Seattle investor has plans to build downtown arena

[afc wimbledon]

The NBA and Paul Allen would look like absoloute tools if they let the Blazers move into Seattle a few years after letting the Sonics walk. It would be a PR debacle.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

The NBA and Paul Allen would look like absoloute tools if they let the Blazers move into Seattle a few years after letting the Sonics walk. It would be a PR debacle.

How? The Sonics left Seattle because they didn't have an NBA caliber arena to play in. That team wasn't allowed to walk, it was forced to walk. If that changes, and a new arena is built, it's a whole new landscape. I don't think Portland would be the most logical team to move, but it's not an issue of picking team A and moving them where you feel like it, you have to have owners who are willing to own a team in Seattle as opposed to another market.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by valo403

How? The Sonics left Seattle because they didn't have an NBA caliber arena to play in. That team wasn't allowed to walk, it was forced to walk. If that changes, and a new arena is built, it's a whole new landscape. I don't think Portland would be the most logical team to move, but it's not an issue of picking team A and moving them where you feel like it, you have to have owners who are willing to own a team in Seattle as opposed to another market.

The NBA are in a whole heap of trouble wiith small market teams already, the image of a billionaire owner moviing his team out of a perfectly good arena into a new city a bit closer to his house would not play well.

It would also be a huge message to any city thinking about building an arena, don't bother as they only want another one in 15 years.

[seattleflamer]

I dont' want to go too off topic but the Trailblazers won't leave Portland because of the solid fanbase and Allen is committed to the city. There not coming to Seattle imho.

As for the Sonics leaving, Shultz sold when he couldn't get the same sweetheart taxpayer subsidy that the Seahawks/Mariners received. The new owner played the game but in the end had absolutely no intention of keeping the team in Seattle.

Key Arena was all fixed up and Stern gave it the stamp of approval yet 7/8 years later, it was suddenly not a NBA quality facility?

Whatever, I went to lot of Sonics games, it was fun but I feel that the NBA will get a very cold reception as long as Stern is the Commish in Seattle versus the tabla rasa of a shiny new toy like the Seattle Coyotes to the average sports fan.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by seattleflamer

I dont' want to go too off topic but the Trailblazers won't leave Portland because of the solid fanbase and Allen is committed to the city. There not coming to Seattle imho.

As for the Sonics leaving, Shultz sold when he couldn't get the same sweetheart taxpayer subsidy that the Seahawks/Mariners received. The new owner played the game but in the end had absolutely no intention of keeping the team in Seattle.

Key Arena was all fixed up and Stern gave it the stamp of approval yet 7/8 years later, it was suddenly not a NBA quality facility?

Whatever, I went to lot of Sonics games, it was fun but I feel that the NBA will get a very cold reception as long as Stern is the Commish in Seattle versus the tabla rasa of a shiny new toy like the Seattle Coyotes to the average sports fan.

You can put makeup on a pig but it's still a pig. That building wasn't NBA quality.

[seattleflamer]

Originally Posted by valo403

You can put makeup on a pig but it's still a pig. That building wasn't NBA quality.

Except for the fact an NBA team played in the facility for decades. You're in NYC, I assume you've schelped down to Islander games just to take a peek. You're telling me NCC (or whatever it is called now) is NHL quality yet an NHL franchise plays there and it was bad when I went to games in mid/late 90s.

I don't recall Bettman forcing the Isles to move?

Is Key Arena state of the art and the most modern NBA facility? No and I'm not saying that but it was functional without all the bell and whistles. I don't recall Stern making the Sonics move based on Key Arena. He did support Bennett's plan however.

And frankly, if the Kings move to Seattle, guess where they'll play for a couple of years? Not the Tacoma Dome.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by seattleflamer

Except for the fact an NBA team played in the facility for decades. You're in NYC, I assume you've schelped down to Islander games just to take a peek. You're telling me NCC (or whatever it is called now) is NHL quality yet an NHL franchise plays there and it was bad when I went to games in mid/late 90s.

I don't recall Bettman forcing the Isles to move?

Is Key Arena state of the art and the most modern NBA facility? No and I'm not saying that but it was functional without all the bell and whistles. I don't recall Stern making the Sonics move based on Key Arena. He did support Bennett's plan however.

