Tuesday, June 9
Monday, June 8
Rashard Lewis: Magic From Mid-Range
There’s been quite a bit of talk about the Magic’ poor offensive showing in Game 1, and whether it was due more to just cold shooting on their part, the Lakers’ defense, or both. As Kevin Pelton points out at BasketballProspectus:
For example, take one Rashard Lewis. In Game 1, Lewis only made two shots all night, both of them from behind the 3-point line. In Game 2, as you no doubt are already aware, Lewis made six shots – in the second quarter alone. In total, he finished with 12 FGM and 34 points (including, sadly, the only jump shot the Magic sank out of six attempts in overtime). On the night, he was 2-2 on mid-range jump shots.
Just for curiosity’s sake, let’s take a look at the shot charts (courtesy of NBA.com) of Lewis matched up against Los Angeles during the past five seasons:
First, 2009, when he finished 0-2 on mid-range shots:
2008, 0/0:
2007, (during Lewis’ Seattle days), 2/8:
2006, 7/12:
2005, 2/5:
As you can see, with the exception of the 2006 season, Lewis has been a non-factor on those mid-range jumpers. That’s not to say he hasn’t been an effective offensive weapon, but just that his offense has come from far out or very close in.
Contrast that with last night, when Lewis made as many mid-range shots (two) as he had in four of the last five seasons. Rashard receives a lot of criticism for his lack of aggression on both ends of the court, and it is often deserved.
Last night, though, he seemed to change his style a bit and silenced those criticisms. Will this change carry over when the series relocates to the Sunshine State? With Rashard Lewis, expecting a continued aggressive performance is a fools’ errand, so I won’t go that far. If I’m a Magic fan, though, it at least gives me some encouragement as the franchise continues a quest for its first NBA Finals victory in seven tries.
What killed Orlando was a complete and total inability to finish inside the arc; the Magic made 15 two-pointers all game (fewer than Bryant, with 16, had all by himself) and shot 27.8 percent on those attempts, which is appallingly poor.I had noticed this trend myself, and it made me really nervous that this could turn into a four-game coronation for Kobe Bryant. Thankfully, the Magic improved their numbers dramatically in this regard in Game 2, and while the sample size is quite small, it is encouraging for the rest of the series.
For example, take one Rashard Lewis. In Game 1, Lewis only made two shots all night, both of them from behind the 3-point line. In Game 2, as you no doubt are already aware, Lewis made six shots – in the second quarter alone. In total, he finished with 12 FGM and 34 points (including, sadly, the only jump shot the Magic sank out of six attempts in overtime). On the night, he was 2-2 on mid-range jump shots.
Just for curiosity’s sake, let’s take a look at the shot charts (courtesy of NBA.com) of Lewis matched up against Los Angeles during the past five seasons:
First, 2009, when he finished 0-2 on mid-range shots:
2008, 0/0:
2007, (during Lewis’ Seattle days), 2/8:
2006, 7/12:
2005, 2/5:
As you can see, with the exception of the 2006 season, Lewis has been a non-factor on those mid-range jumpers. That’s not to say he hasn’t been an effective offensive weapon, but just that his offense has come from far out or very close in.
Contrast that with last night, when Lewis made as many mid-range shots (two) as he had in four of the last five seasons. Rashard receives a lot of criticism for his lack of aggression on both ends of the court, and it is often deserved.
Last night, though, he seemed to change his style a bit and silenced those criticisms. Will this change carry over when the series relocates to the Sunshine State? With Rashard Lewis, expecting a continued aggressive performance is a fools’ errand, so I won’t go that far. If I’m a Magic fan, though, it at least gives me some encouragement as the franchise continues a quest for its first NBA Finals victory in seven tries.
Friday, June 5
Dale Ellis: Cold-Blooded
Ran across this in the Marietta Times while looking for something else:
Ellis, the best 3-point shooter in Sonic history, is from Marietta, so it's quite likely that the Ellis referenced in the article is Lumar Mundane himself.
