News that Christine Gregoire as well as Patty Murray & Maria Cantwell have sent respective letters to the NBA, urging caution on current deliberations involving the Sonics were difficult to take seriously.
They reminded this Michael Kelly fan of a classic column, especially this passage:
Last week I argued that those Americans who preached pacifism in response to the attacks of Sept. 11 were (borrowing from George Orwell) objectively pro-terrorist, objectively in favor of letting the masters of this attack escape to live and to commit more mass murders of Americans.This upset some people. One Pennsylvania man issued what in pacifist circles must constitute a violent threat: "You may expect a series of letters from me and other folks in this regard, until such time as you deem it appropriate to issue a complete retraction of, and unqualified apology for, your comments." Please, not the dread Series of Letters.
David Stern has been a real ass to Seattle as of late. Yet, if he chose to greet recent non-binding missives from the Evergreen State with similar seriousness to that which Kelly gave his pacifist antagonist it would be difficult to fault the man.
In the meantime, read that Kelly column and his earlier broadside against the pacifists that led to the work quoted above.
Posted by Eric Earling at April 16, 2008 07:41 PM | Email ThisI understand that there are more important issues, but when we have a tenant for a very expensive building under contract, we should not let them walk out.
Posted by: Agent 99 on April 16, 2008 10:19 PM(I'm just kidding)
Posted by: AD on April 16, 2008 10:39 PMDecrease the salary cap to $12M (none of the players would quit), and you immediately have $40M a year to spend on the facility. Get the owners to pony up some, and you could probably get $60M a year. If the building lasts 25 years, you can build a $700M arena, without charging the taxpayers a dime.
Why does the public put up with this?
I don't see the Green Bay Packers threaten to move to a newer and better stadium, and perhaps it's because the city owns the team and therefore doesn't have to bend to every owner's whims...
Posted by: NewtotheSound on April 17, 2008 12:12 AM"I don't see the Green Bay Packers threaten to move to a newer and better stadium, and perhaps it's because the city owns the team and therefore doesn't have to bend to every owner's whims..."
Actually, I believe the fans own the Packers, and that's the way it should be. If pro basketball is such a hot thing in Seattle, then let the fans who want it come together and fund it. No more stadium extortion.
Posted by: NW Denizen on April 17, 2008 08:28 AMTwo of them actually...
Posted by: Chris on April 17, 2008 12:15 PMI would more likely call them the Three Robbing Hoods!
Their Fat Massive Government Pensions, Health Care and continual Government support will be there until they die and most likely longer.
What have they got to worry about!
Posted by: GS on April 17, 2008 06:39 PMAnswer: if you are good at something, you should stick with it. Seattle, if nothing else, knows how to support teams that couldn't win championships if their families were held hostage.
You go for it, Seattle! But don't win anything, because then people will expect something better of you!
Posted by: ERNurse on April 18, 2008 12:40 AM