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The Supersonics have issued an ultimatum of sorts to the city of Seattle. Build us a new "state-of-the-art" arena, or we are going to leave and play in Oklahoma City when the lease runs out. The response from the government of the State of Washington? "I think we have some boxes for you to use when you pack up your things". Granted, it is a bit more complex than that, but ultimately the government has not made it their top priority to keep the Sonics and the Storm in town.

There is a long history of cities building stadiums for their sports teams. A sports franchise is a business, but for many people it goes far beyond commerce. The local team is a source of civic pride, and people can become very emotionally involved with the franchise, the logo, and the history. Sport team success can represent benchmarks in personal and city history, and it can be devastating for some people when a sports team leaves the city.

Therefore, it isn't as simple as just a business deciding to relocate. For some people, the team represents a piece of the city, and it has the same effect as a relationship that breaks up. Still, fans can be very fickle. There are those that are constantly loyal, but other people jump on and off the "bandwagon" depending on how well the team is doing. In the case of the Sonics, fans have not been as loyal in recent years because they have not been terribly good. The mid-90's were the height of Sonic popularity but recent years have not yielded a great deal of success. Therefore, the average citizen has been less concerned with the prospect of them leaving town.

This issue is complex because it is a mix of business and civic emotion. Some would like to work things out and keep the team, but it is unlikely to happen anytime soon because there just isn't enough fan loyalty to overcome the financial burden. Politicians have to consider education, transportation, and other city services. This makes building a sports facility a much lower priority, and increases the possibility that the Supersonics and the Storm will indeed leave town in the next few years.

Learn more about this author, Todd Pheifer.
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