And it all falls apart…
Posted on Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 10:48 am by Brian Robinson
Boos in OKC? Already?
I am the guy who sat in the NBA League offices and told them that this was never going to work. I felt that all they had to do was look at Memphis and Charlotte and realize that a sweet building deal was not enough. I felt that all they had to do was look at ANY franchise and realize that by winning they could re-establish themselves in Seattle and do way better than in a smaller market and if they lost it made no difference.
Even I thought that the honeymoon would last longer than this. They are booing the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
The biggest problem I see coming forward is that the franchise has no tools in place to get better. They clearly are not putting forward “The best entertainment package in professional sports” as Clay Bennett vowed to do when I met him. In fact based on complaints about the in game product it sounds like they are trying hard to save money. Skimping on everything from mascots giving out T-Shirts to music, etc. Now they are in a situation where ownership had to make a Nov. 1 capital call from partners, McClendon, Ward, and Bennett have completely lost their asses in the stock market and McClendon is even reportedly trying hard to sell his share of the team.
How can this team put out the money for major free agents? They know they will have to overpay to get a guy to play for the worst team in the least desirable city for an NBA player to live. Will they have $75M to throw at Ben Gordon? Will they be able to extend or retain Kevin Durant? I just don’t see it happening. In all likelyhood next year they will free up cap space and not use it. If they use it they will do so by having to overpay marginal players. This economy is going to be tough and the OKC robber barons are going to be hurt worse than just about anybody else and it is going to be really tough to justify paying $6M per year to Jarrett Jack or $10M for Mike Bibby. Those are the types of dramatic offseason aqcuisitions they could concievably use to excite their fan base. Yawn
It is stunning that it has fallen apart so quickly. I would have never, never expected them to have boos and critical articles written just 11 games into the season. I wonder what the other NBA owners think of Clay Bennett and his franchise ruining abilities at this point. Seriously he has managed to inflict significant harm on a league that has already shot itself in the foot.
Sorry Oklahoma. I know how hard it is to watch bad. This current team is worse than I could imagine.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:57 am
This makes me laugh, and shake my head at the same time. I dont think David Stern ever contemplated what if the owners lost their fortunes. If they had to sell, who buys them and KEEPS them in OKC? Nobody! They are all locked in virtually the same business field so once one goes down, the chips follow. If they start having fans not show up to games, Bennett is going to really be hurting. Perhaps let them go back to Seattle and sell to Ballmer? Wishful thinking..
November 20th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I think it could also be said that Sam Presti may not be the Boy Wonder the media made him out to be. Picking Jeff Green over the likes of Yi Jianlian, Corey Brewer, Spencer Hawes, Rodney Stuckey, etc? Picking Carl Landry and sending him out for a future 2nd? Picking Russell Westbrook before Kevin Love, Jerryd Bayless, Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez and others? Hell, they could have drafted Love and sent him to Minnesota for OJ Mayo in a deal.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Rather unfortunate name for an Arena right now as well.
New name suggestion: Bail Out Center
November 20th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Well said Brian! I agree wholeheartedly….I actually feel kind of bad for the fans in OKC because they were sold a bill of good by Clay and it has fallen well short of what was promised.
From the in game entertainment to the team and coaching staff…it seems that Clay is illprepared to do what it takes to make the game fun and enjoyable to those who attend.
I was on NBA.com last night and decided to see the 1st half highlights of the Thunder/Clips game and I was soo surprised about how lackluster the crowd was. The team was up 13 and had dunks by Durant and Westbrook and there was some cheering but not alot. It wasn’t going bananas like they would show you in the clips of the OKC / NO Hornets games.
OKC Thunder will always play second fiddle to Sooner and Cowboys football and is behind Sooner and Cowboys Basketball.
It’s a college town/state always has been and will always be.
Some people in OKC prefer minor league hockey and baseball to professional basketball. The foresight of the NBA has been terrible on this one.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:09 am
it’s the same in Memphis, the people in Memphis prefer the College teams…David Stern messed up again..
November 20th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Does this sound like a coach who expects to HAVE to buy a house in OKC???
http://tinyurl.com/5rmdnh
November 20th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Click on video on above story
November 20th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Mike Baldwin and Darnell Mayberry Video is special as well
November 20th, 2008 at 11:35 am
It is stunning that it has fallen apart so quickly. I would have never, never expected them to have boos and critical articles written just 11 games into the season.
- Good for the fans of OKC. In some ways it is sort of weird that there is an entire article written about the fact that fans boo’d their team. Isn’t that the one outlet we have to communicate our displeasure with our team. The next one (as we all know) will be a decrease in ticket sales.
If the OKC fans had continued to cheer on this pathetic excuse for a team it would’ve been a much bigger story as it would’ve shown that these people are willing to accept what ever flaming bag of dog cr@p their owner wanted to put on the court.
