Hello Again
Posted on Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 at 3:04 pm by admin
Guest post by SonicsCentral founder Kevin Pelton
It was almost exactly six years ago that I left SonicsCentral.com to join the Seattle Sonics & Storm. I wish I was posting here again under better circumstances. Yesterday was the final day as employees for me and several coworkers who had Storm responsibilities through the summer. In a sense, it’s the end of the last chapter in the team’s move to Oklahoma City, especially with the Thunder’s preseason debut scheduled for tonight.
Many people never get a chance at their dream job; those that do usually have to work for years to achieve it. I was lucky enough to get that kind of opportunity right out of college. Within my first year working full-time, the Storm won the WNBA championship and the Sonics claimed the Northwest Division crown and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. I figured I’d hit the jackpot.
The ensuing three years have been up and down, to say the least. No matter what was happening on or off the court, however, I always enjoyed going to work alongside a great group of dedicated coworkers, many of whom never got the credit and appreciation they deserved for making Sonics basketball what it was to all of us. This is particularly true in the case of the Web site; the credit/effort ratio was woefully lopsided because my name appeared on every story, while the rest of our team — my bosses Mike Bellerive and Ron Matthews, Web producers Nathan Affolter, Joelle Muchlinski and Tony Nhoksayakham, and WIRED department colleagues Jason Hanson, George Waterstraat and Martin Walker — remained largely anonymous.
Beyond the business office, players, coaches and members of the front office were welcoming and helpful to an extent I had no right to expect. So too were members of the media, and it’s been my good fortune that some of the journalists I once looked up to I can now consider friends.
Even the dark last days of the franchise offered an indelible memory in the form of “Save Our Sonics!” echoing through KeyArena from a crowd 17,072 strong chanting as one. Thanks to that kind of passion and the support shown here and elsewhere, there is no doubt in my heart and in my mind that the NBA belongs in Seattle, and I am optimistic that it will return in the near future and SonicsCentral will get a chance to go back to what it once was, a place to discuss the fortunes of a basketball team and not the whims of local politics.
Many of the newcomers may have no idea that SonicsCentral was on life support a few years ago, consisting only of a message board whose best days were long past. It’s been exciting to watch the development of a new community thanks to Brian’s leadership and the efforts of all the writers who have stepped up to make this — with all due respect to Supersonicsoul — the best Sonics blog on the Interweb.
For me, the next step is not a total departure. Today I transition to being an employee of the newly-separated Seattle Storm, continuing to write for storm.wnba.com. I hope those of you looking for a basketball fix will consider giving the Storm a long look next season. The basketball is high level, and what the Storm stands for in the Seattle community under an ownership group of four local businesswomen goes far beyond hoops.
In addition to covering the Storm, I’ll also have the opportunity to expand my NBA work for BasketballProspectus.com, entering its second year and having already established itself as the premier site for basketball statistical analysis. The irony of working for the Sonics was that it cut into the time I had to watch and write about the league as a whole, and I look forward to penning multiple columns a week for Basketball Prospectus this season.
I’d like to close by taking this chance to make sure I thank everyone who read my work on supersonics.com. The biggest challenge for an official site is to establish and maintain credibility, and I’d like to think that was an easier process in this case because of the group of readers I’ve been lucky to have dating back to my SonicsCentral days. Both of you guys are great. In seriousness, I can’t thank all of you enough for everything. It’s been a blast — and will be in the future as well.
Kevin Pelton
October 8th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Good luck with Basketball Prospectus Kevin
October 8th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
K-diddy, B-Rob and Baker, Steve and the rest of the junkies.
Thank you for providing a haven for my frustrations as well as a community to bond with and be there through the worst time in Seattle’s NBA history. Regardless of the injustice we rose above it. regardless of the pain we felt, we rose above it. Regardless of if or if not the Sonics will return, we will rise above it. Without this community the pain and suffering would have been worse. I can only cling to one example of justice in this mixed up world. OJ is in jail. That gives me hope.(sad I know) Thanks everyone.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
If anyone is interested…Hollinger’s Player Projections are out today.
For all you old timers I thought you might want to read Chris Paul’s blurb:
2008-09 outlook: Paul projects to lead the NBA in PER this season, a fact that surprised some folks — like me, for instance; I’d expected LeBron James to be first. But Paul is only 23, is playing a position where development curves tend to be long, and has made substantial improvement in his first three seasons.
In fact, if you compare how he played at ages 20 through 22 you’d be hard-pressed to find a single point guard in history who was demonstrably superior, which might make it easier to digest the possibility of further ascent. It might be odd to think of a 6-0, 175-pound guy as the best player in the league, especially when iconic talents like LeBron and Kobe are in their primes. But if Paul improves much at all from last season, we’re going to have to get comfortable with that idea.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
http://blogofben.com/2008/06/sos-thats-save-our-sonics/
Save our SONICS! Reanimate our Sonics.
Here is the actual chant that we can all feel good about.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I got a screw clay poster customized so it will be out in full force for tonights pre-season game. Wish me luck fellas
October 8th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/150835.asp
Andy from screwclay has been blogged ^^^^
——–
Good luck Kerry!
October 8th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
ps - if anyone wants a Seattle Sellouts coffee mug, let me know! We need to guage interest before producing one.
cheers!
sonicsfansunited@yahoo.com
October 8th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Kevin, never got a chance to meet you, and wasn’t around this board when you were running sc.com, but thank you so much for being the originator of this blog. I wish you well in your next challenges. Keep the faith!
