NBA back to Seattle? NHL too?

[rams80]

Problem is the Sharks have a pretty good working relationship with Worchester despite the distance. The Ducks however are definitely in the market for a new AHL team if the Sharks would permit the Ducks to put a team so close to them. If not there, the local sports guys are stirring the pot down in San Diego to try and get the Ducks AHL team brought to San Diego to become version 1003 of the Gulls.

Oh, San Diego, Abbotsford, and the three Texas teams sure would make for a logistically delightful minor-league division.

But that West Coast move is happening we swear! Never mind the minor issue of the city of Abbotsford's services being reduced to Somalia levels to support the Heat.

[Evil Doctor]

Hopefully you don't call them the Worchester Sharks.

Worcester (no h), MA. Pronounced Woostah.

They should call the team the Jeeves then...

[WSU151]

I bet it will be able to host ice events like BL Fieldhouse, FedExForum, AT&T Center, and TWC Arena do. One section of end zone seats will retract, so an 18K basketball arena will have 13K or so non-obstructed seats for ice setup, which is perfect for preseason hockey or a minor league team.

Maybe the Sharks could put their AHL team in their as part of this AHL moving west initiative many of the NHL Western teams want to do.

Problem is the Sharks have a pretty good working relationship with Worchester despite the distance.

Hopefully you don't call them the Worchester Sharks.

Worcester (no h), MA. Pronounced Woostah.

D'oh. Still working on that one. It took me ten years to say Haverhill correctly. And don't get me started on Reading... my cousins and I always debate that one whenever I'm back there.

Reading's pronounciation trips up a lot of people, myself included.

It's not "woo' date='" but it's hard to write out without IPA. It's the "oo" sound in "look," basically. You don't have to drop the R, that's just the New England accent kicking in.[/quote']

You are correct, sir. Thanks.

[speedy]

I bet it will be able to host ice events like BL Fieldhouse, FedExForum, AT&T Center, and TWC Arena do. One section of end zone seats will retract, so an 18K basketball arena will have 13K or so non-obstructed seats for ice setup, which is perfect for preseason hockey or a minor league team.

Maybe the Sharks could put their AHL team in their as part of this AHL moving west initiative many of the NHL Western teams want to do.

Problem is the Sharks have a pretty good working relationship with Worchester despite the distance.

Hopefully you don't call them the Worchester Sharks.

Worcester (no h), MA. Pronounced Woostah.

D'oh. Still working on that one. It took me ten years to say Haverhill correctly. And don't get me started on Reading... my cousins and I always debate that one whenever I'm back there.

Reading's pronounciation trips up a lot of people, myself included.

It's not "woo' date='" but it's hard to write out without IPA. It's the "oo" sound in "look," basically. You don't have to drop the R, that's just the New England accent kicking in.[/quote']

You are correct, sir. Thanks.

Haverhill = Have-rill. Reading is 100% said like Redding, nothing else is acceptable in my book. I'd say a good way to spell out the pronunciation of Worcester is Wuh-Stah.

[bosrs1]

I bet it will be able to host ice events like BL Fieldhouse, FedExForum, AT&T Center, and TWC Arena do. One section of end zone seats will retract, so an 18K basketball arena will have 13K or so non-obstructed seats for ice setup, which is perfect for preseason hockey or a minor league team.

Maybe the Sharks could put their AHL team in their as part of this AHL moving west initiative many of the NHL Western teams want to do.

Problem is the Sharks have a pretty good working relationship with Worchester despite the distance.

Hopefully you don't call them the Worchester Sharks.

Worcester (no h), MA. Pronounced Woostah.

D'oh. Still working on that one. It took me ten years to say Haverhill correctly. And don't get me started on Reading... my cousins and I always debate that one whenever I'm back there.

Reading's pronounciation trips up a lot of people, myself included.

It's not "woo' date='" but it's hard to write out without IPA. It's the "oo" sound in "look," basically. You don't have to drop the R, that's just the New England accent kicking in.[/quote']

You are correct, sir. Thanks.

