Detroit Shock leaving Detroit?

**iheartthed** · October-19-09, 10:26 AM

AP source: Detroit Shock are moving to Tulsa
By LARRY LAGE [[AP) â€“ 47 minutes ago

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 on Monday 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.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...kf1TgD9BE7JAO1

**dcmorrison12** · October-19-09, 10:33 AM

Correction: Change Detroit to Auburn Hills. I'm not sure how much C of D is touched by the Shock.

Anyhow, either way I'd hate for them to leave.

**iheartthed** · October-19-09, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by dcmorrison12

Correction: Change Detroit to Auburn Hills. I'm not sure how much C of D is touched by the Shock.

Anyhow, either way I'd hate for them to leave.

Well, of course. I'm referring to the Detroit MSA.

**smogboy** · October-19-09, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by dcmorrison12

Correction: Change Detroit to Auburn Hills. I'm not sure how much C of D is touched by the Shock.

Anyhow, either way I'd hate for them to leave.

I'd hate to see them leave as well but sometimes I wonder if the WNBA would even survive without the backing of the NBA. It's competitive basketball but it just can't draw a crowd to save its life.

**jtf1972** · October-19-09, 10:37 AM

Thank you for correcting the fact that the Shock have never played a single game in Detroit.

**iheartthed** · October-19-09, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by jtf1972

Thank you for correcting the fact that the Shock have never played a single game in Detroit.

That's not true.

Joe Louis Arena was the site of the decisive Game 5 of the 2006 WNBA Finals between the Sacramento Monarchs and Detroit Shock on September 9, due to The Palace of Auburn Hills [[the Shock's usual home arena) already being used for a Mariah Carey concert on the same day. The Shock won the game 80–75 to clinch the championship.

**jtf1972** · October-19-09, 10:58 AM

That's not true.

Quote:
Joe Louis Arena was the site of the decisive Game 5 of the 2006 WNBA Finals between the Sacramento Monarchs and Detroit Shock on September 9, due to The Palace of Auburn Hills [[the Shock's usual home arena) already being used for a Mariah Carey concert on the same day. The Shock won the game 80–75 to clinch the championship.

I stand corrected. All hail the Detroitest team Detroit has ever been home to!

Was there a tractor pull at the Palace or something?

**EastsideAl** · October-19-09, 11:00 AM

The future of the WNBA may be in smaller towns like Tulsa that are hungry for some major league sports. They can't really seem to get beyond a small dedicated audience in most big cities. So, the league is getting mostly buried in these large markets and must be taking a financial bath. Here in the Detroit area, where due to the bad economy even the big-time major league teams are having trouble drawing, the outlook must be even more gloomy for them.

When I lived in NYC I knew someone who worked for the WNBA [[a fellow former Detroiter). The Liberty, who played at Madison Square Garden, were lucky to draw any paying crowds over 10,000, received almost no attention from the local media even when they were successful on the floor, had very high costs trying to promote their product in NYC, and were heavily subsidized by MSG and the NBA. However, the Connecticut franchise, which played in a small town casino, were much better off even when their crowds were somewhat smaller, and had a much more engaged fan base. So I can see how smaller markets would bring down the teams costs and would potentially make it possible for them to at least come closer to profitability, if indeed the league has any real future at all.

**iheartthed** · October-19-09, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

The future of the WNBA may be in smaller towns like Tulsa that are hungry for some major league sports. They can't really seem to get beyond a small dedicated audience in most big cities. So, the league is getting mostly buried in these large markets and must be taking a financial bath. Here in the Detroit area, where due to the bad economy even the big-time major league teams are having trouble drawing, the outlook must be even more gloomy for them.

When I lived in NYC I knew someone who worked for the WNBA [[a fellow former Detroiter). The Liberty, who played at Madison Square Garden, were lucky to draw any paying crowds over 10,000, received almost no attention from the local media even when they were successful on the floor, had very high costs trying to promote their product in NYC, and were heavily subsidized by MSG and the NBA. However, the Connecticut franchise, which played in a small town casino, were much better off even when their crowds were somewhat smaller, and had a much more engaged fan base. So I can see how smaller markets would bring down the teams costs and would potentially make it possible for them to at least come closer to profitability, if indeed the league has any real future at all.

It will be interesting to see how successful they are in Tulsa. Sure, 10,000 people won't fill up the Palace, but will they be able to regularly pull 10,000 people in a market that small? More importantly, will they be able to charge the same mark ups on tickets and concessions that they can get away with in larger markets like Detroit?