-Jeremy Ward
October 8th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
The Matt Pinto radio broadcast for the game can be heard for free on NBA.com, Audio League Pass. Should be interesting to hear the crowd reaction to Clay & Co.!
October 8th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
i miss my supersonics:(
October 8th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Kevin was one of the main chroniclers, as well as one of the first highly public users, of modern basketball statistics. The Sonics also had statistical guru Dean Oliver. In the media, David Locke spiced up the radio broadcasts with his statistical insights, and Danny O’Neil wrote articles in the Times about the statistical uprising.
Seattle around 2004-05 was ground zero for the use of advanced hoops stats, and Kevin was a big part of that. Good to hear that he’ll still be around, with the Storm.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I have been away from this site for a long time. But I have been sneaking back to read comments. I am still ANGRY about Sonics has left Seattle. But I can not stop living my life as I have to move on.
I am not optimistic having NBA back to Seattle since the economy is bad in Seattle and everywhere. I do not know if Gregoire or Rossi will making this Key Arena fund as one of the priorities to deal with. BUT I do hope that the politics will approve the funds in order to make sure Clay continues to bleed more money to pay back the remaining 30 millions. I want Clay Bennett to suffer more!
I was thinking and pondering all those memories I had with Sonics last night. It came to me that I did not realize that NBA opening night is coming soon and Sonics is gone. I thought of this as a good closure to have all of us to gather at Key Arena on an opening night of NBA at Key Arena to have a silence vigilance with candle around Key Arena. I am sure the media outlets will pick up the story and you guys have connections with ESPN or any sport writers to keep the NBA fans reminded that we are not dead. I thought maybe November 7th, Friday at 7:00pm, we all gather at Key Arena and lite the candle and have few people like Brian Robinson, Steve Pygeatt, and other leaders or even former Sonics NBA players still living in the area to give a speech? I do not know if that would happen because everyone deals with this situation and loss of Sonics differently. But I think that is a good way for us to remind ourselves that we did fought and did our part until these idiots sold on us. I would love to see a huge number like 17,072 to show up at Key Arena for one night and an hour of our time. Again, it is my wishful thinking but it could become a reality if everyone can jump into this idea and plan? I am interested and someone at SOS can arrange that since they have all the E-mail addresses to send out the E-mail. That is if everyone is up for that. I think it is a good way to continue to remind the NBA and Clay will say “Damn these Sonics fans never give up on bring bad image on my name!” Let me know what you guys think of that?
I believe it is important for us to have a last final saying with a good closure until Sonics come back alive from dead. Seattle Supersonics first game played on October 13th 1967 and last home game April 13th 2008. Sonics may have died on July 3rd 2008 but Sonics spirit is still with us.
Lets get together for one more time and embrace the memories to show ourselves that we are not dead. It is up to everyone you guys to do make this to happen.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I am happy for you Kevin, and your new freedom to drop by the funeral.
As I was giving John NcGrath the thrashing he earned last weekend I gave home reasons that his column was no help I had in the back of my mind let go of the fact that the Sonics were going to leave. They are gone, and the shitbag owner too.
I am one of those people that move on and re-adjust pretty quickly, not this time, though likely much faster than many here.
Life is too short to be bitter, and it is too long to not learn from mistakes.
I still hate Clay and Stern, but they are not basketball, and they will not live forever. Owners, players, politicos come and go.
Anyway, I think I will do what I call writing here when the season starts, to some degree.
I do think, partly because the economy is as bad as it is, that the Sonics will return sooner rather than later. I was on a webex with a few people from around the country, things are not as bad here.
Anyway, good luck.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=281008016
October 8th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Good to hear from you Kevin!
I have been a faithful follower all along and too am heartbroken.
I actually don’t even care about the NBA, or any sports at this time.
I hope that one day you’ll get your dream job with the Sonics back, in Seattle.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
So, might as well jump on the Blazer bandwagon now?
October 9th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Great to hear from you once again Kevin! And all the best with your endeavours with the Storm and Basketball Prospectus!
I remember back to the old days on the UW mailing list with fondness! Hope you’re doing well!
October 9th, 2008 at 1:48 am
RmcD said: “http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=281008016”
Your Oklahoma City Thunder!
Now we’ve moved, we can’t even beat the T-Wolves!
October 9th, 2008 at 8:48 am
So today, a man came into my work and began asking me about the business. Turns out that this man is from OKC. He also owns a business like the one I work at.
Of course our conversation drifted towards the Sonics. I think OKC has a misconception about those of us from Seattle who are/were Sonics fans. They think we absolutely hate them. I set the record straight.
“We hate Howard Shultz, David Stern, Christine Gregoire, Frank Chopp, Clay Bennett and quite a few other people who either sat on their hands or poured fuel on the fire. We’re happy for OKC getting their own team. We’re not happy that it’s our team. That doesn’t mean we hate you. We hate the people who brought this upon us.”
He even thinks NBA will return to Seattle. I sure hope so.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:57 am
the T-wolves have the largest collection of well known bench players in the league
October 9th, 2008 at 9:43 am
They can thank McHale and his buddy in Boston for that.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:08 am
http://www.nba.com/thunder/#/corporate/contact
Leave a message for Clay,Aubrey or wish Nick, Kevin and others well. Be nice!!!
October 9th, 2008 at 10:13 am
be nice?