In and of itself, the story is not really all that newsworthy. Guy works on house, house catches on fire, fire department puts out fire. Nobody gets hurt (hopefully), and life goes on.
Except that by finding that story, and checking to see if this was the same Dale Ellis we all know so well, I came across this story, written by Tom Farrey of The Seattle Times back in 1990. It's a very long one, but exceptionally written, wonderfully informative, and a thrill to read. I'll throw one excerpt at you, to give you an idea of what young Dale's upbringing was like:
Pretty stirring stuff, and the rest of the article is along those lines.
You know, following the Sonics as closely as we do here, you begin to think you know the players enough to speak intelligently about them. Dale Ellis? Oh, yeah, he's from the south, got ignored in Dallas, came to Seattle, got his revenge, had some drinking and driving problems, got into a nasty spat with his wife, bounced around the league a bit, came back to Seattle, then retired.
Case closed, right?
Except it's not. Not by a longshot. Every one of these players, past and present, has traveled a remarkably convulted road to get to the NBA, and as fans, we only see them briefly as they zoom by us on that road.
20 years ago, Ellis' family never thought he'd come back to Marietta, that he was done with that town for good. Now, 20 years later, he's fixing the roof on his home in Marietta when a fire breaks out.
There's a story in there somewhere, but only Dale Ellis knows it.
"Marietta firefighters are battling a blaze at 103 Miller Ave.
"Property owner Dale Ellis said he was removing paint from a section of roof between the house and the attached garage with a heat gun. The fire apparently started after he went down to get a hose to spray the area he'd been working on and he stopped to check phone messages, he said."
Ellis, the best 3-point shooter in Sonic history, is from Marietta, so it's quite likely that the Ellis referenced in the article is Lumar Mundane himself.
In and of itself, the story is not really all that newsworthy. Guy works on house, house catches on fire, fire department puts out fire. Nobody gets hurt (hopefully), and life goes on.
Except that by finding that story, and checking to see if this was the same Dale Ellis we all know so well, I came across this story, written by Tom Farrey of The Seattle Times back in 1990. It's a very long one, but exceptionally written, wonderfully informative, and a thrill to read. I'll throw one excerpt at you, to give you an idea of what young Dale's upbringing was like:
[The Ellis' pride in doing things right] had a cost, Vivien [Ellis] believes, and that was his father's life.
On Sept. 22, 1969, John Henry Ellis Jr. was shot to death at age 42, the victim, Vivien says, of intra-family animosity.
John knew the man, a distant in-law, and for years they rode to work at the Lockheed plant together. But Vivien said the man did not like the Ellises, and on that day in an all-black Marietta restaurant tempers boiled over. The man shot John in the back. John turned and fired, hitting him. The gunfight ended with one last blast, a bullet through the heart of John Ellis.
"They argued, he shot him, he died,'' Lucille said.
The older children grieved the loss openly. One night Lucille sent Stephanie to bed, only to find her in the morning in another room curled up in the love seat where her father sat every Sunday night, sharing ice cream and Walt Disney with his kids.
... If Dale felt the same, he did not let on. Dale and Darryl had to stay home when the family went to the hospital. Too young, they were told. So Dale dealt with the matter on his own, a 9-year-old pillar of strength. Vivien can't recall him ever crying, and the twins rarely talked about it after that.
Pretty stirring stuff, and the rest of the article is along those lines.
You know, following the Sonics as closely as we do here, you begin to think you know the players enough to speak intelligently about them. Dale Ellis? Oh, yeah, he's from the south, got ignored in Dallas, came to Seattle, got his revenge, had some drinking and driving problems, got into a nasty spat with his wife, bounced around the league a bit, came back to Seattle, then retired.
Case closed, right?
Except it's not. Not by a longshot. Every one of these players, past and present, has traveled a remarkably convulted road to get to the NBA, and as fans, we only see them briefly as they zoom by us on that road.
20 years ago, Ellis' family never thought he'd come back to Marietta, that he was done with that town for good. Now, 20 years later, he's fixing the roof on his home in Marietta when a fire breaks out.
