Sports Media Reaction to the NBA in OKC

[marc]

I understand that Seattle sports fans might be upset by the news of the Sonics move, but I am a little surprised at some of the comments by members of the sports media. Filip Bondy, for instance, criticized the NBA for "abandoning sophisticated Seattle for the yahoo town of Oklahoma City."

Rootless in Seattle
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/bondy/2008/04/rootless-in-seattle.html

[cannon_fodder]

Ouch.

quote:this shady deal

quote:it will soon find itself entertaining bids from other second-class American cities

quote:a franchise is hijacked to a one-horse town because somebody promises to build a gaudy palace and to charge minimal rent.

quote:Once you start migrating to sites like Oklahoma City..., you are basically telling people you are a desperate minor league.

Ouch.  No love for OKC.

[bokworker]

Get Mick Cornett on the line and tell him he needs to show this guy around like he did Charles Barkley a couple of years ago when Sir Charles stated that OKC was not "brother" friendly...

On another note, we now know another name to add to the "freeze a yankee" list.

[perspicuity85]

I'm not personally a big fan of OKC, but how is it worse than Salt Lake City?  Utah is the most conservative state in the country, if you go by national politics, and Salt Lake has a smaller MSA  population than OKC.  OKC is also bigger than Buffalo, NY, who has the NFL's Bills.

Here's a list of small major league markets, and how OKC compares:

Jacksonville, FL: 1,300,823
Memphis, TN: 1,280,533
Oklahoma City: 1,192,989
Buffalo, NY: 1,128,183
Salt Lake City: 1,099,973
New Orleans: 1,030,363. Pre-Katrina: 1,309,954.
Tulsa (just for fun): 905,755

Source: http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/CBSA-est2007-annual.html

[godboko71]

Something I always wonder when I hear or read what analysts about any field, be it banking, business services aeronautics or even sports, do they remember all these other superior markets didn't start out huge?
Yes some markets had location based advantages as the population grows, communications and transportation gets better easier, direct market sizes will play less into what decides to move where.
One thing as a whole Oklahoma has to over offer other locations is the simple fact of a lower living expenses, which might not effect corporate decisions directly it will play an indirect part in deciding whether we are right for them or not. Another thing we do have in both Tulsa and OKC is quality of life, yes some think it's boring but most of the people that think that don't know what the city has to offer.

Anyway I am rambling; I think these "experts" know about as much about our market as I do about being a butcher. If Similar and smaller markets can make it work so can Oklahoma. Sure some of these smaller markets have more tourists, but for games your day to day consumer is going to be your local fan.  OKC is lucky in the fact it not only has two college towns in its mists it also has the greater Tulsa area to count on. As much as some of us dislike OKC most of us go there at least a few times a year some of us more for business, we spend money there and vice versa, if I was into basketball I would go to 5-10 games a year just because it was close enough.

Bring in the MLB and I am there as many home games as I can make it... Anyway Shuts up now

[marc]

I enjoyed all the previous posts here.

I like Tulsa better than OKC in quality of life,  appearance and most other categories, but OKC might be a better major league sports town. It's bigger and seems more "sports-oriented." I have no hard evidence of this, it's just my personal opinion. And someday Tulsa could be a major league town as well.

The population figures perspicuity85 cites prove that OKC is big enough for the big leagues, especially when you factor in Tulsa as part of its market. And with an NBA team just down the pike, perhaps an occasional game would be played at the BOK?

The NBA in Oklahoma City will benefit OKC, Tulsa and the entire state.

Oklahoma City's near neighbor, Tulsa, eager for new team
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3361374

[yldchyld]

OKC has a gorgeous AAA baseball stadium in Bricktown. Do you think with the NBA coming to town eventually MLB will too?

[marc]

quote:Originally posted by yldchyld

OKC has a gorgeous AAA baseball stadium in Bricktown. Do you think with the NBA coming to town eventually MLB will too?

I don't know, but it would be great if it did. However, while I believe Oklahoma City is big enough for the NBA, I don't know if it is large enough yet to support two major league teams.

One thing that possibly curtailed the New Orleans Hornets (pre-Katrina) attendance was the fact that they had both the NBA Hornets and NFL Saints in a metro area of 1.3 million. And while Seattle is a much larger market, the Sonics had to compete for sports fan dollars with the Seahawks and Mariners.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by yldchyld

OKC has a gorgeous AAA baseball stadium in Bricktown. Do you think with the NBA coming to town eventually MLB will too?

No.

Oklahoma has had no professional sports teams because our density doesn't support it on paper. Katrina gave them a chance to show they could sellout an arena no matter what the facts say, but  the numbers are even worse for two Major teams.

