50 Feet from the Sun

SEATTLE - On Monday, August 13th, truth telling hot heads (just kidding) went on record.

Aubrey McClendon freely spoke to Oklahoma City newspaper The Journal Constitution and said, without coercion, “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.” the freewheeling Aubrey McClendon

The comment earned Clay Bennett the title of Liar (you'll have to believe me since the title was changed) by Brian Robinson. Since then Bennett, McClendon and Robinson have done some backpeddling from what was said, none noting that at the time of the free expression event that what they said wasn't true.

The reality is that it is all true. Bennett is a liar, McClendon didn't buy the Sonics just to leave them in Seattle, they are just bound by a one year game of shadow puppets until they can pack up and leave. Robinson wants to have some kind of relationship with the ownership group even though they are liars (Clay didn't mean to hit me) and the relationship is all one sided. Robinson is doing all of the leg work the owners don't want done, because they don't want to stay and Robinson doesn't want them to go.

In the end, the only way they stay is if the fans support the team, shun the owners, make a stink about the lying liars and the lies they tell (sorry Al) and somebody has to step forward with the money to buy the team along with a deal that keeps them in the Seattle to keep them in town without soaking the taxpayers.

No matter what Bennett, McClendon and Robinson say from here on out isn't keeping the team in town without a local owner stepping up.

Are they going to bury you with all that money?

Dear Mr Silvi at Northwest Sports Tonight

Dear Mr Silvi,
It appears that the new Sonics owners didn't have any intention of keeping the Sonics in Seattle. This is according to one of the owners, Aubrey McClendon, quoted in Oklahoma City's Journal Constitution, August 13, 2007. There was supposed to be an honest effort to make the situation work here in Seattle, as a condition of sale there was a "side letter" written to Howard Schultz and the other owners. And there apppears to be a former owner, David Sabey, that doesn't appear to be getting serious consideration from the Oklahoma group. Is it possible that David Sabey has a contractual right to buy the Sonics back based on the quotes made by one of the new owners?

[the OKC owner's story in part, published on 8/13/2007]
McClendon said the team would probably make more money if it stayed in Seattle.

“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.”

ref:
Hard work, luck make billions
by Jerry Shottenkirk
The Journal Record August 13, 2007
http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=80883

It isn't a complete shock that the OK owners want the team there, but it seems kind of stupid to make this statement in an interview. My understanding from an interview that Howard Schultz had on KJR last year was that the Bennett/McClendon group provided a side letter that said they had to make a real effort to keep the team here.

[Mitch Levy, KJR interview, Seattle Times transcription]
Q: We understand that the new owners have a contractual commitment in the next 12 months not to move the team, and are bound by the lease until 2010. Is that right?

[Howard Schultz]
A: As part of the negotiation, I asked for something that was a deal breaker in negotiation. What I asked for was a side letter to our ownership group and to me that said basically he would honor the four-year lease in terms of the 2010 terms, and use his best efforts over next 12 months ...They have obligation and a desire and what I understand him to say and write in the letter is that they will honor lease and work as hard as they can in the next 12 months to get something done.

ref:
Transcript of Schultz' KJR-AM interview
By Seattle Times staff
Sports: Wednesday, July 19, 2006
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=webschultzinterview19&date=20060719&source=st

The "side letter" was provided to Schultz and the rest of that ownership group, that group included David Sabey according to the Tacoma News tribune.

[backround used in a story written by Eric D. Williams last week]
In May, Puget Sound area real estate developer David Sabey offered to purchase the team. He was initially rejected by Bennett’s group, according to three sources.

Sabey, who was part of the Schultz ownership group, owns 55 acres at the south end of Boeing Field. Sources say he wants to use the site to build a new arena.

ref:
$100 million from Sonics could start arena talks

ERIC D. WILLIAMS; The News Tribune
Published: August 2nd, 2007 01:00 AM
http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/story/123987.html

Maybe the side letter isn't binding, or, maybe, the OKC owners are stupid. Either way, I think there a little bit of a story in here somewhere.