In the end…I think Clay is learning what it feels like to be Howard Schultz…exactly the scenario I predicted two years ago. In some ways it makes you wonder if Steve Ballmer will see what is happening to owners of losing teams around the league and wonder if it is even worth the headache (this was a big part of the Poisoned Well presentation even).
- The one question I would ask everyone is if this team is even worse then last years team? I think in terms of talent the current version is better then what we had to sit through last year. They replaced Luke with Westbrook, which should be an improvement at least in the “excitement” category. Joe Smith is a nice veteran player along with Desmond Mason…Durant and Green should be a year older/better and Swift is actually playing.
Looking at Wilcox stats you have to wonder if he is completely unhappy to be stuck in OKC…not starting…in a contract year. The guy with a 52.8FG% is shooting 34.9%…I’m not even sure how it is possible that Wilcox could shoot that poorly based on his typical game.
Same could be said for Watson who is shooting 34.6%…Wilikins shooting 29.0%…Collison 43.1%…Green 41.1%…Petro 41.2%…Westbrook 31.7%…Mason 40.0%
I mean good lord…the team is shooting 40.7% overall. That has to be truly disgusting basketball to have to watch.
Good job OKC fans…way to show you aren’t just Clay’s Peons like he thought you were.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Picking Jeff Green over the likes of Yi Jianlian, Corey Brewer, Spencer Hawes, Rodney Stuckey, etc?
- I’m not sure you can call out Presti for not picking one of the other people…but it is becoming pretty obvious that Jeff Green is not somoene worthy of a top 5 pick.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I think they did not expect to be in okc this or next year, being bad in Seattle is OK with them, and if they could have escaped the terrible conditions in Seattle that the okc “fans” would just shut up and be happy to have the only pro sports team in town.
Maybe they would have longer fuses if they were not paying tax money for the product they have, maybe not.
I thought February would be the melt down point. I guess getting beat by the Clippers accelerated that pain threashold.
I am sure the buttomless wallet of the owners argument is, to no shock to me, moot. The team is the business and not a plaything, never was a plaything. They expect to make money, even if it is off the tax payers.
The OKC lease locks the team in for the full 15 years if there is a sale, Clay will argue that he is the primary and there is not a “controlling” sale, I would encourage the OKC lurkers to argue any sale is a sale, so the city does not get ripped of by your favorite son after year 6. Otherwise a significant drop in season tickets and corporate level of support is their escape from bricktown.
What are the gate numbers?
November 20th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Ballmer might not have to buy a loser, and/or Seattle fans have soon the win/lose cycle enough to know that if there is progress then they would be more forgiving, having seen a winner before, and knowing that a Ballmer team might not hold on to guys like PJ.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Is it too late for a name change?? How about the OKC Surge…Couple new team slogans to go along with…”Hey, it worked in Iraq!”……or…”The Surge is Working”…that one can only be used after a win…in other words…not often.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:55 am
And yet only a year ago folks were thrilled about the idea of the team being gutted for a far distant future.
November 20th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
taking your old car in for an overhaul is one thing, taking a used car you have had for 12 games for an overhaul is another.
All they know is losing.
November 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
OKC Thunder will always play second fiddle to Sooner and Cowboys football and is behind Sooner and Cowboys Basketball.
It’s a college town/state always has been and will always be.
EXACTLY. Not only is it a college town first and foremost. It’s a college town that expects it’s football team to go 11-1 every year and to contend for the national title. This is not what they’re used to.
My fave thing about the booing is that Desmond “Mr. OK” Mason claimed prior to the year that the best thing about the OKC fans was that they didn’t boo. Hahahahaha.
One thing to be aware of. Don’t expect to ever hear honest attendance #’s out of OKC. For one, they have those season ticket #’s to fall back on, so far as this season is concerned, they’ll always claim bigger #’s. And 2ndly, it’s already been proven that a good # of their attendees for the Hornets were given free tickets from Clay & Aubrey’s companies. If they need to put on a show that they didn’t hurt the NBA in moving their, they are going to.
November 20th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Baker, Clay is never going to sell or move. His only reason for his escape clauses are so he can further extort his howetown into giving him what he wants. And he is going to need to use that leverage now. Do you think they are going to want to build a brand new arena now?
November 20th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
BOO!!!!
This clip made me howl when I replaced the “First Love” comment with Seattle…it actually parallels much of what has happened….The Princess is the team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_c7SbkGaLk
November 20th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Baker, Clay is never going to sell or move. His only reason for his escape clauses are so he can further extort his howetown into giving him what he wants. And he is going to need to use that leverage now. Do you think they are going to want to build a brand new arena now?
- Im sure most everyone figured that Seattle boy Howard Schultz wouldn’t sell the team either. As much as Clay Bennet and Co. love OKC they love their money even more..
Ballmer might not have to buy a loser, and/or Seattle fans have soon the win/lose cycle enough to know that if there is progress then they would be more forgiving, having seen a winner before, and knowing that a Ballmer team might not hold on to guys like PJ.
