Paul Allen: Seattle's savior, Portland's problem child

How can one man be perceived so differently in two cities?

In Seattle, we have billionaire Paul Allen, who is not only reshaping the edge of the city into a biotech village, but almost incidentally saved the Seahawks and sent them to the Super Bowl.

In Portland, they characterize Paul Allen as a meddling fool who ruined the city's lone professional team, the Trail Blazers, and now conspires to buy his first love, Seattle's Sonics.

Both cities, I'm afraid, can make their case.

Allen did save the Seahawks. He paid for the election to have the public build Qwest Field, donated $100.million to the project, gave coach Mike Holmgren an eight-year contract and, finally, put together a management group to make the decisions that in turn would beget a Super Bowl.

In Portland, he built a $263 million arena, the Rose Garden, then lost it in bankruptcy.

His organization traded Jermaine O'Neal for Dale Davis, signed troubled Ruben Patterson when the Sonics wouldn't, took flyers on high-school guards Sebastian Telfair and Martell Webster, and committed $167 million to long-term contracts for Zach Randolph, Darius Miles and Theo Ratliff.

Allen spent more than $40 million paying off the last two years of Shawn Kemp's contract. In one season, he apparently lost more than $100 million. Not to mention a fan base and its trust.

Then last week, as David Stern, the NBA commissioner, was speaking to a subcommittee of the Washington state legislature on the plight of the Sonics and KeyArena, Allen, through a spokesman, cried his version of uncle. Owning the Blazers wasn't working.

"The model," he said, "was broken."

He doesn't, although his failure in Portland does speak to the hardship posed on any tycoon who tries to privately build an arena and own a team.

Allen, who spent $100 million of his own money on the lavish Rose Garden, apparently wants the public to bail him out of the $150 million loan that remains. If he can even get the loan back.

When Allen filed for bankruptcy, the court awarded the revenue from the best suites and seats to the guys left holding the mortgage. Allen apparently had tried to buy them out, but didn't get the terms he wanted and so opted for what would be short-term gain and long-term failure, a gamble that failed miserably.

Of course, the model is broken, but the question is, who broke it? The NBA with its inability to control salaries, Allen for gross mismanagement of his resources, or Portland fans who couldn't or wouldn't embrace a team jokingly called the Jail Blazers for its off-the-court failings?

The lease runs another 19 years. Allen wants to be bailed out, or simply out.

Portlanders smell a rat or a ruse.

Wrote John Canzano, a columnist for the Oregonian, "Allen's dirty little secret is that he wants to own a basketball operation in Seattle, and he sees a coming opportunity to buy the Sonics, who are also trying to get a new deal with state and local governments."

There were even rumors that Allen would try to move the Blazers to Seattle if the Sonics tried to move to another city.

What do we make of all this?

First of all, the Sonics are under contract to the city of Seattle until 2010. They say they plan to honor their commitment.

Last week, the Sonics said they would pay for any construction cost overruns for a $220 million KeyArena remodel if they could also take over the management of the building. Whether the City of Seattle agrees is another matter.

But at least there is a chance they'll get something done.

Allen, on other hand, seems cooked, left in a stew of his own making, the bevy of botched trades and acquisitions and the bankruptcy that has left him holding an empty bag.

There is little sympathy for any of the tycoons, Allen or Howard Schultz, the principal owner of the Sonics. Taxpayers don't want to subsidize rich guys, but the model suggests if they don't, those in some other city will.

According to all indications, even if Allen should decide to let loose of some of his $20 billion, he faces an angry group of bondholders who might not sell him back the Rose Garden for love or money.

I don't doubt he would rather be in Seattle. He tried to buy the Sonics when Barry Ackerley owned them, and when Ackerley rebuffed his advances he went to Portland and made the owners of the Trail Blazers an offer they couldn't refuse.

He lives here, he has made his name here, but how much of one city should one man control? Allen needs to clean up his basketball mess in Portland while enjoying his football success in Seattle.

And leave the Sonics to their own problems, which look solvable by comparison.

Comments for Blaine Newnham can be sent to sports@seattletimes.com