Sonics Face Second Lawsuit Claiming Team Misled Ticket Buyers

Fans File Second Lawsuit Against Sonics Ownership Group

SLIDING DOORS: In a sports section Cover Story, USA TODAY's Greg Boeck compares the state of the Sonics and Trail Blazers. Bennett said of his reputation in Seattle, "I have a few favorite restaurants, and I'm even nervous about them. I pack my lunch these days." Seattle attorney Tom Carr, who filed a complaint against the Sonics in federal court to honor their lease at KeyArena, said, "You'd think people would be excited about [F Kevin] Durant coming, but it's a muted excitement. It's hard to get excited about a team being built to play in Oklahoma City." Bennett indicated that his group will put up $100M for a new arena, but he said without one "this team leaves either at the end of this season of 2010." In contrast, Boeck notes the "frenzy that gripped Portland during the team's run to the 1977 NBA title is alive again." Fans "have embraced" C Greg Oden, "even on crutches," as he is injured and schedule to miss the entire '07-08 season (USA TODAY, 10/23).

BLAZING A NEW TRAIL: In a Q&A with the PORTLAND TRIBUNE's Kerry Eggers, Trail Blazers Owner Paul Allen said, "I never wanted to sell the club, but there was an ocean of red ink as far as I could see that had to be fixed (if I was to continue) owning the club." Allen said it "surprised" him that other people were interested in buying the team, because "they would be undertaking the same risks." He said he wanted to "see what was going to happen to the Rose Garden" before he decided to sell, but "we got a new deal, and it wasn't necessary." Allen said the '06 NBA Draft was "a watershed draft for the franchise, and I felt great about that outcome. Yet I knew we still had to solve the financial issues." Allen added he has "no expectations at this point of moving the Blazers from Portland to Seattle or anywhere else" (PORTLAND TRIBUNE, 10/23).

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