Sonics Insider - Report: Minority owner says group wants Sonics in Okla. City

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Sunday, August 12th, 2007

Report: Minority owner says group wants Sonics in Okla. City

Posted by Eric Williams @ 10:42:49 pm

Thanks to the news tip from one of the blog readers, here's the story I'll have for Monday. Look for a follow tomorrow once I'm able to contact more people.

Aubrey McClendon, one of the partners in the Professional Basketball Club LLC, the group that purchased the Seattle SuperSonics last year, said in a newspaper report that his preference would be to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City.

McClendon, a billionaire from his stake in Chesapeake Energy Co., made the comments in a story published in today’s edition of The Journal Record, a daily newspaper that focuses on business in Oklahoma City.

His comments contradict Sonics chairman Clay Bennett’s previous statements since he led the purchase of the Sonics.

Since buying the team in July 2006, Bennett has maintained that his first priority is to keep the team in Seattle, where it just completed its 40th season in the NBA.

In the report, McClendon admitted the team would make more money in Seattle, but indicated the group would like to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City.

“But we didn’t buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here,” McClendon told The Journal Record. “We know it’s a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it’s great for the community and if we could break even we’d be thrilled.”

McClendon’s comments come a little over a month after Bennett asked Seattle mayor Greg Nickels and other area government and business leaders to renew efforts to put together a new arena deal for the Sonics in the Seattle area.

Bennett and Nickels traded barbs in the media more than a week ago over the potential of remodeling KeyArena. They have not met since Bennett’s attempt to renew talks in July.

According to Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, Gov. Chris Gregoire plans to set up a meeting with Bennett to discuss prospects for a new arena against a backdrop of Bennett’s Oct. 31 deadline for an arena deal.

There has been no word of the meeting, while Bennett has said he intends to file relocation papers if no deal is in place by the deadline, with Oklahoma City the intended destination.

Categories: NBA • 16 comments

COMMENTS:

Comment by rrwrayiii @ 23:18 - Sunday, August 12th, 2007

Let's turn this story into a disaster for the Bennett regime. Let's force the NBA to make the team remain and work out an arena deal. If David Stern puts the hammer down and says no, Bennett will have to go with the flow. Stern has previously said he does not want the team to leave Seattle.

Comment by slicer @ 23:28 - Sunday, August 12th, 2007

Ive been sending this email to everyone:

Hello, im a Sonics fan, and like all Sonic fans, desperate to keep the team in Seattle. Clay Bennett is holding the team hostage with ridiculous commands.

He has a clause in the contract he agreed to buy the team with, stating he has to make a 'good faith effort'. Hes currently sitting on his butt. In an Ok City newspaper, this came out:

“But we didn’t buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here,” he said. “We know it’s a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it’s great for the community and if we could break even we’d be thrilled.”

-Aubrey McClendon, minority owner.

LINK

This might not be a big deal to others, but its huge for Sonic fans. The team has been here for 40 years. I just ask that the word gets out as much as possible and would appreciate it, even if its just a simple link. Thanks.
---------------

It didnt go through to Hoopshype. I have no idea why.

Im glad someone beat me to this, because it shows people are trying to spread the word.

Comment by Marinerman1979 @ 23:41 - Sunday, August 12th, 2007

2010. That is all. :)

Comment by gabemott @ 05:00 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

David Stern has a responsibility to address this. It's not OK for referees to cheat and it's not ok for owners to lie to their fans.

Comment by SPAN1AWAY @ 05:51 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

This should be good ammunition for the Govenor and Mayor of Seattle. The NBA should step in and call this ownership group on the carpet for what their real intentions are and were since the sale of the team.

I will remain hopeful, albeit slim, that somehow this region will find a way to keep the Sonics and Storm in Seattle and will send the Okies packing their $$ back to where they came from!

Comment by we want the ball and we're gonna score @ 07:11 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

Since when did "lets stick it to the man" hippies take over seattle?! Seattle is probably the worst sports town in the country. the mariners and seahawks had huge problems getting new stadiums as well (remember ken behring?!). I think Clay Bennett and co are taking this team seriously. They hired a smart, young GM who seems to make all the right moves. They are focusing on character players and a team-first identity (which sounds oddly familiar with what we always hear about from our friend Tim Ruskell). They are building towards the future, which should have happened a couple years ago because we all know Ray Allen doesn't play D and wouldn't have taken us far in the playoffs. I believe if the city of Seattle miraculously does an about face and helps pay for a new basketball arena, the city will be all that much better and happier for it 5 years later when Kevin Durant is 23 and winning championships. i just don't think fans in seattle care enough about sports to see that happen....i guess they'd rather watch an arts show or some other hippie crap.

