Well, the city of Seattle cashed in 41 years of basketball tradition by accepting a 75 Million dollar buyout of the Seattle Sonics. Seattle is officially without a basketball team. The NBA has agreed to "help" the city get a new franchise, but the word of David Stern is only marginally more trustworthy than Bud Selig, the jerk who is ruining baseball.
The deal was predicated on the NBA declaring Key Arena "fit for basketball" when an overhaul of the facility is complete. The only problem? The state legislature must approve a public bond to finance the remodel. What are the odds of that happening?
Don't hold your breath, Basketball fans. The sport is dead in Seattle. Thanks Mayor Nickels...or should I say Mayor McGreed.
Old Skool Gamers presents The Temple of Elemental Evil, played using the OSRIC rules (a 1st Edition homage).
6 comments:
Not really being a fan of professional basketball, I never really had an opinion on the matter. However, I feel that one good thing that came out of this deal is Seattle keeping the Sonics name and legacy in the city and state, rather than let it go to Oklahoma.
Funny enough, it's been bandied around lately that the Sonics were the first professional sports team to bring a championship to Seattle. However, upon researching this fact, it was actually the Metropolitins who brought the Stanley Cup home in 1917. I guess this doesn't count because we don't have a pro hockey team anymore? Moral: News stations should check their facts.
I agree that it was wise of the city to maintain the rights to the name and history, however, that will prove to be a futile gesture if Seattle cannot procure another pro fanchise. I have my doubts as to their ability to do that.
...also, 1917 is well beyond the collective memory of sports fans, so I guess it doesn't count. The Seattle Mets Stanley Cup has been a favorite trivia question for some time, but nobody really seems to care. Poor Hockey fan, gets no respect.
I had to actually make sure the NHL was actually formed by then (which it was...that year).
Having watched as Montreal lost the Expo's to Bud Selig, watching Stern and the 'Sonics owners screw Seattle around has been painful.
To continue the off-topic theme, I like the new look for the blog :-)
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