All Apologies
Posted on Monday, August 13th, 2007 at 4:03 pm by Brian Robinson
I have to ask why I allowed myself to get carried away and post an entry with the heading “Clay Bennet is a Liar”.
I have made a point of not allowing this to get personal and holding my commentary back to the point where reconciliation is an option. I believe that this is always the proper thing to do and would cite my recent joint work with Chris VanDyk as a great example of why you do not take shots at people needlessly. There were endless chances to take cheap shots at VanDyk and Nick Licata but in the end a situation arose where it made sense to work with each other on things. Because we’d stayed professional with each other that was still an option. It never behooves you to burn bridges when you don’t have to.
In the past I have gone so far as to say that specific statements could be lies. I have never said that Clay Bennet is “a liar” or really gone that direction. Now I regret doing so. It was a stupid and non-productive move and to be blunt I don’t have time for moves that exclude people or are non-productive in any way.
I apologize to Clay for that comment which was made out of anger and frustration. It is not a begrudging apology, nor one that people should think I’m making for the sake of politics. I don’t believe in being personally insulting and legitimately regret going there. I hope that he changes my mind and if he takes steps to do so then I hope he’ll accept my apology because the one and only thing I want is for people to step up and work together to solve this problem. Casting stones at the governor, the mayor, Schultz, Bennett, whoever is not productive because eventually we all need to sit in a room together and work something out.
If Clay Bennett does come back to the table I will be the first one there saying publicly that I was wrong about the situation and giving him credit for moving our direction. If he doesn’t I’ll continue to ride the roller coaster.
I’m tired. Busy. Lots of meetings this week and hope for an update by Friday or Saturday.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
You gotta say what you gotta say Brian. But I think we all know the situatino here.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
No one can blame you for feeling how you feel/felt, Brian. These are trying times for all of us…
August 13th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
welcome to politics…there are plenty of others here willing to say the things you shouldn’t be saying. just keep figthing the good fight, man.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Don’t back down now. Hindsight is 20/20 but backing off now looks like weakness. Now, media will have a “S.O.S. apologizes!” headline or something like that.
I know it sounds lame, but an apology isn’t what is needed right now.
There was definitely an understanding that the true intention was to bring the Sonics to Oklahoma. To believe that it was just a personal opinion is stupid. Yeah, we’re supposed to believe that a conversation between the owners about the Sonics going to Oklahoma as the real objective never happened. We’re not a bunch of ignorant jokers.
Bennett proposed an extravagant package to the Legislature that was turned down. That’s it. That’s all he’s done. He’s also called out the Mayor. Whoopee. He’s done nothing else.
Call a spade a spade. Bennett lied. If you’re getting heat from saying it Brian you have nothing to be ashamed of. We all know it’s true.
I just hope the heat stays on and that this spin doctoring from the P.B.C. doesn’t fool anybody. And I certainly hope it doesn’t ruin the momentum that has been created by so many media outlets jumping on this.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
I haven’t gotten heat from it. If anything I’ve gotten drastically increased attention.
The heat generated from this is a good thing when it comes to getting stuff done. Its a personal issue for me. In business I never, ever make statement to people that preclude me from meeting them in a room, shaking their hand, and carrying on a conversation. It’s worked for me and I don’t want to start now.
If the media picks up on it in headlines then it just shows how influential we’ve become.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
http://www.hardcoresportsradio.com/podcasts/1105.mp3
Putting this here also so it doesn’t get lost in the other thread.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Brian, Your apology was appropriate. Mr. Bennett has distanced himself from his partner’s comments. We do need to stay civil.
It is now up to Mr. Bennett to demonstrate by his actions that he is a man of integrity. Let me say this to Mr. Bennett and the ownership group: If you win this battle, but do so without integrity, then you have won nothing. In my book, there is a difference between being successful (which means winning) and being a winner (which means competing with integrity).
For example, if a sprinter wins a race by taking banned steroids, he or she may have been successful in winning the race, but the sprinter cheated and is a loser.
