I read an interesting article in this morning's Seattle P-I about the evolution of Seattle's relationship with the now departing Sonics and how, among other things, Seattle has become like Los Angeles, being at the point that the public is ready to shrug off a sports team. LA has been without a Pro NFL team for well over 10 years. With the West Coast often starting trends for the rest of the nation, I'm hoping this bodes well for the coming end of the bizarre pro sports world of ridiculous salaries and billion dollar palaces to play the children's games in.I can not imagine an honestly introspective self-aware type of article appearing in the more propagandaish, Chamber of Commerce boosterizing, often outright misleading and dishonest, Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Read a blurb from the P-I article below. Read the entire article here.
"Before, (Seattle) aspired to be big," Brewster said. "Now it thinks it's probably bigger than it really is.
"So it can behave like Los Angeles (which has been without the NFL for 14 years) and say, 'OK, we don't have a professional basketball team. We don't need that. That's for smaller cities like Oklahoma City.' So we have almost a condescending view toward cities that are dying to have professional sports."
Most Seattleites have never been to a Sonics game. Some view them as a nuisance that gums up downtown traffic 41 times a year. Instead of a sprouting town eager for events, we are now a crowded metropolis inundated with them. But Gorton doesn't think that lessens the value of our pro sports institutions.
"I don't think there is any leisure activity that involves all of the people," Gorton said. "Certainly the majority of people (in Seattle) have never set foot in Safeco(Mariners) or Qwest(Seahawks). An even greater majority has never set foot inside Benaroya Hall or the art museum. I don't think that cuts down on the desirability of those things."
"There are so many things to do here, I think we've become complacent or blasé about any one single attraction," Uhlman said.
In 1967, the Sonics were part of Seattle's identity, part of the recognition that helped it grow as a center for business and tourism. Now, the bottom line is that Seattle no longer needs the Sonics for those things.
"Before, (Seattle) aspired to be big," Brewster said. "Now it thinks it's probably bigger than it really is.
"So it can behave like Los Angeles (which has been without the NFL for 14 years) and say, 'OK, we don't have a professional basketball team. We don't need that. That's for smaller cities like Oklahoma City.' So we have almost a condescending view toward cities that are dying to have professional sports."
Most Seattleites have never been to a Sonics game. Some view them as a nuisance that gums up downtown traffic 41 times a year. Instead of a sprouting town eager for events, we are now a crowded metropolis inundated with them. But Gorton doesn't think that lessens the value of our pro sports institutions.
"I don't think there is any leisure activity that involves all of the people," Gorton said. "Certainly the majority of people (in Seattle) have never set foot in Safeco(Mariners) or Qwest(Seahawks). An even greater majority has never set foot inside Benaroya Hall or the art museum. I don't think that cuts down on the desirability of those things."
"There are so many things to do here, I think we've become complacent or blasé about any one single attraction," Uhlman said.
In 1967, the Sonics were part of Seattle's identity, part of the recognition that helped it grow as a center for business and tourism. Now, the bottom line is that Seattle no longer needs the Sonics for those things.
Seattlites and the rest of the state are tired of being held hostage for stadiums. The King Dome (which withstood an earthquake after the comment) was supposed to be a hazard in case of earthquakes. We said no to the politicians, but they went ahead and built SafeCo field any way. Then the football fans talked Paul Allen into QwestField (PLEASE, explain to me why we need TWO stadiums standing right next to each other?)
ReplyDeleteSeattle rightly recognized that the public was tired of being held hostage for sports, especially when the Key Arena was redone 10 years ago and isn't paid off.
Oh and by the way, even the Huskies were in on the "give us a new stadium". They were angling for it before the Sonics said they would leave without it.
On the other hand true Seattle Sonic fans were upset when they were sold. I had one bus driver who refused to ever buy another coffee from Starbucks and asked everyone to do the same.
Having grown up in the 70s in San Antonio, I AM sorry to see them leave simply for the history. Back then Spurs and Sonics _were_ the teams. It does sound like the women's team (Storm) will be staying as several local business women have been raising funds to buy them.