Game Night: Clippers

There isn’t much to be excited about if you’re a Sonics fans these days. Putting aside the stadium debate for at least one more day, and shelving all talk of Oklahoma, we’re left with an underperforming team that is coached by a man who will likely be fired this summer, a GM who is polishing his resume because his bosses are likely prohibiting him from making any moves, and a roster of players who seem incapable of taking the step from lower middle class to easy street.

Tonight, the Sonics play the Clippers. Considering how badly the year has gone in Seattle, it could be worse – we could be Clipper fans, after all. With Shaun Livingston’s horrific injury possibly keeping him out until the end of Bush’s presidency, the Clips are turning to ET tonight to lead them.

For some odd reason, the Sonics play well in LA, at least against the Clippers anyways. As I see it, the game has a couple of keys to success:

1. Containing Chris Kaman on the glass
2. Getting out of Rashard Lewis’ way

Seriously, Rashard could go for 40 tonight, I just have a feeling.

Sonics 106-Clippers 97

Sonics Memorabilia

Here's a great Sonics Memorabilia site you should check out:

The Seattle SuperSonics—or Sonics to their legions of fans in Washington—play in the Northwest Division of the NBA’s Western Conference. Founded in 1967, the Sonics are Seattle’s fist professional sports team and the only Seattle franchise to win a championship. Naturally, the possibility of the team’s move to Oklahoma City has fans of the Green and Gold up in arms. The biggest draw for Sonics fans right now is 19-year-old superstar Kevin Durant. The Sonics drafted the 6’9” shooting guard in 2007 after Durant finished his freshman season at the University of Texas.

Seattle fans can get their fix on autographed sports memorabilia, including merchandise signed by their favorite players, by checking out sportsmemorabilia.com. One of our favorite items is the autographed Kevin Durant basketball. Named NCAA Player of the Year after only one season with the Longhorns, Durant has hand-signed this piece and added the “07 NCAA POY” inscription. While you’re there, check out all our autographed basketballs—chances are we’ve got one with your favorite player’s name on it.

For your home or office, you might want to consider a framed, autographed photograph of Durant holding his #35 jersey or a Kevin Durant photomint. The photomint, which features a shot of the athlete in action, also comes with two 24KT gold coins—one for the SuperSonics and another for the NBA. Our authentic NBA logo patch featuring the green and gold S makes a great touch to any Seattle scrapbook or memorabilia collection. Or, make it a part of your wardrobe by sewing onto a bag or piece of clothes! Let us be your source for your basketball gear and Sonics memorabilia!

Sonics New Owners: Jerks and Bigots

I really want to write some good news about the Sonics.

I'm a life-long fan. I've been with them through the ups and downs. I considered naming my first-born Xavier. Every day I wake up hoping there will be something positive to write about the team and the new owners. Instead, I have to read this:

Two members of the new Sonics ownership group are heavyweight financiers of a national political group dedicated to banning gay marriage.

Together, co-owners Tom Ward and Aubrey McClendon donated more than $1.1 million to Americans United to Preserve Marriage, a conservative Christian group that opposes gay marriage.

The group is led by Gary Bauer, an outspoken leader of conservative groups including the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family.

According to the group, gay couples "flout marriage by using it for their own political agenda (and) cheapen the institution."

Read the rest in today's Seattle P.I.
(originally reported in The Stranger)

Yes, we wouldn't want to "cheapen" an institution that has a 50% rate of failure!

As much as I hate bigoted right-wingers like McClendon and Co., the one we should be aiming our pitchforks at is former owner Howard Shultz. He pissed and moaned about how much money he was losing on the team (while living it up on millions of dollars of shareholder-funded perks), then knowingly sold the team to a group he knew had no chance (and probably no desire) to keep the team in town. Why? Because the city dared say no to his demand to build more luxury boxes for his rich friends.

The new owners, of course, claim they have every desire to "make things work" in Seattle, but if they can't win over a basketball slut like me, what hope do they have?

In other crappy news, Rashard has turned down a contract extension. At least the Sonics beat Portland last night--take that Nate!

Reason to Hate Oklahoma, #478

Like I needed another reason to hate Oklahoma.

It appears that at least one sleaze-ball sportscaster in Okie-town is referring to our team as the "Oklahoma/Seattle Sonics".

(Thanks to Ian for the tip!)

Bitter Pill

In a season of disappointments, Friday night's loss must have been especially difficult for Bob Hill to swallow.

It wasn't enough that his team got outrebounded 26-5 on the offensive glass. Or that Ray Allen had as many turnovers as the Hornets.

No, the most disappointing part of the whole affair was how the rest of the Western Conference did it's part.

What do I mean? Well take a look at how the teams ahead of the Sonics in the standings fared Friday evening:

Portland - Loss (at home, against Memphis!?)
Sacramento - Loss
Minnesota - Loss
Denver - Loss
New OKC - Win
Golden St., Clips - Idle

That's right, everything that could've broken the Sonics way on Friday did - with the exception of their game, natch. Considering the Sonics are in San Antone tonight, you can't blame Bob Hill if he hit the mini bar pretty hard last night.

