Sheesh, Dave! Tell us how you realy feel about the NBA.

[Jim3k]

Seattle area commentator and NBA fan Dave Niewart has a rant about the NBA and its policies re teams moving to new cities. He thinks the policies are gamed for the 1 percent (http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/seattle-and-nba-its-game-rigged-1-pe). As a former Sonics season ticket holder (as was I at one point in my life), he makes a number of very solid points, based on the Hansen-Ballmer group's failure to convince the league to permit it to buy the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle.


Clearly, the chief reasoning of NBA owners for declining to add [Chris] Hansen and Steve Ballmer to their list of owners was that they were from Seattle. When the NBA ripped their team of 41 years out of Seattle back in 2007, it was intended as an object lesson for the rest of the league: Unless you bow to our extortion demands, you will lose your team.

Sacramento, obviously, got that lesson. After teetering on losing the Kings because of the failure to build a new arena, the city gave up every ounce of its soul in its desperate effort to keep the NBA in town. The new arena deal requires the taxpayers to foot about 60 percent of the tab.



He observes that they allowed Clay Bennett and his Oklahoma group to buy the Sonics and go through a false dance averring that they would keep the Sonics in Seattle, knowing knowing the whole time that Bennett was arranging the move to Oklahoma City. Niewart: Liars like Bennett are supported, while honest folks like Hansen and Ballmer are blackballed for their honesty. And for the league then put Bennett in charge of its relocation committee? Fox in the henhouse, much?

It's worth a read.

[throatybeard]

Well, I think the 1% have way way more than 90% of the say about what goes on in this country, but...

...the NBA, of the four leagues has been the MOST receptive to keeping franchises in smaller, or as my 3yo kid would say "medi-sized" markets. Especially in smaller or mid-size markets where the NBA team is the only team, including Sacramento (there's that name again), OKC (sorry Seattle), San Antonio, SLC, Portland, Memphis and Orlando.

Don't get me wrong. Without going all PPB here, I certainly do not discount the concerns mentioned. But the NBA seems to me the most cool of the four leagues about keeping franchises in places that aren't NYC/LA/Chicago. The NHL kind of sold out on this in the 1990s. Let us hope that the ATL--->Winnipeg movement of late presages more correction of that mess.

I wonder how much of this emphasis on non-huge markets is due to Stern, or convictions he may have.

[hurleyfor3]

I wonder how much of this emphasis on non-huge markets is due to Stern, or convictions he may have.

Stern has a definite egalitarian streak. He brought about the salary cap (first professional sport to do so) and the draft lottery, and has vetoed trades he perceived as too one-sided. Basketball is probably the hardest sport to achieve competitive balance in, though.

The small-market thing isn't limited to your examples. Although you were thinking of one-sport cities, Indy had the Pacers before the Colts, Phoenix had the Suns before anything else and Charlotte had the Hornets before the Panthers. And when Shinn screwed the city over (semi-literal use of "screwed" there) the nba gave it the Bobcats virtually without delay.

But I think part of it predates Stern, too. Indy, Phoenix and several of of the NBA-only cities predate him, and historically there were teams in places like Syracuse, Rochester, Fort Wayne and partially Omaha. Also up through the 70s everyone played a few neutral-site games a year, many in very out-of-the-way places, such as Wilt's 100-point game in Hershey. (BTW, is there a list of these somewhere? Not just team records, but the cities.)

[davekay1971]

Charlotte had the Hornets before the Panthers. And when Shinn screwed the city over (semi-literal use of "screwed" there) the nba gave it the Bobcats virtually without delay.. (BTW, is there a list of these somewhere? Not just team records, but the cities.)

Can the NBA please relocate the Bobcats to Seattle, virtually without delay? I say that as a Charlottean, and I am completely sincere.

And, since I think I'm a 1%er, and therefore what I say goes, getting the fetid stink that is that UNC alumn's sorry organization out of MY city should now happen.

Be warned Richardson...Panthers to the playoffs this year, or your team is next!

[BD80]

Can the NBA please relocate the Bobcats to Seattle, virtually without delay?

Did you get mugged in Seattle or something?

Why the hate?

I think it would be funny to move the I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.cats to Chicago, which can support two teams. The fans there would support the team because its MJ's team and he can do no wrong in Chi-town. Six rings and holding ...

Tweety bird must be a real wanker ...

[davekay1971]

Did you get mugged in Seattle or something?

Why the hate?

I think it would be funny to move the I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.cats to Chicago, which can support two teams. The fans there would support the team because its MJ's team and he can do no wrong in Chi-town. Six rings and holding ...

Tweety bird must be a real wanker ...

No hate for Seattle...I just want the MJCats out of Charlotte.

Except for Gerald...he's cool.