September 14, 2007
Seattle to Sonics: Stay, just a little bit longer
The Seattle city council voted unanimously on Monday to hold the Sonics to their lease on KeyArena. While Mayor Greg Nickels had already said he had no intention of allowing team owner Clay Bennett to buy his way out of the lease before it expires in 2010, the council vote assures that no buyout will be forthcoming. Just listen to councilmember Sally Clark:
"The council's intent is to keep the Sonics and Storm here and playing in KeyArena through 2010 and longer, if possible. If something magical happens and some deal none of us have thought up arises that would allow for a better outcome, the council can simply come back for a review. We meet every Monday."
Er, um, okay then. But at the very least, it sends a signal that the council doesn't intend to meet Bennett's demands for a new arena to replace the one the city completely rebuilt in 1995. Right, Seattle Times columnist Steve Kelley?
These are the next steps:
- A workable arena plan has to be cobbled together. Without an arena, the Sonics in Seattle are dead.
- Local politicians and business leaders have to continue to voice their support for the team and the arena.
They sure don't make ultimatums the way they used to...
In other Sonics news, Bennett has backed off his plan to ask the NBA for permission to relocate to Oklahoma City on November 1, but only because that's the night of the team's home opener, and he wants the players to "have the stage to themselves as they open the season." Translation: It's never nice to start out the season by being hanged in effigy.
If Steve Kelley is the Sonics beat writer (didn't look it up, sorry), then he definitely doesn't want to see them go; otherwise he's going to be covering high school intramural steeplechase, or some such.
It always baffles me that the inherent vested interest of some journalists who push for these things isn't exposed more frequently.
Posted by: biggreentevas on September 20, 2007 03:45 PM
(coughs, points modestly to himself)
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1482
Posted by: Neil on September 20, 2007 09:41 PM