Nice to the players, okay, the owners, not so much.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Mr Baker-Their LOYAS(Lawyers with Boston Accent) monitor this site..wink wink…be “nice” …use the FAX if you must….I’m sending a “we miss you guys” card to the Ex Sonics still on the team…hopefully they will get it!!!! I’m thinking of one for Bennett…
http://www.nba.com/thunder/#/corporate/contact
October 9th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Ronald McDonald - Thunder Clown
October 9th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Chad M… did you two hug, sing Kumbya, and sip out of a root beer float with 2 straws?
You don’t speak for me so don’t claim “we” don’t hate OKC fans. I WAS supportive of them getting a team until they became arrogant a-holes.
I hate them plenty. Not only do they condone and support the way their hero did this they come on to the various forums and brag about it by the hundreds.
You can kiss and make up with them (or just be oblivious to their part) but I can’t. They have all reserved seats in the hot place next to their hero Clay and his cronies.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
“I got a screw clay poster customized so it will be out in full force for tonights pre-season game. Wish me luck fellas”
-Good job Kerry! How did it go?
October 9th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Kevin — I’ve always been a fan of your general basketball writing so I’m selfishly glad to hear that you’ll be doing more of it.
Less selfishly, I’m glad to know that you aren’t out of a job and that, for all the ups and downs of the last two years, that you still enjoy being a basketball fan.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
DJ White is out for the season with an injured jaw. Swift is good for a couple games, while a combination of Wilcox, Collison, Petro and Joe Smith provides them with the worst collection of bigs in the league. Add Wilkins, Watson and Sene into the rotation and the thunder will be the worst team in the nba for a long time.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Rmcd, I know the lawyers are lurkers, and they can guess that I have nothing to worry about from them. I write outside the circle, and getting an A in my mass media law class comes in handy. I know the limits.
I get what you are saying, thanks.
Being encouraging to Clay while his team is stinking up the court is the least I can do. Leadership starts at the top, they suck because he sucks as a leader.
All I can do is encourage him to turn his life around, stop being a liar (according to Howard Schultz), and that can only help the franchise.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
I don’t show up here at all anymore. However, I wanted to say that it officially sucks for me that the NBA season has started, I am back living driving distance, even though not a reasonable driving distance, from the Key and there is no NBA in Seattle. I keep hitting the NBA link on ESPN, then realize that there is nothing that I really care about. The Sonics are the only sports franchise that I truly I am/was a true fan of.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:10 am
phenom Says:
the thunder will be the worst team in the nba for a long time.
Wasn’t that many months ago that you had this team… er… the Soni… uh… that team… winning a couple of championships in the next three years, lol. Was it the loss of Luke or Delonte West that did them in?
October 10th, 2008 at 12:32 am
It really is very sad. I think a lot of us feel this way. This is the first time in my life that I am not excited for the new NBA season. Just like the last poster, I want to go to ESPN and read about Sonics stuff. Or come here and read about Sonics stuff and there is no more Seattle Sonics. It’s a horrible horrible thing.
I like the idea of people going to Key Arena near the start of the season. But I doubt we could rally many people. Maybe a few handfuls at best.
Just like all of us … right now is a test in patience. No matter how much things suck, we’re NOT going to have NBA basketball in Seattle for at least a couple years. That’s our AT BEST look into the future. It could be several years or even over a decade sadly. For the immediate future and the not-too distance future, I feel it’s best to focus on other things in our lives while still trying to do whatever we can to help bring the Sonics back (not the Thunder, but NBA basketball with our name and logos, etc).
Maybe a change in politics in this state will help us proceed further into obtaining another NBA franchise.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:10 am
You may rightfully despide everything that is talkd about, but you have to give it to whoever this is for calling it as it is.
http://tinyurl.com/4ja3gh
October 10th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Time to move on guys. I want a team in Seattle as much as the next guy - when it comes time to put up the good fight I’ll be there, but in the mean time life goes on. To not support the NBA because of corruption is a bit isolationist. David Stern will get what’s coming to him and those Okies will know what’s up when Durant moves on for a better market.
For those who are still professional basketball fans I think the answer for now is down south.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp08/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=Blazers-081009
http://www.blazersedge.com
This site is what this place used to be at its peak.
I watched two pre-season games and that team is gonna be special - Oden and Fernandez puts that team into contention. If Raef LaFrentz was taken off their roster (on IR for year) they would be the youngest team in the league. They are deep and multi-faceted. It’s a team you can get behind because it’s everything Seattle was trying to become before they moved.
My two cents is the funeral is over, time to get busy living or get busy dying.
October 10th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Jim Cramer
CHK
10/10/2008 5:14 PM EDT
AUbrey McClendon has been margined out of almost all of his CHesapeake. Amazing times we live in, That’s incredible.. I wonder if his ballclub will be sold, too, THUNDER!
October 10th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
we will get a team back in seattle in 5 years or less
October 10th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
thanks bluestreak
October 10th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I watched two pre-season games and that team is gonna be special - Oden and Fernandez puts that team into contention. If Raef LaFrentz was taken off their roster (on IR for year) they would be the youngest team in the league. They are deep and multi-faceted. It’s a team you can get behind because it’s everything Seattle was trying to become before they moved.
