Originally Posted by Masbee

The ONLY way to get the creditor group of the Rose Garden to give up some of their rights and money (at this point considering all that has ocurred) and the only way to get the local governments take action, is for them to believe there is a risk that the Blazers could leave the Rose Garden - however that might occur.

The Blazers and Stern must make that threat real. Stern helps the Blazers by saying the team folding could happen. Stern helps the Blazers by saying the team moving could happen. Doesn't matter if Stern wants the team to stay or not. He has to push the situation to the edge of the cliff in order to get a deal done.

I know Stern wants the team to stay. He really does. But if the creditor's group stays obstinate and the government keeps their head in the sand, he may have to push everything over the edge. Bye, bye.

What about that lease? Doesn't mean anything if the team folds. More likely, Allen sells the Blazers to a new ownership group, where the sale is contingent on either getting a better deal in the Rose Garden or moving to another city that will offer a viable lease deal - plenty of suitors. If the team moves - and breaks the lease - Allen/Vulcan can promise to be responsible for the consequences. Allen/Vulcan then tie up the creditors group and the City in court for years - and get to use the extraordinary efforts they are now making as evidence that they tried everything possible to fix the problem - and that it wasn't actually them that broke the lease - that the creditor's group and the City were the ones who effectively "broke" the lease.

Originally Posted by Hype #9

I'll tell you one thing, that lease doesn't mean anything. Leases and contracts are broken and renegotiated all the time, so the lease is not a safety net. The team moving is a real possibility.

There will be A LOT of interested buyers for the Blazers. The team's value is at a low point, and that is very appealing to the buyers out there. BUY LOW, SELL HIGH. No doubt the team's value will go back up, so now is the perfect time to buy the team.

Hopefully, the new owner will not buy the team with the intention of moving it out of Portland. If this is not worked out, it is a real possibility.

Originally Posted by Masbee

The ONLY way to get the creditor group of the Rose Garden to give up some of their rights and money (at this point considering all that has ocurred) and the only way to get the local governments take action, is for them to believe there is a risk that the Blazers could leave the Rose Garden - however that might occur.

The Blazers and Stern must make that threat real. Stern helps the Blazers by saying the team folding could happen. Stern helps the Blazers by saying the team moving could happen. Doesn't matter if Stern wants the team to stay or not. He has to push the situation to the edge of the cliff in order to get a deal done.

I know Stern wants the team to stay. He really does. But if the creditor's group stays obstinate and the government keeps their head in the sand, he may have to push everything over the edge. Bye, bye.

What about that lease? Doesn't mean anything if the team folds. More likely, Allen sells the Blazers to a new ownership group, where the sale is contingent on either getting a better deal in the Rose Garden or moving to another city that will offer a viable lease deal - plenty of suitors. If the team moves - and breaks the lease - Allen/Vulcan can promise to be responsible for the consequences. Allen/Vulcan then tie up the creditors group and the City in court for years - and get to use the extraordinary efforts they are now making as evidence that they tried everything possible to fix the problem - and that it wasn't actually them that broke the lease - that the creditor's group and the City were the ones who effectively "broke" the lease.