Sonics Rising: All Posts by Chris Meirose

Sonicsgate films Occidental Ave. S at SoDo arena site

2016-03-07T12:30:02-08:00

Sonicsgate spent 9 hours filming Occidental Ave. S on what should have been a "high traffic" day. Yet there was nearly zero traffic to be seen (as normal).

On February 29th, 2016, Sonicsgate spent the day filming Occidental Avenue S. in SoDo where the new Sonics Arena would be built. Their findings of nearly no traffic all day long reflect the findings every other source outside of arena opponents like the Port of Seattle. The Port of Seattle has had 4 years to provide evidence of why this street is so desperately needed by them. In 4 years no evidence has been given. They can make the claim but cannot back it up.

Email your Seattle City Council. Sign the petition. Get in the game!

It's #GameTime!

(If you'd like to see the full time lapse video Sonicsgate made you can find it here.)

Email Seattle City Council to encourage Occidental vacation

2016-03-07T08:45:03-08:00

Let your voice be heard and make your desires known to the Seattle City Council! Vacate Occidental Avenue!!

Every journey can be broken down to the many short steps taken to complete it. Our desire to see the return of the NBA to Seattle - THE SONICS! - holds true to that pattern as well.

One small step you can take TODAY to help us on this journey is to email the Seattle City Council and ask them to vacate Occidental Avenue South so that we are shovel ready with Chris Hansen's SoDo arena.

When you email the SCC be nice and present reasonable and well thought out points to them. Remember, we want them to like us. We want to remind them why it is in Seattle's best interest and in their best interest to see this project through as many of them have previously stated to do.

Remind them:

This is the right next step. The vacation of that short stretch of Occidental Avenue South is the final step in a lengthy and costly EIS process and gives Chris Hansen and his investment team the right to build a state-of-art arena to house NBA and NHL franchises. By vacating that street it will put Seattle in the best place possible to bring an NBA franchise back and creates an opportunity for any NHL investor who wants to bring professional hockey back to Seattle as well.

This is the right place for a new arena. The SoDo arena location is in the area zoned for sports facilities - it is also in the largest transportation hub in the region - Link Light Rail, a Sounder train line, three bus rapid transit lines, 21 Metro bus lines, 9 Sound Transit Express bus lines, 2 state ferry routes, 2 interstate freeways converge in this neighborhood. No other site in the region has these transportation assets which is of course why the two existing sports facilities are located there.

This area has the capacity for a new arena. The Environmental Impact Statement was very clear that the arena would have no significant unavoidable adverse impacts to the street system, public transportation, bicyclists or bicycle corridors. The FEIS found that the change in traffic volumes caused by the arena falls with the range of current experience and that this portion of Occidental does not serve as a critical function to the street grid and does not serve a critical function to maintain freight mobility. SDOT commissioned a multi-modal transportation and parking study and they found that Arena event traffic is well within the existing parking, traffic and transit capacity of the area.

Chris Hansen and his team have gone out of their way to make sure this was done in the right way. It is important to note that Chris Hansen entered into Labor Peace Agreements with a coalition of unions to make sure arena workers are paid a living wage and everyone gets their fair share. The arena investment team has spent many millions of dollars getting the arena solution to this point including acquiring the land, architects, economic studies, lawyers, traffic engineers and environmental studies. They have acted in good-faith and done everything asked of them over the past 3 + years. Now it is time for the SCC give approval to the vacation of this short segment of Occidental Avenue S. and finish this process.

Email the Seattle City Council and invite your friends and family to do likewise at:

council@seattle.gov,
bruce.harrell@seattle.gov,
sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov,
tim.burgess@seattle.gov,
mike.obrien@seattle.gov,
rob.johnson@seattle.gov,
Lorena.Gonzalez@seattle.gov,
Lisa.Herbold@seattle.gov,
Debora.Juarez@seattle.gov,
Kshama.Sawant@seattle.gov

(formatted for you to copy and paste into your email system)

Keep sharing our message, keep making your voice heard! Bring Back Our Sonics!! #GameTime

Have you signed the petition yet?

2016-03-04T09:30:02-08:00

We want our Sonics back, do you?!? If so, make sure you're signed up and get others to join you!

For a few years we have frequently had the question posed to us "What can we do to get the Sonics back?" Today you have an opportunity to make an impact. If you haven't done so already SIGN THE PETITION for the Sonics Arena in SoDo!

But don't stop there. Share that you have done so on social media. Invite your friends, family, neighbors, heck we'll even take your enemies to sign it too! Wear some Green and Gold to the office while you're at it!

Why does this matter? Because politicians often listen to the loudest voices. If we as Sonics fans are not heard, we cannot expect them to represent our interests.

