Can Seattle handle six professional sports teams?
SEATTLE -- If everything goes according to plan with the proposed SoDo arena and the return of the Sonics, Seattle could soon have six professional sports teams.
Despite being known around the country for having devoted sports fans, some are wondering whether the Emerald City has enough fans -- and money -- to support the NBA, NFL, WNBA, MLS soccer, Major League Baseball and a potential NHL franchise.
"A very, very, very good question that's unanswered," said local sportswriter Art Thiel.
Thiel is among those still unsure if the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country can support the addition of two more major sports franchises.
"For this market size, that is a lot of sports competition for the dollar in a marketplace that plays differently than any other," he said.
The other cities with six or more teams are New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.
Seattle University professor Galen Trail said Seattle might be smaller than the others, but the average disposable income is pretty high.
"Is there interest? Absolutely," Trail said. "Is there sufficient money available in the greater Seattle area? Yes there's that, too."
What hasn't been tested in Seattle is hockey. There are also questions about KeyArena, which would host the new Sonics for at least two years.
Arena officials have been working for several months to get a jump start on some major league upgrades to everything from the scoreboard to suites, which was one of the things that alienated previous owners and the NBA.
"The building actually can do basketball," said Seattle Center director Robert Nellams. "The question is, at what level?" .
The city's Design Review Board is slated to look at plans for a new NBA/NHL arena in the SoDo neighborhood on Tuesday night.
Despite being known around the country for having devoted sports fans, some are wondering whether the Emerald City has enough fans -- and money -- to support the NBA, NFL, WNBA, MLS soccer, Major League Baseball and a potential NHL franchise.
"A very, very, very good question that's unanswered," said local sportswriter Art Thiel.
Thiel is among those still unsure if the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country can support the addition of two more major sports franchises.
"For this market size, that is a lot of sports competition for the dollar in a marketplace that plays differently than any other," he said.
The other cities with six or more teams are New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.
Seattle University professor Galen Trail said Seattle might be smaller than the others, but the average disposable income is pretty high.
"Is there interest? Absolutely," Trail said. "Is there sufficient money available in the greater Seattle area? Yes there's that, too."
What hasn't been tested in Seattle is hockey. There are also questions about KeyArena, which would host the new Sonics for at least two years.
Arena officials have been working for several months to get a jump start on some major league upgrades to everything from the scoreboard to suites, which was one of the things that alienated previous owners and the NBA.
"The building actually can do basketball," said Seattle Center director Robert Nellams. "The question is, at what level?" .
The city's Design Review Board is slated to look at plans for a new NBA/NHL arena in the SoDo neighborhood on Tuesday night.
I'm a bit disappointed that only one other person besides me realizes that there are currently 5 pro teams tied to Washington: NFL, WNBA, MLB, MLS, and LFL. Yeah, the Mist are a pro team. And yes, overall, with the addition of an NBA team and possible NHL team, Seattle can handle 7 teams in the city. I think the Mist would go perfectly in Key Arena, and the NBA and NHL would go great in the planned new stadium.
I think you meant 5 pro sports teams.
The more sports the more important it is to have a winning product in order to attract fans in a multi-sport city. Might seem backward, but bad teams have a better chance of filling seats when they're the only game in town. We too often expect sports to be different than any other consumer product, but in the end it's not. The money is not in the die-hard fans who stick with the team win or lose, it's in the "fair-weather" fans who jump onboard in big numbers when the team starts winning.
@Casey Lytle Curiously, statistics across the country disagree with that. There are the obvious references, like the Cubs, but a winning product does not equal long term fiscal success. I only know because it is my business.
Although a lot of these comments don't show much knowledge of the sports situation in Seattle (the Sounders outsell the M's by about 5,000 season tickets annually), the real question is if there is enough corporate money to support suites for SEVEN major teams. Sonics, Storm, Seahawks, Sounders, Mariners, Husky Football and the NHL team will be in fierce competition for the corporate dollar, not just the fan dollar. That is the deciding factor on if multiple franchises coexist more than almost anything else. Not on field performance. Can they sell the expensive suites is what can keep a team healthy. Did the KOMO reporters forget about Husky football? They did. Should they have not? The most expensive remodel in the history of college sports and around 63,000 fans on home Saturdays say they shouldn't have. Husky basketball? Remains to be seen. They outdraw the Storm.
Since these are private businesses I don't see why Seattle doesn't just let them run their businesses and if they suceed fine, if they fail so be it. Seattle doesn't need to have it's nose in these businesses any more that the state needed to be in business. It's called free enterprise and it works if given the chance.
Age old argument what pro sport is better?... only right answer to that question is not to answer...
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What I hate/care about most is... game day traffic, available parking, increase in area business costs when I venture into the city for a night on the town with the wife....
