Dilemma of a Sonics fan

[namethebats]

I see three options:

1) Keep rooting for the team now that they're in Oklahoma City;
2) Switch to the next-closest team (the Blazers);
3) Switch to the primary team of where I'm living now (the Pistons).

There's also rooting for the team I live closest to (the Timberwolves), but their games aren't televised here, and they're even sorrier than the OKC team.

What do you guys think?

[Josh]

Wait a couple years until you get an expansion team (worked for Cleveland and Houston in the NFL).

[Son of Dorvid]

I would choose #1.  Jeff Green will get Oklahoma City to at least the 2nd round within, uh, I don't know I just like Jeff Green.

[Gilly]

Timberwolves!

Nah, just kidding. Pistons man. Unless you're planning on moving soon, there's nothing better than rooting for the home team when it comes to sports.

[jbissell]

I'd swear off the NBA until Seattle gets a new team, especially after Stern's shady dealings.  I'm glad that they at least can't use the Sonics name when they move to OKC.  Either way, I'm going to miss the Sonics, they have a special place in my heart as a Bulls fan as the only team that could've actually beaten them in the Finals.

[Andy]

just bite the bullet and root for the OKC Tornado-bombs.

I might have to actually start watching the NBA.

also, the way it loks, the city of seattle is now asking the state to pony up for  the improvements to key arena that the residents of seattle weren't willing to pay for? and seattle  getting an expansion team or the second half of the money from clay b. is contingent on the state paying for the improvements?

[Gilly]

Pretty stupid that Stern allowed him to buy the team seeing that he had no intention of keeping them there. At least he'll always have the local newspaper patting him on the back! (His wife's family owns it)

[jamesp]

The last thing the league needs is more teams. The less teams there are, the more good players will be on each team and make the game exciting.

I say they need to move the Grizzlies out of Memphis up to Seattle. Memphis averaged 69% attendance last year at home (second worst in the league behind the Pacers). The Sonics had a horrible turn out too (third worst) but relocation from a market that doesn't care for the franchise to a bigger NBA market is much better than creating more franchises.

[erechoveraker]

Wait for a new team.

Ugh that's such a frustrating situation though.

[namethebats]

just bite the bullet and root for the OKC Tornado-bombs.

I might have to actually start watching the NBA.

also, the way it loks, the city of seattle is now asking the state to pony up for  the improvements to key arena that the residents of seattle weren't willing to pay for? and seattle  getting an expansion team or the second half of the money from clay b. is contingent on the state paying for the improvements?

It looks like they'll have to do $300 million in renovations to Key Arena before they get another team in there. If the legislature approves funding and they don't get a team within five years, Bennett has to pay another $30 million.

I don't know if the legislature's going to approve the money - they already shot down funding earlier this year.

[namethebats]

I say they need to move the Grizzlies out of Memphis up to Seattle. Memphis averaged 69% attendance last year at home (second worst in the league behind the Pacers). The Sonics had a horrible turn out too (third worst) but relocation from a market that doesn't care for the franchise to a bigger NBA market is much better than creating more franchises.

If Seattle was going to get any existing team, I'd hope for the Grizzlies; they haven't been in Memphis that long, so it wouldn't be as hypocritical to celebrate their arrival.

[Trembling Eagle]

Seattle aint a big sports town I think. In an era of 5 dollar petrol....
Hard to make a working man care about that nonsense. It's increasingly becoming a luxury of the shrinking middle class, attending games anyway.

[<<<<<]

Honestly, this is the first I've heard that the Sonics have actually left.  (And I'm a Seattleite.)

Those dollars would be better spent on building mass transit, imo.

[Gilly]

Sports are an important part of community. It's as important as music, books, plays.... It's another way of bringing communities together, and just like we fund all of those arts we should fund sports. It may not be as high brow but people gather around their hometown team and that is very important. Are rich people making money off the public? Yeah. But, rich people who own museums and theaters do the same thing and a lot more people care about the local teams. You can gripe about that all you want but it's the truth.

[yesno]

I don't think anyone gets rich from museums. The already rich get involved in museums.

Also, lots of popular entertainment gets no public support- rock music, movies.

I agree that some amount of public funding for stadiums is probably a good idea, I'm just not sure that "popular or worthwhile=needs support" holds up.

edit:  To get a bit more nerdy, I think that the kinds of things that need public support are the kinds of things where the benefits to society or a region are widespread, but those benefits don't necessarily accrue to investors.  Situations with positive externalities.  Sports franchises might be one of those things.

It's just irritating when teams go to state and local governments for special favors year after year, but then when they're not happy all of a sudden they act like the team is their property in the same way your lawnmower is.  At lot of the value of the team comes from civic support to begin with.