I would suspect it might cause a small jump in Tulsa. Say an AFL team instead of AFL2 or maybe Hockey. MLB has too high salaries and a fanbase tired of strikes and controversies.

[cannon_fodder]

The smallest MLB cities are Milwaukee and Kansas City.  Both are older teams (both 1969 actually) with established fan basis.  Both areas have over 2 million people and the teams draw from a wide range (all of Wisconsin and for the Royals all of Kansas, much of Oklahoma, Nebraska, and a good portion of Missouri).

I'm afraid a team in Oklahoma would meet resistance, MLB fans don't change their teams very often (ever, GO CUBS!).  Add the fact that OKC has about half the MSA population of the smallest MLB markets and that this would be a new team - and it would seem dubious.

That said, I'd welcome a team in OKC.  More power to them.  I'd actually go down the turnpike a couple times a year to catch a game or two.  So long as that's the only way I'm forced to pay for it, I'd be happy for them.

BUT, I'm sure it would end up sucking some tax money from Tulsa to support it.  The precedent has been established.  Which still makes me mad.

Did I say Go Cubs?

[Renaissance]

MLB is a different animal completely.  81 home games, not 41.  35,000 seat venues, not 20,000.  It's just a bigger deal--it would be amazing to have in Oklahoma, but I don't see it happening.

NHL, on the other hand, is within the realm of possibility.  I'm not a hockey fan, but I could get on board with an Oklahoma club.

[yldchyld]

Maybe the Sonics is the jumpstart Oklahoma needs to launch us into professional sports realms. On paper support - true the numbers don't gel....YET. We need to load the grill with thick, juicy financial backer steaks, marinated with a tasty, heaping helping of media exposure (Sonics Superstation)and some spicy dollops of young stud super stars and a kegger full of wild eyed crazy fans who pack the seats every game.

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by yldchyld

Maybe the Sonics is the jumpstart Oklahoma needs to launch us into professional sports realms. On paper support - true the numbers don't gel....YET. We need to load the grill with thick, juicy financial backer steaks, marinated with a tasty, heaping helping of media exposure (Sonics Superstation)and some spicy dollops of young stud super stars and a kegger full of wild eyed crazy fans who pack the seats every game.

That sounds DELICIOUS.  Nice post.

[USRufnex]

When the Ford Center was built, nobody could have guessed that the NBA was gonna be an option; most in OKC thought it might attract an NHL team.

Bennett bought the team fair and square.  OKC can be a better option with no pro sports than having the Sonics moved to Kansas City-- KC has the Royals, the Chiefs and a very poorly supported Major League Soccer team in the Wizards... []

The Sprint Center is operated by AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), who will likely attract an NHL team to KC.

I'm happy OKC beat out KC in pursuit of an NBA team; I'm more of an NBA fan than NHL anyway... for Tulsa sportsfans, has the NHL ever given Tulsa a call about a team???

After all, Express Sports gave the NHL Tulsa's business card...

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/article.aspx?articleID=070131_Sp_B2_Hopin46384

"Funk said an NHL team in Tulsa would be a good fit.

"I certainly think that the business model with the NHL, now that they have a salary cap, is much better than in the past," said Funk. "This would be an opportunity to break even if the community supported the team well. Sponsorships, season tickets and the right kind of leasing makes it break even or not break even. I would think Tulsa would be big enough to support an NHL team because of the way Tulsans support the Hornets over here. I think Blazers fans would support an NHL team in Tulsa. It would have to be a statewide issue in order for it to be successful."

[perspicuity85]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

The smallest MLB cities are Milwaukee and Kansas City.  Both are older teams (both 1969 actually) with established fan basis.  Both areas have over 2 million people and the teams draw from a wide range (all of Wisconsin and for the Royals all of Kansas, much of Oklahoma, Nebraska, and a good portion of Missouri).

I'm afraid a team in Oklahoma would meet resistance, MLB fans don't change their teams very often (ever, GO CUBS!).  Add the fact that OKC has about half the MSA population of the smallest MLB markets and that this would be a new team - and it would seem dubious.

That said, I'd welcome a team in OKC.  More power to them.  I'd actually go down the turnpike a couple times a year to catch a game or two.  So long as that's the only way I'm forced to pay for it, I'd be happy for them.

BUT, I'm sure it would end up sucking some tax money from Tulsa to support it.  The precedent has been established.  Which still makes me mad.

Did I say Go Cubs?

I think, most of your assessments are accurate, except for the population figures.

Milwaukee: 1,544,398
Kansas City(close enough): 1,985,429

By the way, GO CARDINALS.