- I agree that Ballmer might be able to find a winner to help build some fan goodwill…but the world of the sportsfan is getting so cynical these days that it makes you question if you’d want to spend 100s of millions of dollars only to risk losing all of your reputation.
If Schultz doesn’t buy the Sonics he still looked upon as one of Seattle’s best citizen…now we have misguided people wanting the company to go under (other employees be d@mned)…is it so hard to imagine a similar scenario for Microsoft?? Is it worth it???
November 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Who do you think the fans in OKC will be rooting for on Friday when they play “their” Hornets?
November 20th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
monq, I agreed with that before the financial meltdown, don’t think Aubrey intended to sell his Chesapeake stock, selling an asset is not always up to the seller.
“They” borrowed 75 million from the NBA, what assets did the leverage to borrow that with?
November 20th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
The owners need to fire Stern but they won’t because they have no clue either. They are led around by there noses and have no balls to make the change. Stern time is come and gone. Nobody in there right mind would have moved the Sonics but for Stern it was personal and why the owner let him get away with that is anybodys guess. I am glad to see Clay having problems. What goes around comes around. That is it the unwritten law of the universe.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
We’ll see if things pick up attendance and interest-wise after football season ends, but I doubt they will.
OKC is poised in many ways to become what the Clippers once were - a perpetually rotating door of top 10 picks, none of whom want to play for the organization, none wanting to sign their second contract there, and none of them gelling into a winning team.
The Clippers weren’t drawing that well in those pre-Staples Center days either, but LA is a totally different ballgame than OKC. I can’t see this attendance pattern continuing for more than 3 or 4 years before somebody in the ownership group will bail. Even Paul Allen couldn’t and wouldn’t take those kinds of losses.
Stern will do everything he can to float it because failure in OKC is a direct repudiation of how he helped this go down, but with even Mark Cuban in some hot water now not so sure how long the other owners will or can bail out this mess. This league is in significant financial trouble with nearly all of their small market southern franchises failing or floundering. When the next CBA expires it’s going to be a debacle of NHL sized proportions.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
This post has made my day. As much I miss KD and others on the team, I LOVE to hear about them failing. I want everyone around the league to see how bad of an idea taking our team and putting it in the okc market really was. BUT I am worried that while we are all enjoying this right now, that once PJ gets fired and the team gets a couple more yrs experience that they are gonna be a really good team and then well all be hurt all over again. Hopefully im wrong…
November 20th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Hey as anyone seen this yet?
Good for a chuckle.
http://iwantoutofokc.com/
November 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
“BUT I am worried that while we are all enjoying this right now, that once PJ gets fired and the team gets a couple more yrs experience that they are gonna be a really good team and then well all be hurt all over again. Hopefully im wrong…”
The Clippers thought that too, but it proved extremely difficult to find quality players and coaches that would get involved with them. I expect OKC will find the same difficulties in attracting winning personnel.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I don’t feel bad for OKC fans one bit. You lay with the devil you get burned. Get used to it.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Speaking about that team.
Anyone seen Rob Swifts new haircut?
What the heck happened with him and his nasty(long haired) look?
BTW: Not even Nick wants to look at that mess…:-D
http://tinyurl.com/6k5plu
November 20th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
As much I miss KD and others on the team, I LOVE to hear about them failing. I want everyone around the league to see how bad of an idea taking our team and putting it in the okc market really was. BUT I am worried that while we are all enjoying this right now, that once PJ gets fired and the team gets a couple more yrs experience that they are gonna be a really good team and then well all be hurt all over again. Hopefully im wrong…
- How many people really “miss” Kevin Durant? It’d be interesting that now that the dust has settled how many people really developed an emotional attachment to the guy. Personally, I’m surprised at how little I follow the guy now that he is gone.
- As for them becoming a really good team…where is the evidence of that? Assuming that KD does become a superstar there isn’t anything else that looks like a talented piece on that team. Green hasn’t improved his game whatsoever and Westbrook is barely shooting 30%…everything else is still the junk parts the used to play with the Sonics. Not sure where the optimism would come from…this is prolly why they have already started to boo.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
http://iwantoutofokc.com/
- My favorite comment: Durant plays in the WNBA now?
November 20th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Other poster made a good point on that site. It needs “The Final Countdown” by Europe playing in the background. If the person in charge of that site reads here, please do so. It would become an instant classic.
How many people really “miss” Kevin Durant? It’d be interesting that now that the dust has settled how many people really developed an emotional attachment to the guy. Personally, I’m surprised at how little I follow the guy now that he is gone.