There's a story in there somewhere, but only Dale Ellis knows it.
Kinshasa
Well, that didn't exactly go like we hoped, now did it?
Holy cow the Magic looked bad last night - and was it me or did it seem like Rafer Alston missed 17 3-pointers in the third quarter?
Anyway, the only positive I took away from last night's bludgeoning was the chance to see DJ Mbenga come off the bench in the dying minutes of the game - his second appearance in an NBA Finals (the first coming in the Dallas/Miami series from a couple of years ago) ((Fun fact: DJ Mbenga's teams have appeared in three of the last four NBA Finals, and if the Lakers somehow lose to the Magic, his teams will be 0-for-3)).
As I was saying, coming on the heels of Dikembe Mutombo's injury-provoked retirement in the first round of the playoffs, it was great to see Mbenga get a chance to represent the Congo on such a big stage. And while it's not exactly a passing of the torch - Mbenga is a fringe player, while Mutombo was an all-star - the fact the two men are good friends (see Andrew Kamenetzky's great interview in the LA Times about this subject) counts for something.
Mbenga's amazing life story has been chronicled elsewhere, but it's worth reading if you haven't already. I won't go so far to say that I'm rooting for the Lakers, but I have to admit that a small part of me is glad to see Mbenga get a chance to be the first Congolese man to win an NBA championship.
Now, Rafer, about those 3's ...
Holy cow the Magic looked bad last night - and was it me or did it seem like Rafer Alston missed 17 3-pointers in the third quarter?
Anyway, the only positive I took away from last night's bludgeoning was the chance to see DJ Mbenga come off the bench in the dying minutes of the game - his second appearance in an NBA Finals (the first coming in the Dallas/Miami series from a couple of years ago) ((Fun fact: DJ Mbenga's teams have appeared in three of the last four NBA Finals, and if the Lakers somehow lose to the Magic, his teams will be 0-for-3)).
As I was saying, coming on the heels of Dikembe Mutombo's injury-provoked retirement in the first round of the playoffs, it was great to see Mbenga get a chance to represent the Congo on such a big stage. And while it's not exactly a passing of the torch - Mbenga is a fringe player, while Mutombo was an all-star - the fact the two men are good friends (see Andrew Kamenetzky's great interview in the LA Times about this subject) counts for something.
Mbenga's amazing life story has been chronicled elsewhere, but it's worth reading if you haven't already. I won't go so far to say that I'm rooting for the Lakers, but I have to admit that a small part of me is glad to see Mbenga get a chance to be the first Congolese man to win an NBA championship.
Now, Rafer, about those 3's ...
Thursday, June 4
Sonic Playoff Quiz
As a devoted Seattle Sonic fan, the result from this year's NBA Finals which would please me the most would be:
A) Rashard Lewis averages 25 points and scores the winning 3-pointer in Game 6.
B) While gesturing at a teammate for failing to get him the ball in the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant accidentally elbows himself in the face, causing him to miss the final two games of the series.
C) Aubrey McClendon is caught in a Mike Tice-like scandal when it is revealed that he sold his franchise's six tickets to the Finals for $687 and a Garth Brooks CD box set.
D) David Stern drops the O'Brien Trophy on his foot, causing a severe (though non-life-threatening) injury that forces him to abdicate his position as commissioner.
E) In Los Angeles, Stan Van Gundy bumps into Ron Jeremy while protesting a technical, resulting in a tear in the time/space continuum.
F) Pat Riley, realizing that, while his fingerprints are all over this series for both franchises he remains utterly irrelevent, crashes the ABC/ESPN set in a desperate attempt to rejuvenate his fading legacy and accidentally sets his hair on fire, moderately burning the other on-set analysts, although Magic was laughing the whole time, because, you know, ether takes a long time to burn off.
A) Rashard Lewis averages 25 points and scores the winning 3-pointer in Game 6.