If Oklahoma gets an NBA team by lying and cheating, then they will not be winners.
Let us hope that Mr. Bennett is playing hardball, but that his stated intentions are the reality and not fake. It certainly appears that he was disingenuous, but that is not proven, so let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Let’s show that Seattle fans have class and ethics, the qualities that make our community strong.
Mr. Bennett, the citizens of the Seattle Metro area challenge you to show that Oklahomans have integrity and respect for others. Show us that your community consists of people who talk straight and deal fairly with others.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Sometimes when you got something to say, you just just to say it. What was said was said in the past. Just hope for a better tomorrow.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
You are a better man than I, Brian. Kudos.
In the end you did the right thing in apologizing. The truth will come to light in the end anyway… Let’s see the arena proposal, so Sabey or the Mucks can be the knight in shining green and gold armor… then all will be restored!
August 13th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
I understand your contraction Brian. That said, Clay Bennett is a liar. I don’t need to maintain any relationship with him, so I’ll call a spade a spade. Clay Bennett is a LIAR. He can distance himself from his parters statements as much as he likes, but he’s partners statements are his statements, as far as I’m concerned.
You can’t tell me the whole group wasn’t in agreement on what the MAIN objective was before over paying and plopping down $350 million dollars. They’re ALL, Bennett included, a bunch of lying bastards.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
They’ve been lying since day one. This is not news, they just got caught a bit earlier than they planned on. Oklahoma city has wanted a pro basketball team for a long while. The economic model for the NBA is broken and Clay is betting that it will get fixed while he owns the team. I doubt it.
As for their parents matramonial state at the time of the birth of the partners, I have no knowledge.
As for Seattle I hope they sue to force them to stay until 2010, or else get enough money to fund the schools for a few years.
Good riddance. These are not the Sonics of ‘76. Let some other city be dumb enough to dump 300Million into a business facility that generates no new tax revenue, employs mostly low wage maintence workers and a few millionaires who have their main residence in some other city.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
There is media that is getting it right and media that just plain stinks.
I’m in the greater DC area & we’ve got a radio station here that took it as an afternoon headline saying “OKC businessman and owner of the Sonics said that they will move the team to OKC.”
Really all they talk about is the Redskins right now - but I hear you Brian. I don’t know why but it infuriated me that they got the story or headline wrong. I was screaming at the radio.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
So I take it that the potential local ownership group would not accept a 200 million dollar renovation to Key Arena?
August 13th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
If I ever come across Mike Gastineau on the street, I hope you guys can help bail me out of jail.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
I couldn’t agree more about GasMan. I am so fucking tired of his negative crap about the Sonics, etc…. He’s basically resigned to they’re gone, etc…. I’m done w/ him. And Groz is just about as bad! He’s so f*ng negative also.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Life is a rollercoaster; sometimes you have to eat a little crow. Thats okay; it toughens up your digestive track. So you got a little zealous, okay. Haven’t we all?
I appreciate your position; you are sort of the tip of the spear here; it is difficult to be insulting and inflammatory when your enemy may be your ally in days to come. I get it.
So, with that said, as a simple fan, who is not even a “part of the spear” , let alone the tip, Clay and his boys are being very contrived and are trying to work the good fans of Seattle. They should be ashamed. The term “liars” is too good for them.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Gas bag is on there saying that Stern won’t do a damn thing to help Seattle and that he wants the Sonics to move. That if they do, then Seattle will be like Charlotte and build him an arena and beg for another team. Idiot. Somebody please shoot that fat waste of flesh in the face with a bb gun.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Regardless of whatever anyone else thinks of it, it’s obviously personally important to you that you apologize. Good for you.
