Ken Behring, the former owner of the Seattle Seahawks, has died at 91. Behring bought the Seattle Seahawks, at a time when the team's popularity was quite high.
Behring, however, was not well liked. He lived in the Bay Area of California and was a real estate developer, at a time when Seattle did not have warm feeling toward developers or what was perceived as many Californians moving into the area. Behring was often shown on the Seahawk sidelines during the game in a golf shirt, while Seattle fans were used to the previous owners, who were seldom or never seen. It was not long that Behring became the symbol of California conspicuous consumption.
Owning the Seahawks from 1988 until 1997, the team went through some of it's worst years and fan support waned. Behring decided he wanted a new tax supported stadium. When it appeared he would not be able to get that, he attempted to move the team to the LA area. A move that failed when community leaders persuaded Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen to buy the team. The rest is history.
Although Behring is remembered as one of the least popular sports figure in Seattle history, his charitable contribution are reported to be quite significant.
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