Having a Shovel Ready Arena is a vital step in this process. Our own Brian Robinson had a very informative conversation with super agent Leigh Steinberg earlier this week where Steinberg shared:

"Leagues have to deal with an endless stream of solicitations for team relocation and expansion" Steinberg said. "They review endless amounts of planning and hear lots of promises, many of which never come to fruition. There is inherent skepticism of proposals and plans when compared to an executed plan for an arena or stadium."

As has been clearly reported and supported by all the evidence in the studies done to develop the stadium plans, the vacation of Occidental Ave. will have very little impact on this area of SoDo.

So sign the petition. Plan on coming to the SCC public meeting regarding the vacation on March 15th as well.

It's Game Time. It's time to get this done. It's time to build a new home for the future Sonics and hopefully an NHL team as well!

I'm Pro-Sonics and I Vote!

2015-10-31T08:38:30-07:00

Sonics fans have a voice and a vote and can make a difference in the upcoming election!

Welcome to the 2015 SonicsRising Voters Guide! The 2015 General Election is a pivotal event in the ongoing saga that is the SODO Arena MOU. Seattle voters will elect 9 City Councilors, while King County voters will elect 2 County Councilors (in opposition races) as well as 2 Port Commissioners. Each of these positions will have a direct say in whether the current MOU is amended or extended beyond the Fall 2017 expiration date.

Like any other special interest voters guide, this guide will advise the Sixth Man which candidates to elect based solely on their positions on the arena and the MOU. Please take this into consideration when completing your ballots. It's important to consider all the issues facing the city, county and port; however, the focus of this guide is squarely on the SODO Arena MOU.

Before we begin, let's recap the 2012 city council vote: Sally Bagshaw, Tim Burgess, Sally Clark, Bruce Harrell, Mike O'Brien and Jean Godden voted Yes to approve the arena MOU. Nick Licata and Richard Conlin were the only councilors to vote No. Tom Rasmussen didn't vote. The measure passed 6-2-1. Meanwhile the County Council voted unanimously, 9-0, for its share of the MOU.

Sixth Man Endorsements (BOLD)

City of Seattle Council District No. 1 (West Seattle proper)

Shannon Braddock vs Lisa Herbold: Herbold is a longtime Legislative Aide for Nick Licata. Like Licata, she is not supportive of the MOU. From her campaign page:

"The 2012 arena deal with the City and King County, providing up to $200 million in public subsidies, is a flawed deal. I've been asked if I support this deal. Do I support it? Had I been on the Council at the time, I would not have voted for it. That said, if elected, I would respect the vote of the 2012 City & County Councils if all of the conditions of that deal are met, including getting both an NBA team and NHL club together in order to release the full $200 million subsidy. There is no provision in the ordinance agreement for an "NHL first" scenario, and I do not support, and would oppose, re-opening the agreement to allow for one. A publicly funded single-sport facility would not likely meet the attendance projections needed to make the deal pencil out, making the single-sport proposal far too risky. I believe the best option for the region, our workforce at the Port, the taxpayer, and the sports patron is the no-public subsidy proposal being pursued in Tukwilla."

Braddock is Chief of Staff for County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who voted Yes to the MOU in 2012.

Vote Braddock

City of Seattle Council District No. 2 (Southeast Seattle)

Bruce Harrell vs Tammy Morales: Harrell is the incumbent in this race and is a vocal supporter of the MOU. Harrell was one of 6 "Yes" votes when the MOU was authorized in 2012.

Re-elect Harrell.

City of Seattle Council District No. 3 (Capitol Hill, Central District, First Hill, Madrona)

Pamela Banks vs Kshama Sawant: Oh the irony. Sonics fans helped elect Sawant in 2013, when she upset incumbent Richard Conlin. Conlin joined Licata is voting against the MOU in 2012 and the Sixth Man made him pay the next year with a retaliatory vote for Sawant. So why are we recommending Pamela Banks? This endorsement is not an indictment on Sawant's record on the council. It's about mitigating risk.

Vote Banks.

City of Seattle Council District No. 4 (U-District, Wallingford, Ravenna, Sand Point)

Rob Johnson vs Michael Maddux: We have the Seattle Times to thank for this endorsement. Per their recommendation for Johnson:

"Johnson could use more seasoning on Seattle's maritime and industrial core, which are threatened by efforts to shoehorn a new arena in Sodo and to scuttle the Port of Seattle's lease for an Arctic oil-drilling rig. Johnson supports both efforts, but should take a more pragmatic view and investigate further."

Vote Johnson

City of Seattle Council District No. 5 (Northgate, North Seattle proper)

Sandy Brown vs Debora Juarez: It's recently come to our attention that Sandy Brown support the MOU, especially considering the exhaustive vetting the project has undergone since its passage in 2012.

Vote Brown.

