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Breaking News: Press Conference Scheduled in Seattle to Announce Arena Deal


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This cannot be farther from the truth. NBA failed in Vancouver. And honestly, you can't expect to have a winter sports franchise (yes Basketball is a winter sport in north america) succeed in Vancouver while competing with the hockey fanbase. I mean there's only one way, and that's to succeed right away. And when you cut a deal that we can't have a first overall pick for 5 years.... that's just planned to fail. We also had the worst draft record in the history of all drafts. Serious management problems.

Seattle on the other hand had their team robbed. There's an insightful documentary that sheds some light on the back-dealings of David Stern (NBA commissioner) and the owners and City council. Stern got so much crappy publicity for this stunt that he is on record saying that he will try to bring the city back to the Sonics fans.

So yeah, you have this all wrong. Seattle has a long history of Sonics basketball, with Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton et al representing the northwest. So yes, NBA team will come to Seattle.

The new arena apparently is feasible with an NHL team however, which is why the current owners of Chicago Wolves (yes our farm team) has been in close negotiation to buy and move a team to Seattle (likely the Coyotes). It'll be interesting what happens to the Wolves in this case. He'll probably sell it in a couple of years when our contract is up with them; timeline seems to match. If not we'll cut a Waiver/Consent agreement with them and cancel the contract. I know MG and the Canucks were interested in buying an AHL team closer to BC (possibly Abbotsford). Abbotsford is in a long-term contract with Calgary though, so we'll see what happens.

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if Levin becomes the owner of the NHL team in Seattle, the wolves will become their farm team and we will have to get a new AHL team for our farm team once again (it's the exact same situation as the Moose/Jets). the Coyotes current farm team is the Portland Pirates (that's in Maine-on the East coast- not in Oregon- on the west coast) and it would be open to affiliation (as well as potential relocation, according to this article before the coyotes signed their deal with them http://blog.timesunion.com/hockey/4132/4132/)

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Curious to see what happens...

Would it be worth it, to the league, to expand the league to 32 teams? Move Phoenix somewhere and give Seattle and QC a team?

Think about how this would effect the CBA, as there would be 4 8-team divisions which would eliminate a major complaint from the NHLPA about unfair advantages for 2 divisions.

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Curious to see what happens...

Would it be worth it, to the league, to expand the league to 32 teams? Move Phoenix somewhere and give Seattle and QC a team?

Think about how this would effect the CBA, as there would be 4 8-team divisions which would eliminate a major complaint from the NHLPA about unfair advantages for 2 divisions.

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a local or junior hockey club means nothing, and they are the Jr. Totems if I remember properly, hardly a stumbling block for a nhl franchise. there are some names that should stay in the past, the metropolitans is one of them (as was the millionares) the Totems would be a great name, and that's what I'll be submitting/voting for once they have the naming contest (which you KNOW they will have).

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  • 3 months later...

Ballmer, Nordstrom part of investor group for new arena

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer Published: Jun 13, 2012 at 9:51 AM PDT Last Updated: Jun 13, 2012 at 10:37 AM PDT

120613_Steve_Ballmer_2.jpg

This July 23, 2011 file photo shows Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer cheering during a charity basketball game in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

SEATTLE (AP) - The push to build a new arena in Seattle with the hopes of seeing the NBA return now has another name to go along with that of hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Ballmer will be part of the investment group for both the arena and the acquisition of an NBA franchise, according to a letter sent Wednesday by Hansen to King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.

"While it was my intention to wait until the local investor group was fully assembled before making any announcement, given the intense community interest and requests from the city and county councils, three members of my investment group have agreed to come forward at this time," Hansen wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

That Ballmer is part of the investment group is not a surprise. Ballmer is a longtime basketball fan who regularly sat courtside at SuperSonics games before their departure to Oklahoma City in 2008 and was part of a group that made a last-ditch effort to try to keep the team in Seattle.

At that time, Ballmer teamed with a handful of other Seattle businessmen to offer a renovation of KeyArena. Now Ballmer is throwing his support, and dollars, behind Hansen's proposal for a $490 million arena that would house an NBA franchise and possibly bring the NHL to Seattle.

Also part of the investment group will be Erik and Peter Nordstrom, members of a prominent Seattle family that is familiar with franchise ownership. Their family owned the Seattle Seahawks from 1976-1988. The Nordstrom duo will also invest in both the arena and a franchise.

"These three gentlemen, like me, are committed to operating the arena and NBA franchise in a way that represents and upholds the values of our community," Hansen wrote. "They appreciate the role the Sonics played in this community for more than 40 years and see this project as an opportunity to bring that civic asset back to our community.

"They also understand the unique ability of professional basketball to positively affect urban youth. Their participation in the ownership group brings added assurances the business will always be backed by strong local hands and reinforces my commitment that the team will never again leave Seattle."

In an interview on KJR-AM Wednesday morning, Hansen said he would be the majority owner of any NBA franchise that comes to Seattle and his investment group would include about 10 people.

A memorandum of understanding was reached between Hansen, Constantine and McGinn last month. That MOU is currently being debated and reviewed by the Seattle City Council and King County Council with the expectation of a vote coming later this summer. Both entities would need to approve the agreement for the project to move forward. No construction would begin until after a franchise has been acquired.

The project calls for about $290 million in private investment from Hansen's group, along with $200 million from the city and county through 30-year bonds. Any franchise that comes to Seattle and uses the arena would be required to sign a non-relocation agreement that would span the life of those bonds.

All construction costs, including overruns, would be paid for by Hansen's group, along with all environmental studies and permitting. Once that process is completed, most of the public investment is placed on the city. The public investment is capped at $200 million and would come from taxes and revenues collected through the new facility. So far, the loudest objections have come from the Port of Seattle over concerns for what a third sports facility in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood would do to a main route for industrial traffic in the same area.

Earlier this week, McGinn delivered a personal message to NBA Commissioner David Stern, saying the city is interested in having the league come back.

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