Euphemism of the Day

"It's time to start simplifying."

Aubrey McClendon, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, on why he's auctioning one of his three ranches in Oklahoma after purchasing it less than five years ago.

According to John Marshall of the National Auction Group, McClendon is taking a "huge gamble ... He could either win the lottery or lose a bundle." The 4,400-acre ranch will be auctioned regardless of price.

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Kings moving to Seattle?

Nope:

From the Seattle P.I. :

George Maloof, the owner of the Sacramento Kings, denied last week that the team is considering a move to Seattle. Sports Illustrated reported on its website that Maloof met with former Sonics minority owner Wally Walker and others recently.

Maloof told SI.com that the meeting in Seattle was to discuss the hurdles Sonics ownership faced in securing a new arena. Owner Clay Bennett moved the Sonics to Oklahoma City in 2008 after he was unable to secure an arena deal to his liking in Seattle.

"It had nothing to do with us moving the team," Maloof told SI.com. "It was more of a meeting to understand what their experience was as it relates to what we could do in Sacramento because it's very difficult to build arenas anywhere. That was basically the meeting."

If this were true, would you be interested in a second-hand team? Would your desperation to land a basketball team outweigh the guilt of stealing another team? After the way Stern treated this city, could you stifle your pride and play NBA musical chairs?

As much as I miss the Sonics, I'd sooner eat Jack Sikma's socks than screw over a community like Sacramento, that was once one of the best basketball towns in the country.  As much as I enjoyed watching the Sonics kick their asses in the playoffs a few years back, no city deserves to go through what we did.

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Just Wondering

If owning an NBA team was such a horrible investment in recent years that the league is on the verge of needing to radically alter its financial structure (see Stern, David)

and If owning an NBA team was so onerous it necessitates the teearing up of a lease with a decade left to go (see Simon, Herb)

then Why would a man with intimate knowledge of those financial structures be willing to not only purchase a franchise, but to purchase the most winning-averse franchise in the league, and to spend $50 million more than had ever been spent on an NBA franchise?

If I'm Billy Hunter, when David Stern commences his lecture about how woeful the league's finances are, and how the league needs the players to make sacrifices in order to make ends meet, I'd just raise my hand and ask, "With all due respect, sir, if it's so bad, why did Joe Lacob just spend $450 million to stay in?"

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Happy 4th of July!




PAUL MERRILL ALL-AMERICAN - watch more funny videos

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Sonics Continue Conquest of Asia; Eye Irkustk Next

Word in yesterday that former Sonics Coach Bob Hill has signed a deal to coach the Tokyo Apache for the 2010-11 season.

Hill's decision comes on the heels of Lenny Wilkens decision to serve as a consultant to the South Korean national team, which followed Bob Weiss' foray into China with the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons, which followed Alton Lister's work with San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association.

That's four nations that former Sonics have conquered (or Sonic coaches, anyway). And, with Clemon Johnson ensconsed at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, I think we can reasonably chalk up Russia as well. Because, you know, Clem can see it from his front porch.

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The Seattle LeBrons?

Via Sonicsgate.

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Gary Gets a Webby!

Okay, our friends at Sonicsgate technically got the Webby for their excellent film "Sonicsgate: Requiem for a Team", but they wisely let The Glove do the talking. And what was his five-word acceptance speech? Watch the video and find out!

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Ray of Hope

I know I vowed never to watch another stinkin' NBA game after those bastards stole the Sonics, but last night's Lakers /Celtics game was a miracle.

My eight-year-old son has recently become a Celtics fan (one of the many tragic consequences of the Sonics leaving town) and being the noble, self-sacrificing father that I am, I agreed to watch the Finals with him.

I have to admit, it was pretty awesome.

For one night, at least, we got to see our beloved Ray-Ray (in a green jersey, no less!) lighting up Kobe for an NBA record eight three-pointers (seven in the first half alone). Sure, it wasn't as good as when the Sonics almost beat the Lakers that one time, but for a few glorious hours it almost seemed like old times.

There are a lot of terrible things going on in the world right now, but last night's drubbing of the Lakers renewed my faith in humanity. And, more importantly, in schadenfreude.

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Thanks, Kid

Adios, Senor (Senior) Junior

Let us take a brief respite from our wall-to-wall coverage of the 1979 NBA Finals and bid a fond farewell to another Seattle sports legend, George Kenneth Griffey Jr.

Now, I'm the last person amongst the Supersonicsoul crew who should write anything (well, ever!), least of all about the impact Junior's had on our city and our generation of sports fans. Instead, I'll recycle this image I painted when he came back in '09 and just say: Thanks, Junior.

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Two Photos

Those NBA MVPs that have appeared in the NBA Finals:




And those that haven't:

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1979 Sonics Finals viewing/crying party

A group of Sonics fans are getting together for an all-day viewing party of the 1979 Finals today at Floyd's Place on Queen Anne. Check out the video for a preview.

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A Sorry Headline for Sonic Fans

Honestly, I can't imagine a more painful five-word description of my hometown.

In Seattle, the WNBA Reigns (NPR)

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