- It is shocking to me that so many of the people who will continue to support the NBA are so unimaginative that they can only support Portland. At this time other than a decent amount of talent there is not evidence the Portland team is “going to be special”. There are tons of teams to choose from…at least take the time to check them out before bowing down and choosing the next closest team to Seattle.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Not only will I miss going to Sonic games, living Sonics for 6 months, but I’ll not see Carmelo, LaBron, AI, Kobe, CP 3 play either. Portland is just too far. But must try to move on. I do hope Clay’s team has a really bad season.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
http://aaronandmoses.blogspot.com/2008/10/aubrey-mcclendon-margined-out-of-chk.html
LOL!:
Mr. McClendon commented, “I am very disappointed to have been required to sell substantially all of my shares of Chesapeake. These involuntary and unexpected sales were precipitated by the extraordinary circumstances of the worldwide financial crisis. In no way do these sales reflect my view of the company’s financial position or my view of Chesapeake’s future performance potential. I have been the company’s largest individual shareholder for the past three years and frequently purchased additional shares of stock on margin as an expression of my complete confidence in the value of the company’s strategy and assets. My confidence in Chesapeake remains undiminished, and I look forward to rebuilding my ownership position in the company in the months and years ahead.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
kingdome, somebody should tell Aubrey that it is buy low, sell high. He is upside down on this.
Freaking big oil screwing him, that is priceless.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Myk, I am thinking about following the Thunder while they suck, I can not wait for Earl and Damien screw up the start to another season by freezing out other players so they can help each other get their numbers.
We have all gotten used to looking for a silver lining around a roster full of battle to just be bad.
They just need constructive feedback, and lots of it, about every little shitty thing they do.
Or I’ll watch the Raptors on CBUT.
October 10th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Blunder lose again. Their uniforms and names are still foul. Top tier free-agents won’t be interested in their market, resulting in mediocrity at best. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it still stinks.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
it simply is not enough for me to accept that they lost, but why they lost needs to be expressed and repeated over and over and over again in such a way that the OKC fans bear some responsibility for the actions of a crappy team they see as an element in the construction of their social identities, the team lost = fans are losers.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Um yeah…have fun with that. Follow the Thunder? No thanks. Their the last team I want to see right now. The thought of seeing their fans cheering for our former team makes me sick. It’s gonna take some time…
It is shocking to me that so many of the people who will continue to support the NBA are so unimaginative that they can only support Portland. At this time other than a decent amount of talent there is not evidence the Portland team is “going to be special”. There are tons of teams to choose from…at least take the time to check them out before bowing down and choosing the next closest team to Seattle.
Myk, like it or not, the Blazers are now the home team, at least the closest thing to it. One can actually drive there to see a few games if one wishes. There’s no better way to bond with a team than to see them on their home floor. The potential that they’ll actually be a pretty decent team is just a bonus. They definitely have more pieces with potential than the Sonics have had in the last ten years. I don’t understand why you feel so much disdain for someone who might want to follow them? Do you think what makes an imaginitive fan is someone who just hops on the bandwagon of a legitimate ready-made title contender, wherever they may play? Doesn’t sound too imaginitive to me.
Personally, I’m thinking long term. I’m not expecting the NBA to be coming back this way anytime soon. The Twin Cities went 30 years before they finally had the Lakers replaced. I could see something along those lines happening here. My guess is probably more like 15-20. In the meantime, I’m joining the new home team. A team I can go see and be part of the crowd cheering them on. It was an easy decision for me to make, and I didn’t need an once of imagination to pull it off.
October 11th, 2008 at 12:01 am
dbf and other new fans of other teams. The reason it is weak and pathetic to continue following ANY nba team is that it just proves to them that fans don’t matter. They can do whatever they want, screw over whoever, and the mindless lemmings will still come back for more. Not only will they come back they’ll go out of their way to lap up their spewtum. If the fans will do that then they have you addicted and owned.
You watch one second of nba ball and you just prove them right. You watch one second of nba ball and you sell out every fan. Are you willing to sell out every other fan who lost a team or will lose a team just to get your fix?
Who owns you? You or the nba?
If you read this and continue to support the nba then I hope that at some point during every game you watch or attend your brain will wake for a second and say “Damn, I’m weak. The nba owns me. They took a big dump on me and I liked it so much I came for more.”
In fact, lets just make it official. Every time you hear the shot clock buzzer repeat that to yourself.
Shot clock buzzer = “Damn, I’m weak. The nba owns me. They took a big dump on me and I liked it so much I came for more.”
Shot clock buzzer = “Damn, I’m weak. The nba owns me. They took a big dump on me and I liked it so much I came for more.”
Shot clock buzzer = “Damn, I’m weak. The nba owns me. They took a big dump on me and I liked it so much I came for more.”
When I snap my fingers you will wake and continue your weakness.
Enjoy your games.
October 11th, 2008 at 12:31 am
- It is shocking to me that so many of the people who will continue to support the NBA are so unimaginative that they can only support Portland.
Why would anyone support a team other than Portland? They’re the only team left in the Pac NW. People in Oregon & Idaho are Mariners in Seahawks fans. I’m not sure about Seahawks games, but Mariners games are broadcast in Oregon, Idaho, Montana & Alaska.
As for me, I’m looking forward to College hoops. I wonder if the Dawgs will be competitive.
I’ll probably casually follow Portland, but I’m sure I’ll be checking OKC’s score every night, hoping for the 0-82 season.
October 11th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Kingdome-
Thanks for the info on McClendon’s financial troubles. Makes me feel al warm & fuzzy inside.
October 11th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Now I can’t get the sound of the shot clock buzzer out of my head. Thanks alot.