I admire a person who doesn’t compromise their personal rules of conduct when others around them do. I personally think the guy is not a liar but the “good cop” of the duo and is just trying to ratchet up the discourse and light a fire under some people. That might not be such a bad thing.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Brian, I emailed a reply to the OKC article. I understand your concern for the original headline. The bottom line is the the Gov must step up and broker meetings with local business leaders and reps from the county and city. In the end the model that Slade Gorton did with the M’s both with MLB and Scmulyan (sp) is the only model that works. Keep up your efforts.
August 13th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Why all the yakking? The Sonics were destined to move to Oklahoma the instant the deal was signed. Period. I personally think Clay would have been incensed if the city/state HAD come up with the Arena money. The Sonics are as outta here as the Seattle Pilots.
August 13th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Brian, I have to say that I did not beleive Clay from the beginning of this and probably never will. It is important to stay professional and check the emotions, but I truly beleive there is an underlying decpetion on Clay’s part. You just said what we all feel.
I am not sure what can be done. I feel like a flee in a sea of elepahnts. What can be done?
August 13th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Folks, don’t be shy about posting on the major sites on this one: ESPN.Com has an ongoing thread for example:
http://myespn.go.com/conversation/story?id=2972255
Cheers
-Speed
August 13th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
What’s even sadder about this situation is that the early career of Kevin Durant will take place under the shadow and against the backdrop of a potential move. Basketball will likely be a secondary issue for the next three years. I’m yearning for the days where the most pressing concern for Sonic fans was which center with a career average of 3 ppg would receive a 35 million dollar contract from Wally.
August 13th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Brian, thanks for sharing the link & your interview on hardcoresportsradio.com. Those guys are f’ing cool! I dig Canada.
August 13th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Brian, I think your apology speaks well for you and for your concern for maintaining relationships with people, but I don’t think your original headline was inappropriate; nor do I worry that you’re now somehow “backing down,” since clearly you haven’t in any way that would hurt the cause. The fact of the matter is, Bennett can distance himself from McClendon’s comments all he wants, but the bell has been rung, and he can’t unring it; it’s important, on the one hand, not to say anything that will jeopardize our chances of fully capitalizing on that mistake (which is why your apology seems wise to me), but on the other, not to pull any punches in doing so, either (which is why I don’t have a problem with your original headline).
August 13th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
“Liar” is a eumphemism. Clay Bennett tells the truth when it’s convenient to tell the truth; Clay Bennett is a Republican.
August 13th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
He’s a republican? Now i understand why Mr. Bennett is lacking in integrity. Repubs pretend to have morals, when it is convenient.
August 13th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Not even the most liberal, sports hating Seattle-ite will want these buffoons from Oklahoma to take OUR team. The more these clowns make a mockery of this situation, the more civic pride will kick in, above all else.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
As a far-too-infrequent poster, I humbly offer a suggestion:
How about a Save Our Sonics rally downtown sometime next week? Given McClendon’s controversial remarks today, the timing seems perfect. Maybe it could be held at Westlake during the lunch hour or in the evening. Bennett claims Seattle doesn’t care about its team; what better way to refute him than to show up in droves wearing Durant jerseys and holding “Bennett Lies” signs? Just a thought. Seems simple yet very effective; especially if the media gets ahold of it.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
James, you obviously don’t work in politics…there are as many Dem liars as there are Rep liars. But I digress.
Brian, you were wrong to retract the headline for two reasons - (1) the law is on your side, and (2) we need to win in the court of public opinion.
I’m borrowing this from the Media Law Resource Center, but if you were worried about legal action or if you were threatened by Mr. Bennett, the law is on your side…(from http://www.medialaw.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Public_Resources/Libel_FAQs/Libel_FAQs.htm#What%20is%20Libel?)
“Libel and slander are legal claims for false statements of fact about a person that are printed, broadcast, spoken or otherwise communicated to others. Libel generally refers to statements or visual depictions in written or other permanent form, while slander refers to verbal statements and gestures. The term defamation is often used to encompass both libel and slander.”
“In order for the person about whom a statement is made to recover for libel, the false statement must be defamatory, meaning that it actually harms the reputation of the other person, as opposed to being merely insulting or offensive.”
