This was the "newsiest" portion of the show today as Softy talked with Mitch who had just gotten off the phone with Steve Ballmer.
This is the ONLY thing we heard from the entire Ballmer, Hansen, Nordstrom "camp."
Not really the news we want to hear but this is a lot of information from Mitch Levy with Softy
I encourage you to take the time to listen to the segment but here are Mitch's tweets that give a "reader's digest" version of the conversation.
Just got off the phone with Steve Ballmer.He is "horribly, horribly disappointed" in this news.
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
Steve was incredibly emotional on the phone.He and the group will continue their communication w/Stern and the NBA.
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
Ballmer said that he and Chris Hansen and the rest of the group will put their heads together and see if there is a reasonable next step.
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
Ballmer told me that he can't imagine that the city of Seattle will ever have a stronger case and a better situation to acquire a team.
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
Ballmer displayed zero optimism expansion will be offered. Said that he just doesn't think the NBA will share the revenue pie w/more teams.
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
In the midst of his "venting" on the phone, Ballmer did say he feels terrible for Seattle NBA fans for having their hopes dashed again.
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
He also repeated that Chris Hansen has done an "unbelievable job" and couldn't possibly put Seattle in a stronger position.
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
Assuming that relocation is rejected by the full BOG, Ballmer said that our group has the right to ask for the NBA to go ahead...
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
...with the purchase vote.
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) April 29, 2013
After reading (or hearing) that stuff, now read Chris Hansen's statement that he posted on SonicsArena.com:
To the Sonics Faithful
While we are disappointed with the relocation committee’s recommendation, we just wanted to let you all know that we remain fully committed to seeing this transaction through. As you are all well aware, we have a binding transaction to purchase the Kings for what would be a record price for an NBA franchise, have one of the best ownership groups ever assembled to purchase a professional sports team in the US, have clearly demonstrated that we have a much more solid Arena plan, have offered a much higher price than the yet to be finalized Sacramento Group, and have placed all of the funds to close the transaction into escrow. As such, we plan to unequivocally state our case for both relocation and our plan to move forward with the transaction to the league and owners at the upcoming Board of Governor’s Meeting in Mid-May.
When we started this process everyone thought it was impossible. While this represents yet another obstacle to achieving our goal, I just wanted to reassure all of you that we have numerous options at our disposal and have absolutely no plans to give up. Impossible is nothing but a state of mind.
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” ―Muhammad Ali
—Chris Hansen
Keep in mind that Ballmer's comments came within 2 or 3 hours of the news breaking while Hansen put out his statement about 7 or 8 hours after the fact.
*****start poll*****