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Personally the thug jersey touting wannabe's making a mess of the area is a visible black eye to the mood of the city as well...I can only hope when my kids grow up if they choose to get into this sort of element that they are smarter than the lot of people I see these days...of course that is entirely dependent on just how good a parents my wife and I are to them so they learn and understand where the 'line' is so they don't cross it and choose the wrong rolemodels!
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Seattle can support four major-league sports being NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Whoever wrote the story should have had the you know what's to call a square a square.
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Can Seattle handle four professional sports teams?
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The fans that attend Sounders games and WNBA games are not the same customer that spends their money on the big four. You are not going to have most males age 22-65 decide they're going to buy Storm season tickets over Seahawk season tickets.
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Acting like the Sounders and Storm are anywhere close to on-par with the big four is such a reach. The Pacific Coast minor league baseball league had a higher attendance than the entire MLS in 2012. Minor league baseball as a whole had an attendance of 41,279,382, versus just over 6,000,000 for MLS.
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In my opinion Seattle can support the four major sports and it would also not effect the Sorm. It would likely effect the casual 10%-20% guy who gets invited by his soccer fan buddy to go to a sounders game. They would likely spend that money/time on the NBA or NHL.
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 @Spoodle Of course the Pacific Coast League had higher attendance than Major League Soccer, the PCL season is144 games. The MLS season is 34. That's a ridiculous comparison.
@Cooter_Brown When your talking about a region supporting a sport it is not. Every seat counts, regadless of how many games in a seaon.
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Build it and they will come. BUT!!!!!! you have to try to be a winning team. The Seahawks are a winning team, The Mariners are not, look at the attendance for both teams. This is a free one no charge.
 @dkgiovenco It took 5 straight loosing seasons before the Mariners saw a significant drop in attendance. And that is more due to them fielding an incredibly boring team to watch than win-loss record. Win or lose, the Sonics always drew a solid crowd, despite how incredibly inconvenient it was getting in and out of Key Arena. And the Seahawks have been close to selling out every game since moving to Century Link, even through the few bad years they have gone though.
it is crazy, seattle could fill the key arena w/ the sonics so why would you think you would fill a new stadium with a worst team then you had, beware 6 yrs. and you will be in trouble and Hansen wouldn't be held out of monies the tax payers of seattle will be. That why the banks wouldn't let Hansen borrow money from them to keep it private because it is way to high risk. Good luck with that.
How about you send the Storm away because the WNBA is a joke and send the Sounders away because soccer sucks?
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Problem solved.
 @eclector ...that sounds a little sexist...
 @Freespeech  @eclector Um, it isn't sexist when removing the 'gender' and it still being true.  It just so happens that the WNBA is horrible for spectating.  Excruciating watching those games.  Give me pro women's vball anyday of the week.  See, how can that be sexist if a similar option is in place. haha
@eclector I would rather watch some women running back and forth in shorts then some men, the women look much better and make the game some what bearable to watch.
baseball is a stupid sport, I  would gladly changed baseball for NBA,NBA is the only world-famous league in USA
 @Dozen 123 You may be misinformed. The MLB, NHL and NFL are extremely popular across the globe.
@Dozen 123 baseball make so much more money then basketball when it was in seattle and there is nothing that has changed to make it different.
So someone is going to spend lots of $$$ to upgrade an arena for two years use ?  Let's hope it isn't tax $$$.Â
@Maynard G Krebbs it is because the private banks will not loan them the monies because to high risk!!!!
 @Maynard G Krebbs The money to fix up that dump is coming out of Hansen's pocket.Â
ummmm....HELL YES...
Panem et circenses.
6 teams in Seattle means that eventually one or more of them will have to leave. Fans can hardly afford going to a few games of one sport let alone multiple sports. With the high cost of tickets, food and beer season tickets will be hard to sell.
I quit watching basketball when the 3 pt shot started...
The Mariners suck...don't watch any hockey whatsoever...
college sports is for the students and alumni...
so that leaves the Seahawks....Go Seahawks....
Oops...I forgot about that really boring sport of 'futbol'.....
The NBA is for idiots. Basketball isn't a real sport. No one supported the Sonics before they left, and after a year or two after their return, they won't support them again. Seattle has NEVER been a basketball town. They will fail and move away again. Just stay away NBA and Sonics. YOU'RE NOT WANTED HERE!