And frankly, if the Kings move to Seattle, guess where they'll play for a couple of years? Not the Tacoma Dome.

Wait, where did I tell you that? Nassau Colliseum is a dump, it is anything but NHL quality, and if the Isles don't get a new building they will be moving. How you came to the conclusion that I think it's NHL quality is baffling.

You somehow seem to think that the presence of an NBA team in a building makes it NBA quality. Does that mean that Alaska Airlines Arena becomes NBA quality if the Kings play a couple of seasons there? Would the Olympia be NHL quality today if the Wings still played in it? I mean after all, an NHL team played in it for decades.

BTW, commissioners don't make owners move teams, owners move teams because their current location is less desirable than another location. A major factor in that is the arena.

[Flash Walken]

Actually, I think there is a strong comparable between the situation on the Island and the situation with the Sonics.

In the end, civic (and state) politics took precedent over a major sports team. It looks like the same thing will play out in Long Island.

That doesn't mean things can't change in the future, but, cities like Seattle that stick to their guns are likely to reap the future benefits when private money decides that it's worth it, even if the public doesn't subsidize the building, like what seems to be happening right now.

I think Seattle expansion is a great idea.

[Azure]

Doesn't Everett have a WHL team as well? So that makes 5 WHL teams in the Pacific Northwest, right?

[saskflames69]

Originally Posted by Azure

Doesn't Everett have a WHL team as well? So that makes 5 WHL teams in the Pacific Northwest, right?

7 if you include BC.
Portland, Seattle, Everest, Kennewick, Spokane, Vancouver, Victoria

[seattleflamer]

Originally Posted by valo403

Wait, where did I tell you that? Nassau Colliseum is a dump, it is anything but NHL quality, and if the Isles don't get a new building they will be moving. How you came to the conclusion that I think it's NHL quality is baffling.

You somehow seem to think that the presence of an NBA team in a building makes it NBA quality. Does that mean that Alaska Airlines Arena becomes NBA quality if the Kings play a couple of seasons there? Would the Olympia be NHL quality today if the Wings still played in it? I mean after all, an NHL team played in it for decades.

You didn't tell me anything. It's a figure of speech, my friend....(oops did it again).

Anyway, I apologize if it you took it as putting words in your mouth.

My point is there are several facilities in both leagues that are far from ideal yet it works well enough for leagues to endorse play, the fans to show up and the owners make money year after year like Nassau or Key did in the NBA. Key was good enough until Bennett arbitrarily said it wasn't with league support. Were cement blocks falling on people or people going outside to take a whiz because of the poor facilities inside or was it more a question of not enough luxury boxes to maximize revenue or taxpayer based concessions to mitigate cost outlays? Did it need to be replaced or remodeled to bring it up to current NBA/NHL league standards? Sure it does/did.

And yes, if Stern lets the Kings play at Key Arena, it implies that the facility must meet league standards at least at a minimum level which it didn't 4 years ago. It makes you wonder how Stern lets the other league he is commissioner of, you know the WNBA's Storm, play at an inadequate facility like Key? I haven't heard they're moving to a new facility based on quality of facility.

How could the PAC 12 and NCAA Division I allow team like WAZZU and Gongaza play basketball games at the "too good for the NBA" Key year after year or host NCAA Tournaments at the Key? What is so different I wonder?

Arbitrary, my friend, complete and utter arbitrariness related more to stiffing the taxpayer and government for good old corporate welfare. The proverbial free lunch.

[Plett25]

Seattle Cascadians

[valo403]

Originally Posted by seattleflamer

You didn't tell me anything. It's a figure of speech, my friend....(oops did it again).

Anyway, I apologize if it you took it as putting words in your mouth.

My point is there are several facilities in both leagues that are far from ideal yet it works well enough for leagues to endorse play, the fans to show up and the owners make money year after year like Nassau or Key did in the NBA. Key was good enough until Bennett arbitrarily said it wasn't with league support. Were cement blocks falling on people or people going outside to take a whiz because of the poor facilities inside or was it more a question of not enough luxury boxes to maximize revenue or taxpayer based concessions to mitigate cost outlays? Did it need to be replaced or remodeled to bring it up to current NBA/NHL league standards? Sure it does/did.