B) While gesturing at a teammate for failing to get him the ball in the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant accidentally elbows himself in the face, causing him to miss the final two games of the series.
C) Aubrey McClendon is caught in a Mike Tice-like scandal when it is revealed that he sold his franchise's six tickets to the Finals for $687 and a Garth Brooks CD box set.
D) David Stern drops the O'Brien Trophy on his foot, causing a severe (though non-life-threatening) injury that forces him to abdicate his position as commissioner.
E) In Los Angeles, Stan Van Gundy bumps into Ron Jeremy while protesting a technical, resulting in a tear in the time/space continuum.
F) Pat Riley, realizing that, while his fingerprints are all over this series for both franchises he remains utterly irrelevent, crashes the ABC/ESPN set in a desperate attempt to rejuvenate his fading legacy and accidentally sets his hair on fire, moderately burning the other on-set analysts, although Magic was laughing the whole time, because, you know, ether takes a long time to burn off.
Wednesday, June 3
Rashard Lewis: The Invisible Sonic
I’m not sure exactly when it was Rashard Lewis ceased being a someday and started being a today.
Perhaps it was when he scored 50 points against the Clippers in the early stages of the 2003-04 season. In typical Lewis fashion, his exploit took place 10 time zones away in Japan, rather than in Seattle or, you know, North America.
Maybe it was the entire 2001-02 season, when Lewis began to emerge as a legitimate 20-point threat, cracking the hallowed mark more than 20 times at the tender age of 22.
Or (and, I confess, this is where my sentiments lie, so get ready for a long-winded explanation), it was the spring of 2000.
After a lackluster year in which he failed to score more often than he scored 20, Lewis didn’t enter the playoffs with high expectations from Sonic fans. Heck, with Seattle battling Sacramento for playoff positioning (the 7th seed would get Utah, the 8th seed would get the superior Lakers), Lewis failed to reach double-digits in the box score in more than a quarter of the final month’s games. As someone who only started eight games all season, not much was thought of the young man.
Despite Lewis’ somewhat stumble to the finish line, the Sonics held off the Kings and emerged to face the Jazz in the first round. Although he had been a starter the final five games of the regular season, Lewis was, not surprisingly, nervous in his first NBA playoff game. Still only barely 20 years of age, his first taste of the post-season was a bitter one, as he committed five fouls in only 16 minutes and finished with four points in a 104-93 Jazz victory.
That, however, would be the end of his struggles.
For the remainder of the series, Lewis showed he had earned his starting role, contributing 19 points in only 23 minutes of game two (another Sonic loss), 14 points and 10 boards in a game three win, 20 points in the game four win which pushed the series to its climax, and, finally, 20 more points in a game five loss in Salt Lake City which ended, as every Sonic fan worth his, well, salt, will tell you, a Chuck Person (!) missed three at the buzzer.
It was if, in the span of a mere two weeks, Lewis had transformed himself from the kid who got bypassed in the first round to a legitimate NBA offensive weapon.
He had eliminated the someday from the stories about him.
“The worst curse in life,” Ken Brett once told a reporter (and he would know), “Is unlimited potential.”
Such it was with Rashard Lewis during his tenure in Seattle. At 6’10”, he could seemingly do anything on the basketball court. But rather than celebrate his accomplishments, too often we derided his failures. His lack of intensity on defense, the fact that as a 6’10” small forward he averaged fewer blocked shots than some point guards, and, more than anything, his nonchalance never failed to irritate his critics in the Emerald City.
It was fitting, then, that his departure from this city was met with the same feelings he generated as a player – apathy. Although he scored more points in a Sonic jersey than Shawn Kemp, Gus Williams, Dale Ellis, Xavier McDaniel, or Tom Chambers, Rashard never entered the hearts of Sonic fans the way those players did. (And, judging by how frequently he updates his official website, it would appear that he’s not connecting too much these days, either). Whether due to a lack of playoff games during his tenure or his blasé on-court attitude, Lewis was an untasted entrée on the Seattle fan’s plate.