Same here. I think it’s partly because most of us were guarded and didn’t allow ourselves to get that close. Kinda like a girlfriend you know is about to dump you. You don’t bother spending the time and emotion forging the connection. Besides Nick Collison, I have zero connection with this team. Most of the players represent the emotionally disconnected final two Clay seasons than they do anything before. That is not my team. KD unfortunately was never my player.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
KD’s career is starting to look eerily like Tim Thomas part 2.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Has anyone else noted the irony of this current team playing in a city nicknamed “Bricktown”? Hahaha.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Great post over on benditlikebennett.blogspot.com. Glad to see that the good ol’ Oklahoman hasn’t stopped making up their facts simply because they got away with our team. lol.
So if you haven’t been following the Thunder this week, let me just tell you that things are really, really going awesome. Sports journalism icon Darnell Mayberry writes:
“The Thunder’s record is identical to the 10-game start last season by the Seattle SuperSonics. That season resulted in a franchise-worse [sic] 20-62 record.”
Yeah, I suppose that’s a little discouraging. I mean we’re actually trying to win games this year, right? I’m pretty sure I cc’d PJ on that email. What’s even more discouraging about that statement is that it’s completely false. The Thunder have a worse record through 10 games than the Sonics did last year in Seattle. That team started 2-8, this team is 1-9. It was probably really difficult to type that so I can understand the error.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Posts getting stuck in moderation driving me nuts!
November 20th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Great post over on benditlikebennett. Glad to see that the good ol’ Oklahoman hasn’t stopped making up their facts simply because they got away with our team. lol.
So if you haven’t been following the Thunder this week, let me just tell you that things are really, really going awesome. Sports journalism icon Darnell Mayberry writes:
“The Thunder’s record is identical to the 10-game start last season by the Seattle SuperSonics. That season resulted in a franchise-worse [sic] 20-62 record.”
Yeah, I suppose that’s a little discouraging. I mean we’re actually trying to win games this year, right? I’m pretty sure I cc’d PJ on that email. What’s even more discouraging about that statement is that it’s completely false. The Thunder have a worse record through 10 games than the Sonics did last year in Seattle. That team started 2-8, this team is 1-9. It was probably really difficult to type that so I can understand the error.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Well, let’s have the late 90’s, early 00’s, Clipper talk and just insert Thunder.
X is right, being in LA at Staples is the difference maker.
The argumenst against the rip down and start over plan is not being able to attract or retain veteran talent, and do the players get the smell of losing on them that does not go away.
The Clips had lottery pick after lottery pick play out their rookie contract and walk to a new team, maybe this is just how I remener it, but, a bunch of those guys did not progress much as players while losing and were not up to their potential after they left.
What may save a few of the Thunder is the expectation of winning in Seattle (they didn’t, but there was some history of it) and hoping in OKC. But how long can they play like this and expect or hope to win with this management and group of players.
Durant is a pretty good player, he will be a fine Sonic again.
I would not put Durant in the Tim Thomas bucket, Tim avoided contact, did not want to go inside. I do not sense the fear in Durant, I don’t, master yoda.
I will say that he is Rashard Lewis with some handle and more complete game. Durant needs to play SF, being light last year and playing him at SG was a waist of time.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I went right to benditlikebennett after the Clipper loss, still waiting for that story.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBiWtk2K85I
LOL..
November 20th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I will say that he is Rashard Lewis with some handle and more complete game. Durant needs to play SF, being light last year and playing him at SG was a waist of time.
- I agree!! The team is never going to succeed with Durant as their 2…the fact that Presti/PJ dont get that shows there might be some problems with their talent evaluation abilities.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Wow…I love that blog..bend it like bennett will be going into my favorites
November 20th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
You win with veterans in the NBA. Kobe was ready to bolt LA until they found some talent to help him. Drafting in the top 5 is a sure sign a team is 10 years away from competitive. KD will be gone when his deal is up.
The owners have a very challenging economic environment to deal with. OKC is noted for its Grapes of Wrath image from the Depression. Here we go again! When people lose their jobs they don’t buy alot of basketball tickets for a 1 and 11 team. The Bennett gang will rue the day they bought the Sonics.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I’ll try this again…
I’m not exactly following the team like crazy either, but hearing about the poor fg%’s across the board it really makes me wonder how much the guys are just beyond fed up and cynical about their situation and what kind of future they’re really playing for. It would be interesting to sit in on their “team meetings” and see what the atmosphere is like with respect to how guys are trying to motivate one another (because I’m sure everyone realizes that being competitive is a long way away, and that many of them will be gone once their contract is up…)
November 20th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Anyone want to start a pool on when the home attendance first falls below 18k?
November 20th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Love Hollingser’s playoff odds!!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/playoffodds
November 20th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I haven’t watched any nba games this year. I have been checking the box scores of the thunder, so far so good. Anybody know what kind of reception they’ve been getting at road games? I hope other cities fans have been giving them hell.
November 20th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Bwhahaha!
http://tinyurl.com/jokelahoma
November 20th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
You and I see eye to eye on thie. I would love for you to take a look at my blog where you will find the same exact sentimants as yours.
http://okcblunder.blogspot.com/
Feel free to read/comment/ whatever you feel like.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
If the Plunder get to 1-19, is Pyjamas gone?