October 11th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Myk said: “It is shocking to me that so many of the people who will continue to support the NBA are so unimaginative that they can only support Portland. At this time other than a decent amount of talent there is not evidence the Portland team is “going to be special”. There are tons of teams to choose from…at least take the time to check them out before bowing down and choosing the next closest team to Seattle.”
Myk I’m not your enemy.
Are you so unimaginative that you can’t imagine a couple trips down to Portland to view some games? Heck, even see the Thunder get squashed. Or are you saying you can only enjoy basketball if it is impersonal ( ie. on national television or if you have League Pass?) You assumed I didn’t check out other teams or that I don’t watch other teams. You would be wrong.
Let’s be clear - I’m a Sonics fan. I think you and Fed UP are lashing out - even at your own brothers.
October 11th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Hey, I am not going to watch any Thunder games, I just thought I would find out where the online Thunder fans hang out so “Tulsa Tom” could drop by when they lose and encourage them to hate on their own team A.S.A.P.
Gosh golly, did the fans show up and cheer load enough?
If I do watch any games it will be Canadian style. I would rather follow euro ball, the talent level all around is not as good but the game has some good elements.
I can not follow it online.
October 11th, 2008 at 7:59 am
If I am at a Blazer game and the Sonics are not playing, send in the cadaver dogs to the Rose Garden, somebody is playing Weekend at Bernies with my dead body.
October 11th, 2008 at 9:10 am
sonicsfansunited@yahoo.com wants to share this video with you:
Personal Message
OMFG!!!
Thunder Jerseys
Video:
Angi joins Linda Miller to talk about the new NBA jerseys for Oklahoma City.
http://www.newsok.tv/?titleID=1825894863
“…white is a color we associate with cleanliness and purity, but that doesn’t really work in the NBA…”
OMFG!!! Is it REALLY that bad down there? I feel so sorry for Nick and KD and the guys.
October 11th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I realize this one is really old, but in case you haven’t seen it, read it!
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/7/8/566806/the-best-response-to-okc
We all need to go down there in our green and gold on Nov 11.
October 11th, 2008 at 9:17 am
The McClendon story is interesting. The biggest thing that stands out is that it his shares were bought with borrowed money. Makes you wonder how much money is owed to banks for the Thunder relocation. This story will be interesting in a couple of years especially if the team does not win.
October 11th, 2008 at 9:23 am
in case you missed this… the guy has an bitchin’ sense of humor
http://benditlikebennett.blogspot.com/2008/09/clayton-bennett-guide-to-success.html
And we Sonics fans at the last rally got in there too.
October 11th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Nice opinion from Seattle Sports Online. Here’s the link:
http://seattlesportsonline.com/keyarenapol.html
October 11th, 2008 at 10:58 am
“Looking for a commitment? Try these Blazers”
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp08/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=Blazers-081009
GO BLAZERS!
October 11th, 2008 at 10:58 am
The game was very emotional. I got KD to signed my Jersey (Sonics Jersey). I talked to Sam Presti and you could tell he hated the move but he was very professional about it. I showed him my Screw Clay poster and he laughed. I really like Sam he is a great person that actually remembered my name and I met him only once last year. He told me that I should get a OKC shirt and I told him I couldnt and he understood. He was really cool about it.I also realized that Nick Collisonmisses Seattle alot. I was sitting courtside while he was warming up. As he came to the back of the line he looked at me and said SUPER and I screamed SONICS. That got to me alot. I think Collison might be one my favorite Sonics. Maybe not the best player, but a class act that LOVED SEATTLE. I also talked to Sene and im just like man I wish you guys would have stayed and looked up and was just bummed and said I know. I didnt realized that OKC was trying to steal the Knicks now too because those jerseys are identical. But Clay wasnt there so I was pissed. So I before I got my Screw Clay Poster taken. I put up My Sonics Banner and just left it at the metra. Kinda like puttin the American Flag on a coffin. I realized I will never Like the Thunder(what a crappy name) but I will always like there players.
October 11th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Sonicsman, the league made them put up more assets before they would approve sale, as it is we know they borrowed 75 million just from the NBA. How much more the borrowed, from who, against what assets is an interesting question.
Aubrey may have just sold those assets.
How many times was I told that the Okies had endless piles of money, 10’s, maybe more. They are locked into fixed costs, and league revenue that will decline, and they are in a small market build in part on the same economy that made Aubrey so rich.
David Stern is a moron.
October 11th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Great story Kerry.
Players are on contracts, some may have liked the move, some didn’t, it is likely none had a say, though I have to wonder about Frodo. They needed to trade him, but I wonder if they had to trade him.
October 11th, 2008 at 11:52 am
http://seattlest.com/2008/10/10/mclendonthunder_story.php
My guess is that Clay had a pretty good chunk of his portfolio in CHK (along with every other OKC Energy loser) as well. Just think if Seattle had the courage to enforce the Key Arena lease on these Dirtbags? Would a two year investment in a sinking ship in Seattle seem like such a worthwhile cause considering Aubrey’s summertime idiocy? On the other hand, I’m wondering now that majority owner of Thunder has lost 90% of his fortune, whether he see’s owning an NBA franchise in the smallest “major league” market in the country as a viable enterprise. More cash calls will be coming for the PBC owner. CHK is highly leveraged with little to no cash. Perhaps Ballmer/Stanton/Griffin should reach out?