And yes, if Stern lets the Kings play at Key Arena, it implies that the facility must meet league standards at least at a minimum level which it didn't 4 years ago. It makes you wonder how Stern lets the other league he is commissioner of, you know the WNBA's Storm, play at an inadequate facility like Key? I haven't heard they're moving to a new facility based on quality of facility.

How could the PAC 12 and NCAA Division I allow team like WAZZU and Gongaza play basketball games at the "too good for the NBA" Key year after year or host NCAA Tournaments at the Key? What is so different I wonder?

Arbitrary, my friend, complete and utter arbitrariness related more to stiffing the taxpayer and government for good old corporate welfare. The proverbial free lunch.

I'm not sure if you get that 'cement not falling from the roof' is not the measure of whether or not something is good enough to be considered NBA/NHL quality. The measure is exactly what you appear to dismiss, the ability to maximize revenue. This is a multi-billion dollar business, and it's run as such. I don't get the confusion.

The WNBA reference is total nonsense. Once again, the measure isn't the ability for the roof to stay up, it's the ability to maximize revenue. You don't need much to do that in a league that attracts a couple thousand people to it's games at most. The same analysis applies to your equally nonsense example of Wazzu and Gonzaga. Those games may be sold out, but they are one off games and therefore operate in a complete different realm.

Btw, did you really reference owners making money year after year and Nassau in the same sentence? The Isles are hemorrhaging money, largely due to their arena situation.

[Josh]

Originally Posted by saskflames96

7 if you include BC.
Portland, Seattle, Everest, Kennewick, Spokane, Vancouver, Victoria

8. Kelowna

[tomo]

Seattle Press conference 2pm (pst) on Thursday.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...hansen16m.html

"NBA arena backer to reveal Seattle plan Thursday
Christopher Hansen, the wealthy San Francisco mystery man who wants to build a sports arena in Seattle to lure NBA and NHL teams, will unveil his proposal at a news conference Thursday, according to two city sources"

[missdpuck]

Seattle Soundgardens

[flylock shox]

Seattle Chief Boot Knockas

[tomo]

So sounds like it could be the Sacramento Kings as the nba team

http://seattle.sbnation.com/2012/2/1...stopher-hansen


They said on the Fan960 last week that Phoenix is probably the nhl team.

I think I would prefer Florida or Columbus.
That way Winnipeg could stay in the East

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by tomo

So sounds like it could be the Sacramento Kings as the nba team

http://seattle.sbnation.com/2012/2/1...stopher-hansen

and then most likely the Phoenix Coyotes?

They said on the Fan960 last week that Phoenix is probably the nhl team

How could it be either of those teams? They have no arena, it will take 5 years to build it.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Actually, I think there is a strong comparable between the situation on the Island and the situation with the Sonics.

In the end, civic (and state) politics took precedent over a major sports team. It looks like the same thing will play out in Long Island.

That doesn't mean things can't change in the future, but, cities like Seattle that stick to their guns are likely to reap the future benefits when private money decides that it's worth it, even if the public doesn't subsidize the building, like what seems to be happening right now.

I think Seattle expansion is a great idea.

To a point its the same. However, Seattle more or less publiclly finananced the new baseball stadium in the early 2000's, and new football stadium a couple years after. The downtown arena a few years after that was bad timing.
The arena was no better then the old American Airlines (I think) arena in Phoeni, where the Suns and Coyotes played, but new arenas were on the way, plus Phoenix had ownership tight with the NBA office.
Suprised Sacramento lasted as long as they have. I was in that arena in the mid 1990's and its far too small (similar to the AA Arena in PHX) for an NBA team and no room for renos, and on top of that the city itself doesn't have the market to draw from.

I think this guy will be going after NBA team hard, with an NHL team as a consolation prize...but lets see his arena plan first and if its one like Katz....the "I'll put up 1/2 the funds for the arena, buy the NBA franchise with local investors, but the rest needs to come from somewhere else and then we'll have an NBA team, for a fraction it would've cost the taxpayers to have kept the Sonics back when" sell job.