OT: Sonics Have Arena Deal With Muckleshoots?

by Slica on Sep 16, 2007 10:15 PM PDT

I stress this: Its a RUMOR, but a very strong one. Check out the details here:

http://www.sonicscentral.com/blog/

Make sure you read the post and the comments in full to get the whole picture.

I seriously hope this is all accurate.

I still hate the owners, but yeah. Still waiting for confirmation by the papers, but it appears legit.

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god willing

by Matthew on Sep 16, 2007 10:19 PM PDT reply actions

Rumor repeated

here.

I'll believe it when it becomes official.

by Gomez on Sep 16, 2007 10:22 PM PDT reply actions

no

that's where the rumor started

by Matthew on Sep 16, 2007 10:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Honestly

Even hearing this helps dealing with the Hawks debacle earlier. That ending sucked.

Lets just hope.

Sweet. Fancy. Moses.

by Slica on Sep 16, 2007 10:27 PM PDT reply actions

I'll believe it when I see it.

by eponymous coward on Sep 16, 2007 10:28 PM PDT reply actions

Well...

It's a positive step, but it sure ain't a deal.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/331974_arena18.html

Following the completion of a favorable market feasibility study on an Auburn arena site, the Muckleshoot Tribe announced Monday it is willing to donate a 26.5-acre parcel of land and available parking to any entity that wants to build an NBA arena adjacent to Emerald Downs race track.

by eponymous coward on Sep 17, 2007 4:12 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah I read about that

Apparently they learned that suites and such are not really needed in the Seattle area.

The bottomline is, its 78 million less than the other one, and free land.

Sorry about the rumor. The guy behind it is a political freak, and even has political aspirations. Its hard to think someone would put his future in jeopardy...so im guessing he just got bad information.

by Slica on Sep 17, 2007 4:40 PM PDT reply actions

I don't think it really matters

the mere fact that this option is publicly available is going to make it next to impossible for the team to abandon Seattle at this point. The PR blow would be tremendous to the league as a whole.

by Matthew on Sep 17, 2007 6:20 PM PDT up reply actions

The problem is...

... financing it.

Bennett's proposal has ALWAYS been "Give me a 500 million dollar arena, and let me make a shitload of money, and you take the overrun/downside risk, and I'll stay. Otherwise, Oklahoma City will GLADLY whore itself for me."

I say no deal on those terms. At a minimum, the public contribution needs to be capped, and the ownership group needs to make a significant contritbution of THEIR own cash (cash they can get from licensing naming rights doesn't count). It also needs to help pay off Key Arena.

by eponymous coward on Sep 17, 2007 7:11 PM PDT up reply actions

oh I agree

I just mean the public and political pressure to keep the club in Seattle now is going to be immense. Stern cannot let an ownership group hold a major city like Seattle hostage and then move them to OKC despite a totally reasonable option for the team the stay.

by Matthew on Sep 17, 2007 7:14 PM PDT up reply actions