Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

Maybe OKC deserves a franchise, maybe it doesn't.
Seattle, just like Cleveland and Baltimore in the NFL, didn't deserve the fate it got.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

Exactly right.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

OKC is a great place. Not at good as Seattle, but it is still a great place. I just have my reservations about it supporting an NBA team. After the luster of having a team wears off comes the realization that Oklahoma is a football crazed state and OKC is a minor league city. I hope the new OKC team does great and that Seattle gets a new team down the road. But I doubt either will happen in the long run.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

Eh, I wouldn't call that trashing. I think he's talking about the nasty stuff (and believe me, my paper has been responsible for plenty of it).

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

If you believe for one minute Shultz didn't know what's going on you're crazy, blind, or blindly crazy (speaking in generalities, Dan. Not specifically to you). Shultz knew and, like a "good" businessman (read: arch criminal) didn't give a flying fuck. He didn't give a flying fuck that Bennett would, not mght, move the team to his stomping grounds. He wanted a return on his investment, nothing more, nothing less. And this lawsuit by him, alleging that he was betrayed and didn't know that Bennett would move the team his posturing, bullshit and attempting to save face. He damn fucking well knew they'd move, he didn't care.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

If nothing else, those Oklahoma City NBA fans at least are knowledgeable about the league.

Why, I was just checking the fan comments at newsok.com and one scoffed at the notion that the NBA would place an expansion team in Seattle because the league would prefer to expand internationally. He suggested a great site for a team -- Toronto.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

Yet another American city that has an NBA team as its only major pro team? (I'm counting MLB, NHL, NFL and NBA).

It's got Portland, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Memphis, Orlando, Sacramento, and now Oklahoma City.

The NFL only has Jacksonville and Green Bay (and the latter is really in the Milwaukee market.)

The NHL only has Raleigh, Columbus and San Jose (which is really part of the Bay Area market.)

The MLB has none.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

I thought this was common knowledge

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing for the NBA, of course. With only pro sports team in town, they're going to hog all the attention, all the media, all the ad revenue, etc. OK, so there's Sooners football, which is close to a pro sports team, but that's it.

And look at that list for the NBA -- Portland, Sactown and Salt Lake City are always among the most enthusiastic fan bases in the league, and San Antonio and Orlando don't seem to have any problems. Memphis ... that's another story. Point is, I do think the old Sonics will work there.

I just feel for Seattle's fans, though. I wonder if this experience would make them want another NBA team, if Stern siding with this weasel might make the NBA kryponite in Seattle.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

I'm thinking hard, but I cannot think of a dumber more off-base mischaracterization of an argument ever on SportsJournalists.com. Considering some of this board's luminaries, that's impressive.

Everybody involved in this shit is a moron, from Howard Schultz, Clay Bennett, Aubrey McClendon, the City of Seattle, Slade Gorton, Margarita Prentice ... the list could go on for days but I am pretty sure -- now mind you I have not read everything -- that nobody has suggested the good folks of Oklahoma City deserve another bombing. Maybe that's coming when Jemele Hill weighs in.

Hell, if anything those people have suffered enough and should not be forced to watch the Sonics for 41 games next year -- Viva La Serge Ibaka! But seriously, you know the first sign that you're not living in a big-league city? When you start a campaign called Big League City. That said, I have seen next to no animosity toward the people of OKC. It's all been on Stern and Bennett, who deserve every inch of it.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

Seattle should get another team, but if they do, it'll probably be a moved team. Doesn't Stern want the next expansion to go international?

And they're moving to OKC, not Minot, ND. It won't even be the smallest NBA market (it's 44, Salt Lake City is 48 and New Orleans is 51). They've got a decent arena and (so far, at least) good fans. It sucks for Seattle, but it's also not armageddon for the NBA.

 

Re: UPDATE: Sonics headed to OKC, money headed to Seattle

There you go. Where was his loyalty to Seattle? That comes before Bennett, who had none, obviously. But when did lying become an issue to NBA leadership? They've tolerated it on and off the court for some time.

Oklahoma City could have strong-armed its way to keeping the Hornets. They didn't.