Proposed stadium just south of Safeco
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME!!!!
It’s nothing new that the city of Seattle has been eying a way to get another NBA franchise since their darling Supersonics were stolen from them a few years back, but new developments in the area now have Seattle possibly getting the Sacramento Kings as early as next fall.
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Our Savior
Christopher Hanson, a San Francisco businessman and Seattle native, has recently purchased a lot just south of Safeco Field in Seattle, for which he plans on building an arena to attract a NBA franchise back to the city of Seattle.
Christopher Hanson Is trying hard to make me forget about this jackass.
Ever since the departure of the Sonics, and actually the whole year leading up to it, the city of Seattle, and more specifically the fans of the Sonics, have been fighting tooth and nail to hold commissioner David Stern to his word.
They want the return of a NBA franchise within the five year allotted time allowed for Seattle to retain its name, colors, and more importantly, its championship banner.
If Seattle does not receive a new franchise within that time, Oklahoma City will retain all of the memorabilia that once belonged to the Sonics, to keep as their own for the Thunder.
Mr. Hanson plans on using next to nothing via public funding for the new stadium. One of the reasons that the Sonics were allowed to leave in the first place, since voters had previously passed a law that prohibited public funding to pay for more than half of any new stadiums in the area.
NHL could be on its way too
For Seattle, which is home to the very first American Stanley Cup winning team, the new stadium is thought to attract the NHL to Washington as well.
Commissioner Gary Bettman has already given Seattle one of the top three locations that he would like the Phoenix Coyotes to relocate to. The other two are Kansas City, and Quebec City.
Now I used to love me some Nordiques hockey, but Quebec had their shot already, and rival Montreal will be tough to compete with for fans. Sure, the Jets have had great fan support in their return to Winnipeg, but how about a team in the northwest for a change.
The Sonics & A future NHL team? Sounds lovely!
Bettman also went on record saying the Seattle would be a natural rivalry location for the Canucks, and another team in the pacific time zone would do wonders for television, and traveling plans.
This news is perfect timing
With the city of Sacramento given a deadline of March 1st to shore up funding for a new building, this news of an arena in Seattle couldn’t happen at a better time. Of course with the NHLs new realignment scheduled to take place next season (We’ve learned now it’s actually 2013), this is also an ideal time for the Coyotes to make a move up north.
We will all have to keep a close eye on this to see how it plays out, but March 1st is only a few weeks away, and with the Clippers actually playing good ball this year, it can only do wonders to help the Kings relocate to Seattle.
Reports last year were having the Kings move to Anaheim, but with two playoff teams in L.A. now, the NBA may look to move them out of California all together.
And that is what Mr. Hanson is banking on.
And of course the Coyotes, who are owned by the NHL, are leaving no matter what, and the only real competition for Seattle right now is Kansas City.
They have a building already built, but Kansas City is an untested and unproven hockey market, so Seattle has a plus on their side for the NHL too.
So let’s all keep our fingers crossed, and mark your calendars for March 1st. There will be green and gold in Seattle once again!
About Clinton Bell