When asked their favorite memories of Lewis during his time in Seattle, most fans would struggle to come up with even one. In fact, for the majority of us, the enduring memory is watching him lying in pain on the San Antonio court during the 04-05 playoffs, his injured toe sidelining him for the rest of the playoffs at a time when the team desperately needed his scoring ability.
And yet, I imagine that a sizable portion of Sonic fans will be cheering for him during the Finals as his Magic take on the Lakers. Sure, for many it’s either out of spite for the hated Kobe Bryant (and that’s certainly as good a reason as any) or out of love for the underdog, but for others maybe time has allowed them to appreciate what Rashard Lewis offered to Seattle all those years.
Yes, his on-court emotion was more light jazz than Soundgarden, and, granted, his contract is a bloated anchor which will inevitably drag the Magic down, but does anyone in Orlando care about that right now? Not likely.
His clutch three-pointers during this year’s playoffs have forever altered our perception of Rashard Quovon Lewis, transforming him from a poor man’s Alex English into a potential Horry-like figure (albeit one who gets paid Kobe-like money).
It’s too bad that Lewis’ best days have come while wearing blue and white rather than yellow and gold, but so be it. Rather than point out his failings this spring, I’ll be celebrating his accomplishments. His pivotal battle with Pau Gasol at power forward will be crucial towards deciding who hoists the championship trophy this June, and that’s all you can ask for as a franchise player.
Is he worth the money? At this point, who cares. In the biggest series of the season, on the biggest stage basketball has to offer, Rashard Lewis will be front and center.
I hope he’s ready.
Perhaps it was when he scored 50 points against the Clippers in the early stages of the 2003-04 season. In typical Lewis fashion, his exploit took place 10 time zones away in Japan, rather than in Seattle or, you know, North America.
Maybe it was the entire 2001-02 season, when Lewis began to emerge as a legitimate 20-point threat, cracking the hallowed mark more than 20 times at the tender age of 22.
Or (and, I confess, this is where my sentiments lie, so get ready for a long-winded explanation), it was the spring of 2000.
After a lackluster year in which he failed to score more often than he scored 20, Lewis didn’t enter the playoffs with high expectations from Sonic fans. Heck, with Seattle battling Sacramento for playoff positioning (the 7th seed would get Utah, the 8th seed would get the superior Lakers), Lewis failed to reach double-digits in the box score in more than a quarter of the final month’s games. As someone who only started eight games all season, not much was thought of the young man.
Despite Lewis’ somewhat stumble to the finish line, the Sonics held off the Kings and emerged to face the Jazz in the first round. Although he had been a starter the final five games of the regular season, Lewis was, not surprisingly, nervous in his first NBA playoff game. Still only barely 20 years of age, his first taste of the post-season was a bitter one, as he committed five fouls in only 16 minutes and finished with four points in a 104-93 Jazz victory.
That, however, would be the end of his struggles.
For the remainder of the series, Lewis showed he had earned his starting role, contributing 19 points in only 23 minutes of game two (another Sonic loss), 14 points and 10 boards in a game three win, 20 points in the game four win which pushed the series to its climax, and, finally, 20 more points in a game five loss in Salt Lake City which ended, as every Sonic fan worth his, well, salt, will tell you, a Chuck Person (!) missed three at the buzzer.
It was if, in the span of a mere two weeks, Lewis had transformed himself from the kid who got bypassed in the first round to a legitimate NBA offensive weapon.
He had eliminated the someday from the stories about him.
“The worst curse in life,” Ken Brett once told a reporter (and he would know), “Is unlimited potential.”Such it was with Rashard Lewis during his tenure in Seattle. At 6’10”, he could seemingly do anything on the basketball court. But rather than celebrate his accomplishments, too often we derided his failures. His lack of intensity on defense, the fact that as a 6’10” small forward he averaged fewer blocked shots than some point guards, and, more than anything, his nonchalance never failed to irritate his critics in the Emerald City.
