Behring’s Words Don’t Sound Promising For Keeping Hawks

The fate of the Seahawks may well be decided in the next month. We’re not talking playoffs.

The franchise’s existence in Seattle will not be subject to a long deliberation over remodeling the Kingdome, but subject only to the NFL’s ruthless economics, which as Cleveland, Los Angeles and Orange County have seen, take no prisoners.

After listening to people in the NFL as well as local government and business, it’s clear Seahawks owner Ken Behring wants out of Seattle. He may soon have serious offers to move the club that would be almost impossible to match quickly with public money here.

Although Behring and his son, team president Dave Behring, met Monday with county officials and plan to meet again in December, neither have hidden their disgust with the pace and sincerity of negotiations over the $150 million they claim is needed to make the Kingdome competitive in a chaotic NFL, where there are no such things as shame or loyalty.

Ken Behring was quoted this week as saying the $150 million fix may not be enough, speculating it might be cheaper to tear down the Kingdome and build anew. In a KING-TV interview, Behring claimed to have an offer already from Cleveland.

Dave Behring has said that given the more than 200 event dates in the Kingdome, it’s hard to imagine how the building could be overhauled without throwing out some tenants for a year. He speculated that doing the work piecemeal during down times would seriously delay completion.

This is not the rhetoric of an ownership seeking a local solution. This is the rhetoric of an ownership looking for excuses to bolt.

Behring and his fellow owners unhappy with their stadiums have seen what riches were wrought by Al Davis, Georgia Frontiere and Art Modell from cities desperate for NFL prestige. They also recognize the window to sudden, ridiculous wealth may not stay open forever with irked politicians talking about a limited anti-trust exemption so the league can gain control over franchise movement.

The cities most recently burned by NFL greed are already aggressively pursuing existing franchises. Behring sees the obvious - the have-nots are far ahead of King County in creating a deal that will lure an owner who believes he must move quickly before it’s too late.

At 67, Behring may figure the impending off-season is his last, best chance for a lucrative kill, short of a complete sale. Not only is there time pressure, he faces competition with his fellow owners who also are using NFL-hungry cities to extort their current municipalities.

Behring may also be facing financial pressure not associated with his spurious claim that the Seahawks are a money loser. If partner Ken Hoffman, who has had little to do with the Seahawks, wants to be cashed out of his share, If he wants to be cashed out of his Seahawks share, Behring would have to write a big check or take on a fresh partner.

A minority partnership would be an opening for a media conglomerate such as Disney to buy into the NFL at a time when soaring franchise appreciation means no clubs are for sale.

Anaheim represents the most likely suitor for the Seahawks. Not only is Behring a Californian with a lust for big-shot status, 68,000-seat Anaheim Stadium is adequate until it is either made over with luxury suites, or a new football-only stadium is built in part or whole by Disney or another Hollywood entrepreneur.

Market forces, Behring’s desires and King County’s financial and emotional exhaustion after the brawl with Mariner owners are swirling together ominously.