You're right that the Liberty get virtually no coverage in NYC -- much less coverage than the Shock get in Detroit -- but NYC also has twice the number of major sports teams as Detroit. The MLS team here in NYC gets zero coverage by the media.

**Johnlodge** · October-19-09, 11:48 AM

**Fnemecek** · October-19-09, 11:52 AM

The Shock are likely to leave Michigan. That's at least mildly sad.

However, the worst part of this is that the Detroit Lions are staying.

**gnome** · October-19-09, 12:37 PM

wow, Frank made a joke, and it was funny. Mark this day on the calender, let it go down in the history books.

**Danny** · October-19-09, 01:50 PM

If the Detroit Shock Basketball Association thinks that Detroit is a joke, then leave. We're get another WNBA basketball team.

**313WX** · October-19-09, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by jtf1972

All hail the Detroitest team Detroit has ever been home to!

The Detroit Tigers have played in the city proper ever since their franchise began.

**401don** · October-19-09, 02:49 PM

We should all pitch in and buy Mahorn a cowboy hat.

**patmc16** · October-19-09, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

We should all pitch in and buy Mahorn a cowboy hat.

Nope. Mahorn will not be going with the team. Tulsa has already hired a head coach.

**patmc16** · October-19-09, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

The Liberty, who played at Madison Square Garden, were lucky to draw any paying crowds over 10,000, received almost no attention from the local media even when they were successful on the floor, had very high costs trying to promote their product in NYC, and were heavily subsidized by MSG and the NBA. However, the Connecticut franchise, which played in a small town casino, were much better off even when their crowds were somewhat smaller, and had a much more engaged fan base. So I can see how smaller markets would bring down the teams costs and would potentially make it possible for them to at least come closer to profitability, if indeed the league has any real future at all.

While I basically agree with this, what's with all the past tenses? "Played", "were", "received", "had", "when". The Liberty still play at MSG and the Connecticut Sun still play at a casino. The Sun are probably the model that the Tulsa franchise should follow. The Sun were originally the Orlando Miracle and were failing. The Mohegans bought the team and moved them to their casino and they have been much better for it. Moving from big city Orlando to Uncasville, CT was the best thing to happen to the team. I guess it was better than the fate of the WNBA teams, the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, Miami Sol & Portland Fire. Hint: they are all defunct.

**FlyingJ** · October-19-09, 03:52 PM

313WX, the Tigts are the only native sports team here, period. Everybody else was stolen

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba...fwpistons.html swell logo

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/Legen...C&year=1924-25

http://www.portsmouthspartans.org/

http://www.geocities.com/texliebmann...s/timeline.htm

Anybody ever see one of those old Tulsa Oil gas station signs around?

**EastsideAl** · October-19-09, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by patmc16

While I basically agree with this, what's with all the past tenses? "Played", "were", "received", "had", "when". The Liberty still play at MSG and the Connecticut Sun still play at a casino. The Sun are probably the model that the Tulsa franchise should follow. The Sun were originally the Orlando Miracle and were failing. The Mohegans bought the team and moved them to their casino and they have been much better for it. Moving from big city Orlando to Uncasville, CT was the best thing to happen to the team. I guess it was better than the fate of the WNBA teams, the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, Miami Sol & Portland Fire. Hint: they are all defunct.

Past tense has to do with my having formerly lived in NYC. It was the only place where I was ever really was acquainted with anyone involved with the WNBA, or paid any attention to the league, so it all seems to be in the past to me. Sorry, a poor grammar choice made in haste.

**jerrytimes** · October-19-09, 06:52 PM

Why are people upset that a team that noone has interest in is leaving the city? The league is a joke as well. Will the address of the palace change?

**raptor56** · October-19-09, 09:53 PM

So I'm assuming the Shock are being sold, and Palace Entertainment is not moving the team to Tulsa?

**izzyindetroit** · October-19-09, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by jtf1972

I stand corrected. All hail the Detroitest team Detroit has ever been home to!

Was there a tractor pull at the Palace or something?

If i remember correctly, Janet Jackson or Mariah Carey was performing at the Palace that night. Apparently, the event coordinator didn't foresee the Shock making it to game 5 of a five game series.

The Shock are the only WNBA team to win three championships in three different buildings: Palace, JLA and EMU Convocation Center.