Haverhill = Have-rill. Reading is 100% said like Redding, nothing else is acceptable in my book. I'd say a good way to spell out the pronunciation of Worcester is Wuh-Stah.

As long as you're using the long A with Haverill then you are correct. However if Reading were supposed to be Redding they should have spelled it properly. No New England accent excuse can cover up that mis-pronunciation no matter how long and hard the locals may try. Nowifyou'll excuse me I'm going to plan my trip to Tewksbury.

[speedy]

I bet it will be able to host ice events like BL Fieldhouse, FedExForum, AT&T Center, and TWC Arena do. One section of end zone seats will retract, so an 18K basketball arena will have 13K or so non-obstructed seats for ice setup, which is perfect for preseason hockey or a minor league team.

Maybe the Sharks could put their AHL team in their as part of this AHL moving west initiative many of the NHL Western teams want to do.

Problem is the Sharks have a pretty good working relationship with Worchester despite the distance.

Hopefully you don't call them the Worchester Sharks.

Worcester (no h), MA. Pronounced Woostah.

D'oh. Still working on that one. It took me ten years to say Haverhill correctly. And don't get me started on Reading... my cousins and I always debate that one whenever I'm back there.

Reading's pronounciation trips up a lot of people, myself included.

It's not "woo' date='" but it's hard to write out without IPA. It's the "oo" sound in "look," basically. You don't have to drop the R, that's just the New England accent kicking in.[/quote']

You are correct, sir. Thanks.

Haverhill = Have-rill. Reading is 100% said like Redding, nothing else is acceptable in my book. I'd say a good way to spell out the pronunciation of Worcester is Wuh-Stah.

As long as you're using the long A with Haverillhen you are correct. However if Reading were supposed to be Redding they should have spelled it properly. No New England accent excuse can cover up that mis-pronunciation no matter how long and hard the locals may try. Nowifyou'll excuse me I'm going to plan my trip to Tewksbury.

Isn't the pronunciation of Reading a carryover from England? I wouldn't blame our accents, blame the British.

[Brian in Boston]

... if Reading were supposed to be Redding they should have spelled it properly. No New England accent excuse can cover up that mis-pronunciation no matter how long and hard the locals may try.

It isn't a "New England accent excuse". Reading, Massachusetts is named for the Town of Reading in Berkshire County, England... the name of which is pronounced "Red-ing". If you're going to claim there was a "mis-pronunciation" anywhere, it was in England.

Of course, B-R-E-A-D is pronounced "Bred", D-E-A-D is pronounced "Ded", H-E-A-D is pronounced "Hed", L-E-A-D is pronounced "Led" when referring to the element, T-H-R-E-A-D is pronounced "Thred". Even R-E-A-D is pronounced "Red" when referring to the past tense of the act of reading. So, who's to say the name of the towns in question is mispronounced at all?

[Evil Doctor]

Okay then I am pronouncing Seattle as Hippytown...

[BBTV]

... if Reading were supposed to be Redding they should have spelled it properly. No New England accent excuse can cover up that mis-pronunciation no matter how long and hard the locals may try.

It isn't a "New England accent excuse". Reading, Massachusetts is named for the Town of Reading in Berkshire County, England... the name of which is pronounced "Red-ing". If you're going to claim there was a "mis-pronunciation" anywhere, it was in England.

Of course, B-R-E-A-D is pronounced "Bred", D-E-A-D is pronounced "Ded", H-E-A-D is pronounced "Hed", L-E-A-D is pronounced "Led" when referring to the element, T-H-R-E-A-D is pronounced "Thred". Even R-E-A-D is pronounced "Red" when referring to the past tense of the act of reading. So, who's to say the name of the towns in question is mispronounced at all?

Reading PA was also named in the early 1700s after Reading England (hell - even the county was named Berks) and not once have I ever heard anyone be confused or disgruntled with the pronunciation of the name.

[Viper]

... if Reading were supposed to be Redding they should have spelled it properly. No New England accent excuse can cover up that mis-pronunciation no matter how long and hard the locals may try.