Thanks to Brian Robinson and the folks at Sonicscentral.com for digging, and my fuzzy memory of David Sabey's involvement, for prompting my letter to you.

Have a great day,
Supersonicsfan, Mr Baker
Seattle
http://theseattlesupersonics.blogspot.com/
cc Mitch Levy at KJR and Eric D. Williams at the Tacoma News Tribune.

Steve Kelley, Bob Whitsitt, Key Arena, Free Association

SEATTLE - Why did Steve Kelley spin around in his chair and choose to write a Save the Sonics story unless something prompted him? To this point he hasn't been very supportive of the situation. He stopped short of calling for local money to buy the team.
In prior stories Kelley has waxed poetic about the skills of his friend Bob Whitsitt.

In an unrelated story, I think Bob Whitsitt was part of a group that wanted to buy the Sonics.

In another unrelated story, remember the story about Bob Whitsitt bringing lacrosse to the Key Arena.

See this story from just over a year ago, remember, the lacrosse thing:Whitsitt: After 39 years, Sonics belong in Seattle

"The trouble with KeyArena is with the lease, not the building," Whitsitt said. "I can tell you, I still talk to a lot of people in the league when they come to town, and they love playing in KeyArena. It's a great venue to watch a game. And it can be a great venue for the lacrosse team. I believe fans enjoy watching events there."

In another unrelated story, last week mayor of Seattle said he was still willing to talk to the Sonics owner, if they could put up 100 million than he should be able to find local support for funds to help renovate the Key Arena or find a solution for a new arena. Clay Bennett didn't get past the Key part apparently, before dismissing the mayor and the Key Arena. Bennett, you idiot, there was more to the quote than just Key Arena.

In another unrelated story, off topic, sometimes parts of a picture are shown to you over time so you put them together and make an assumption, even though there's not overt connection to the events. That happens to me once in a while.

So, speculating, likely very wrong, let's say for the sake of conversation that mayor got the rough treatment from Bennett last week, some group of local business people stepped in and said they would take another crack at owning the team, and maybe they are willing to put up some money to remodel the Key Arena because, maybe, they like the venue, and maybe they have some other sport they could use to fill the open dates with, and maybe they want better lease terms (Like Schultz originally asked for) and now maybe the mayor and city council members see the Key turning into a while elephant, and maybe Frank Chop and the restaurant association will not play along with a remodel of the Seattle Center using state approved/county administered taxing authority to the extent the council wants if it means driving a major tenant out of the state and, maybe they want more local investment, say, 100 million dollars.
Just sayin'.

***

BTW, I mentioned Scotty Brooks as a potential assistant for P.J. over a month ago, I guess they are catching up on back issues of my blog.
"Another coaching candidate, Scott Brooks, was released by the Sacramento Kings (just sayin', he's out there). "

Clay Bennett has never meet the Mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels, never.

SEATTLE - This past week we've found out that the Mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels, will not let the Sonics out of the current arena lease early. We have also found out that Bennett doesn't even want to discuss a Key arena remodel.

They can still meet and discuss other options, if they know how to arrange a simple meeting.

I think it's more than a little strange that the owner of the Seattle Supersonics, Clay Bennett, has never meet with the mayor of the city he's claimed to want to keep his team in. Not once have they sat face to face and discussed anything, not the weather, not business, not basketball, nothing.

This is according to Bennett's statements in an interview on KJR radio a couple weeks ago when he made his flyby trashcan rattle about wanting to meet Greg Nickels, though he didn't bother to schedule a meeting before he blew into town, another strange act. As if he pulled that press release and media blitz out of his ass, maybe he did.

He's talking one way for an entire year, and has yet to meet with Greg Nickels? Not once? Until Bennett actually meets with the mayor of the "market" he supposedly wants to keep his team in I view any and all of his statements about wanting to keep his business here complete bullshit.

That's the mark of a weasel. Yes, I'm calling Clay Bennett a weasel, calling it as I see it.

If you have a counter argument Clay, and actual facts, you can leave a comment. Your talk is cheap.