Tulsa.

T&P, Fool.

AP source: Detroit Shock to move to Tulsa
By LARRY LAGE
ASSOCIATED PRESS

A Detroit Shock official says the WNBA team is moving to Tulsa, Okla.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to the Associated Press today because he was not authorized to make the announcement.

Detroit made its debut in the league in 1998 and won titles in 2008, 2006 and 2003. The Shock lost last month to the Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference finals after rallying to earn a playoff spot.

Sad, Sad, Day

So they've won 3 of the 13 finals in WNBA history and still can't make it.

Is the attendance just bad or something? Look at this from Wiki:


The Detroit Shock hosted the three largest crowds in Finals History (22,076 in Game 3 of 2003 WNBA Finals, 19,671 in Game 5 of 2006 WNBA Finals and 22,076 in Game 5 of the 2007 WNBA Finals)

^doesn't say "paid"

Stern is too schrewd to not to shut this whole silly thing down, or at least I thought.

Looks like they'll try to make a go of it as more of a true "minor league" operation.

Smaller arenas, etc.

They already have a new coach too, check out who it is, lol.


Detroit Shock likely to move to Oklahoma
By Bill Shea

The Detroit Shock women’s basketball franchise is reportedly moving to Tulsa, Okla.

The Women’s National Basketball Association team has played at the Palace of Auburn Hills since joining the league as an expansion franchise in 1998. The team, coached by former Detroit Pistons star Rick Mahorn, won WNBA championships in 2008, 2006 and 2003.

A message was left for Tom Wilson, president of Palace Sports and Entertainment, which manages the Shock and Pistons for owner Karen Davidson. She inherited the teams and the Palace of Auburn Hills when husband William Davidson died earlier this year.

A message was also left at the league’s New York City headquarters.

No details about the move have been made public.

It’s believed, based on multiple media reports, that a consortium of investors led by William Cameron, chairman and CEO of Oklahoma City-based American Fidelity Assurance Company, has acquired the Shock. He’s also a minority owner of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

Also part of the investment group is David Box, owner of Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City.

The team is expected to play at the $196 million BOK Center that opened last year in downtown Tulsa.

Nolan Richardson, former men’s college basketball coach at the University of Tulsa and University of Arkansas, has reportedly been named head coach.

The Shock this season averaged 8,004 fans during 17 games at the Palace of Auburn Hills, down from 9,569 last year. The venue, which is also owned by Davidson, seats 22,076 for basketball.

The team finished 18-16 this season and went on to sweep the Atlanta Dream in the Eastern Conference semifinals before losing in three games to the Indiana Fever in the conference finals.

I wonder if they'll change the address down in Tulsa to "3 Championship Drive"?

What worries me is how quick Karen Davidson was to get rid of it.

How much longer until she sells the Pistons out of Detroit too?

How much $ does Bob Seger have?

Seriously.

So they've won 3 of the 13 finals in WNBA history and still can't make it.

Houston won the first four championships and folded last year.

That makes 7 out of the 14 championship cities no longer supporting a team.

I can't speak for you guys, but in this economy, the first thing I do with my hard earned dollar is go to the palace and watch the Shock play. I am devastated.

Again, for the people having fun with this, are you going to be having just as much fun when the pistons are playing elsewhere?

The WNBA is a sham, the NBA is not.

No way Stern leaves Michigan without an NBA team, and he'd have to sign off on it, so I'm not worried at all.

If the bitch wants to sell the team to a new local owner, so be it.

There's no evidence Karen Davidson is going to differentiate.

Her first major move as an owner is to sell one of her teams.

See, I take this as a good thing for the Pistons.

The Shock were no doubt losing money and draining assets from PS&E.

If you can rid yourself of a liability, without hurting the core product (Pistons), especially in this environment, then you do it.

Sad day for dad guys in Michigan.

See, I take this as a good thing for the Pistons.

The Shock were no doubt losing money and draining assets from PS&E.

If you can rid yourself of a liability, without hurting the core product (Pistons), especially in this environment, then you do it.

...so at what point do the Pistons become a liability when they have a few bad seasons? They don't turn a profit every year.

Then she'll have to sell them to a Stern-approved buyer. One that will keep the team right where they are.

Like he approved for Seattle? Or Charlotte? Or Vancouver?

When is the last time Stern fought the almighty dollar to keep a team's ownership local? Don't worry, i'll wait.

I think I just won.

They're like the 7th most valuable franchise in a town that's fine with towing the lux. line when we win and being a bottom spender when we struggle.

Sports, especially ones on the decline become hot tickets when we start to show life. It would be stupid to sell low here.

How much longer until she sells the Pistons out of Detroit too?


Uh, they're already an hour OUTSIDE of Detroit.

touche.

How about outside of michigan?

Yeah I would think that if Stern wants the Pistons out of Detroit, he can make it happen.

I still don't believe what he did to Seattle.

I can't believe that you guys are trying to draw comparisons between the Sonics and the Pistons. The sonics had been having arena issues for years, they couldn't get a new building and didn't have nearly the fan support that the Pistons have.

If any of you ladies think there is even a 1% chance of the Pistons getting relocated, I will fart in your specific direction.

And the grizzlies and Charlotte comparisons don't even deserve a reply, so forgive this post.

I can't believe that you guys are trying to draw comparisons between the Sonics and the Pistons. The sonics had been having arena issues for years, they couldn't get a new building and didn't have nearly the fan support that the Pistons have.

If any of you ladies think there is even a 1% chance of the Pistons getting relocated, I will fart in your specific direction.


Nice one!

Cutting loose the dead weight probably made the rest of the PS&E stronger. Solid move.

Shocking
late, home page

Martin (Burlington, Ontario): I was watching “Pardon the Interruption” and they said the Detroit Shock are moving to Tulsa. What do you think about that?

Langlois: I think cities like Tulsa might be the future of the WNBA. It’s a tough go in cities like Detroit where the sports market is saturated with teams that have longstanding ties and deep fan bases who only have so much time and money to spend on sports – and fewer people with the money these days than ever. The Shock had 12 good seasons in Detroit and Bill Davidson stood by despite losing, by some estimates, $20 million on the venture over that time, but despite three championships won the Shock just couldn’t bring fans in numbers sufficient enough to make it a sensible business venture – and it was becoming an increasingly expensive hobby. In markets like Tulsa, where the competition is much less intense, perhaps the Shock will find a foothold.

You ever wish he could have lost that $20 million in something else? Say, luxury tax or something like that?

Nope.

I have disposable income too. Usually it can get me a cup of coffee or something from a vending machine.

You ever wish he could have lost that $20 million in something else? Say, luxury tax or something like that?

Hell Yeah!

I can't recall it now but I'm fairly certain we could have signed veterans or made other moves but didn't because of the tax.

If we all had $20 mil we could buy the fucking team.

The WTF Detroit Pistons! Although we'd never make any roster moves cause we can't agree on anything, even something as obvious as Stuckey not being a PG.

DETROIT—A recent announcement that the WNBA's Detroit Shock would be moving to Tulsa, OK next season seemed pretty much in line with what one would expect from the women's professional basketball league, observers told reporters Sunday. "Tulsa, huh? Sure, makes sense," said Detroit resident Paul Dutton, adding that he would have had the same matter-of-fact response had the Shock said they were moving to Harrisburg, PA, El Paso, TX, or Morgantown, WV. "Actually, when I first heard the news I was more surprised to find out that Tulsa didn't already have a WNBA team. Don't they have a team in Connecticut that plays in a casino? That's so weird." When informed that the Shock would be moving to their hometown, a majority of Tulsa residents politely nodded their heads and continued about their day.