City of Seattle Council District No. 6 (Fremont, Ballard, Greenlake, Northwest Seattle)

Mike O'Brien vs Catherine Weatbrook: O'Brien is one the remaining incumbents that approved the MOU in 2012. When the Times published its endorsements for the August primary, it was so underwhlemed by the field that it did not endorse ANY candidate. Now the Times is suddenly aglow for O'Brien's opponent. If re-elected, O'Brien is expected to be the next council president. We need an arena ally in such a position of influence.

Re-elect O'Brien.

City of Seattle Council District No. 7 (Downtown, Uptown, Queen Anne, Interbay, Magnolia)

Sally Bagshaw vs Deborah Zech-Artis: Bagshaw also approved the MOU in 2012 and her opponent is unqualified. Re-elect Bagshaw.

City of Seattle Council Position No. 8 (At-Large)

Tim Burgess vs Jon Grant: Burgess voted to approve the MOU in 2012. Despite recent comments about his hesitance to amend the MOU to accommodate a hockey-first option, Burgess continues to be supportive of the MOU. Grant is on record as being ambivalent on the arena yet his remarks skew more toward being less supportive than Burgess. From an interview with KING 5's Chris Daniels:

"There's been a big push to put an arena put right next to the other two arenas in SoDo, and I'm a little hesitant about that. I'm not saying we shouldn't have a new arena somewhere in Seattle, but we shouldn't be displacing working class jobs to do it. And not to mention all the congestion that would happen because if it," added Jon Grant, who is also running for Position 8.

Re-elect Burgess.

City of Seattle Council Position No. 9 (At-Large)

Lorena Gonzalez vs Bill Bradburd: Gonzalez worked in the Mayor's Office prior to jumping into the council race. Both Mayor Murray and Executive Constantine attended her primary victory party in August. The Mayor threw his weight around with DPD to complete the FEIS and is eager to see the arena become shovel-ready ahead of his re-election campaign in 2017, the same year the MOU is scheduled to expire. We're not saying that Gonzalez, Murray and Constantine agree on everything; however, having her on the council is more advantageous to the cause than not having her.

Vote Gonzalez.

King County Council District No. 2 and 8: Re-elect Gossett (#2), McDermott (#8) Both approved the MOU in 2012 and are running unopposed.

King County Council District No. 4 (Downtown Seattle to NW Seattle Seattle, West of I5)

Jeanne Kohl-Welles vs Rufe Orr: Kohl-Welles represented the 36^th District (Queen Anne, Magnolia) in the state legislature and is running to replace Larry Phillips, who has decided not to run for re-election. Orr is an unqualified candidate. Vote Kohl-Welles.

King County Council District No. 6 (Bellevue, Mercer Island, Greater Eastside)

Jane Hague vs Claudia Balducci: Hague is the incumbent and voted to approve the MOU in 2012. Balducci is a qualified candidate. She's currently the Mayor of Bellevue and has strong ties to our sister city...and there's the rub. Ever since the Sonics departed, Bellevue and the Eastside have been in direct competition with Seattle on the arena front. As recently as July 2015, efforts to usurp Seattle's first position were ongoing. Those efforts appear to be dormant as the Bellevue group also elected not to apply for NHL expansion. Whether they consolidate their efforts with the Seattle group remains to be seen. Until their intentions are known, it remains in our best interest to ensure that every member of the King County Council is all in on the SODO site. We can ill afford wandering eyes with less than 2 years remaining on the MOU. Re-elect Hague.

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position No. 2

Courtney Gregoire vs Goodspaceguy: Re-elect Gregoire.

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position No. 5

Fred Felleman vs Marion Yoshino: Unfortunately, the Sixth Man was unsuccessful in pushing the only vocal pro-arena candidate, Norman Sigler, into the top two during the August primary. This is why ALL ELECTIONS are important. This position is being vacated by Bill Bryant, who has declared to run for governor as a Republican candidate. Neither candidate is on the record concerning the placement of the arena in SODO. Yoshino boasts about her South King County roots, which may result in a bias toward the Tukwila alternative. The Port of Seattle Times Editorial Board is endorsing Yoshino. Sigler has endorsed Felleman and so are we. Vote Felleman.

Recap: If we all vote, 4 of the incumbents (Burgess, O'Brien, Harrell, Bagshaw) who approved the 2012 MOU will be re-elected with 5 new arrivals, of which at least 4 (Gonzalez, Braddock, Johnson and Brown) would likely support it through 2017 and beyond. As for the County, re-electing all 3 incumbents and adding Kohl-Welles would secure support from the County Council. Gregoire and Felleman may temper the Port's oppositional stance.

Directions: If you're reading this, then your ballot has likely arrived. Washington is a mail balloting state. Please complete, seal, sign, date, stamp and mail your ballot before November 3^rd. If you don't have stamps, you may deliver your signed and sealed ballot to a drop box or drop van before November 3^rd. For more information on voting in King County, please visit kingcounty.gov/elections.

