Seattle Mayor To Fight For Sonics Despite Failed Arena Plan

Seattle Mayor Confirms City Does Not Have Funds To Pay For KeyArena Renovations

WHEN THE DUST CLEARS: Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban yesterday said that he "would vote against a Sonics' relocation to Oklahoma City, even it means he is the lone owner to support the Sonics remaining in Seattle." Cuban: "My preference is the Sonics stay in Seattle. My prejudice is against having a Dustbowl Division in this part of the country because I don't think in the big picture that helps the NBA and I think the bigger market helps the NBA." But Cuban said, "There could be information that sways me. If they come back and said the Oklahoma City index is 200 when it comes to watching the NBA on TNT or ABC, and no one in Seattle watches, then OK maybe there's information that goes beyond market size." Cuban added, "I'd love to see Steve Ballmer in the NBA. It would be phenomenal" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 4/9).

JUST SAY NO: In Seattle, Art Thiel writes under the header, "No To Sonics Now The Mantra." When the NBA and Bennett "again come calling with an offer to settle the lawsuit over the KeyArena lease, just say no." Thiel: "Understand that two additional years is a long time to bleed, and a long time to grow a plan. ... What's to lose? The reality is the NBA isn't expanding domestically for years, nor will most sports fans here have the appetite for actively poaching another city's team" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 4/9). Meanwhile, the SEATTLE TIMES' Percy Allen today publishes the first article in a five-part Times series titled "The Five Stages of Grief," which focus on the possibility of the Sonics moving. Allen writes under the header, "Denial: Is This End Of Our Sonics?" The other four parts are anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/9).

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