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Rebranding
inevitable when Sonics go Okie
March
21, 2008
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Ad
Age looks at what might happens to the
SuperSonics brand if/when the NBA team moves to
Oklahoma City. It's pretty inevitable the Sonics
name will not make the trip: though the NBA
doesn't like to give up those trademarks, the
Sonics name will mean little to Okie basketball
fans. If you look at the move recent NBA franchise
moves, team names have stuck --
KC/Sacramento Kings, the
Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies, the San Diego/Los
Angeles Clippers, the New Orleans/Utah Jazz, the
Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets -- and you need to
go way back to the Buffalo Braves moving to San
Diego to find a team name that actually changed.
Indeed, the Lakers name stuck with the team's move
to Los Angeles from Minneapolis.
RELATED STORIES:
Oklahoma City reaches preliminary deal with Sonics;
Fans not ready to give up on Sonics;
State rejects aid for Sonics;
Ballmer, Stanton may lead charge to expand
KeyArena, keep Sonics;
OKC voters overwhelmingly approve Ford Center
funding;
Seattle makes effort to keep Sonics;
Ford Center renovation gets high-profile backing;
March 4 is more than just D-Day for presidential
candidates;
Seattle's NBA days appear to be numbered;
Ford Center improvements up to Oklahoma City
voters;
Sonics: City wouldn't miss us
Blues
purchasing Rivermen
March
21, 2008
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SCP
Worldwide, the New York-based owner of the St.
Louis Blues (NHL), is purchasing the Peoria
Rivermen (AHL) for an undisclosed price. For the
Rivermen, the sale is a sad end to a 26-year
legacy of hockey in Peoria. The reason for the
sale: team owners were tired of losing money on
daily operations, as the Peoria sporting public
never really responded to the team's move from the
ECHL to the AHL. We do have a little history here:
two years ago we reported attendance after the AHL
shift was disappointing, only to be met with some
fairly pointed email from Rivermen officials.
Today, here's what team president Bart Rogers
says: "For more than two years we tried to sell
the move up from the ECHL to the AHL and the best
brand of hockey in the minors. That appealed to
devoted hockey fans who want to see current and
future NHLers playing in Carver Arena. But there
weren't enough of them." It sounds like Rogers and
crew have taken several steps to address the
attendance woes, including the addition of
post-game entertainment.
Yuma arena could go before voters
March
20, 2008
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A
proposed arena in Yuma, Az. could go before voters
this fall, as a petition drive led by opponents
gathered more than enough
signatures to force
the city council to either rescind their support
of the $53-million project or put it to voters.
The 6,000-seat project, which would be used for
CHL hockey and other functions, would be financed
via a local sales tax; the theory is that those
who use the arena would pay for it. But opponents
question whether this would raise enough money and
someday force city taxpayers to subsidize the
project.
More from the
Yuma Sun.
St.
Catharines moves ahead with economic study of new
arena
March
18, 2008
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The
St. Catharines city council has directed the city
staff to move ahead with an economic study of a
new $25-$35-million arena. The issue is whether
St. Catharines wants to be a sports-tourism
center; the Niagara IceDogs (OHL) have played to
capacity crowds in 2,800-seat Jack Gatecliff
Arena, and the feeling is that the team could draw
even better in a new facility, which could also
host indoor-soccer games and concerts.
More from the St. Catharines Standard.
RELATED STORIES:
A (lot
of) grand inventive to build a new arena in St.
Catharines;
St. Catharines politicos agree on need for new
arena;
Dreaming of a new arena in St. Catharines;
Niagara falling for St. Catharines team
UO wins first
round in arena land-use debate
March
18, 2008
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In
the end, the University of Oregon may discover the
easiest part of building a new basketball arena
was getting the money from the Legislature. The
bureaucratic battles are just as time-consuming.
For example, Eugene city planners ruled the other
day that UO doesn't need a land-use permit to
start building their arena. The school's view is
that, since building (and running) a basketball
arena is an university function and, thus, is not
subject to layers of control from the state's
board of Land Appeals. The Fairmount Neighborhood
Association thinks otherwise and is appealing the
decision. The
Eugene Register-Guard takes up the cudgel from
here and does its best to explain the issues.
