Thursday, June 29, 2017

Ed Murray is campaigning, Today's Endorsement that wasn't

Here is what is burning Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. He hates Mike McGinn so much that he had a press conference about it. Jenny Durkan was there as the future version of Ed Murray.

A reported poll last week showedMurray's predecessor Mike McGinn with a slight lead even though Durkan had already assumed Murray's policies.

Poll makes clear: Seattle mayor's race is tight | KUOW News and Information
http://kuow.org/post/poll-makes-clear-seattle-mayors-race-tight


SeattleWeekly pretty much called it right.
It seemed at times that Murray's endorsement was more about blocking McGinn's path to victory than opening up Durkan's. Asked whether he had considered endorsing Jessyn Farrell, Murray said he respected Farrell but that "in my conversation with Jenny, she has the best chance of winning, and I really don't want this city to go back to the divisiveness that I inherited." In other words, Durkan had the best chance at wiping the floor with McGinn on the ballot.
Asked whether that meant the endorsement was more anti-McGinn than pro-Durkan, Murray shot back: "No, it's pro-Jenny Durkan," before launching into a renewed broadside against McGinn's tenure as mayor (again, without naming the candidate).

In Endorsing Durkan, Murray Trashes McGinn


Now that Murray has gone KeyArena or bust (which I've heard was stupid), I expect Durkan to do the same, even though neither knows yet how much tax money they plan to give to the Oak View Group.

Ed Murray is part of the "or bust" arena supporters, though I don't expect anyone else to point it out, at least not like this, because…:

Bust is not an option

Ed Murray not running for re-election for Mayor of Seattle

Ed Murray is not running for re-election.
He was the last person to recognize how bad it would suck for him to lose to Mike McGinn.
Running as a write-in candidate is difficult, but it's even harder to lose to somebody you hate.
I don't care for how Ed was forced out of the race. Regardless, I wasn't going to vote for him.

KNKX Public Radio (@knkxfm)
Mayor Ed Murray has announced he won't run a write-in campaign for re-election. Murray is endorsing Jenny Durkan for Seattle mayor.

I wish Jenny Durkan the best of luck, whoever she eventually turns out to be as a candidate.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray opposes the SoDo arena

He said something about his predecessor, because that's who Ed is.

http://www.seattlechannel.org/askTheMayor?videoid=x78438
Have a great day,
Mike Baker

OVG would not walk away from KeyArena if Hansen gets street vacation

KeyArena developers see 'window of opportunity' for NHL team, but not NBA for a while | The Seattle Times
OVG have sunk costs in presentations and travel, so, there's that holding them to this arena rock money machine.
Leiweke was asked whether his group would pull out of talks if the council in the interim approved a provisional street vacation of Occidental Avenue South that Hansen's group says it needs to be "shovel ready'' and attract more financing and teams.
Leiweke replied that his group would never have pursued the KeyArena renovation if it felt Hansen still had any shot at landing an NBA team. An MOU between Hansen, the city and King County expires Dec. 3 and provides up to $200 million in public bond funding if he acquires an NBA franchise.
KeyArena developers see 'window of opportunity' for NHL team, but not NBA for a while | The Seattle Times
http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/keyarena-developers-see-window-of-opportunity-for-nhl-team-but-not-nba-for-a-while/

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Seattle Councilmember Rob Johnson, "I just don't want to get fleeced."

The council's confidence in the proposal to renovate KeyArena is less than enthusiastic.

Meanwhile, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw expressed her opinion that the city is done with SoDo if Chris Hansen can't produce a NBA team by the end of the MOU, 12/3/2017. There will then be a gap between the end of the SoDo MOU and the KeyArena MOU due sometime in 2018. If Sally's plan fails then Seattle sports fans have nothing.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Generation Gomez Addams

The generation after the *millennials will emulate Gomez Addams.
This I predict!


Gomez Addams - Wikipedia

"Husband to Morticia (if indeed they are married at all) ... a crafty schemer, but also a jolly man in his own way ... though sometimes misguided ... sentimental and often puckish — optimistic, he is in full enthusiasm for his dreadful plots ... is sometimes seen in a rather formal dressing gown ... the only one who smokes."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomez_Addams#



*Future generations will mistake "millennials" is a kind of walrus.