November 20th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Rhymenocerous at 1:40 … Thanks for the web site link - clever
I think KD will be fine and have a great carreer - he is still super young on a crap team with a crap coach and a crap point guard.
PJ sucks
Meanwhile - the real question will be this summer - what will the team do with all of the huge salary cap room they have? I mean - they will have a ton of money to spend - I think we will see quickly in the next 2 summers if Clay B. is serious about winning or not.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
And on the whole OKC issue - this is a mess and David Stern deserves it
He is an idiot and the other owners are idiots for following him.
the whole league will start to suffer some serious attendance problems as the economy hits the skids - it will be especially bad in OKC - and probably Detroit.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Q and A from The Sporting News on the 15th has Durant saying he is glad they made the move. Good riddance Minute Bol with SOME game.
1-11. As Marv Albert once, I mean always says, “YES!!!!!!”
November 20th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Let the good times roll.
As much as I would like to see the players on the team do well, I’m even happier to see the franchise flounder.
It’s very early in their first season and things could change drastically but I’m hoping that the Blunder Curse turns out to be terminal. Maybe Ballmer can buy them at a discount next year.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:14 am
shooting themselves in the foot and pretending not to notice is precisley what this is, The OKC’s website main page you can see that they have no news about any of there games and all i see is a bunch of solicit junk and players charity to the community, they need to address there fans on what problems about the teams main issues, like there losing streak and what theyre plannning on doing to fix/work on it, there fans need this sort of acknowledgement to give them some sort of comfort that soner or later the team might get better and they need them to hang in there and support them, but none of the above is address and there city’s losing it’s interests.
The pain in your foot is getting much harder and harder to keep a strait face for your beloved state is it benette?
And i know that if this team packs up and leave OKC Your not going to see much of a fight to keep them there like seattle.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:11 am
That’s what I was wondering.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:00 am
Torn between two lovers-FEELING LIKE A FOOL!!!
http://tinyurl.com/5t8a6y
November 21st, 2008 at 8:38 am
“How many people really “miss” Kevin Durant?”
I miss being able to watch KD AND Jeff Green’s development almost as much as I miss seeing Ray Allen’s established brilliance. Luckily I’ve been able to catch Ray on national TV a few times a month since he was traded, though I obviously haven’t had the same opportunity with KD and Green…
Oh well, at least my fellow Husky alum B-Roy is keeping it real down in Portland with the Seattle talent-led Trailblazers! Its really not too shabby of a consolation : )
Is anyone else going to the Blazers-Hornets game next Friday?
November 21st, 2008 at 9:12 am
Torn between two lovers-FEELING LIKE A FOOL!!!
http://tinyurl.com/5t8a6y
- Kind of makes you wonder if Bennett and Co had offered Shinn $500+ million for the team (about all the costs they payed to get Seattle out of OKC) would he have changed their mind and both cities would’ve beenhappy.
I miss being able to watch KD AND Jeff Green’s development
- I mess seeing Jeff Green’s development…but then of course I missed seeing his development last year too since it didn’t happen.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:14 am
I’ve not posted on here in a while but I check out the site regularly from here in SLC. I’ve been to 2 Jazz Games down here so far this year Portland a couple weeks ago and Milwaukee last night. It was interesting watching Ridnour play, didn’t look bad. Didn’t look great but played solid. That is an intriguing team with Skiles at the helm. I think once they all get on the same page they can be a fun team to follow.
Portland was also interesting, you don’t realize how young that team is until you see them try to close out the 4thQ.
Had a chance to got to The Thunder when they played here but just couldn’t do it. Still way too hard. The only reason I thought about checking it out was I new it would for sure be Jerry Sloans 1000 career vic with The Jazz.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:37 am
Wow! Do we really need a link to the same article five different times in the same Post? Come on people!
November 21st, 2008 at 10:31 am
I wonder how the Thunder team is going to feel when the visiting team gets a louder ovation then the home team.
Are you serious that they are going to enhance pre-game introductions for the Hornets?
C’mon now that’s ridiculous and a slap in the face of the players on the Thunder.
When MJ came back to Chicago the PA guy did not announce him like he did when MJ was with the Bulls.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:51 am
“I don’t think it has to do with wins and losses,” Charlesworth said. “We don’t expect a winner. Not now. I believe this ‘connect’ has to do with attitude, passion, desire, emotion, personalities and player interaction. The Thunder needs to show the fans they want us to fill the seats every game. I just don’t see this happening.
- If it isnt about the wins and losses then OKC is even worse off then we thought
November 21st, 2008 at 10:54 am
- Per Thunder Madness -
“And what’s the deal with some people yelling ‘boo’ when Kevin Durant is introduced? I thought it was okay to like Longhorns once they had graduated. Hey, I even like them while they’re still in college - and I am an OU graduate. If we’re playing them, then I don’t mind a little trash talk - as long as it’s good-natured stuff. But when an OU/Texas matchup is not in progress this kind of behavior seems totally tacky. What do you guys think?”