RELATED STORIES:
Will construction start on UO arena this summer?;
Oregon AD: No need for arena bailout;
Let the construction begin: Oregon arena approved;
Ducks arena not out of the woods yet;
Knight pledge has deadline, other strings attached;
Oregon arena funding heads to State Legislature;
Renderings released for new Oregon arena;
Oregon arena close to final OK;
Oregon adds $20 million to the cost of a new
Oregon arena;
Risk, rewards and Oregon's new arena;
Oregon arena finances bear closer look;
Faculty panel questions revenue figures for new
Oregon arena;
Ducks arena could earn more than originally
anticipated;
Arena could thrive with proper management, study
says
Barnes revels
in crowds at Sprint Center
March
18, 2008
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Former
Mayor Kay Barnes was pleased with the crowds in
downtown Kansas City
for the Big 12 men's
basketball tournament. Downtown Kansas City still
isn't up to steam in terms of attractions -- the
arena is open, but the entertainment-oriented
Power & Light District is only half completed --
but the crowds seemed to enjoy what was happening,
and in the end she deemed it worthwhile to go the
extra mile to retain the tourney, which has
traditionally been played at Kemper Arena.
More from the Kansas City Star. Meanwhile, AEG,
which runs the building,
is finding out how hard it is to attract a
major-league tenant. No NBA teams are on the
verge of moving, while the Nashville Predators
(NHL) teased locals before decided to stay in the
Music City.
Oklahoma City
reaches preliminary deal with Sonics
March
17, 2008
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They
haven't figured out a way to get out of Seattle
yet. However, when they do, the Seattle
SuperSonics have a deal in place with their new
home, Oklahoma City. A tentative deal calls for
the NBA team to pay the city $1.6 million per year
to play at Ford Center. In addition, the team will
have to kick roughly $400,000 to local Ford
dealerships to replace revenue from the naming
rights to the arena. The Sonics hope to be Okies
next season, but they still need to get league
approval (this is expected in April) and negotiate
a way out of their lease with KeyArena that runs
through 2010.
More from the Canadian Press.
RELATED STORIES:
Fans not ready to give up on Sonics;
State rejects aid for Sonics;
Ballmer, Stanton may lead charge to expand
KeyArena, keep Sonics;
OKC voters overwhelmingly approve Ford Center
funding;
Seattle makes effort to keep Sonics;
Ford Center renovation gets high-profile backing;
March 4 is more than just D-Day for presidential
candidates;
Seattle's NBA days appear to be numbered;
Ford Center improvements up to Oklahoma City
voters;
Sonics: City wouldn't miss us
Philips Arena
survives wild weekend of weather; Georgia Dome
closed
March
17, 2008
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The
Georgia Dome suffered considerable damage during
ACC games, forcing a move of the tournament to
Georgia Tech on short notice after a windstorm
ripped a hole in the roof Friday night. The
Atlanta Hawks' home fared better than the Georgia
Dome. The Hawks were playing at Phillips Arena (a
half mile away from the Georgia Dome) as well but
there appears to be no serious damage done. Some
pieces of cement tile landed on the team's
practice court but that's about it. Hawks'
officials didn't even alert fans inside the arena
to the situation.
Flint still
pursuing downtown arena
March
17, 2008
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Few
cities are struggling as much as Flint, Michigan.
But that isn't stopping mayor Don Williamson from
hiring a person whose only job is to get an arena
built in downtown Flint. The city has a
4,000-seat, 40-year-old facility (Perani Arena)
that is home to an IHL team. This
Flint Journal article reports the concept is
still in the wishful thinking phase but indicates
there is a movement afoot to make it happen down
the line.
St. Louis
University ready to open new arena
March
17, 2008
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Nearly
two years after breaking ground, St. Louis
University's first on-campus arena is nearing
completion. The first event is scheduled to be a
Harlem Globetrotters game April 11, and Barry
Manilow (sure to be a big draw with the college
crowd) will perform the first concert two weeks
later. There were many days when school president
Rev. Lawrence Biondi wondered if Chaifetz Arena
would ever get done. Now that it is nearly ready,
he is anxious for the world to see it.
More from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
