Since people keep saying the same things on blogs over and over again:

• Yes, Seattle-Tacoma is much larger than Oklahoma City, but would you rather be competing against the NFL and MLB for sports dollars, or against two college football teams and minor league hockey? And again, include Tulsa in the TV market, since they’ll be watching the games, too.
• The only way the Sonics are going to be kept here is if Renton or Bellevue decides to pony up the money, or if the state legislature votes it into law. Calling Greg Nickels about the Sonics makes as much sense as calling Greg Nickels for anything other this his pet projects, like the streetcar or the 500 foot tall statue of himself he’s going to get around to putting up in his third term. If you want to keep the team, don’t call the city. If you want them to leave, don’t call the city.
• The talk about “holding them to the lease” is a big joke. We already know the city is losing money on the lease, and the Sonics can bleed them even drier until 2010. Between the $75M in bonds and the millions the city will lose in revenue, it would probably just be cheaper to do the arena rebuild than live with three years of red ink. There will be a buyout.
• And again, the Sonics and Storm do generate some revenue for Seattle Center. Making this up is going to be difficult in this environment. There just aren’t enough tours to make up the difference. Whether you hate or love the Sonics/Storm, you have to be concerned for the future of the Seattle Center, because with the eternal short-term thinking of people in this area, I can easily see a developer coming in and plowing under Seattle’s only festival ground in the name of condofication. You think that’s a good idea? Heh. This town still regrets the Sinking Ship. Imagine how future generations would think of us if we knocked down the Center House for buildings that in twenty years will have all the appeal of British tower blocks.

And I should say, I’m not really for or against anything. I think the Sonics are greedy and the city was stupid ten years ago. Seattle, Renton, Bellevue, or OKC, I don’t care what happens to the Sonics. But we need the Seattle Center, even if everyone in this city would rather ignore it until it’s too late. I mean, that’s worked for the viaduct, right?

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1. sonics want to spend $530 million in renton
2. Ladies and gentlemen, the Oklahoma City Sonics
3. Cruel Intentions
4. Sonics: The Envelope, Please
5. we’re in the money!