“The statement(s) alleged to be defamatory must also have been published to at least one other person (other than the subject of the statement) and must be “of and concerning” the plaintiff. That is, those hearing or reading the statement must identify it specifically with the plaintiff.”
[Note: a blog counts as a publication to at least one other person]
“The statement(s) alleged to be defamatory must also be a false statement of fact. That which is name-calling, hyperbole, or, however characterized, cannot be proven true or false, cannot be the subject of a libel or slander claim.”
[Note: The evidence strongly suggests that the statement is, in fact, true]
“The defamatory statement must also have been made with fault. The extent of the fault depends primarily on the status of the plaintiff. Public figures, such as government officials, celebrities, well-known individuals, and people involved in specific public controversies, are required to prove actual malice, a legal term which means the defendant knew his statement was false or recklessly disregarded the truth or falsity of his statement. In most jurisdictions, private individuals must show only that the defendant was negligent: that he failed to act with due care in the situation.”
[Note: Did you know the statement was false? No, you didn't, because the evidence suggests that it was true.]
I apologize for the long legal explanation but I think it’s important for you to know, being in the position you are in.
You are in a unique position to inform the public. The public needs to know that Mr. Bennett has been lying about the ownership group’s intention to keep the team in Seattle. Whether or not there is a valid legal claim related to his misrepresentation or failure to negotiate in good faith isn’t the most important thing. The most important thing is winning in the court of public opinion - and we need to do everything we can to win that battle.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Has anybody considered that an owner(s) actually would have wanted to get the arena deal in the Seattle area to make the team more valuable? That is the entire purpose of owning a franchise. Buy a struggling team…draft an upcoming star….sell a lot of season tickets….build a bigger arena to sell more tickets…sign a long term lease with the city….pump up the value of the franchise….sell the franchise or leverage the equity to do more deals. Owning a team is a business The owners are usually businessmen that have already made a lot of money by making something somewhere produce. They bought the Sonics at a bargain compared to what most franchises are worth and they had more to gain by keeping the team in Seattle with a new arena. That might not have been the opinion of a minority owner but minority in business means that his vote in the group is not a deciding factor. Oklahoma City will get an NBA team regardless of the Sonics. Unfortunately the odds are that the Hornets will be available in a couple of years and the NBA will eventually expand. Even though it’s new and nice for Oklahoma City, the Ford Center would not compare in size or amenities to a new arena built specifically for a pro team in Seatte. I guess my point is that I don’t see the validity in getting so personal with the comments towards the new owners. We would all love to own a pro team and make emotional decisions based completely upon the fans perspective. The fact is that pro sports and maybe even all sports is a business and the decisions are made by someone with the most to lose financially. Seattle is a great sports city and will eventually have a great chance of getting another team if the Sonics leave. I hope for basketball sake that wherever the Sonics are that there a lot, I mean a lot, of fans supporting them for the best reasons.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
“He’s a republican? Now i understand why Mr. Bennett is lacking in integrity. Repubs pretend to have morals, when it is convenient.”
Don’t even start making this a political thing Rock, Dems, Libs, Repubs, Greens, they all lie, and Repubs no more than the others. Don’t go there.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
This whole scenario makes me sick. We all knew he was lying, and that it was just a formality bringing us to the inevitable.
While it is very easy to bring up political comparisons, it is ingorance to bring up that analogy. Politics is based on opinion. The facts of this particular situation leave no room for argument or slant. He is a bald faced liar. Period.
The fate of our beloved Sonics is in the hands of someone with no interest to preserve history or display any type of loyalty to the fan base. He lacks sympathy, objectiveness, and integrity. His moral fiber is weak, his acts of diplomacy even weaker.
So, the only thing I get to do is watch as he dismantles the city’s NBA franchise and moves them. I’ll be attending as many games as I can this year, and I can only hope I get to run into the guy in the lobby. And as one post earlier stated, I too hope some of you can pitch in to bail me out of jail.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
I agree Joe - Rock > You make a very simplistic generalization on that comment on political parties. Plenty of garbage comes from both the Dems & Repub.’s > Both groups have people who embarass them.