Comment by jaz @ 09:04 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

I am a fanatical right-wing reactionary, and I, too, say "Stick it to The Bennett-Man."

Comment by Nuss @ 09:29 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

http://wsuhoops.wordpress.com

I just wonder if Stern knew this when they bought the team -- I kind of wonder how it's possible that he didn't.

That said, he is risking HUGE public embarrassment at this point. I hope he steps in and saves his league from even more embarrassment, because there's no way this thing doesn't turn ugly between our state and Bennett.

I wonder how Sen. Prentice feels going to bat for this guy? I'll bet she's mad as hell.

Comment by knutson_11 @ 09:36 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

Perfect time for this to come out too, I hope this is addressed all the way up to the commissioner. He sat in front of everybody when he bought this team, and told them he was not ogign to up and move to Ok City, and that was not the intention, he is a liar and a fraud! That was also part of the reason he bought this team from Schultz was the promise to try everything to keep the team here, i am sorry a demand for a 500 million dollar arena seems a pretty steep price to pay, and how can that be the only solution?!

Comment by luisc @ 09:47 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

ESPN's True Hoop had a good take on this:
http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop

ugh

Comment by yankinta @ 09:52 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

Just keep them in Key Arena until 2010 and they'll be either be forced out or will have to look for Seattle Based Minority Owner. No Tax Money for them.

Comment by rkhoov @ 09:59 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

What was suspected has been confirmed: The Bennett group bought the Supes for the purpose of moving them to OKC. Their failure to keep the New Orleans Hornets in town forced them to move on to the next best thing, an unprofitable franchise in Seattle. McClendon's statements to the OKC business journal made that clear.
Bennett's spurious efforts to negotiate with Seattle-area businessmen and politicians were and are a subterfuge to sway NBA owners and Stern in preparation for applying to move the franchise.
Will the transparently bogus ploy work? Will the owners knock a few million off the moving fee, purportedly in the $50 million range? Will Stern insist that the franchise remain in the 14th largest US market, not move to the 47th largest? My guess is that the owners will take the money and Stern will eat his words.
Paul Allen's Trail Blazers will soon be the only remaining NBA club in the Pacific Northwest, giving him another profitable plaything, and Washington basketball fans will continue drinking expensive lattés provided by the man who hoodwinked Bennett into paying $350 million for a business appraised at $235million.
When the blush is off the rose in OKC and Bennett discovers that TV revenues from Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska are meager, the Supes will be back on the market.

Comment by Opal @ 10:44 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

"Seattle is probably the worst sports town in the country." - -

Laughable... thank you for the midmorning humor.

Comment by we want the ball and we're gonna score @ 11:29 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

ok, maybe not the worst, but definitely fair weather fans (just look at the M's attendance records)....and the forecast for the sonics is overcast with a chance of rain....i really don't see people getting behind the sonics to force them to stay in seattle long-term.

Comment by jegggo @ 12:02 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

Patiently waiting for the sorry sonics to leave! Hurry up with it Clay Bennett. As far as im concerned you are taking to long to take that pathetic team with you. As far as the governor wanting to talk to you about keeping your little Jokers here in Seattle? HA, it is just smoke and mirrors on her part she just can't take the fact your taking those sorry losers from this area that is all. All she will be asking you Clay if you need tax dollars to help with your move. And all that will be is a token of words so no one will say she didn't try to keep your little lames ass team here. I will look forward to watching the Oklahoma Sonics on television one in fact that sounds so much better The Oklahoma Sonics.. However you do know you bought a FOREVER bunch of losers right? Good luck in Oky land Clay, you are going to need it. And of course for the folks here in Seattle our luck begins when you take the losers out of her Thanks Clay, But please Hurry and leave with the Jokers SOON okay..

Comment by ragpappy @ 21:14 - Monday, August 13th, 2007

Eric: 2 questions...

1. Any response from Ms. Prentice, Gregoire and company at the state capital..

2. In your opinion.. give us a percentage on whether or not you think Stern steps in and makes Bennett keep the team here..

Wouldn't it set a bad bad precedence if he would allow them to move after all these comments...

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Sonics Insider

Eric Williams took over the Sonics Insider blog in July 2007. Williams joined The News Tribune in 2006 as the Coordinator for Prep Sports. Previously he spent four years as both a news reporter and sports reporter at the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, Wash. A Tacoma native, Eric graduated from Mount Tahoma High and the University of Puget Sound.

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