October 11th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
sale of the team locks the lease in for the full 15 years with a hefty buyout.
We would sooner get the Griz here, for less.
October 11th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Mr. Baker…yeah, it’s wishfull thinking. But I wonder what the NBA would think about a bankrupt franchise in a metro area half the size of the next smallest NBA city?
October 11th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Bankrupt? There’s still the G aylord empire.
October 11th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Kerry great story I just got tears in my eyes. I miss those guys so much…..is anyone planning on going to the game in portland against the Thunder? I want to but don’t know if I could handle it. If there’s a group though…wld be cool to sit together and chant SuperSOnics and bring signs…wishful thinking or is it possible?
October 11th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Best of luck with the Storm gig Kevin. But I’m sorry. I cannot support them. Not after many of their fans snickered and sneered in my face while I had my team ripped from me. Nothing against the good WNBA fans out there. But a large contingent of their fan base is made up of a certain group who is very hateful and quite frankly doesn’t want us (men) as fans. And I say keep your WNBA. The quality of play is terrible. I’ve been to a few games and watched some on tv. Each team has one or two good players, then after that the rest are terrible.
Our friend Bill Simmons is still at it:
Q: I just saw a link on ESPN.com talking about the Lakers’ first preseason game. So, I clicked the NBA link at the top of ESPN.com to see how my Sonics did in their first preseason game, meaningless as it might be. And then I remembered. This was my first “It Just Sank In” moment as a Sonics fan. I’m going to rummage through my cupboards for some scotch now.
– Jack, Seattle
SG: Here’s my contribution to the poor Sonics fans: You know the team Kevin Durant plays for right now? I’m never mentioning their “new” name in this column. Ever. For as long as I have it. I’m alternating between these four names …
1. Kevin Durant’s Team.
2. The Seattle SloppySeconds
3. The Bennett City Hijackers
4. The Team That Shall Not Be Named
And suck it Jokelahoma! Go Longhorns! Hahaha.
October 11th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
“And suck it Jokelahoma! Go Longhorns! Hahaha” was not meant to be italicized. That was my own two cents about their loss to Texas today. This site always messes up tags like that.
October 11th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Looks like Clay-Clay will be looking for new deep pockets to help subsidize big-time pro sports in OKC (and conveniently he has the lease escape in a few years). Aubrey McClendon just lost most of his fortune (which turns out to have been a shell game anyway). Love the Oil Patch…
http://news.muckety.com/2008/10/11/shades-of-1929-for-chesapeake’s-aubrey-mcclendon/5741
October 11th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Dead Ball Foul, how long do you think Louise Gaylord Bennett will allow her husband to piss away her family fortune without Aubrey providing a backstop to the losses? Aubrey was the funding mechanisim behind the PBC. His billions gave NBA owners comfort that an NBA team would be able to build itself in the OKC market. His billions are now gone.
October 11th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
mojojuee, my brother wouldn’t sell out.
October 11th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Great story, Kerry. Thanks so much for sharing with us. It WAS very emotional. That was a trip about Collison and Sene, even Presti.
There are rumors of a mass Sonics fan attendance at the Nov 11 Blazers/Thunder game in Portland, but just rumors so far. I really wanna go with a bunch of Sonics fans… would make for a killer road trip and way to say goodbye again to our ex-players & ex-team. Plus we can do some shenanigans.
October 11th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Aubrey McClendon Wiped Out by Margin Call!
Oklahoma City is really hurting since oil has dropped from $147 to $70. Sonics owner Aubrey McClendon was forced Friday to sell his stock in Chesapeak Energy by a margin call. Not too long ago he was worth $3 Billion. His net worth has been reduced to about $500 million by the sale of his stock in the company he founded. The other Oklahoma owners are no doubt also feeling the heat. Collectively they have about $400 million invested in the Sonics of which 20% is Aubrey’s.
http://tinyurl.com/43st5x
October 11th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Fed Up - that is pathetic. You cure your wounds by attacking others - God bless my friend.
October 12th, 2008 at 2:07 am
mojojuee - My wounds aren’t cured by ‘attacking’ those spineless traitors I have zero respect for. Look…I calls em as I sees em. You cry cuz I attack the sellouts but you don’t disagree that they are sellouts. Because you can’t. Deep down you all know I’m right but can’t admit it to yourselves because that would be admitting how tainted you are.
Besides, I was being nice. I told you all to enjoy your games and shot clock buzzers.
October 12th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Is Fed Up 12?
October 12th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Rather be a 12 yo Sonics fan than a weak sellout Blazers fan of any age.
October 12th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I’m confused, I’m not seeing Nov 11th game on schedule> I was looking for the Feb 11th interest (in attending). Road trip to game sounds like a blast, is there a group? Only to cheer on individual players, it’s not their fault they are where they are. I believe the majority of the Sonics players were totally bummed out when they had to relocate. I won’t even go into what’s his name and his BFF.
October 12th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Are you so unimaginative that you can’t imagine a couple trips down to Portland to view some games? Heck, even see the Thunder get squashed. Or are you saying you can only enjoy basketball if it is impersonal ( ie. on national television or if you have League Pass?) You assumed I didn’t check out other teams or that I don’t watch other teams. You would be wrong.
- Like I said…I bet if you had been in Charlotte when the team moved that your first thought would’ve been “Im gonna take a look at that Portland team…wow they are stacked”. Everyone is free to root for who they want to…it just seems funny that people are so easy to jump on the Blazer bandwagon.
