Sonics reach settlement with city of Seattle

SEATTLE (AP) - The city of Seattle and the SuperSonics reached a last-minute settlement before a judge was to rule in their KeyArena lease dispute.

A source told the Seattle Times that the two parties have been talking about a deal in which the Sonics would pay the city of Seattle $75 million to move to Oklahoma City.
But team owner Clay Bennett would pay just $45 million if the city is awarded another team, the source told the Times.

The settlement was reached Wednesday just hours before U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman was to announce her verdict in the trial between the city and the team.

The settlement was announced by Pechman on the federal court Web site.

The city rejected a settlement offer of $26.5 million in February.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8286654?MSNHPHMA

f u cking Stern....I hate the NBA.

I AM SOOO PISSED OFF.

I hope that starbucks falls off the face of the earth....I don't care for that company anymore and will not buy another cup of coffee from them....f ucking Shultz!

Howard Schultz still has his lawsuit against the Sonics so you never know what can happen. He has a good case against them.

We still get to keep the history of the Sonics. Its like what happened with the Cleveland Browns. If we do get an expansion team, we would still have the Sonics history. But like the Browns, the new Sonics probably wont be successful for ten years.

I don't really follow the NBA that much, but I wouldn't expect another team in Seattle when/if the league expands again.

The league clearly wants a team in Las Vegas, and I think they'd like to put another team in midwest or Canada.

I'm done with the NBA. Sonics were the number three team to me anyway but that's basically because they gutted the team. Ray Allen, see ya! Rashard Lewis, adios! I wonder if my Durant jersey would be considered a throwback now?

I can see Seattle getting another team if there is another commissioner. The Seattle area is the 15th biggest market and the 2nd biggest without a NBA team. (OKC is 44th) The biggest market without a NBA team is Inland Empire which is close to LA.

Forgot to add. Go F.U.C.K. yourself David Stern.

What am I supposed to do in between football season and baseball season. (Feb-April)
I guess I'll go to more hockey games.

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Originally Posted by boomboom

f u cking Stern....I hate the NBA.

I AM SOOO PISSED OFF.

I hope that starbucks falls off the face of the earth....I don't care for that company anymore and will not buy another cup of coffee from them....f ucking Shultz!

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Geez boomboom, I think you should tell us how you REALLY feel. LOL

Now, right now, take how you're feeling, and multiply it by 1 QUADRILLION, and you're getting close to how I feel about the no good MFen SOBen, GDen, #*(&$(##))#) PETER ANGELOS and the no good MFen SOBen, GDen, #*@(%#(*&$# Orioles.

Believe me boomboom, the only thing worse than losing your home team, is getting one back and having its competitive balance LIMITED because they have to give all of their freaken TV money to the MFen SOBen, GDen, #*&$(&(#*&#)& other team.

Whew. Next time I'll let you know how I really feel. :D

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Originally Posted by ayhoser

I'm done with the NBA. Sonics were the number three team to me anyway but that's basically because they gutted the team. Ray Allen, see ya! Rashard Lewis, adios! I wonder if my Durant jersey would be considered a throwback now?

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Rashard Lewis is hardly a loss. Wow...a guy who wants to play power forward, but doesn't want to rebound or do anything in the paint...no, he just wants to stand on the perimeter and shoot 700 threes every single year. You really think it was a mistake not to match the ridiculous contract Orlando gave him? And prior to this year, Ray Allen has never been anything more than an outside shooter, himself, though at least he seemed to play heart and give a ****. Those 2 on the same roster created a boring, one dimensional team that never went anywhere in the playoffs because they got killed inside.

I would be shocked if Seattle gets a sniff of another NBA franchise, simply because they'd be down the list in terms of the next place the NBA wants to be. Also, fair or not, once you lose a team, it does put a stigma on your city as not being able to support a basketball franchise.

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Originally Posted by Arctic Blast

Also, fair or not, once you lose a team, it does put a stigma on your city as not being able to support a basketball franchise.

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Thats not really true, former NBA cities have gotten new teams fairly often in the history of the NBA. Charlotte has had two teams (Hornets and Bobcats), if I'm not mistaken New Orleans has (I believe the Jazz used to play there and now the Hornets), Minneapolis (Lakers and Timberwolves), and I think there may be one or two more as well.

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Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG

Thats not really true, former NBA cities have gotten new teams fairly often in the history of the NBA. Charlotte has had two teams (Hornets and Bobcats), if I'm not mistaken New Orleans has (I believe the Jazz used to play there and now the Hornets), Minneapolis (Lakers and Timberwolves), and I think there may be one or two more as well.

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Okay, two of those moves (Jazz and Lakers) are ancient history, and there's a very good chance the Jazz would not have been allowed to move if the same rules governing franchise shifts were in place in '79. As for Charlotte, it's not that the fans had given up on supporting the Hornets, they had gotten sick and tired of George Shinn's ****. Understandable, seeing as he was a convicted sex offender who kept whining because the city taxpayers wouldn't pay 100% of the costs for a new arena for him, and he kept blowing out talent because he refused to pay for it, a la Jeffrey Loria. Just like Cleveland wasn't punished when Art Modell whined his, and the Browns, way to Baltimore, the NBA have Charlotte a new team because they recognized a lack of fan support wasn'[t the issue. Certainly, a comparison could be made between that situation, and the one in Seattle. I just think the NBA has bigger targets in the foreseeable future than a new team in Seattle.

l guess it's just as well. Only ~9 months until the Sounders FC debut.

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Originally Posted by Coach Owens

l guess it's just as well. Only ~9 months until the Sounders FC debut.

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oh god, I hate soccer.

GO THUNDERBIRDS!

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Originally Posted by boomboom

oh god, I hate soccer.

GO THUNDERBIRDS!

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thunderbirds? NO, its SIVLERTIPS all the way.

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Originally Posted by boomboom

oh god, I hate soccer.

GO THUNDERBIRDS!

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You'd really rather watch a semi-pro team than a professional team?