of the other pro sports teams in Seattle that were close to moving before they got saved and got new stadiums:

Mariners - until 1995, had never made the playoffs and had one winning season. Had two good months of baseball and got a new stadium out of it.

Seahawks - had some success in the early to mid '80s, never made the Super Bowl though, and the overall franchise record the previous 15 seasons before Qwest Field was approved was well under .500 with no playoff victories


Compare that with the Sonics - been around 40 years, the longest of any team in Seattle. One championship, another trip to the finals a decade ago. Stretches of success (making at least conference finals in three different decades: '70s, '80s and '90s) and no prolonged sub-.500 stretches until recently.

Unfortunately Seattle is a "what have you done for me lately" city, and the Sonics haven't done much. But are Seattle sports fans so naiive to think the Sonics aren't the most important franchise in the city's history?

Keep the Sonics in Seattle​

KEVIN / & JEFF/ & Wally / & Chris / & Luke / & Earl / & Damien / & Nick / & Johan​

 

[exileue]

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I'm from Kansas about 120 miles from Oklahoma City. The word around here is that they're moving because Seattle would not agree to build a new facility and Key arena is a dump. <--media words, not mine. Another thing is, OKC has proven that it can sell out game after game with the Hornets the past couple years.

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Keep the Sonics in SeattleKevin& Chris& Jeff& Luke& Delonte& Earl& Damien & Nick& Johan
Out of towners don't be knowin about the best-kept's/Ain't nothing better than the summer in the NORTHWEST​

 

[10027]

I wish every single time I heard about the Sonics this year there didn't have to be some discussion of the whole stadium thing. I can tell ESPN will mention it literally every time they show any highlight...If it is the last season, I want to enjoy it. And the basketball is looking pretty good...The team has great chemistry already, I'm surprised. They looked disgusting in pre-season.

Keep the Sonics in Seattle​

Ray / & Rashard / & Chris / & Luke / & Earl / & Damien / & Nick / & Johan​

 

[cabral richards]

^ 10027 you need to update your sig

TEAMTHESCORE
​

 

[kidjustice19]

This is all Schultz's fault. He is the one that sold the team to bennet knowing he is from OKL.... I hate schultz, and I thought I heard stern wants the team to move also... I hate stern and schultz

 

[exileue]

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This is all Schultz's fault. He is the one that sold the team to bennet knowing he is from OKL.... I hate schultz, and I thought I heard stern wants the team to move also... I hate stern and schultz

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Keep the Sonics in SeattleKevin& Chris& Jeff& Luke& Delonte& Earl& Damien & Nick& Johan
Out of towners don't be knowin about the best-kept's/Ain't nothing better than the summer in the NORTHWEST​

 

[exileue]

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Not buying it

SuperSonics chairman Clay Bennett has informed NBA commissioner David Stern that his ownership group intends to relocate the team to Oklahoma City as soon as it can get out of its Key Arena lease. Celtics guard Ray Allen, who played in Seattle from 2003-07, wasn't surprised.

"When the team was bought from the previous ownership they told us and everybody in the city that they sold it to a group that they thought would most likely keep the team in the city," Allen said. "Everybody thought that was some [garbage]. How is someone from Oklahoma City going to buy a team in Seattle who doesn't have any ties [in Seattle] and has big money in Oklahoma? If things don't go right, everybody's craving for the team to move to Oklahoma City.

"It just seemed like they got the higher bid because they made more money selling the team to someone outside of the city. So when they made that announcement [to move], it came as no surprise to me.

"I think the people of that city are so snake-bitten by previous ownership and now the new ownership."

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www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2007/11/05/doc_riverss_father_dies/

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Spencer Hawes Defends Seattle
Posted Oct 5th 2007 11:32AM by Tom Ziller
Filed under: SuperSonics, Kings, Seattle, The Word

Kings center Spencer Hawes has been reviled on the web for his political views. A devout Republican, Hawes got the most heat from his stance global warming is a myth. He took a less controversial but vastly more interesting political position at a brief Thursday media session in response to a question about his hometown Sonics. (The emphasis is mine.)
Yeah we always had season tickets. Especially when I was a little kid, I tried to go to as many games as I could. We remember watching (Gary Payton), (Shawn) Kemp, guys like Nate McMillan when you're growing up. That was my favorite team as a kid. Now to watch them, obviously you have to put that to the side, but still you have a soft spot in your heart for your childhood team. To see all the stuff it's going through now, I just think it's a little bit ridiculous.
Of course a Seattle kid -- especially one who grew up in the incredible Kemp-Payton era -- thinks the relocation efforts are "a little bit ridiculous." This isn't the Vancouver Grizzlies. This team has been in Seattle 40 years. It is a part of Seattle.

While it's not a hard position to take for you and I, it is for Hawes. While his comment was muted and brief, it was clear: He hates what Clay Bennett is doing to his town. Some players speak up about a lot of things -- Etan Thomas and the Jena 6, Tracy McGrady and Darfur. But players (especially young ones) don't talk about relocation, they don't meddle in ownership business. Hawes, however subtly, stuck his neck out there. And we should applaud him for it.

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sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/10/05/spencer-hawes-defends-seattle

Keep the Sonics in SeattleKevin& Chris& Jeff& Luke& Delonte& Earl& Damien & Nick& Johan
Out of towners don't be knowin about the best-kept's/Ain't nothing better than the summer in the NORTHWEST​

 

[brianp3ppers]

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This is all Schultz's fault. He is the one that sold the team to bennet knowing he is from OKL.... I hate schultz, and I thought I heard stern wants the team to move also... I hate stern and schultz

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