Paul Allen voted no, as did Mark Cuban.
The other 28 owners decided that continually moving to smaller and smaller markets was a way to build a league.
Clay Bennett though did admit that everyone in his ownership group but himself had never intended for the team to stay in Seattle.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABP...2004359393.pdf
Quote:
Q. I know you say that your e-mail in particular was misconstrued, but there were other e-mails between your business partners with the franchise; how would you characterize those, or how would you care to explain those e-mails?
CLAY BENNETT: I'm not sure which ones you're referring to.
Q. Back and forth between Mr. Ward and Mr. (Aubrey) McClendon about getting the Sonics to Oklahoma City in time to play the following year.
CLAY BENNETT: I think Aubrey and Tom perhaps all along wanted to have a team in Oklahoma City. They knew it was not to be the Sonics. Our commitment, our objective, my efforts, my representations to the seller, to the league, my representations in the purchase agreement, my absolute hope, faith and expectation was that we would be successful in Seattle. And they knew
that, and they supported me every step of the way.
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How can he say that a majority of his group (by shares of ownership) wanted to move the team but supported his efforts?
I'm feeling that the chance Shultz wins the lawsuit went upwards significantly. It also helps that the lawyer he's using has won two similiary suits, one against MLB after the loss of the Pilots and one against the Mariners in 1986 when they threatened to leave.
__________________
I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time.
A few weeks ago I launched my own
blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.