Meanwhile > To B.R.’s apology > If you feel you have been wrong good for you to stand up and deal with it.
As for Bennett > I think evertime he says…
I really want the Sonics to stay in Seattle
We are making a tireless & good faith effort to get a new arena built
As new owners we want to connect with the Seattle community
We care about the faithful Sonics fans
He is being untruthful. I do not think these statements reflect reality based on his actions. The comments this weekend by his co-owner only adds more confirmation to what was already obvious.
If Clay ends up keeping the Sonics in seattle long-term I will gladly admitt I have misjudged him and have been wrong.
The only possible way this all might make sense is if Clay is intentionally trying to create a crisis and sense of fear among the Seattle people in order to get them motivated to do a new arena deal. Sort of a manipulative fear/based approach. I doubt this is happening - I think he simply wants move his team to his hometown & be the hero there. But it is possible in a twisted sort of way.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Anyone have the mailing address for David Stern in New York?
August 13th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
–BRIAN–
IF your interested seems as if your interview with the PI made it all the way to OKC. Check out what one of the forum leaders wrote about you. Here is the link…http://www.okchornetscentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5824…. i think that you will have to sign up but if you just want to hear what the guy wrote about you hear it is…
Robinson said he was a Bennett supporter until he believed it was apparent the owner’s interest was in nothing besides having full control of a new arena.
“I don’t think anybody’s really surprised but I am disappointed,” he said of McClendon’s comments. “As a region we are going to have to ask ourselves if we are going to allow an outsider to determine what we want. If the NBA would allow an owner to move a team just because he wants to move it to the city where he is from, it destroys the credibility of that league. If there is fair market value and that happens, no one should ever give another state dollar to the NBA.”
Here is where the OKC post starts…
Uh, I didn’t see anyone from Washington willing to give a state dollar to the NBA to begin with. The SOS group is more than willing to have Bennett and the other partners spend their money to try to put “a winning team on the floor”, since that seems to be a requirement for support as well. Buy the team Mr. Robinson if you want to make all the decisions and then you don’t have to “allow an insider to determine what you want.” That outsider owns the team.
Perhaps the NBA should be like college. You put a team together and apply to the NBA. If you’ve got everything it takes to be in the NBA, you get to join. If you don’t, your team can be part of the NBDL. The team belongs to the city, and all expenses of running the team and maintaining an arena belong to the city. If you let your facilities slide, you get dropped back down to the NBDL. You can voluntarily choose to no longer support a team. That will eliminate the whiners who think that the team owner’s money belongs to them.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Yeah, I was about to post how great of a post your first post was Rock, and then you wrote the “Bennet is a republican” post. There is enough politics in this situation already - we need dem vs rep to set aside differences for this topic.
To echo Rock’s first post - lets just hope Clay actually is a mastermind and getting us all worked up so we make sure we get something done… I doubt it… but its a possibility. What I really hope is that Stern gives Clay an expansion team, we keep the sonics with local owners and sell out the games when the sonics face OKC
(how often would games facing expansion teams sell out)
Regarding market we should not forget our brothers to the north… in fact I think the sonics should play a game a month in Vancouver or something (can teams do that?) - I feel bad for them that they got their team stolen for Memphis of all places.. Memphis is cooler than OKC but still
Expand our market to include Vancouver - I know some hardcore fans drive all the way down here for games.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Hey guys, this is not the time to make this a political issue and I’m really getting tired of hearing what Clay Bennett is! Lets all agree that we should start getting into groups and try to keep this team here!