It was fitting, then, that his departure from this city was met with the same feelings he generated as a player – apathy. Although he scored more points in a Sonic jersey than Shawn Kemp, Gus Williams, Dale Ellis, Xavier McDaniel, or Tom Chambers, Rashard never entered the hearts of Sonic fans the way those players did. (And, judging by how frequently he updates his official website, it would appear that he’s not connecting too much these days, either). Whether due to a lack of playoff games during his tenure or his blasé on-court attitude, Lewis was an untasted entrée on the Seattle fan’s plate.
When asked their favorite memories of Lewis during his time in Seattle, most fans would struggle to come up with even one. In fact, for the majority of us, the enduring memory is watching him lying in pain on the San Antonio court during the 04-05 playoffs, his injured toe sidelining him for the rest of the playoffs at a time when the team desperately needed his scoring ability.
And yet, I imagine that a sizable portion of Sonic fans will be cheering for him during the Finals as his Magic take on the Lakers. Sure, for many it’s either out of spite for the hated Kobe Bryant (and that’s certainly as good a reason as any) or out of love for the underdog, but for others maybe time has allowed them to appreciate what Rashard Lewis offered to Seattle all those years.
Yes, his on-court emotion was more light jazz than Soundgarden, and, granted, his contract is a bloated anchor which will inevitably drag the Magic down, but does anyone in Orlando care about that right now? Not likely.
His clutch three-pointers during this year’s playoffs have forever altered our perception of Rashard Quovon Lewis, transforming him from a poor man’s Alex English into a potential Horry-like figure (albeit one who gets paid Kobe-like money).
It’s too bad that Lewis’ best days have come while wearing blue and white rather than yellow and gold, but so be it. Rather than point out his failings this spring, I’ll be celebrating his accomplishments. His pivotal battle with Pau Gasol at power forward will be crucial towards deciding who hoists the championship trophy this June, and that’s all you can ask for as a franchise player.
Is he worth the money? At this point, who cares. In the biggest series of the season, on the biggest stage basketball has to offer, Rashard Lewis will be front and center.
I hope he’s ready.
Tuesday, June 2
Name That Sonic
* Played more games than Detlef Schrempf
* More points scored than Nate McMillan, Derrick McKey, or Dennis Johnson
* One of only 11 Sonics to have played 3,000 minutes in one season
Who am I?
* More points scored than Nate McMillan, Derrick McKey, or Dennis Johnson
* One of only 11 Sonics to have played 3,000 minutes in one season
Who am I?
Morning Hot Links
Bizarre (and brief) article from Puget Sound Business Journal's Steven Goldsmith about the residual effect of the Sonics leaving KeyArena. Goldsmith makes a sort-of claim that the Key is doing just fine without the Sonics, because Roller Derby has filled the void.
Um, okay.
Much better is the PI's story this morning from Casey McNerthey, which paints a completely different picture (and, in my opinion, a much more accurate one) of how the area surrounding KeyArena has become a ghost town.
Best of all, though, is the link provided to the PI's coverage of the Sonics' championship 30 years ago. If you click on the link to the PDF (it's a large file, so beware), you may recognize a picture at the bottom right corner. Just one question: How is it possible that the PI is unable to conjure up a better quality representation of their old issues? Did they sell off all the scanners when the paper went belly-up?
Um, okay.
Much better is the PI's story this morning from Casey McNerthey, which paints a completely different picture (and, in my opinion, a much more accurate one) of how the area surrounding KeyArena has become a ghost town.
Best of all, though, is the link provided to the PI's coverage of the Sonics' championship 30 years ago. If you click on the link to the PDF (it's a large file, so beware), you may recognize a picture at the bottom right corner. Just one question: How is it possible that the PI is unable to conjure up a better quality representation of their old issues? Did they sell off all the scanners when the paper went belly-up?
Monday, June 1
Name That Seattle Sonic
FOUR CLUES:
* More rebounds than Vincent Askew
* More playoff games than Olden Polynice
* More blocks than Paul Silas
* Top 10 all-time in disqualifications
* More playoff games than Olden Polynice
* More blocks than Paul Silas
* Top 10 all-time in disqualifications
Who am I?