Have a great day,
Mike Baker

I'll show myself out, Sonics Rising

I've stepped away from Sonics Rising, and I thank them for giving me space to write.
I'm not having fun.



Have a great day,
Mike Baker

Sunday, June 11, 2017

It's not just loyalty, it's reality

I agree with Aaron Levine of Q13 Fox News, there is a missing element of trust (my word) with OVG's Tim Leweike. A contributing factor Levine doesn't mention is the history of plans to renovate KeyArena have failed so badly that the Sonics and now in Oklahoma City. His open disdain for the NBA returning to Seattle bleeds out into disrespect for the fans that, frankly, made this situation possible for Chris Hansen and Tim Leweike.
Hansen acknowledges it, Leweike is just kind of an asshole about it.

Two steps for Leweike:
Step 1. Don't be an asshole if you want $90+ million of my tax dollars.
Step 2. Grasp the idea that David Stern scorched the earth on the NBA's leave of Seattle. It sure as heck wasn't the leagues that laid the groundwork for you and Hansen. Lots of people that never wanted to Sonics to leave are helping to make your big payday possible. Do you think Hansen showed up and had to grow support? Really?

Again, Leiweke’s plan might be the best one, and his intentions might be pure. But if that’s the case, it’s up to him to prove it down the line. And until he does, because of our city’s past, there will always be doubt, there will always be uncertainty. And there will always be questions about whether he’s the next out-of-town salesman who doesn’t have our best interests in mind.Commentary: Given Seattle's sports history, the value of loyalty and humility cannot be overlooked in arena debate | Q13 FOX Newshttp://q13fox.com/2017/06/11/commentary-given-seattles-sports-history-the-value-of-loyalty-and-humility-cannot-be-overlooked-in-arena-debate/

Jerry Bruckheimer and David Bonderman aren't feral cats

If you want exclusive right to a city park in the hottest economy in America… show up. 
But that's not their goal, there goal is anywhere.
This might be shocking, but, the head shots of Jerry Bruckheimer and David Bonderman have appeared in another market they were so exited to be a part of, Las Vegas. If in Las Vegas or Seattle, then anywhere else isn't a very strong selling point. 
They volunteered to make money in Seattle, and that's the depth of their connection and commitment.
After failing to bring the NHL to Las Vegas in 2007, Jerry Bruckheimer and David Bonderman are teaming again with Tim Leiweke to own a hockey team. It's in Seattle this time.https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/golden-knights-nhl/having-failed-in-las-vegas-nhl-investors-ready-to-try-again-in-seattle/

Have a great day,
Mike Baker

Why are we doing this?


So, is that the existential question, Chris Hansen has somebody that's interested in owning an NBA team (him), Oak View Group (OVG) doesn't have a perspective NBA owner so OVG are splitting NBA fans off, banking in the NHL fans and a desperate city council?
Tim Leiweke has been doing this since he got here.

During Civic Cocktail Chris Hansen answered the arena priority question among fans, basketball then hockey then everything else, but are those priorities represented in the council?

None of this looks to be on purpose (though it is)  as much as just teams playing to their strengths.
It's a hell of a competition. 

I think Larry Stone shows a side of this with an interview with OVG's Tim Leweike. Leweike can't both be a seasoned professional and somehow "chuckle" about the NBA (Why the Hell do you think you are here?), as calculating as Chris Hansen stepping all over Leweike's big day.

Many Seattle sports fans are holding back their enthusiasm despite the impressive prospect of a sparkling KeyArena upgrade. They simply haven’t been convinced that the Oak View Group’s Tim Leiweke is as committed as Chris Hansen to getting the NBA back to Seattle.http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/why-many-seattle-nba-fans-prefer-sodo-arena-project-over-keyarena-rebuild/
Why many Seattle NBA fans prefer Sodo arena project over KeyArena rebuildLarry Stone / Columnist
Larry Stone is right.

This is what Tim Leweike does for a living. Sometimes he's successful at it. Sometimes he is not.

[edited for clarity, I don't think Tim Leweike give a shit about basketball, he wants 100 nights of arena rock.]

Thursday, June 8, 2017

KING5: KeyArena proposal to get two studies, transportation and economic, per Council President Harrell

KING5 News reports that the proposal by Oak View Group will lead the council to higher two independent consultants, one for transportation and one for finance.
Council legislation will be coming soon.