Why doesn't Seattle have all 4 major league sports teams? (Tacoma: home, schools)

[BigCityDreamer]

What is the history of sports teams in Seattle? Do you feel that Seattle should have all the major league sports by now, given that some cities smaller than Seattle already have them?

[Beenhere4ever]

Just lucky, I guess. They tend to be parasites.

[SitoUK]

sonicsgate.com

[rainforest338]

Seattle has Soccer, Baseball and American Football. All of which I have seen sell plenty of merchandise around the area. I really don't know of that many people in the state that wear much basketball merchandise (outside of UW or the other schools). Am I missing something? I, personally, haven't seen a real market for basketball. Hockey I could see making it out here.

[seattlefanatic]

Originally Posted by rainforest338

Seattle has Soccer, Baseball and American Football. All of which I have seen sell plenty of merchandise around the area. I really don't know of that many people in the state that wear much basketball merchandise (outside of UW or the other schools). Am I missing something? I, personally, haven't seen a real market for basketball. Hockey I could see making it out here.

Yes, you are definitely missing something. In 2008 when the OKC Thunder franchise stole the Sonics from Seattle, people, myself included, were so embittered and upset by it that they just didn't wear their Sonics gear anymore. That, and there wasn't a team to root for of course. The whole Sonicsgate scandal left a bad taste in many people's mouths with regards to the NBA. That said, there was and still is a huge basketball market. Just recently, people, including the likes of Gary Payton, gathered together in solidarity to support Chris Hansen and his arena. The Sonics were the oldest and best Seattle sports team, and it's a crying shame they're now in Oklahoma City. We'll definitely get another team though, possibly within two seasons. It all depends on that damn arena though. Then we'll have at least three teams.

[Harrier]

Are the Thunderbirds and Rockets still around? Seattle and Tacoma had some good minor league hockey teams several years a go - but I moved to southern California where there are two NHL teams - both of whom have won the Stanley Cup within the last six years(Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings). I went to a few T-Birds games - are they still playing? Seattle would be a good NHL expansion city - IMO.

[Hemlock140]

I don't know that hockey would do that well here, and even basketball may not be the same as it was with the Sonics. Keep in mind that the big local employers have hired thousands of young people, many from other countries, and that has increased the interest in soccer enough that Sounders home games average over 40,000. There is some competition for the sports fan dollar, when there are a lot of home games. Football will always draw well because of the limited games. I'm not real confident about the new arena after reading the comments by the City Council. Sounds
a lot like a repeat of the past.

[lovingthegreen]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I don't know that hockey would do that well here, and even basketball may not be the same as it was with the Sonics. Keep in mind that the big local employers have hired thousands of young people, many from other countries, and that has increased the interest in soccer enough that Sounders home games average over 40,000. There is some competition for the sports fan dollar, when there are a lot of home games. Football will always draw well because of the limited games. I'm not real confident about the new arena after reading the comments by the City Council. Sounds a lot like a repeat of the past.

You are completely missing the point in regards to soccer. It has history here dating to at least 1974, and I would venture to say that young people hired from other countries (or even from elsewhere in the United States) makes up a very small percentage of those at Sounders games. And there are plenty of young people elsewhere in the country that do not support their local MLS teams. There's got to be more to it than number of young people here for the team to completely dominate the MLS attendance rankings such as history of the sport here, passion for the sport among long-time Seattle-area residents, etc.

Otherwise, I think that Seattle in general is very hesitant about putting any tax money towards professional sports franchises, and that has a lot to do with it no basketball/hockey here. However, it appears that the new deal for this arena is very friendly to tax payers, so it may pass, and the NBA may return and the NHL may make its first venture into Seattle.

[RVD90277]

Unfortunately it just happens this way sometimes. LA doesn't have all 4 either and nobody here seems to care. USC is sort of the team around here I guess for football.

[gwillyfromphilly]

Because Clay Bennett took your NBA franchise away. Even though I'm a Philadelphia sports fans and live about 3000 miles away from Seattle, I do feel bad that you guys lost your beloved SuperSonics after I watched Sonicgate. Clay Bennett was really a jerk for that one.