e_blazer1

Exactly. Frankly, I think the biggest concern about this turn of events is that Paul Allen may simply have decided to keep things under his control while the fate of the Sonics is sorted out. Unless there's some effort made to re-buy the Rose Garden, I view this as a negative towards the long term prospects of the Blazers staying in Portland.

Let's hope that Seattle voters decide they want to keep the Sonics in town.

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mook

For a great examply of why it's so nice to have Paul Allen as owner, just look at the Suns. They are poised to be a really great team, and yet they seem more worried about staying out of the luxury tax than they are interested in getting to the next level. If Allen had the players Phoenix does, you just know he'd pay what it takes to fill out the roster.

I'm glad he's staying on as owner. The people who slam him for being the owner during the Whitsitt years need to remember he was the owner during the Drexler years as well.

blakeback

My opinion has always been that Paul Allen never wanted to sell the team... Vulcan wanted to explore all available business options though.

Blazer Ringbearer

Yeah, watching PHX is pretty sad... they got so close to greatness season before last. I think dealing away Richardson and JJohnson was a mistake, and if they're truly looking to deal Marion, that's an even bigger mistake.

Diaw and Bell are nice players, but I think they took a lot out of their attack when they lost them. This nonsense of selling draft picks for cash isn't helping them either.

It's_GO_Time

If PA's ultimate goal is to have an NBA team in Seattle, wouldn't it have been easier for him to sell the Blazers and buy the Sonics?

I too am fearful of Allen moving the team, but given all the legal complications, it seems to me there were easier routes than the ugly legal battles he is likely to get involved in by trying to move the team.

SheedSoNasty

I wonder if he's decided this based off of all the exciting moves we were able to pull off so far this offseason... or if he always intended to keep the team.

Either way, I'm glad he's doing so and I hope he goes after the Rose Garden, too. All he needs to do now is grow the beard again.

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Oil Can

Like you guys have mentioned, moving the Blazers will be costly and difficult.

There are other franchises that will be in relo danger soon enough- Orlando, possibly New Orleans, and even possibly Charlotte at some point. Interesting events...

mgb

Alright! I said from the get go he wasn't selling and am so happy I was right! To many things just didn't make sense. He never said he was selling, just that it was a option. WOOHOO!!

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Michael



"Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling."
-Margaret Lee Runbeck

"Science is built with facts as a house is with stones--but a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house."
-Jules Henri Poincare (1854-1912)

"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion."
-Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

B_&_B

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"People say we are coming, but I almost think it's to the point where we are here," he said. "I think it's no longer coming. We are here now."... Brandon Roy.

Gunner

Heading out for work and mgb just said all I have to say on the subject. Only enough time for 2 woots.
w00t w00t! Ok one more...w00t!!!

Ed O

Maybe. I doubt it, though. The Sonics sold for $350m, and I believe that the sale price for the Rose Garden AND Blazers was expected to be something over $300m.

So he'd be taking a potentially huge hit there.

The Sonics also have a terrible lease situation and the city has little interest (seemingly) in clearing it up. If Allen purchased the Sonics after selling the Blazers, it would be obvious he wouldn't have any interest in moving the team out of Seattle, so whatever leverage the new owners have would NOT have been present with Allen as owner.

You might be right. I just think that it's possible he'll be able to get out from the personal guarantee somehow, and the recent efforts have just been due diligence working towards that end.

Ed O.

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"In the end, it all comes down to talent. You can talk all you want about intangibles, I just don't know what that means. Talent makes winners, not intangibles. Can nice guys win? Sure, nice guys can win -- if they're nice guys with a lot of talent. Nice guys with a little talent finish fourth, and nice guys with no talent finish last."

-- Sandy Koufax

B_&_B

Keep in mind, that when Canzano says a "source at One Center Court", he is probably referring to someone who works for PAM/Global, not the Trail Blazers. PAM/Global offices are also located at "One Center Court" and they love the Trail Blazer bashing Canzano.

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"People say we are coming, but I almost think it's to the point where we are here," he said. "I think it's no longer coming. We are here now."... Brandon Roy.

Paxil

It's not good news until there is a deal for the arena though... until that gets settled I won't celebrate. He could have just figured out a way to move the team and still own them right?

yakbladder

I dunno. I'd LIKE to be excited by the news. But I just don't trust the whole situation.

The thing that baffles me is that PA seemed to give up control of his kingdom to the Vulcanites and his sister. Apparently he was more interested in clearing the therons out than playing with his toys. Now suddenly he's pulled