VOTE BY NOV 3^rd

There's a hunger for good games in Seattle

2015-08-29T21:54:54-07:00

Great recap video by Ball is Life of the Seattle Pro-Am vs. Drew League game

Seattle is ready for some quality NBA level basketball. More than ready. Desperate. See that line? See that crowd? See those regional players?!?

Adam Silver, Chris Hansen, whoever else needs to be involved, let's get this done. Sooner than later. We need more.

If you made it to the Pro-Am game what were your thoughts?

Seattle Pro-Am vs. Drew League

2015-08-26T09:02:26-07:00

Get your tickets Thursday!

Just a heads up for all you Sonics Rising readers who might want to take in this amazing opportunity!

Pre-sale tickets for the Seattle Pro-Am v The Drew League game will be available for purchase Thursday from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Liberty Park in Renton for $20. Pre-sale ticket allows entry with no line from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. and guaranteed entry until 8 p.m. Pre-sale tickets available while supplies last!

Otherwise:

Seattle Pro-Am vs. The Drew League 8/28/15 @8pm:
Both ticket windows will open at 6:30pm
Adults- $10
Children 2-17- $5
Military with ID- $5
*NO RE-ENTRY*

The Seattle Pro-Am Basketball League provides the city of Seattle with high-level, competitive, and entertaining men's basketball in a fan and family friendly environment, allowing for fans to have a up close and personal view of some of their peers and favorite players. Proceeds go to the Jamal Crawford Foundation.

Introducing Storm Chasers!

2015-07-17T07:44:11-07:00

The Storm Chasers will be covering Seattle Storm of the WNBA!

Welcome to Storm Chasing! Sonics Rising is excited to bring to our corner of the internet coverage for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA! In the short term, our goal is to create a gathering place for Storm fans here on SB Nation. Long term, we will work toward being the premier site covering all things Storm in the same way we do for the Sonics.

Swish Appeal is the flagship WNBA site for SB Nation and worth a visit if you've not stopped in there before. They are great for an overall view of the WNBA, and our desire is to shine a light locally on our team as they have on the whole of the WNBA.

To make this happen we've added to our team and diversified the responsibilities for a few existing members. We've added a new voice that should have been brought on staff years ago by bringing on staff Jeff Brown from Bring Back Our Sonics. We will also be sharing both Lucas Shannon and Mitch Northam initially, and will have others filling in as needed to round up our coverage.

Jeffrey Brown Bio:

Jeff is a die-hard basketball fan that is a current Season Ticket holder for the Seattle Storm and was a Season Ticket holder for the SuperSonics before they moved away. Jeff has been attending basketball games with his father since he was a little boy and they still attend games together today. Jeff helped rally with the Save Our Sonics group in hopes of keeping the team in Seattle prior to their relocation. After the Sonics were gone, Jeff and his father David, decided to start up the Facebook movement "Bring Back Our Sonics". They have teamed up with other dedicated Sonics fans in hopes of keeping the dream of bringing NBA basketball team back to Seattle alive. Jeff runs the @BringBackSonics Twitter account and is the lead contributor on the Facebook page. Jeff grew up playing basketball and started coaching youth basketball in early 2013. Basketball is his greatest passion in the world.

Jeff is excited to help contribute to the SonicsRising blog and help write about the Seattle Storm. He is also looking forward to learning more about Sports writing and meeting new people through this wonderful opportunity.

Lucas Shannon Bio:

Hey everybody! My name is Lucas Shannon, most of you know me from my time here at SonicsRising or possibly from my work as the managing editor of the Basketball side over at UW Dawg Pound. I'm really excited to help get Storm Chasers off the ground.

I have to admit that I'm a bit of a novice when it comes the WNBA, but I'm excited to learn more about the league and help cover the Storm.

That's about all I've got. Go Storm!

Mitchell Northam Bio:

Fan of sports, hip-hop and good beer. Salisbury University grad. General Assignment/Breaking News for DelmarvaNow.com | Contributor to Sonics Rising and Bullets Forever (formerly at Black & Red United and Underdog Dynasty) | Cover high school and college hoops for DMVelite and City of Basketball Love.

Follow @primetimeMitch on Twitter.

Seattle Storm and Pro-Am Open Thread

2015-07-10T22:17:04-07:00

Check in here with your thoughts (and photos) from tonight. And your lame excuses why you weren't there if that's the case

Lots of people out having fun and making memories tonight in Seattle! And the focus was on BASKETBALL of all things! Huge thanks to Jamal Crawford and his guys for making it happen! Huge credit to the Seattle Storm form making the connections! And huge thanks to the NBA for signing off on it to allow it to happen!

So what did you think? What was your favorite part? Got any pics you can share?

Check in here.