Bad Day for the Home Team in Sonics Case

As Henry Abbott notes, no one knows what's going to happen in this Sonics vs. Seattle suit. But Percy Allen of the Seattle Times thinks, based on Friday testimony, Clay Bennett's lawyers are pulling away. The day seemed to focus on the Sonics proving that the Seattle had acted in just as much bad faith as anything, hatching a plan by Sen. Slade Gorton (a city consultant) to bleed Bennett dry to force him to sell.

The evidence is a PowerPoint presentation given by Gorton called: The Sonics Challenge: Why a Poisoned Well Affords a Unique Opportunity. It's a 46-page detailed strategy to inflict economic hardship on Bennett. It's scary because it nearly worked.

I find it a tad bit ironic that while the city compiled reams of embarrassing e-mails from the Sonics owners to show they breached a "good faith best effort" promise, Gorton sent e-mails that are now being used against the city.

I believe Allen that this is damning stuff. But I have to wonder: is it more damning than Bennett two-faced posturing on getting an arena deal in Seattle, his public assertions he wanted to stay in the Emerald City while he was emailing his buddies that he's a "man possessed" in terms of landing his franchise in Oklahoma City? Didn't all that force Gorton and the city to play rough?

Of course, none of this matters, as I understand it: Judge Marsha Pechman is only ruling on whether the Sonics are contractually and legally obligated to serve out their lease, or whether cash is valid compensation. How evil Bennett and/or Gorton are seem to have little impact on that central question.