[Steve615]

The Seattle SuperSonics are moving to Oklahoma City,beginning with the 2008/09 season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3471503

 

[Steve Mehs]

There's been talks about this for months, and it's not surprising. Oklahoma City seemed to welcome the Hornets a few years ago, hopefully this will be good for the city. If a team does return to Seattle in the next 5 years, that will leave the Western Conference with one more team then the Eastern Conference, maybe we'll get a team back here in Buffalo to balance things out, nah, probably not. I really have no interest in the NBA, but man if we ever got a team again, I'd be into basketball in a heartbeat.

 

[homeskillet]

I don't know what we have to do here in Kansas City to get a team. I don't care if it is an NBA team or an NHL team, but we just built this state-of-the-art arena called the "Sprint Center" in downtown and we only have an AFL team playing in it.

AEG is 50% owner, and they promised us a team if we financed the arena. We were on the cusp of getting the Penguins from Pittsburgh last year... wow what that would have been like!

 

[TheRatPatrol]

Cool, maybe now the Trailblazers can get back onto FSN-NW.

 

[SamC]

The NBA business plan seems to only work in the largest 10 or 12 cities and then a smattering of mid-major markets where it is the only sport in the market.

If the NHL were smart, it would have a team in Seattle and in Kansas City ASAP.

 

[Steve Mehs]

If the NHL were smart, Phoenix, LA and Florida would go to Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford.

There's talk today of getting the Raptors to play a few games here, while I couldn't root for a team from the same market that my Sabres are bitter rivals are from, I'd be at a game or two just to say I was there and show my support. And I don't even really care for basketball. Who knows what could happen 5-10 years down the road if this proves to be a success.

 

[Randal Graves]

Cool, maybe now the Trailblazers can get back onto FSN-NW.

Can't do it. They have a contract with Comcast SportsNet, which started the channel in Portland specifically for the Trailblazers.

 

[TheRatPatrol]

Can't do it. They have a contract with Comcast SportsNet, which started the channel in Portland specifically for the Trailblazers.

Yeah I know, thats why I put the smiley face.

 

[celticpride]

bad move puting an nba team in tornado alley ijust hope the celtics arent playing there when the tornadoo wipes out the arena.

 

[Greg Bimson]

If the NHL were smart, it would have a team in Seattle and in Kansas City ASAP.

One hundred percent in agreement. However...

Now that Boots DelBaggio, the newer owner of the Predators, is bankrupt, he has proverbially screwed Kansas City, Nashville and the NHL from receiving full support to expand by two more teams.

If the NHL were smart, Phoenix, LA and Florida would go to Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford.

Winnipeg may at some point, although their newer arena needs suites. Hartford will be out for the time being. Maybe Quebec at some point.

None of that helps in areas that may struggle somewhat. Put good hockey in Phoenix and LA, and there are possibilities. The biggest issue still is St. Louis and Chicago, after a few years (and in some cases, decades) of mismanagement. Kansas City would be good because of the proximity.

There are billionaires all over Seattle. West Coast trip for East Coast teams to include Vancouver and Seattle minimizes expenses for some of the West Coast teams, and creates another natural rivalry.

However, the larger issue is some of the more unstable franchises, like Tampa Bay and Nashville, and possibly Florida. Those need to be fixed. Quickly.