Seattle Counting on Allen’s Enthusiasm

Paul Allen remembers being a kid in Seattle and going to watch Husky football at the University of Washington. He remembers the old days when Seattle was a football town, when the Broncos or the Raiders would come to town and the Kingdome would sell out.

Even when the introverted, fuzzy-bearded computer whiz co-founded Microsoft and got to be the fourth-richest man in America--with $6.5 billion to spend on hot dogs and beer if he wanted to--Allen was nearly always there in the Kingdome stands. He showed up when the Seattle Seahawks hardly ever sold out anymore.

Allen’s announcement that he is acquiring an option on the Seahawks from out-of-town owner Ken Behring--greeted with rowdy partying among fans and a boom in Seahawk ticket sales--is seen as the salvation of football in the Northwest. Allen is doing nothing to discourage the view.

“I will never be involved in moving the Seahawks,” Allen said Tuesday in his first public statement on the deal, reportedly worth up to $180 million if the option is exercised.

“I am thrilled and honored to be part of maintaining the proud tradition of professional football in Seattle. Like many of you, I am a football fan and a longtime supporter of the team. I feel it’s important for our city’s economy, civic pride and national visibility that this NFL franchise remain in town under diligent local ownership.”

King County officials took the first step Tuesday to speed the deal along, authorizing a stay of proceedings in the county’s lawsuit seeking to halt the move of the Seahawks to Los Angeles. King County Superior Court Judge Jim Bates signed an order staying the proceedings, originally scheduled to go to trial May 28, and extending an existing restraining order blocking any moves of the team. The state was expected to follow suit with its own legal action soon.

Under an agreement worked out with Behring’s lawyers, the court action is suspended until July 15, pending Allen’s final determination over the next 30 days on whether to buy the 14-month option. If he decides to close the option deal, the legal proceedings would be delayed indefinitely, and dropped completely if a purchase deal is negotiated to keep the team in Seattle, said Kevin Raymond, King County Executive Gary Locke’s chief of staff.

But while Allen’s option appears to foreclose any immediate plan to move the Seahawks to Los Angeles, it opens a minefield of new negotiations for Seattle officials.

The aging Kingdome, whose basic unattractiveness as a modern football facility originally drove Behring to seek a new home, isn’t looking any more attractive in its present state, even to the kid who grew up watching football there.

A new study prepared for the county shows that even if someone kicks in the $197 million needed to update the facility, it could operate in the black only if the Seahawks agree to contribute a big share of any new profits to the county.

“We know we have work to do with Mr. Allen to assure that football can be successful here,” Raymond said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, but at least we have the opportunity to sit back down at the table with somebody who wants to make it work in Seattle.”

Allen says he’s ready to look at Kingdome renovations and the possibility of sharing a new baseball stadium proposed for the Seattle Mariners, but he made it clear that a new football stadium is what he sees as the most “interesting” option.

Privately, Seattle officials are banking a lot on Allen’s enthusiasm.

When Allen bought the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988, he followed with a hefty contribution to the $262-million, state-of-the-art Rose Garden facility to play in. Allen grew up listening to the late Seattle guitarist Jimi Hendrix, and not only started playing a wild and mean guitar himself, he bought a recording studio for his weekend band in downtown Seattle and then endowed a new Hendrix museum at the Seattle Center. When David Geffen called to ask him if he wanted to invest in a new all-star, technology-driven Hollywood studio dubbed Dreamworks, Allen kicked in $500 million.

Allen’s six-acre estate on exclusive Mercer Island was built to include a $6-million sports complex with a pro-size basketball court, a 20-seat movie theater and an art gallery.

What’s another sports stadium, Seattle figures?

Allen, for once, urges caution.

“Over the next 14 months, I will be carefully evaluating many factors, particularly the level of fan and community support for this team and the stadium,” he said. “My personal enthusiasm for the Seahawks is not going to be enough to finalize the deal.”