It's one of those words that leads to much giggling for no apparent reason, much like "shoehorn." WongDoody. Hehehaheha!
But besides bringing forth a phantom grin, WongDoody may well become a household term as the latest player in bringing a multi-sport stadium to Seattle.
Dave Bean is WongDoody's senior director. Before this, he was known best among area sports fans as the promoter of the Seattle Smashers pro volleyball team.
Don't remember the Smashers? You're not alone.
Yet, Bean has a new group, B2, and has a plan to attract expansion teams for the NBA and NHL. He calls it the Emerald City Center, a new arena that has a retractable roof, just in case it needs one. He has plans for a location, but not a location itself. Pier 46 is one mentioned, although Port of Seattle chief executive Tay Yoshitani quickly tossed that idea into the can.
Other options may be the Seattle Center and several possibilities near Qwest Field and Safeco Field. Bean also doesn't have the money to construct it, probably in the neighborhood of $1 billion.
Gulp!
Oh, he does have former Sonic sniper Fred Brown as a backer. Basketball icon Bill Russell also attended the press conference.
While Bean's idea is pie in the sky and undeveloped, that doesn't mean we should reject it altogether. Remember, any new stadium project will be devoid of any public money. The City of Seattle and the state Legislature have made that clear.
We have private investors or we have nothing.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer knows all about that. Ballmer leads a group working with the city to find a way to remodel KeyArena, buy one of the struggling NBA franchises and bring it to Seattle. He also brings to the table $150 million in private funds.
So we have two vastly different proposals, plans that seemingly have little in common. They will compete for attention from local government, common investors and the NBA. That's bad news.
Of the two, Ballmer's ideas are more complete and established. They also need all the help they can get, even if it comes from B2. Here's hoping the groups work in concert.
Both want the same thing, to keep pro basketball in Seattle.
Whether they will have time depends largely on a ruling from a federal judge this summer that would hold the Sonics to their lease at KeyArena for another two years. That way, in the event that Clay Bennett loads the moving vans bound for Oklahoma City in 2010, Ballmer, Bean or whoever else would have time to package a deal that would bring in a struggling franchise from another city.
At this stage, as unappetizing as the prospect is of losing the Sonics, the above route may be the most logical path.
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Word out of Corvallis is that Snohomish native and current Portland State head basketball coach Ken Bone interviewed for the open job at Oregon State. Bone led PSU to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007-08. The Vikings won the Big Sky Conference and finished with a 23-10 record.
If the Beavers had any sense, they'd give Bone whatever it takes to get him there. He can recruit. He's an excellent X's and O's guy. And his players love to play for him.
