OT: Former Sonics Owner Trying To Get Team Back

[PDXChris]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3347564

The former owner of the Seattle SuperSonics plans to sue the current owners to get the team back, arguing they breached a condition of the sale to make a "good-faith effort" to keep Seattle's oldest pro sports franchise from leaving town, according to Seattle-area media reports.

Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz, who sold the Sonics to an Oklahoma City-based group led by Clay Bennett, will not seek monetary damages, but wants the team back, according to his attorney, Richard Yarmuth.

The team's ownership group has sought NBA approval to move the team to Oklahoma City for next season. The city has taken the team to court to enforce its lease at Key Arena, which runs through September 2010.


The lawsuit, expected to be filed in the next two weeks, comes after the city obtained and made public e-mails among members of the current Sonics ownership group, in which they are seen privately discussing a move to Oklahoma City at the same time they were publicly pledging to continue "good-faith" efforts to remain in Seattle.

After purchasing the team and the WNBA's Seattle Storm from Schultz in July, 2006 for $350 million, Bennett promised to spend one full year after the purchase was approved to seek a viable home for the Sonics in Seattle. The NBA approved the sale of the Sonics in October 2006.

Bennett's trips to Washington state to lobby for a proposed $500 million arena in suburban Renton and his hiring of a Seattle-based lobbyist and architectural firm have no bearing on the lawsuit, Yarmuth told The Times.

"We're talking about fraud at the time the contract was signed," Yarmuth said, according to the newspaper. "It's not merely what activities, good faith or otherwise, were engaged in after the contract was signed so far as lobbying for a new stadium."

Bennett and ownership partners Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward exchanged e-mails in April 2007 in which they discussed whether there was any way to avoid further "lame duck" seasons in Seattle before the team could be relocated.

Bennett responded: "I am a man possessed! Will do everything we can. Thanks for hanging with me boys."

Four months later, after McClendon was quoted by an Oklahoma publication that "we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here," Bennett told NBA commissioner David Stern in an e-mail that the group had not discussed a move to Oklahoma City.

"I haven't studied them but my sense of it was that Clay, as the managing partner and the driving force of the group, was operating in good faith under the agreement that had been made with Howard Schultz," Stern said on a conference call Monday. "His straight and narrow path may not have been shared by all of his partners in their views, but Clay was the one that was making policy for the partnership."

The NBA's owners are expected to vote on the proposed Sonics move Friday. The league's relocation committee has already approved the move.

 

[PDXChris]

I hope he wins and the team stays. Really cool for him to step up and do that.

 

[Skratchy_Seal]

During the time of the sale, I thought I read that Schultz turned down better offers because of the good-faith promise Bennett made to him.

I hope he gets it back, but I doubt it. Bennett and the rest of the ownership group makes me sick.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

"Good Faith" is relative. They should have had a more solid agreement. Like a, "can't move the team for x amount of years clause."

You shouldn't have sold the team in the first place. It will even more horrible for the NBA if they decide to give the team back to Schultz.

 

[abomb]

No way in hell he gets the team back.

Stern is set on moving the team.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

No way in hell he gets the team back.

Stern is set on moving the team.

If the NBA should step in anywhere, it is in Atlanta. That team, even going to the playoffs is still in a mess.

 

[Maligzar]

No way in hell he gets the team back.

Stern is set on moving the team.

What's worse is that Stern has said he doesn't want to add anymore domestic teams. So a storied franchise, with fantastic fans, is going to be shut out of the NBA. What's even more pathetic is that this move is because the city won't give them a new arena. He's basically sending a message to every NBA city in the country that if you're not going to foot the bill then he has no problems with a team leaving.

One more reason to hate David Stern!

 

[Ryanwb]

What's worse is that Stern has said he doesn't want to add anymore domestic teams. So a storied franchise, with fantastic fans, is going to be shut out of the NBA. What's even more pathetic is that this move is because the city won't give them a new arena. He's basically sending a message to every NBA city in the country that if you're not going to foot the bill then he has no problems with a team leaving.

One more reason to hate David Stern!

Shouldn't you be working Maligzar?

 

[Maligzar]

Shouldn't you be working Maligzar?

I am working! I just updated admin01 so we don't get Shakired!

 

[Ryanwb]

I am working! I just updated admin01 so we don't get Shakired!

Good, don't want the Tom belt to come off.

 

[JoRain]

What's worse is that Stern has said he doesn't want to add anymore domestic teams. So a storied franchise, with fantastic fans, is going to be shut out of the NBA. What's even more pathetic is that this move is because the city won't give them a new arena. He's basically sending a message to every NBA city in the country that if you're not going to foot the bill then he has no problems with a team leaving.

One more reason to hate David Stern!

he is not on Bennets side just because Seattle decline to give Sonics new arena - it is because they acctually passed a law there, that pretty much effectively shuts down the possibility for city's participation on builing new arena.
I feel sorry for the fans, but I think lawmakers and voters also need to take some blame.
If I would be the owner of NBA franchise - actually any professional sports franchise for that matter - i would want to have a support and some activity from the city and its people and arena is one way to do it. If city would agree to help fund this new arena it would be sign that there is at least some support and appreciation. the details can be negotiated. But when people vote to completely disallow the posibility of helping to fund new arena, for ownwer it would be like a feeling of complete lack of support. So as an owner you have to ask - why you need to invest your money and resources into city that really doesn't really care about you ? Sonics actually were making losses before they were sold (don't really know now). If I would be owner, after that vote in Seattle I really would have to ask myself - why do I need to loose money for those people ?

After Bennet filed the documents for leaving Seattle - city finally woke up...

I'm really sorry for the fans, but I can't blame Stern and Bennet for doing what their doing.