The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

30 September 2006

The Magic stay put

Odds are pretty good that Oklahoma City will eventually get an NBA team on a permanent (in the NBA sense of the word, which translates to "so long as the money's good") basis. It probably won't be the Hornets; it might be, but doesn't have to be, the Sonics.

And it won't be the Magic:

Orange County and City of Orlando officials announced a deal Friday to construct a downtown arena for the Orlando Magic and a performing arts center and refurbish the dilapidated Citrus Bowl.

The deal was reached after the parties pushing for the three facilities and city and county officials agreed to dramatically pare down the requests for public funding.

The new arena is projected to cost $480 million, the performing arts center $389 million and the remodeled Citrus Bowl $175 million. The funds will come from a combination of public and private sources, including the Tourist Development Tax.

Another major factor in the deal getting done was the Magic's pledge to contribute $114 million to the project.

The Magic also agreed to cover any construction cost overruns at the new arena and guaranteed $100 million in bonds that will be floated to finance the project.

Team president Bob Vander Weide says this will keep the Magic in Mouseburg for the next 25 years.

Meanwhile, a new arena deal has been reached in Sacramento, though it's contingent on voter approval of a new quarter-cent sales-tax, and that approval may be difficult to come by.

Still theoretically in a moving mood: Portland, though the Blazers have a long lease at the Rose Garden yet, and what talk there was this summer had them moving to Seattle to replace the allegedly-departing Sonics.

Update, 1 October: The Grizzlies aren't leaving Memphis any time soon, either; according to the Commercial Appeal, the deal in which Michael Heisley sold his 70 percent of the team will not change the existing contract between the Griz and Memphis/Shelby County, which provides that the team must stay put for ten years — this season will be year 6 — and prescribes penalties if they leave after that. (To avoid the Commercial Appeal's registration, read this at HoopsHype for the first of October.)

Posted at 12:02 PM to Net Proceeds


I think basketball would be more entertaining if the ball was just slightly less than perfectly round. It would add a thrilling element of chance to the proceedings.

Here in Charlotte we've been screwed by the NBA so often that we think of ourselves as the league's Canine-Americans. Of the female sort.

Thanks for the link.

Posted by: John Salmon at 12:53 PM on 30 September 2006

Whatever the Maloofs may be, I honestly don't think they're gonna move the Kings without a new arena. I remain unconvinced that they think the existing arena "needs" replacing.

Which is, I think, why they're playing hardball with the city over a new one -- much easier to play for keeps when you've left most of your marbles at home anyway.

Posted by: McGehee at 6:29 PM on 30 September 2006

Sports teams today should get absolutely NO public funding whatsoever. In an age of multimillion dollar players, *I* should build them a place to play?

Posted by: Mister Snitch! at 10:59 PM on 30 September 2006

BTW, John, you would have loved the old Boston Garden. The ball was round enough, but the floorboards weren't on the level. Some Boston players claimed to memorize the dead spots (where the ball simply wouldn't return to the playert's hand). John Havlicek (of "Havlicek stole the Ball" fame) was the master of anticipating the no-bounce or the wayward pass, but denied knowing where the dead spots were, saying they changed every night when the parquet floor was installed in different configurations (creating those random bounces John longs for).

Posted by: Mister Snitch! at 11:15 PM on 30 September 2006

I've been to the old Garden, and yes, the laws of physics took some odd angles there.

Didn't they move the floor more or less intact to FleetCenter/TD Banknorth?

Posted by: CGHill at 11:31 PM on 30 September 2006

"Didn't they move the floor more or less intact to FleetCenter/TD Banknorth?"

I'd heard the floor was moved, but I didn't know if it was moved to the new place or to a museum. You're probably right.

Posted by: Mister Snitch! at 12:28 PM on 1 October 2006