Studious

I wanted to put together a thorough look at the feasibility study presented by the Muckleshoot’s consultants, but time constraints prevent me from wasting, err, spending too much time on that, so here’s a quick look at what I found from reading the document.

- A great deal of the article looks at the relative financial health of this market as opposed to seven similar NBA markets. The conclusion drawn is that 1) Seattle is strong relative to those markets and 2) Seattle is strong relative to the rest of the NBA, especially in regard to EBI (effective buying income) and population size, and even moreso when one looks at how the future may go. For example, Seattle stands at 112% of the national average in EBI (these numbers are from here, not from the consultants). Oklahoma City? Try 83%. According to the consultants, by 2011, Seattle’s EBI will rank 9th or 10th in the league. Care to hazard a guess where OKC would fit in? It just further convinces me that the NBA would be unbelievably foolish to move a team from the Greater Puget Sound and give it to Oklahoma City. The only rational reason for doing so would be to augment the blackmailing tactics the league will use/uses in other cities, because it would be financial suicide for the NBA to trade Seattle for OKC, and that’s not even considering the impact on television ratings.

- Along those same lines, here is the consultant’s summary of Seattle’s economic picture in relation to the NBA: “Seattle’s significant wealth and comparatively small average household size allow for higher levels of entertainment spending and present an attractive events center market.” In other words, not only is Seattle’s population much larger than OKC’s, but it’s percentage of population with higher incomes is among the highest in the NBA (top 4), and it’s percentage of income spent on entertainment ranks 5th in the NBA.

- The figure put forth to get this project done is $415 million. I looked at the numbers they used to get to $415, and it got me to thinking: How much would it cost to renovate KeyArena to an acceptable level for the NBA? Would it cost ½ as much? 2/3 as much? I’m not an economist or a project manager by any means, but the figure would have to be considerably lower, and bear in mind that the $415 million doesn’t include transportation improvements, which will absolutely be necessary to finish this deal. If you think otherwise, take a look at this picture included in the report, which is a view of the proposed site. Think 18,500 people would be able to use that road for a Sonic playoff game?

Your Tuesday Morning Sonics Report

Sonics news from around the internets:

Our pal Mike Seely at the Seattle Weekly weighs in on Muckleshoot Mania.

Meanwhile, the vultures in Oklahoma are starting to realize that stealing our team might not be so easy. (via the News Tribune)

Have I mentioned I'm hosting COMICS FOR SONICS tonight? I did? Well did I mention there will be raffles and fabulous Supersonics door prizes? Ah-ha! Well, now I did.

Sonic Notes for a Monday

Paul Westhead has been offered a spot on PJ Carlesimo’s coaching staff, according to Norm Frauenheim of the Arizona Republic. Westhead is currently the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and has known PJ for 30 years. The casual observation is that Westhead would provide offensive know-how to Carlesimo’s defensive excellence. ... Sonicscentral has good coverage of the rumored deal between the Muckleshoot Indian Casino and the Sonics. The press conference today from the Muckleshoot folks was in regard to the feasibility of an arena at their casino, and NOT any agreement to build an agreement, which would obviously keep Clay Bennett’s team firmly in Seattle for the long-term. According to this story by Jeff Meisner in the Puget Sound Business Journal, the cost of a new stadium on the tribe’s land would be $452 million, about $78 million less than the previous arena proposal in Renton. Of special note in the study the Muckleshoot presented today (put together by Brailsford & Dunlavey) is the statement that luxury boxes and suites in the Seattle area have reached a “saturation point,” and that no additional suites beyond what are currently in KeyArena would be built – which completely goes against what Howard Schultz was complaining about two years ago. From what Schultz, and to a degree, Clay Bennett, said, one would get the impression that more suites were needed to keep up the pace with the other newly constructed arenas in the NBA. But what this study details is that is untrue, and that additional suites would sit vacant. In addition, the new stadium the tribe proposes would seat 18,500. And, as Jim Brunner points out in the Seattle Times, Brailsford & Dunlavey’s consultant indicated “improvements to roads in the area would likely be required.” In other words, $450 ain’t even close to the total bill on this deal.