Sonics 30th Anniversary viewing party today
(photo from the Seattle Times)Some kind soul is putting on viewing parties all over town today to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Seattle Supersonics clinching the NBA championship.
1979 NBA Finals Game 5 Viewing Party:
Jalisco
11am/1pm/3pm/5pm/7pm/9pm
Floyd's Place
2pm/4pm/6pm/8pm/10pm/12pm
Sport Restaurant
1:30pm/3:30pm/5:30pm//5:30pm/7:30pm/9:30pm
The Spectator
4:30pm/6:30pm/8:30pm/10:30pm
Sporty's Beef & Brew
7:00pm/9:00pm/11:00pm
For more info, go to http://supersonics30.com/
30 Years Gone By
Here's an interesting question to ponder: If you were standing and cheering at the Sonics' championship rally 30 years ago today, which would you be more inclined to scoff at, were someone to ask you:
1. That the Sonics would be gone in 30 years, or
2. That GM would file for bankruptcy
Tough call, that. Anyhow, they've both come to pass but, for today, we'll try to focus on the positive. There are stories aplenty on the web today, columns filled with wistful nostalgia that Sonic fans can wallow in. Included:
* Art Thiel, the PI (if I read his column right, Thiel is 6'8"?)
* Steve Kelley, The Times
* Damon Agnos, Seattle Weekly
* Percy Allen, The Times
* John McGrath, News Tribune
And, perhaps as good as reliving those memories, is the possibility of 1) watching Rashard Lewis in the Finals this week and 2) hoping that he beats the Lakers. Barring a return of pro hoops to Seattle, what more could a fan ask for?
Friday, May 29
Stadiums Are Great, Or Not
Something you'll never hear from anyone associated with getting a new sports facility built:
"While the ballpark construction would create 453 jobs during construction, the $49 million total investment would actually create a net loss of 182 jobs citywide.
“If those individuals who put their money into baseball via taxes are allowed to put that money into the private market, that same amount of money would actually yield more jobs,” explains ECONorthwest number-cruncher Abe Farkas."
(From The Portland Mercury, via Field of Schemes).
Naturally, Portland city officials were less than keen to share this sort of news, and tried their best to keep it out of the public's view, but, eventually it got there. And so, naturally, the city tried to explain that the study (which they commissioned) was all screwed up to begin with.
After studying these situations (far too much, honestly) for the past few years, I can see both sides of the argument in these discussions. Certainly, pro sports teams provide economic activity and help keep neighborhoods such as the one surrounding KeyArena viable. Just talk to the folks running businesses in that area these days about how thrilled they are about the Sonics leaving town. Not much.
However, teams also are a consistent drain on public finances, and the bang for the public buck is often a whimper, relatively speaking. In the end, there is no logical argument for throwing money at stadiums - only an emotional one. When times are good, that emotional argument can be persuasive, as it was for the Seahawks and Mariners. When the economy is in a freefall and the state and city are scrapping together bake sales to pay for basic services, though, that argument becomes increasingly flimsy.
And so it is for the Sonics these days. Sure, some of the candidates for the Mayor of Seattle have thrown their two cents in about saving the Sonics, but most of that is posturing and looking to stake a claim to a perceived weakness of the incumbent, Greg Nickels. In reality, none of these people did much to keep the team here when it really mattered (although, to be fair, James Donaldson did more than the rest).
The Sonics are, it seems, not a priority in Seattle these days. Despite the fact that private backers were willing to cough up $150 million towards re-building KeyArena, it didn't happen, largely because the public outcry was not enough to convince legislators that it would be in their political interests to do so. To get a new arena, supporters must overcome two significant dead weights: 1) The fact that arenas and stadiums are not nearly the economic panacea supporters purport them to be and 2) The citizens of this area aren't sufficiently on board.
You can climb the mountain with one of those weights chained to your leg, but with both of them shackled to your ankles, you ain't gonna make it.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)