Not Exactly Voter's Remorse Concerning The Sonics, But...

We've been thinking about writing something in support of the Sonics recently, because the season just started and for what seems like the first time in a long time we're not completely not into it. And it's not like we feel bad about our "fuck you, Sonics" vote on Tuesday, or that we weren't confident that we were voting with the majority on that one (although we were surprised by its complete ass kicking), but it's just not clear to us that a professional basketball team is somehow detrimental to a city, despite economic reports or whatever. We're not even entirely sure that public funds have no business going towards an arena, and if Schultz wasn't such a crybaby about the whole thing, maybe events could have unfolded differently and Seattle would continue to have a basketball team. There doesn't seem to be much hope of that right now what with the Mayor talking the way he is. Part of us wants to pull the guy aside and tell him, you know, that vote was intended to go against Schultz - We have no beef with these OKC guys. Yet. We were going to write this thing because we don't want to see the Sonics leave Seattle, even though we haven't really been into basketball in recent years and even if we were, apologies here, the Sonics aren't even our team. And then we saw that big Alex Sherman or Sherman Alexie or whoever article in The Stranger yesterday and figured, fuck it. This guy seems to have it covered, whoever he is.

Image courtesy of Jon Armentia.

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By Dan in News on November 9, 2006 10:40 AM

Comments [rss]

MvB

When non-profit arts groups and artists are pushed out of areas because of inability to make rent, everybody shrugs. Some (*coughDanSavage*) even say "Stupid arts groups OUGHT to die if they can't pay their way." When for-profit sports teams using extortion as a business plan aren't allowed to claim millions of dollars in public funds without public profit-sharing, I'm supposed to get weepy out of "tradition" or "love of the game." Uh, no.

Hey, enjoy some high school or college b-ball in-city, and make a trip to the out-of-town arena. I can't see how over-priced condos will put restaurants and bars out of business. It's disingenuous to imagine that the new arena, built purely to capitalize on the revenue from luxury suites, would have been anything more than a sports-oriented over-priced condo, anyway.

Dan

That was a joke, Seth. I know who Sherman Alexie is. The humor is supposed to come from the fact that I'd step aside for some jerk in the stranger who proclaims his love of starbucks and basketball when in actuality it's Sherman fucking Alexie. Alright, it wasn't funny.

Seth

Jesus, Dan. Sherman Alexie is a regular local superstar--a novelist and short-story-ist of national stature. And he's on the Real Change BOD. I just bought a book of short stories of his, actually.

drrew

Why anyone in their right mind voted for I-91 is completely beyond me. I'm assuming you already knew that there was no chance the Sonics were staying in the city of Seattle, meaning, this didn't effect them at all.

Instead, you've just voted out all minor league sports from within the city limits. Seattle Thunderbirds...gone. Seattle Sounders ever moving back to Memorial Field...can't do it. Arena Football to try and fill dates in Key Arena? No. Professional Indoor Lacrosse (this was an actual possibility) to fill empty dates in Key Arena. Nope.

Seattle Center and the surrounding area will lose nearly a million people a year from their grounds without the Sonics and Thunderbirds playing at Key Arena. How many bars and restaurants in that area do you assume go under? One? Five? Ten? My guess if you'll see Key Arena torn down within ten years to be replaced by overpriced condos. Congratulations on your vote.