August 13th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Here is the mailing address for David Stern, hopefully someone can put this somewhere on the main page seeing as how important getting Stern’s attention is becoming:
Attention Commissioner Stern
NBA
Olympic Tower
645 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10022
August 14th, 2007 at 12:25 am
Yeah, well, the Okies think a lot of you, Brian. Don’t say that some of us didn’t try to warn you. I pulled this off of the “OKC SONICS” site. Idiots.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/327483_sonx14.html
Robinson said he was a Bennett supporter until he believed it was apparent the owner’s interest was in nothing besides having full control of a new arena.
“I don’t think anybody’s really surprised but I am disappointed,” he said of McClendon’s comments. “As a region we are going to have to ask ourselves if we are going to allow an outsider to determine what we want. If the NBA would allow an owner to move a team just because he wants to move it to the city where he is from, it destroys the credibility of that league. If there is fair market value and that happens, no one should ever give another state dollar to the NBA.”
_____________________
Uh, I didn’t see anyone from Washington willing to give a state dollar to the NBA to begin with. The SOS group is more than willing to have Bennett and the other partners spend their money to try to put “a winning team on the floor”, since that seems to be a requirement for support as well. Buy the team Mr. Robinson if you want to make all the decisions and then you don’t have to “allow an insider to determine what you want.” That outsider owns the team.
Perhaps the NBA should be like college. You put a team together and apply to the NBA. If you’ve got everything it takes to be in the NBA, you get to join. If you don’t, your team can be part of the NBDL. The team belongs to the city, and all expenses of running the team and maintaining an arena belong to the city. If you let your facilities slide, you get dropped back down to the NBDL. You can voluntarily choose to no longer support a team. That will eliminate the whiners who think that the team owner’s money belongs to them.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:26 am
Here’s another doozy from some idiot named Shawn J. Rooker, who lives in Witchita, Kansas. This is what he thinks of all of you. Enjoy!
These folk in SEA are a piece of work. I can’t tell which of illogical thought, delusion, or blind self-interest is the real problem in the PAC Northwest.
Everytime I read these people’s comments, I wonder if we even live in the same country.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:46 am
Hey, Brian. You are one of the grass roots leaders to help save the Sonics for Seattle. Please don’t go back and forth on your feelings like this. There is no need for it. Bennett is a liar. He won’t even consider the Muckleshoots, for example. He wants a team in OKC. It’s not hard to figure out. It’s time for the situation to be handled in an adversarial manner, which is not always a bad thing. It’s time for Seattle to look out for Seattle because, quite frankly, these Okies are looking to take something away from all of you. You can either let them manage you or you can fight for what you believe is yours. I suggest the latter course of action.
August 14th, 2007 at 1:18 am
Brian-
Good for you! You have raised the bar on being honest at the time as you could have just have kept attacking. That’s the mistake Rove made, I can mention him without guilt since I’m not the first, he moved from what he knew to what he thought he could create. He had to keep attacking. Without real proof that what you say is true, you end up resigning.
We would be naive not to think that the sonics were gone on the day of the sale. Schultz and his Okie buddies are philosphically and spiritually against the NW. We irratate them with our support for peace instead of war machine for oil. Any thing they could do to reduce the prestige of the Seattle area they are going to do. They would like to marginlize us all as wackos. It’s not republican-vs-democrat, it’s class warfare.
Meanwhile: they have the franchise. The franchise is 90 per cent gone. BUT WE HAVE TO MOVE NOW TO KEEP THE SUPERSONICS NAME! LIKE CLEVELAND KEPT THE BROWNS! SUE THE LEAGUE FOR THE NAME!
August 14th, 2007 at 1:44 am
Well now it will at least be hard for Stern to continue to back ownership 100%.
August 14th, 2007 at 7:02 am
Pathetic. The Supes new ownership is quickly approaching Atlanta Hawks status…
August 14th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Ironic: Too little too late. Just like Clay. The truth hurts.
