Bellevue native Danny Yusen is a popular sports blogger (slimwiththetiltedbrim.com) that has been published on sports websites such as CNNSI.com and ESPN.com (Page2). He has 1 wish that he wants to share with basketball fans in the greater Seattle area:
—–
Steve Ballmer
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft Corporation
Dear Mr. Ballmer,
Steve…can I call you Steve? I know you, or at least I think I do. I know you sold $2 billion of Microsoft stock last month…I know you want to put your stamp on Seattle culture…I know you want to be known as a man who makes things happen.
With that, there is one thing and one thing only I want for Christmas. Are you ready Steve?
No, it is not a million dollars, but that would be nice…
No, it is not a job with the X-Box Group and a free copy of Microsoft Office, which would also be nice…
No, it is not an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle…I probably would shoot my eye out.
The only thing I want for Christmas is to hear the following next winter:
(Key in voice of Kevin Calabro)
And now, the starting lineup for your 2011-2012 SEATTLE
SUUUUPPPPPERRRRRSONICS:
Center- Emeka Okafor
Forward- Trevor Ariza
Forward- David West
Guard- Marco Belinelli
Guard- Chris Paul
Yes Steve, I want you to bring an NBA team back to the great city of Seattle. Our rich basketball tradition and bright basketball future needs, yearns for a team. Kids are growing up in the greater Seattle area right now without the privilege of rooting for a hometown team. No Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, or George Karl to warm their winter nights. No Big Smooth, Hersey Hawkins or Detlef lighting up December games like a Christmas tree. Steve, do what’s right here…How you ask? Okay, here you go.
Find a NBA team that is struggling financially and is in need of new ownership…
- Done, the New Orleans Hornets are soon to be sold to the NBA who will then find an ownership team able to support and make the franchise successful.
- This is all made possible as a result of the following:
- A struggling economy in New Orleans…
- Poor attendance (About to trigger an escape clause in their lease as a result of low attendance)
- Current ownership partners have a deficit of $83 million (as of June 30, 2009)
- Majority owner George Shinn recently cited financial troubles and unsuccessful negotiations with minority owner Gary Chouest. (Never a good sign)
Build a strong ownership group and plan of action to show the NBA that Seattle can sustain a profitable franchise.
- Done, the Seattle SuperSonics have flourished before and can do it again. You showed great leadership in trying to keep our team when Clay Bennett was ripping them to Oklahoma City, and now is the time to step up and bring a team back. With Seattle being the 13th biggest Television market in the nation and with a promise for a new, privately funded Arena in the works and possibly in Seattle suburb Bellevue, everything looks to be in place…can you say “BING ARENA”?
Have the money to buy the team…
- Done, everyone knows who you are and what you do for a living right? You are freakin’ Steve Ballmer, you’re bigger than US STEEL! (For all the young ones out there…that was a Godfather reference, go ahead and rent that). The NBA is said to be planning on buying the Hornets for around $300 million and is looking to sell for around $350 million, which can be found in the cushions of your couch Steve. So, clearly money is not an issue here.
Bring the team seamlessly to the greater Seattle area…
- Done, purchase the team with you as the head owner, build a new arena and use Key Arena as a stopgap until new, state of the art building is ready.
- Prove to David Stern and his NBA cronies that the likes of Kansas City, Las Vegas, Anaheim and San Jose are small potatoes compared to Seattle.
Yes, I have thought about how ironic it would be to steal a team after our city was destroyed by Clay Bennett and the Oklahoma City ownership group. But honestly, the Hornets have only been in New Orleans since 2002 and had to be moved during Katrina for two years. New Orleans is an NFL city where the Saints run supreme and Hornet basketball history is as thin as Paris Hilton after the flu. I mean, have you ever seen a real nest of hornets in New Orleans? I think not! Seattle needs the SuperSonics back in town for the city, the economy, the kids and if anything, to get our mind off the Seahawks and Mariners.
So Steve, that is all I got…have a good holiday and if you make this wish come true I promise to buy season tickets including nachos and a diet coke every game, KNOW THAT!
Warmest Regards,
-Slim
Slimwiththetiltedbrim.com
Well played my friend.
Man, this was lame when a different blogger did it last week, and it’s lame now.
Bellevue Supersonics with a Seattle skyline in the logo? C’mon man! If your going to go thru all that hard work and write a corny letter with pics to Steve Ballmer have your graphic design guy throw a Bellevue background in there. Just sayin…;)
I didnt know Danny Yusen celebrated Christmas. I thought he was more of a Hanukkah guy.
@SupesFan12 Didn’t realize a different blogger did this last week? Where’s the article? I’d like to support their efforts. The more momentum our cities can get in bring the Sonics home the better. No publicity around the Sonics is bad news.
@Matt Don’t have a Bellevue City silhouette yet…still working on that 😉
Bring home the Sonics!
Great letter. GREAT. I’d switch to Bing and WP7 if this happens. Seriously. Googs and Android bye bye.
I dont know why any ‘supesfan’ would supply a negative comment here. IMO, every Seattle based blogger should write one of these. Now.
Also, just because the team is in Bellevue, doesn’t mean that would be the Bellevue Sonics. They would still be the Seattle Sonics. Hell, the NEW YORK Giants and the NEW YORK Jets don’t even play in New York STATE. Seattle skyline logo is 100% acceptable. Whiners.
I miss the Sonics! Bring ’em back!!
LAME. Nobody cares about any pro team of any kind here in Seattle unless it is doing well. Seattle is totally a fair weather fan city. Seems like a waste of money all the way around.
Now how about sinking all that money into teh education system. Build libraries, colleges, scholarships etc. Teach people to get a job and get them off unemployment.
How is a basketball team in a city that doesn’t really care really helping anyone?
Hey John-
“Sports are a rallying point. They’re the one unifying entity in an area. They represent you. If they’re winning, then the problems in your area don’t seem so bad. Plus, you have people coming into your town to support their team. When that happens, hotels fill up, restaurants are packed, museums are visited, bars and clubs make a ton of money…the list is endless. Also, whenever those people are in town, they might find a site that they wish to develop. It could be homes, shopping, manufacturing (maybe), entertainment, and/or banking. Sports teams generate more revenue for ONE event than most (and probably all) other companies in the area can generate in an entire YEAR of activity. When there’s more money in the local economy, then more money can go to schools, hospitals, EMS, Police, roads, tax incentives for businesses, funding for museums, and so on.”
Hey Lolo –
You make some good points, however we have the Sounders, Seahawks and Mariners which all do that. Yes, there is some support for Basketball, but not enough to keep a pro team here. The reason the Sonics left was not because they did not like Seattle. The reason they left was because it was not profitable for the owner. The owner of any pro team can’t take a loss because it may be good for the financial well being of the community. If there was enough support for a pro basketball team here in the Seattle area, the Sonics would have stayed because it would have been profitable for them. You may be able to easily use your good for the financial well being of the community speach with the Sounders because the stadium is consistantly packed. The interest just isn’t there at that level for basketball.
I think it would be great to have pro basketball back in the area. In order for it to be financially viable, the arena needs to be large enough and capable to handle other large venues that can bring in additional revenues.
The Eastside is where the money base is and it does make sense for the arena to be located in Bellevue…will be interested in seeing how this progresses.
cheers…Steve