It isn't a "New England accent excuse". Reading, Massachusetts is named for the Town of Reading in Berkshire County, England... the name of which is pronounced "Red-ing". If you're going to claim there was a "mis-pronunciation" anywhere, it was in England.

Of course, B-R-E-A-D is pronounced "Bred", D-E-A-D is pronounced "Ded", H-E-A-D is pronounced "Hed", L-E-A-D is pronounced "Led" when referring to the element*, T-H-R-E-A-D is pronounced "Thred". Even R-E-A-D is pronounced "Red" when referring to the past tense of the act of reading.** So, who's to say the name of the towns in question is mispronounced at all?

* And spelled "Led" when referring to the Zeppelin.

** I think that's what really throws some people off about the name. "Reading" is the present tense, not the past, and so it's reasonable, however wrong, to expect that a name spelled "Reading" be pronounced the same way as a verb spelled "reading".

[patsox]

How is read (past tense) pronounced?

There. Settled.

[bosrs1]

Okay then I am pronouncing Seattle as Hippytown...

I believe Berkeley has that name cornered already.

[SFGiants58]

Okay then I am pronouncing Seattle as Hippytown...

I believe Berkeley has that name cornered already.

I concur.

[CubsFanBudMan]

So, there's obviously no new news out of Seattle. Glad I stopped by for a redding lesson.

[dfwabel]

FYI, the Sacramento City Council meeting on the ESC (arena) is ongoing line at this link:

http://sacramento.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=26

[dfwabel]

Sacramento City Council approves the Term Sheet with a 7-2 vote.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

So, there's obviously no new news out of Seattle. Glad I stopped by for a redding lesson.

Tomorrow night, Seattle's holding the second public hearing (of three) of a citizen arena panel. The panel is made up of some social justice types (usual for Seattle), a labor leader, a securities manager, and Lenny Wilkens. At the first mostly boring meeting, the panel asked several questions of city/county staff working to put the deal together, which included budget staff, an arena consultant, and a financial lawyer. Tomorrow night, hedge fund manager Chris Hansen is supposed to attend and answer questions.

The first meeting (which I attended) was low drama, and actually pretty reassuring from a citizen standpoint. They panel asked questions, received answers, and continued to press on why this the Seattle deal is a good one. Some of the key points were that the team would be obligated to play for 30 years or pay liquidated damages for leaving early, the city is guaranteed to be paid back on its investment, and the arrangement proposed in Seattle (municipally owned land, dual-owned arena) is not an unusual one, and follows the Chicago model.

There was some talk about how Sacramento was no longer an option, but there's still the Hornets on the table. No one really spoke much to hockey, and all were clear Phoenix was the likely option.

Their goal is to wrap up public sessions next week and present to the NBA in April. It's a super-quick turnaround, so we'll see.

There you go. There's your Seattle update.

[The_Admiral]

With the Kings out of play for Seattle and Stern still obsessed with protecting the Coyoteaux, it doesn't seem very likely that Seattle will secure an NHL tenant this summer, not without an NBA tenant first. As I noted in the other thread, QC just approved short-term renovations to the Colisee, so they'll have an NHL arena ready right away for fall 2012. Between KeyArena's configuration being terrible for hockey and the Tacoma Dome still not having an ice plant (and also likely being terrible for hockey), Seattle won't. If Bettman finally gives up the ghost, Seattle will be beaten to the punch.

Here's my bold contribution to the world of Make Them The Utah Hornets Because Bees: merge the struggling Bobcats and Hornets into the Charlotte Hornets, then create a Seattle Supersonics expansion team.

[CubsFanBudMan]

Thanks for the update, DG. And admiral, I kind of like that merge idea. Or at least putting the Hornets back in Charlotte. Wonder if it'd make a difference.

[DustDevil61]

Yea, I wouldn't expect much news coming out when much of the planning was done behind doors. I'd expect things to pretty much continue that way until everything is official. Either way, it's good news that things are going forward. There are plenty of financially struggling and poorly supported teams in both the NBA and NHL that could wind up in Seattle (should this arena go through) when the dust settles.