Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Return

The return of the Sonics is a huge component in the growing tourism industry in Seattle. Seattle-ites are an extremely strong fan base for the Sonics, and it affects the city in an extremely positive way just by existing. Good news for Seattle is that the Sonics will most likely be back soon.


The Morale Impact

"The SuperSonics leaving was a very difficult situation for me. I have personally loved the Sonics for a very long time and it was truly hard to see them go. Not only that, but when the retired jerseys, memorabilia, and other Sonic-esque treasures left Seattle when the team moved, the reality of that was harsh as well. Those memories were made in Seattle and that was taken from us when they left," said David Hagberg, longtime local sports fan.

Local amateur sports writer Kevin Dunham says, "local sports teams not only boost morale in the overall community, as well as the tourism industry, but they also create a sense of belonging and culture. The SuperSonics made a lasting impression on the city-and not just by the numbers. We truly hope that bringing them back will create that sense of morale-boosting again."

The football team, the Seahawks, create a sense of culture and belonging in the fall and early winter, and the Sounders, the soccer team, do that during the summer and fall. During the winter and spring months, however, the city has been forced to be without that same spirit and pride due to the absence of the Sonics the past few years.


Monday, February 11, 2013

By the Numbers

According to the main Seattle tourism website, www.visitseattle.org, the total number of Seattle and King County visitors   dropped significantly due to the SuperSonics moving to Oklahoma City. The numbers prove it all:

Total Number of Seattle/King Co. Visitors  
2009-8.80 Million
2008-9.34 Million
2007-9.49 Million
2006-9.41 Million
2005-9.10 Million

It is obvious that the numbers dropped significantly from 2008 to 2009, absolutely due to the SuperSonics leaving. 

Friday, February 8, 2013

The Mascots of the Emerald City

Since 1967, the SuperSonics have been an integral part of Seattle. The SuperSonics won the NBA Championship in 1979, acquired star players (especially Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, who both came on the scene in the 80's and 90's), and had many years of success and dominance in the Western Conference.

In 2008, however, the SuperSonics were sold to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not only did this move inspire changes in the sports and sentimental community of Seattle, but the overall tourism industry has changed as well. 

Overall, Seattle has gotten over the loss of the Sonics gracefully; however, the pain that the city's population has, as well as the tourism industry, is obvious.

The Sonics were the mascots of the Emerald City. They gave inspiration to frustrated people and gave an outlet for people in their everyday life.