Yeah there you go, Boo the best player on the team.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:36 am
From the Jokelahoman comment section.
EVERY team in the NBA loves to come to the Ford Center…why?….GUARANTEED WIN!
Philip, Oklahoma City - Nov 21, 2008 7:46 AM
November 21st, 2008 at 11:55 am
ok, so I couldn’t stay away like I thought I would. Observations from the Thunder blog indicate fans are leaving in the 3rd quarter. So not only are they booing already, they are leaving before the game is decided. Apparently fans left early during the FIRST game. And Stern was in attendance. There were issues with the sound system also, and it apparently still sucks. All good stuff. As far as missing KD, I don’t. I do miss the team, but I have not watched any games and still do not plan to. Until the NBA returns, I am not watching games or supporting the NBA in any fashion. But I am reveling in the losses and poor fan reactions coming out of OKC.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Some good comments from Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times in his blog:
“I miss the NBA in Seattle, miss it something terrible. But I don’t miss watching a team that was built to lose for several years so it could acquire lottery picks and cap space in order to rebuild.
Imagine if the city hadn’t settled with Bennett, and we were subjected to another year of bad basketball while trying to rally support for the Sonics to stay. It would’ve been an impossible task, fighting for a once-proud franchise floundering under a clueless owner. And then Bennett would try to blame us for being apathetic about his awful product.
Having nothing isn’t a consolation prize, but I must admit to grinning after learning that the Thunder had irritated their new fans within three weeks of their debut.
Maybe karma is a dish best served cold, too.”
November 21st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
ok, so I couldn’t stay away like I thought I would. Observations from the Thunder blog indicate fans are leaving in the 3rd quarter. So not only are they booing already, they are leaving before the game is decided.
- I guess Im one of the few people that applaud the OKC fans for booing so quickly. I was a little concerned that they were so happy with “being major league” they’d let Bennett make profits off them with this cr@ppy team. This team is so bad that if they weren’t booing by now they aren’t real sports fans
November 21st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Yuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would you keep the naked guy off the add window?
November 21st, 2008 at 1:10 pm
NY Times stating the obvious and letting the rest of world know….
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/sports/21washington.html?_r=1&ref=sports
November 21st, 2008 at 1:25 pm
honestly, i miss the sonics and i miss kd. i get that most sonics fans didn’t let themselves get too attatched to the guy with what was going down but me and my friends were pretty excited about getting that potential ‘next big thing’ here in seattle. i read the articles, watched highlights and anything else i could do to get excited about seeing him in a sonics uni. my friend even created durant and oden on the sonics and blazers in nba2k and we played a bunch of games with those teams. fun stuff.
even with all of that, i want this team, the thunder, to lose and i want kd, jeff green, collison and some of the other guys to leave okc and be stars somewhere else. i still want kd to be that superstar, i’d just rather have him get there somewhere else. i’m still pretty bitter.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I still can’t help but wonder if any of this madness would have occured had the Sonics had just extended Radmonovic…
I still can’t believe they peed away 04-05 like they did the following summer…
November 21st, 2008 at 2:11 pm
http://www.king5.com/sports/sonics/stories/M_IMAGE.101688cd0b5.93.88.fa.7c.22091b28d.jpg
November 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I still can’t help but wonder if any of this madness would have occured had the Sonics had just extended Radmonovic…
- This is an excellent use of sarcasm…
November 21st, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I still can’t help but wonder if any of this madness would have occured had the Sonics had just extended Radmonovic…
- This is an excellent use of sarcasm…
- I thought it went all downhill when we didn’t re-sign Jerome James. The team needed someone to be the butt of all of the jokes and that went away when JJ left.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I thought it went all downhill when we didn’t re-sign Jerome James. The team needed someone to be the butt of all of the jokes and that went away when JJ left.
- I thought it was that we didn’t keep Don McLean around…04/05 really was a mirage.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:23 pm
You were being sarcastic…….right??
November 21st, 2008 at 3:34 pm
http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=320
things that make you go ‘hmmm’
November 21st, 2008 at 4:27 pm
if i was a fan of the thunder i would be booing, too…
November 21st, 2008 at 5:16 pm
- I thought it was that we didn’t keep Don McLean around…04/05 really was a mirage.
The guy who sang “American Pie”?
November 21st, 2008 at 5:21 pm
“I still can’t help but wonder if any of this madness would have occured had the Sonics had just extended Radmonovic…”
Ouch…soda pop through the nose hurts. Thanks for the laugh there.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:52 pm
I’m listening to Kevin Calabro announce the Hornets-Plunder game. Hearing him say “Watson to Collison to Durant is so darn EERIE!!! I close my eyes and it is like the Supes are still around… a big trip…they are gone however…wonder how KD is handling it..what a pro.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Ohhh where have you gone…..Ansue Sesay?!?!?