October 12th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Is the concept of a new home team something you won’t even acknowledge?
October 12th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Susan, you’re right it’s Feb 11. Sorry I went 2 months back from yearend not two months forward. My bad.
There are a number of folks who’ve expressed interest (like 10 or so, so far). Send me your email address if you want to be included on the email threads.
sonicsfansunited@yahoo.com
Cheers
Speedcat
October 12th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
portland this, portland that….. i have no problems with folks here supporting the blazers if thats what they want to do, what i DONT UNDERSTAND is how these people who believe they were wronged etc etc are jumping back in bed with the nba again. yes coward and satan saw to it the team went to okc, but stern and the nba and the other owners still spit in your face folks, there was zero support from any of them (apologies mark cuban & maybe paul allen) and you just run and jump in bed with them. i dont get it, i really dont. no wonder the nba felt free to spit in your faces, they knew youd come back for more. MORONS.
October 12th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
tlk… that is what I’m saying
dbf says: “Is the concept of a new home team something you won’t even acknowledge?”
dbf… thats the problem. Portland is not home therefore their team is not our home team. Not only are they not our home team, they and their fans (which now includes many here) spent decades fighting against our home team and their fans (which now excludes many here).
October 12th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
SpeedCat: Not able to post on Yahoo?! I use hotmail.com, any way to send my email to you there? For those naysayers, I care about the NBA Players, the competition, the excitement. The organization doesn’t care about us, just like most businesses. I will not let them take away my passion for basketball.
October 13th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Fed UP are you saying that anyone who follows the NBA anymore is a sellout? That means all of us who are still working for a future team in Seattle, however unlikely, are sellouts? I mean the volume of spit on our face from the NBA will not even be dry when we get another team - that would take a decade or two (so maybe it will since will will not get a team for 10 years). So if you are not going to watch anymore NBA or even a future Seattle team, I’m just unsure why you are still here calling people names on this site.
October 13th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
i cant speak for fud up, but my stance is this: my team is gone, i no longer watch, my team comes back i will watch. i wont be nearly as invested in the new team as i was the old for fear of being spit on again but i will watch, and over time i will hopefully become more invested. i still post here because i support those who are fighting to get a new team. if all the sonics fans run off and become blazers (or other team fans) then the nba will simply throw their hands up and say ” see they dont need a team in seattle, they are still following other teams in droves and we are still making heaps of money. just my stance though.
how long until the nba starts having blazers exhibition games in seattle? because when they do that and make a sellout thats when you know your not getting a new team.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
if all the sonics fans run off and become blazers (or other team fans) then the nba will simply throw their hands up and say ” see they dont need a team in seattle, they are still following other teams in droves and we are still making heaps of money.
Or maybe they’d say, “Look, Seattle has fans that are willing to drive to Portland to pay for a ticket and see a game. Maybe we should try to get a team back up there someday soon so we can take advantage those suckers.”
On the other hand, is the NBA really going to make heaps of money everytime MYK wants to tune in to watch the Hornets? Maybe if he buys a new Chris Paul jersey every year.
October 13th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
i dont disagree with your statement, you see the glass half full, i see it half empty. just the way we see the same situation differnetly.
October 13th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Versio, I’m with tlk. No team in Seattle = No NBA fan in this house. The golden rule of algebra is do unto the left side of the equation as you do unto the right. Change the ‘No’ on the one side and the ‘No’ changes on the other.
I’m not against fighting for a new team (in fact I continue to do so beyond hanging here) but yes, I see anyone who supports the NBA in any way without a team in Seattle as a sellout for the reasons tlk and I have mentioned. Sorry.
October 14th, 2008 at 8:39 am
I think what Versio is saying is that calling someone a sellout is different than not watching NBA anymore. I can truly appreciate that wounds run deep and some people do not want to watch basketball if there are no Sonics (only allegiance to home team), but to call other people sellouts to the “evil” league because they watch the NBA is uncalled for.
I think everyone respects those who withhold their attention and allegiance becaues they got screwed, but just because someone doesn’t do the same as you doesn’t magically make you qualified to call them a sellout.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Do what you want. Support who you want. I just find it sad, pathetic, hypocritical, and yes sell-out-ish.
Obviously you do not agree that supporting the NBA means supporting their practices which screwed you over. By supporting the NBA (with $$$) you tell them those who are taking a stand aren’t worth worrying about. You might as well call Stern yourself and say, “David don’t worry about the people who are mad at you. I still love you and always will no matter what you do. Here take this $10,000 for yourself and this other $10,000 for Clay. You guys please use that to F-over some other fans or even us again if you wish.” If thats not a sellout I don’t know what is. Lame.
Just like any boycott or strike. The ones who don’t join are selling out those who do have the fortitude to take a stand on their beliefs. By continuing to fund the business or cross the picket line you tell the big wigs that it is not them who are wrong but the ones taking a stand who are wrong. Again… sellouts.
Like I said, they own you and you need them. I on the other hand don’t need them and can easily flip them the bird. Sure, I’d love to renew my 14 year season tickets but since they have made it clear that my support and money mean jack shat to them I can live without. At this point I wouldn’t shed a tear if the whole league exploded in flames. If Seattle (or preferably another location since Seattle blew their chance) got another team with some sort of apology/repirations then I might care again. Since that won’t happen…kaboom.
Just curious, would you return to the restaurant where the owner took a giant shat in your chili before serving you?
