SONICS TO CITY: NO PLAY, NO PAY; TEAM WINS RULING OVER RENT

          The Sonics "walked away the clear winner" Monday when
     arbitrators ruled that the team "could keep most of the
     KeyArena rent it withheld" from the city during the NBA
     lockout, according to Martin McOmber of the SEATTLE TIMES. 
     The ruling "dashed the last hope" the city had of "recouping
     at least the rent portion of the nearly" $3M it lost due to
     the 16 regular season and two exhibition games that were
     canceled because of the lockout.  McOmber wrote that the
     decision "could complicate continuing negotiations"
     regarding a KeyArena lease with a potential WNBA team.  City
     Council President Sue Donaldson, on those talks: "This
     ruling will make it harder to give them the benefit of the
     doubt."  The city "argued the clause" excusing the team from
     paying rent if games are canceled due to a labor dispute
     "didn't apply if team owners decided to lock the players
     out."  Each of the 16 canceled regular season games cost the
     city $117,000 in lost revenue (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/29).