The Deal is Awesome! Here’s Why…
Words cannot express how excited I am to file this story under the category: “Seattle Supersonics.”
Let’s break down the arena deal for the city of Seattle.
1. The Return of The NBA to Seattle
Everyone’s first thought. The Sonics left partially because Key Arena just couldn’t cut it anymore, but now Seattle will be getting a brand spanking new $490 million arena.
The kind of long-term arena multiple NBA teams are having trouble getting from their cities right now, making the 206 greener pastures.
I could write a whole another post about this, but let’s just all agree Seattle is a basketball-crazy city that needed and will support a team.
Coming soon: Chris Hansen stars in “To Catch an NBA Team,” on Dateline NBC.
2. The Money Side is Sound
Without getting too into things, basically over time the arena (“Hansen Arena?” Has a nice ring to it. “The Hansen Mansion?”) will pay for itself.
However, Hansen has removed the element of risk for the city by basically promising to pay for everything himself if the arena is a complete financial bust.
Is Chris Hansen the man or what?
Thus, taxpayers won’t be paying more now or later. Sidenote: in case it wasn’t apparent, Chris Hansen has obscene amounts of money.
3. A Potential NHL Team
The arena could also host an NHL team. Even though a lockout is looming, hockey in Seattle is still a very interesting prospect. Not as many people care about this as an NBA team, but it could be huge.
Even if hockey isn’t necessarily traditionally popular in Seattle, a pro team will be novel to the area and Seattle loves sports in general.
The wild and unexpected success of the Sounders when they came is an example.
4. Some Competition for The Mariners
Some critics of the arena have alleged that potentially two new sports franchises would draw money away from existing ones. The Mariners opposed the arena deal, with many alleging competition to be the reason why.
Well, good.
I could write a long angry post about the Mariners’s poor ownership, but if they run the team into the ground and people spend money in the new Hansen Arena instead, that’s the Mariners’s fault.
With more money on the line, maybe now the Mariners ownership will get its act together.
5. Beer
Chris Hansen has offered to buy everyone who shows up at the sports bar FX McRory’s Thursday evening, near the planned site of the arena, a beer.
While I am neither currently in Seattle nor 21, for those legal readers, you’re getting an NBA team, an NHL team, and now, a free brew to top it all off.
Is Chris Hansen the man or what?
As we said in an earlier post this summer…
We can’t thank Chris Hansen enough.
Without you sir, none of this would be possible and we know you don’t want to be called a hero, but again, you are just that to so many of us. St. Christopher.
LET’S BRING BACK OUR SONICS!!!! WE’RE ALMOST THERE!!!!!
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR SEATTLE SUPERSONICS CLUBHOUSE AT NWSB!
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