August 14th, 2007 at 7:39 am
Interesting article from newsok.com, Margarita Prentice did and interview with the Oklahoman newspaper (the on Clay’s wife owns) and said she see’s little hope that the Sonics will remain in Seattle!!
http://newsok.com/article/3104697
August 14th, 2007 at 7:55 am
nice backflip
August 14th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Patrick…
Thanks for posting David Stern’s address above. I’m writing himtoday & plan to send him a nice, consice, clear note once a month until this thing is resolved one way or another - asking for his supprot to keep the Sonics in seattle.
Anyone who reads this & wants the Sonics here for the long haul should write Stern, Nicholos, Ron Sims & Gregoire once a month at least until this is resolved.
Also > Go to as many Sonics games as you can
Some have suggested boycotting KEY concessions > Try to say we love our Team but protest our current owner.
Any thoughts on that idea?
August 14th, 2007 at 8:50 am
On this comment that it sounds like came from an OKC blog:
“Uh, I didn’t see anyone from Washington willing to give a state dollar to the NBA to begin with. The SOS group is more than willing to have Bennett and the other partners spend their money to try to put “a winning team on the floor”, since that seems to be a requirement for support as well. Buy the team Mr. Robinson if you want to make all the decisions and then you don’t have to “allow an insider to determine what you want.” That outsider owns the team.”
Obvioulsy this writer completly misses the point and is unaware that Seattle paid millions for the Key and for the renovation about 15 years ago. The wirter is also obvioulsy very unaware of how NBA economics work. You probably can’t even beging to reason with this kind of guy in a logical way.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Dude, you are wayyyyyy into yourself. Nobody cares what you have to say.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Brian is doing the right thing. I know for a fact that he is sincere in his comments. He has always been honest and profesional in his actions over the past year. Having integrity in this issue is critical because we are demanding integrity from everyone else in this issue. Elected officials, the league, Clay and the ownership group, everyone, is expected to step up and be leaders.
Even if it shakes out in the end that Clay has not been honest and sincere with us our region should be embarrased in the way we treated him. It is ok to be wary and concerned when dealing with someone who might have motives contrary to their statements but it is not ok to treat them with the lack of respect that our region did. Even though it is now looking like he isn’t the businessman with the “high standard of honesty and integrity” we were told he had we were wrong not to give him a chance to prove himself to be that person.
I also hope that in the end Clay will prove himself to us that he isn’t a person who does what he can get away with but does what is right. I will continue to give him every chance to prove it not because I am blinding myself to the truth, but because people I know and trust that know him told me he was someone I could have trust in and I would hate to think that those people had been mislead by this man as well.
In the end Clay has more to gain as a person by being a man of integrity than he does by proving that he is good enough at playing “the game” to get away with tearing a 40 year asset away from another city so he can be a false hero for his home town.
August 14th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Clay Bennett *is* a liar, why pretend otherwise?
August 14th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
CLAY BENNETT IS A LIAR
I understand you don’t feel it productive to stand by your statement, but I can say it. CLAY BENNETT IS A LIAR.
Aubrey was not speaking just for himself. He said WE not I more than once. It is CRYSTAL CLEAR and I have said this from the start this is not about money it is about those fellas wanting to be home town heros in OKC. Bottom line, case closed, they want to move the Sonics to OKC and have from the beginning. If the Arena deal was done here they would have sold this team and tried another approach to bring a NBA team to that dust bowl.
August 14th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Sure, Brian is a nice guy, but appeasement doesn’t work. It’s one thing to be nice in face-to-face meetings and then look out for your backside, it’s another to get steam rolled. Let’s hope that Brian and the SOS do the former and not the latter. And to the person who brought up Karl Rove, what is that? I’ll tell you what it is, to too many people in the PNW, the world revolves around politics. Sure, politics rears it’s ugly head regarding this issue from time to time, but it’s nice to be able to come here and get away from all the mudslinging that goes on in politics, epecially in the very Left PNW.
August 15th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Ethan Says:
August 14th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
“CLAY BENNETT IS A LIAR”
Brian changed his own headline. I can understand why he had written “All Apologies”, I’m not sure why he changed the headline of the other story, it’s puzzling.