 @Rob C. This is one of the dumbest comments I have ever read and completely unsubstantiated.  I really hope you are a troll and not trying to make an actual argument.  Up until the 2007-2008 season when Clay Bennett had already taken over the team and tanked it in an obvious effort to move them, the Sonics had 90% or more capacity at the Key for 20 years in a row.  That was the highest rate in the NBA for that span.  So your claim is just plain wrong.  The city supported the Sonics for 41.  They made the playoffs 78% of the seasons they played here.Â
 @The206  @Rob C.Â
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1985-86 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 48%, Kings 100%Â 1986-87 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 50%, Kings 100%1987-88 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 69%, Kings 100%1988-89 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 74%, Kings 100%1989-90 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 70%, Kings 100%1990-91 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 71%, Kings 100%1991-92 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 82%, Kings 100%1992-93 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 89%, Kings 100%1993-94 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 85%, Kings 100%1994-95 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 90%, Kings 100%1995-96 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 100%, Kings 100%1996-97 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 100%, Kings 100%1997-98 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 100%, Kings 85%1998-99 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 100%, Kings 96%1999-00 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 87%, Kings 100%2000-01 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 91%, Kings 100%2001-02 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 90%, Kings 100%2002-03 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 91%, Kings 100%2003-04 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 89%, Kings 100%2004-05 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 96%, Kings 100%2005-06 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 94%, Kings 100%2006-07 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 93%, Kings 100%2007-08 Percentage of Seats Sold: Sonics 79%, Kings 81%
 @Petey How do the numbers look for the Kings over the last 4 years?
 @The206  @Rob C. Bill Russell, Lenny Wilkins, Downtown Freddy Brown, Slick Watts, etc.. Those were the days!Â
Six? You can't count WNBA as an acutal professional sport. Not really sure if the Sounders count as a sport that would compete with the other teams. But currently there are not any NHL teams looking to move so plenty of time for one of the other Pro teams to go under or move.
 @slyderwso I totally hate soccer, but the Sounders are supported at an exceptional level here in Seattle. Gotta give credit where credit is due.
You donât know if you can count the Sounders as a professional team?? You are seriously joking I hope. You donât follow it do you? At all? Even a little bit? They averaged about 36,000 fans per game which was 10,000 more per game than the second place team in attendance in the league and they have sold out every game for the last 3 years consecutively. Just because you donât like it doesnât mean that it isnât an important sports franchise.
 @slyderwso Ha, at this point you can count the WNBA as a professional team more than the Mariners ;)
WNBA? Hahahahaha
Don't forget the new and improved, third-times-a-charm Womyn's Soccer League. That's sure to siphon a boatload of cash away from those other wannabees.
What about the Seattle Mist lingerie football team? Doesn't that make it 7?
 @gp And the Thunderbirds...8
 @John Bailo  @gp No and no.  I wouldn't count the WNBA either.
@oledawg @John Bailo @gp LFL is as legit as they come. I think they'd fit perfectly at Key Arena. So yeah, it does make 7 teams
Yes, Seattle can support 6 teams. The Sonics will get a good chunk of my money I otherwise wouldn't spend on sports. I know there are many more like me. There are very few people that like every sport but there are great fan bases for most every sport in Seattle. I'm not sure how big the NHL fanbase is but that's partially because we've never had an NHL team.
SIX? No worries. NHL probably won't come. That leaves only 4 plus the triple-A minor baseball team (what is their name--oh ya-Mariners).
 @truthteller I would agree... I just don't think Seattle is that big of a hockey town. But one time I went to a fight, and ho and behold a hockey game broke out!
 @Scoondog You aren't familiar with the hockey scene in our area then.  First off it is a natural rival for Vancouver.  Washington alone has (4) WHL teams, Seattle, Everett, TriCities, and Spokane.  The Wenatchee Wild in the NAHL.  You have youth leagues that stretch from Portland to Bellingham, including Tacoma, Kitsap, Snoking, Seattle Jr, Everett, Whatcom, and east to Spokane, Wenatchee, and TriCities.  We also have one of the largest adult leagues in the country with the GSHL.  Not to mention our close proximity to Portland and Canada which offers (3) more WHL teams, AHL team, BCHL, and tons of adult and youth leagues.Â
 @Scoondog  @truthteller Washington State has the largest amateur hockey league system in the country.  Hockey is very popular here.Â
Yes.
One word...traffic. One answer, no it can't handle it.Â
 @Citizen#3457899654 How many times is more than one game going on at the same time? Barely ever ... so traffic won't be any worse than it already is.
 @SalParadiseÂ
Except this evening on the late news, I heard Hanson's group want to completely ban traffic from the streets surrounding the place on game days - as in NO traffic what soever, not cars, not buses, not commercial vehicles, nothing. So now, apparently, he thinks he will ALSO have control of the surrounding streets. I can see MANY more lawsuits being filed if they let that happen.
From today's Seattle Times:
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"....
 South Massachusetts Street, at the north end of the arena site, and Occidental Avenue South, which approaches the site from the north, could realistically be closed during arena events.
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Hansenâs design team has said it would like to close those streets on game days to create a pedestrian concourse ...."
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Hre's a link to the full story:Â .http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020190916_arenadesignxml.html
 @LocalLady  @SalParadise That isn't possible. What are they going to do, require you to show your Sonics ticket in order to drive in the area.
 @LocalLady  @SalParadise Can you substantiate that claim?  Anything on TV is online, where is this article?
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 @Citizen#3457899654 Beauty of working from home....