November 21st, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Just saw the sickest interview ever on tv. Stupid “Bennett” talking on tv about his so called team. “Things are going great.” Haha, not sure about that comment. Can’t see how anybody can say that. 1-11 is horrible!! Go Hornets tonight!! Hope the Hornets teach them a lesson tonight.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Questions that should have been asked of Clay in the ESPN Interview…
“So how do you feel having the fans boo your team only 3 weeks into the Inaugural Season?”
“Is Aubrey going to have to divest himself from the team?”
“With the adverse economy how long til you need to seek help from the taxpayers to keep things going here in OKC?”
Anyone else have one?
November 21st, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Been watching the Thunder Hornets game on ESPN and have seen a lot of things I already knew. The thunder are terrible..they turn the ball over a lot..KC is a great announcer..Chris Paul is really good..Bennet is a cluck..thunder uniforms look terrible..
November 21st, 2008 at 8:37 pm
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/macledo01.html
- Don MacLean…part of the McIlvane deal!!
- Im still not sure if Clint was being sarcastic
November 21st, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Durant can just flat out not dribble….the Lewis comparisons are starting to look more and more true
November 21st, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Thunder uniforms look like WNBA.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Thunder are playing down to expectations.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:42 pm
If we’re going to talk Don MacLean, what about Billy Owens?
November 21st, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Atta boy KC!
ESPN did the requisite “Look how bad Seattle sports has been this year” piece that they do during all Seattle games. (Funny why that would matter for an OKC game, huh?) Anyway, after going through the terrible seasons being had by the M’s, Hawks, UW, and losing the Supes, KC and Hubie Brown talked about Seattle deserving a team and what a great NBA town it was. You think the OKC fans liked that? lol. I wouldn’t be surprised if KC suggested it so as to be able to give some love to Seattle and remind the nation how scummy OKC and Clay are. Then while Nick Collison is shooting free throws, KC talks about him having double shoulder surgery and how he played well on the ‘05 team. He used that as an excuse to mention that team being good and making the playoffs, and being led by Ray and Rashard. Nice subtle jab and reminder that Clay totally destroyed that team to get to OKC. Love it.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:02 pm
And there was a commercial that claimed OKC was a major league city..
November 21st, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I’m watching OKC right now for the first time since the move( only because I’m a Hornets fan). They are down by 20 something at the half. Russel Westbrook is one out of control basketball player. He is quick as lightning but so turnover prone it’s amazing. Carlisimo turns a blind eye to his play and I imagine the other players aren’t too thrilled.
No wonder the rumors of Earl Watson being upset are out there. We thought Watson played out of control at times. Westbrook is twice as bad. Don’t get me wrong, he looks like he has very good skills but he definitely isn’t a pointguard. He is all about himself wanting to score. Westbrook isn’t the type of player that is going to make his teamates better or run a team.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Name a year that Earl wasn’t unhappy in November.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:47 pm
The OKC on-court product seems like a direct representation of the behind the scenes/management crew… chaotic, careless, sloppy, out of control, and totally uncohesive…
Seattle is mos def better off without this Bennett brainchild.
And after thinking about it, I will be okay with Seattle stealing the Hornet from NO. I’ll still root for Seattle talent-led Blazers, but would welcome the rivalry. CP3, B-Roy, West, Aldridge, Oden, Chandler, Rudy, Posey, Scott, Nate Mac, Allen, Balmer… this would do well to ease any negative sentiments Seattle basketball fans have toward the NBA.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Man - the thunder are bad - PJ will be gone by this summer at the latest - the team plays with not passion - the shot selection is often brutal.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:58 pm
4020Vision,
How about if they ask Bennett … The stock price of Gaylord Entertainment has dropped from $44 to $6 and Chesapeake Energy has dropped from $74 to $14. If Seattle qualifies for the additional payment of $30 million are you guys going to be able to come up with the cash?
After watching on ESPN, I think this team has actually gotten worse since last year. Ridnour is playing well in MIL. They replaced him with Turnover Russell Westbrook. Teams have learned how to defend Durant and Green. They still have no center and they don’t have Kurt Thomas.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
BOO HOO!!!!
November 21st, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Almost at 100 comments. Did there used to be three hundred comments or am I remembering wrong?
November 21st, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Yeah the economy taking such a downturn since the summer should serve as a reminder that ownership gambled with gutting the team and trying to get cap room because now they still won’t have the money to pay for quality free agents. What a mess.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Jalen Rose said he has inside sources who are positive Lebron and Bosh will be signing with the Knicks in 2010….instability within the nba will continue to haunt smaller market clubs.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Remember in the MLB 2001, intead of showing the Mariners division standings because they were so far ahead, they showed the “Pennat Race with History”. I really enjoyed following it every day.