PS… those going to the blazer game to boo the visiting bastards have fun. Boo all you want but both the bastards and the NBA are getting your money. Reminds me of the old days and the stories about when Seahawk fans bought tons of t-shirts calling John Elway “Mr.Ed”. They laughed and patted each other on their backs thinking they were really dishing it to old John. The one who laughed loudest? Elway. It was he or his reps that sold or distributed or produced or licensed the shirts. Heard the same story with Bozworthless and the anti-Boz shirts. Really, who won that one? Think about it.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:22 am
And yet after all your blather, you’d still say, “I’m not against fighting for a new team”, even if that means securing that team through the same underhanded measures which took our team away in the first place?
Hypocrite.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I see dead brain fart checked his brain at the door again. I said “NEW TEAM”. How is fighting for a “NEW TEAM” anywhere close to stealing a team from another city or fanbase?
Of course we won’t get a new team which is why its easy for me to forget the NBA.
October 15th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Fed UP - you are one pissed dude. Hope somebody out there loves you.
October 15th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Yet, as pissed off as he is, he still finds it within himself to “continue (fighting for a new team) beyond hanging here”, whatever that means.
Does it mean fight for a Ballmer (the backstabber who signed off on sending the Sonics packing) plan that’s designed to either snag a team from another city or else deliver another $30 million to our backstabbing sellout city? Or does it mean writing love letters to his backstabbing buddy Dave, begging him to expand?
Me? I’m a dude who’s just as pissed off at all involved. The difference is that I still want to watch some hoop. None of the jackals see floor time, so why should they be able to destroy my love of the game?
October 15th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
I’m not surprised you don’t know what fighting for a team means. Anybody who bails to another team wouldn’t have any idea. You my friends have already cast your ballot against Seattles NBA future.
Bottom line is that I struck your nerves which fired you up. You know what they say when you strike a nerve. You hit a nerve because you hit the truth and in order for the brain to provide internal and public justification for their misdeeds it gets mad and attacks.
Go watch “some hoop” in college or high school or your local playground. If thats all you need is “some hoop” you’ll find it there. Just make it easy on yourself and admit that U B Owned.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Bottom line is that I struck your nerves which fired you up. Blah blah blah…
Sure thing, pal. Pretty weak stuff. Why don’t you just knock off the bullshit and say what you (think) you’re fighting for and how you’re fighting for it?
October 15th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Actually Fed Up - we struck your nerve.
October 16th, 2008 at 10:14 am
gbf, I’ll just tell you that I’m doing more than you. More importantly I’ll tell you what I’m not doing that you are… bending over and supporting/funding the enemy.
moj, you didn’t strike my nerve. I’m not pissed and all hyped up about your groups lack of backbone. I just called you out and its you guys who are all in a tizzy. Like I said, you can sell out all you want. Uncle David appreciates it.
October 16th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Zonics even though I’m ‘all in’ on my boycott I understand what you are saying. I’m just taking a hard line stand. While you root for OKC to fail I currently root for the NBA to fail (I root for far worse than failure on OKC). I love the news that ticket sales are down and layoffs are coming. Bring on more bad news!
I have less of a problem with people who are just rooting against OKC than the others who instantly jump to another team (especially the blazers*) and yet continue to claim to be Sonics fans. If its that easy to hip hop from team to team then that says to me that they are ‘basketball fans’ not Sonics fans. As one of them admitted, they just want to see “some hoop”. I already told them to go and enjoy themselves as the sellouts they are but they won’t go. They continue here masquerading as Sonics fans.
*A Sonics fan would never root for the blazers. Do you think Baltimore Colts fans turned to the Jets or Dolphins? Do you think Oilers fans turned to the Steelers? Do you think Lakers fans would turn into Celtics fans if the Lakers folded? Other than the ‘fans’ who just jump on winning bandwagons I say NO to all of those.
October 16th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I currently root for the NBA to fail
That certainly proves that you’re doing more than I am to bring a team back. Seattle area fans owe you many thanks.
Do you think Baltimore Colts fans turned to the Jets or Dolphins?
If they wanted to keep going to games, they likely became Redskins fans.
October 16th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
davids boy friday, rooting (me) and actually giving time, money and love to David (you) are nowhere close. Just own up to your spinelessness.
October 16th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
“If its that easy to hip hop from team to team then that says to me that they are ‘basketball fans’ not Sonics fans. ”
couldnt agree more with that statement.
October 16th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
and thats whats wrong with the league on a whole, there are very little loyal team fans around anymore. i can understand the people who just want to watch basketball, but seriously, jumping ship a little soon arent we? if you dont have a team in 5 years and you become a blazers fan then fine, but the team hasnt been gone 12 months yet. and yes, i probably will come back to watching the nba even if there are no sonics, but it wont be soon. im happy to watch euro and ncaa. basketball is basketball and im happy to watch a lesser product as many of you would call them.
October 17th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Fed up I hear ya man. For the most part I understand your true fan analysis. We are all just so shell shocked I think rooting for another team is the only path they see. I still hold out hope to be a crazy Sonics fan again. I guess the question is:
is it better to have loved and lost then to not have loved at all?
right now I feel like a jack ass for allowing myself to get so close and attached. However one thing I cling onto> Now that they(Sonics) are on the other side of the fence it is really easy to say—- Boy o Boy the OKC blunder sure is a crummy team. a small part of me thinks its nice not having to support a losing franchise anymore. Robert Swift case and point.