Originally posted by shortcircuit
THAT is precisely why they lost the Sonics!!!

And THAT was precisely Christine Gregoire and Patty Murray's fault.

Originally posted by RBHILL
Why did they leave in the first place? I would think they would do better in tickets being sold then in okey ville.

You might want to check the numbers. OKC demonstrated that it could sell tickets when it got the Hornets. They sell out the games in OKC while Seattle always had empy seats.

OKC may not be as rich as Seattle, but people in Oklahoma love to watch sports and are willing to buy tickets. I think the problem with Seattle is that most people up there simply aren't very interested in watching basketball.

Originally posted by Eladar
You might want to check the numbers. OKC demonstrated that it could sell tickets when it got the Hornets. They sell out the games in OKC while Seattle always had empy seats.

OKC may not be as rich as Seattle, but people in Oklahoma love to watch sports and are willing to buy tickets. I think the problem with Seattle is that most people up there simply aren't very interested in watching basketball.

No it's just that the people who would go to a game are the ones that don't have the money. I went to games all the time but a lot of people I knew couldn't afford it.

Originally posted by tomtom232
And THAT was precisely Christine Gregoire and Patty Murray's fault.

Christine and Patty did the RIGHT thing. Seattle has more imporntant things to spend tax dollars on in these economic times, than sports facilitles for billionare owners, and millionare players so they can over charge the public for there "so called" entertainment. Let the owners build there own facilities!

Originally posted by bill718
Christine and Patty did the RIGHT thing. Seattle has more imporntant things to spend tax dollars on in these economic times, than sports facilitles for billionare owners, and millionare players so they can over charge the public for there "so called" entertainment. Let the owners build there own facilities!

WRONG! Stadiums are a major source of revenue whether or not the basketball games are sold out since there are other events as well. Other than that Key Arena got on many peoples nerves and their bad service and PR were a big reason people didn't attend games. Look what happened when Safeco Field was first built, or Qwest Field... Attendance skyrocketed.

Originally posted by tomtom232
WRONG! Stadiums are a major source of revenue whether or not the basketball games are sold out since there are other events as well. Other than that Key Arena got on many peoples nerves and their bad service and PR were a big reason people didn't attend games. Look what happened when Safeco Field was first built, or Qwest Field... Attendance skyrocketed.

I don't care what attendence did in Qwest field. Spending tax dollars for buildings to house 'for profit' teams is wrong. As A Real Estate agent, I employ title companies, building contractors, attorneys, and building inspectors in closing my transactions...I don't see anyone building me anything, and they shouldn't. Business's sucking tax dollars in order to make a profit is corporate welfare, and it's wrong! 😠

Originally posted by bill718
I don't care what attendence did in Qwest field. Spending tax dollars for buildings to house 'for profit' teams is wrong. As A Real Estate agent, I employ title companies, building contractors, attorneys, and building inspectors in closing my transactions...I don't see anyone building me anything, and they shouldn't. Business's sucking tax dollars in order to make a profit is corporate welfare, and it's wrong! 😠

You must not understand economics. Something that creates revenue is a bad thing to get rid of when the economy is bad. Since the Sonics left the debt has gone up three fold. Plus raising tax has historically been the correct decision when the economy is bad... it makes sense... if people won't spend their money we gotta force them to so we can create cashflow(or intice them to with a new stadium)

Originally posted by tomtom232
You must not understand economics. Something that creates revenue is a bad thing to get rid of when the economy is bad. Since the Sonics left the debt has gone up three fold. Plus raising tax has historically been the correct decision when the economy is bad... it makes sense... if people won't spend their money we gotta force them to so we can create cashflow(or intice them to with a new stadium)

I must not understand economics? Gee, that's funny, I have a degree in economics from the University of Washington (Magna). I must be pretty stupid! So...we take our hard earned tax dollars, build facilities for sports teams because they stimulate the local economy? So...where do you think we should draw the line? Should we build buildings for Insurance companies, because they do the same thing? How about Oil companies? Law offices?

Listen tomtom232, professional sports are a business, and must be treated as such. You can't give special handouts to some, while ignoring others. Get it?? 🙄

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Two problems with your argument:

First, they are not selling out a major arena for WNBA games.
Second, if they get the NBA back, the WNBA support will dwindle.

So I don't think you can base your argument solely on WNBA support.

A couple problems with your argument:

1. Selling out an arena is not necessary to support a WNBA team.

2. WNBA support won't dwindle if they get a NBA team since the WNBA season occurs during the NBA off season.

Originally posted by shortcircuit
THAT is precisely why they lost the Sonics!!!

Saying that the Sonics would have stayed in Seattle if the city had built them a new arena is just smoke and mirrors. The OKC owners were going to move the team to Oklahoma no matter what.

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
Saying that the Sonics would have stayed in Seattle if the city had built them a new arena is just smoke and mirrors. The OKC owners were going to move the team to Oklahoma no matter what.

They wouldn't have been able to if we had a new Arena.

Originally posted by bill718
I must not understand economics? Gee, that's funny, I have a degree in economics from the University of Washington (Magna). I must be pretty stupid! So...we take our hard earned tax dollars, build facilities for sports teams because they stimulate the local economy? So...where do you think we should draw the line? Should we build buildings for Insurance comp ...[text shortened]... e treated as such. You can't give special handouts to some, while ignoring others. Get it?? 🙄

A stadium is not just used for a sports team. As I have stated before many other city events are held in stadiums.

Also, there is no need to throw a degree around. I know plenty of people who have finagled their degrees and can't stand on two feet.

Originally posted by tomtom232
A stadium is not just used for a sports team. As I have stated before many other city events are held in stadiums.

Also, there is no need to throw a degree around. I know plenty of people who have finagled their degrees and can't stand on two feet.

It does not matter how many other city events are held at a sports facility funded by tax dollars. If a for profit sports team uses it as home field, it's still corporate welfare. You can dance around this fact all you want, but you are still wrong.

As far as my degree goes...well, you opened that can of worms when you said I don't understand economics. Sorry about my little inconvienent truth. 😲

Originally posted by tomtom232
No it's just that the people who would go to a game are the ones that don't have the money. I went to games all the time but a lot of people I knew couldn't afford it.

In Oklahoma, even those who can't afford to go to the games end up buying tickets and going to the games. That's why OKC is such a great market for the NBA.

Compare attendance numbers between what the Sonics had in their last few years and Thunder attendance.

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
A couple problems with your argument:

1. Selling out an arena is not necessary to support a WNBA team.

2. WNBA support won't dwindle if they get a NBA team since the WNBA season occurs during the NBA off season.

Disagree with you here.

Leslie Alexander had a WNBA team that won, what, four WNBA titles?
He already had an arena in place that he controlled.
Why do you think he sold the team?
You would think it was lucrative.
Then the new owner gets the team and within two years, the team folds.
The fact is the WNBA is not close to profitable when the NBA product is available.
Even though the season is played when the NBA is in the off season.

So, it really IS all about money...which means butts in the seats!!!