Here’s the 2008-2009 NBA in OKC version:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/features/worst?compareYear=2009&compareTeam=25
November 21st, 2008 at 11:10 pm
One of the teams the 2007-2008 Heat beat was the Sonics in Key Arena.
That was after they traded Kurt Thomas, Wally Szczerbiack and Delonte West for a bag of pork rinds. I guess Clay was hungry that day.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:11 pm
This was a laughable game. I think fans were showing more support for the Hornets. I’m still comatose about losing the supes, but these guys supersuck! By the way, only game i’ve watched of the Thunder all year. This will be fun to watch over the years.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Hey I saw the game tonight and loved every minute of it. The Okie hillbillies getting their ass handed to them by the Hornets. This pathetic team could break the record of 9 wins in a season by the Sixers. Way to go hillbillies!!
For all Sonics fans out there seeing this game was cleansing for us and now we can all let it go and move on and focus on getting another team for our great city.
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:34 am
Jalen Rose said he has inside sources who are positive Lebron and Bosh will be signing with the Knicks in 2010….instability within the nba will continue to haunt smaller market clubs.
- What Walsh and D’Antoni have done in one month is amazing…if Walsh can some how trade Curry’s contract then he will have proven he deserves all the credit he gets for being a great GM.
2010 is going to be an interesting year…seems like a ton of good teams (from a market perspective) are gonna have a ton of cap space. Too bad the following year there will prolly be a lock out.
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:46 am
rotoworld.com is saying the Blunder have fired Carlesimo.. L M A O. He does what they want him to do and tank last year,, and he can’t stop the snowball ad gets canned. L M A O
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:50 am
I would love for him to come clean and tell everyone what we already know, that it was ok to lose games, just keep them semi-close. I would love to see him throw Bennett under the bus.
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 am
Would be awesome if this was true and PJ was looking for revenge and started spilling the beans on the last few years and the ‘master plan’. Probably has non-disclosures though.
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 am
Hehe… beat me.
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:02 am
That’s what PJ gets for selling his soul to the devil (literally). Too bad he doesn’t get to enjoy the fruits of OKC. lol.
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:30 am
Yep, Bennett and Co. have dumped PJ……
http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-fires-p.j.-carlesimo-after-1-12-start/article/3324427?custom_click=breaking_news
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:11 am
Scott Brooks was going to be coach sooner or later.
Can’t fire the owner.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:08 am
This was part of an article on CBS site…
“Many fans also called it an early night, leaving the stands mostly empty by the time the final horn sounded. Despite the team’s full allotment of season tickets selling out in five days, only three of the eight home games have sold out so far — opening night, a visit from the NBA champion Boston Celtics and the return of the beloved Hornets.”
The team looked totally terrible last night. I’m not surprised they dumped PJ. But as many on this site said 1.5 years ago - he was a stupid hire to begin with - just stupid. He did a crap job in Portland and a crap job in GS. This was a clear mistake by both Presti and Clay from the beginning - who were blinded by their own San Antonio connections with PJ.
I don’t knwo if Brooks can help much or not - but the team has regressed from last year - which is hard to imagine. Between a tough economy and a terrible team - the OKC fans may not be renewing tickets next summer.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:13 am
I would be very surprised if PJ says anything negative about Presti or Clay. He’d be only be hurting himself in terms of risking future assistant jobs with other teams or even getting his remaining salary paid - which if you start criticizing the owners that could get risky fr him. Owners and GM’s do not like to hire assistants - who are a dime a dozen - who bitch about owners and GM’s.
He will be quite about it - say the typical things - He certainly does not have any persoanl benefit or reason to stand up to support Sonic fans or Seattle by trashing the move of the team to OKC.
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Sonics nation lets just sit back and enjoy this this is fun!! Next up for the Okies the Phoenix Suns hide the women and children
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Does anyone know an Okieville fan blog? I want it please
November 24th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I tell you what I do now realize. Its how cloudy vision gets from halfway across the country. While we in oklahoma honestl could not see all that you saw while the team was in Seattle, you all have no clue whats going on with this team now.
Mr. Robinson while I completely respected your efforts to save your beloved franchise the previous two years, you really are embarrassing yourself commenting on issues in OKC when you dont have first-hand knowldedge.
I have been in the building every game. During the Clippers game (a game in which the team led by 15 points before losing by 20), after the third-straight turnover that led to an uncontested dunk, I heard smattering of boos. Probably 20-30 people in a crowd of 18,300.
Obviously this is your blog and you will continue to attempt to say “I told you so” from now until eternity. While it wont bring your franchise back, if it gives you solace then so be it.
The fans in OKC love their new team and will embrace them in good times and in bad.
Before pretending to know what your talking about, try attending a game in person. It will make you seem less ignorant in future posts.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Carter
It was the Bennett inlaws family newsletter The Daily Jokelahoman that reported the fans booing.
http://www.newsok.com/a-first-for-thunder-boos/article/3323605
I guess they don’t know what they’re talking about either.