DJ:RIP

AUSTIN, Texas -- Former NBA star Dennis Johnson died Thursday, the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office said. He was 52.

Johnson, who was part of three NBA champions with the Boston Celtics and one with the Seattle SuperSonics, had been coaching the Austin Toros of the NBA Developmental League.

Complete story at espn.com.

Sonics on Trade Deadline: Feh . . .

Danny Forston breaks the news to Ray Allen that he's not being traded.

With the Seattle Supersonics in the midst of another trainwreck of a season, and desperate to gain public support for a new arena, you'd think the team would have to be working the phones to land a blockbuster trade before Friday's NBA trade deadline, right?

I mean, they have to be thinking about trading Rashard Lewis before he walks away at the end of the season as a free agent, right?

The Sonics have had no conversation with the Knicks about exchanging Rashard Lewis for anybody and that includes Channing Frye and Nate Robinson.

(from the New York Post)

O.K. But they've got to be desperately trying to unload moping point-guard Luke Ridnour . . .

(Sund) told the Hawks the only way they could get Ridnour would be to include a first-round draft pick in any deal, the source said.

The Hawks currently have the seventh-worst record in the NBA (21-31) and do not want to give up a selection in a draft that is deep and talented.

(from the News Tribune)

How about Swift?

Meanwhile, two sources confirmed that the Portland Trail Blazers called the Sonics in an attempt to obtain Robert Swift.

Sund told the Blazers that Swift, out for the season with a knee injury, was not available, according to the sources.

(from the News Tribune)

Fortson?

The Sonics have shopped Fortson, who is in the final year of his deal, but no one is interested in the 30-year-old forward.

(from the Seattle Times)

You see? The Sonics really are trying to salvage the season and keep the team in Seattle &mdash they tried to trade Fortson for $30 and a bag of jock straps! And you thought they were just lame-ducking it while Bennett packed the moving vans for Oklahoma. Shame on you!

Your Seattle Renton SuperSonics

Numbers 1-10 in the top ten fun things to do in Renton: Visit Jimi's grave.

It's official: The new (imaginary) home of the Seattle SuperSonics is . . . RENTON! (Unless the state legislators decide to use the tax revenue for stupid crap like schools, health care, etc.)

OLYMPIA - The Seattle Sonics want to build a new $500 million arena in Renton.

New owner Clay Bennett on Tuesday told state lawmakers that the arena would be an economic stimulus for an up-and-coming city.

Bennett said the team expects a $300 million contribution from the state. Off the roughly $200 million balance needed to complete the project, Bennett said the team expects to "be responsible for private contributions in the range of $100 million." As for the the team's commitment, Bennett said, "The first committment is a $350 million purchase of the team and a commitment to keep the team in the region."

Read the rest in the Seattle P.I.

Half a billion dollars. For a basketball arena. In Renton. Good luck with that.

Does anyone think Bennett is even the least bit serious about this? Maybe I'm just a cynical old bastard (maybe?), but it seems like Big Boy is submitting these ridiculous plans that have no chance of being completed just to fulfill the "good faith effort" portion of his contract.

Believe me, if Clay Stadium gets built, I will be there on opening night with everyone else, getting my picture taken alongside the giant Shawn Kemp statue outside the front gate. But I don't trust Bennett any more than I can throw him. Which, given his tremendous girth and my complete lack of any sort of physical strength, isn't very far.

Ray Allen going to All-Star Game, next stop New York?

It's mid-February, which means my favorite time of the year is upon us. No, not Valentine's Day, you weirdos &mdash Trading Time, that magical part of the NBA season where half the teams realize they have no shot at the title and desperately cash in their chips in an attempt to salvage the season.

The Sonics, of course, must be feeling deja-vu, having spent the better part of a decade in "salvage" mode.

The only time one of these February Hail Mary trades actually worked was in 2003, when the Supes traded Gary Payton (whose tank was about three minutes from empty) to the Bucks for Ray Allen. And now, four years later, it's Allen's turn to take one for the team.

One place Ray-Ray has been rumored to be heading is NYC, which would be great except for one thing: the Knicks have no talent to trade:

"To read that stuff about us looking to move Ray is laughable," said Sonics GM Rick Sund. "We've had a disappointing season, but we've had big injuries to guys like Rashard Lewis and Ray. Nobody's called me about Ray because he's not available."

For Sund to pick up his phone to discuss a deal, he wants a hefty price for Allen, seventh in the NBA in scoring at 26.9 ppg entering last night. That would entail a package including a great young player, expiring contracts and draft picks. The Knicks don't have the assets.

"Nobody likes their talent," one Eastern Confernce GM said. "The problem for the Knicks is that they don't have expiring contracts to offer. They got rid of Jalen Rose, so that didn't help their cause."

from the New York Daily News

So, where does that leave Ray-Gun? Should the Sonics ship him off somewhere in hopes he can grab a late-career ring like Payton (while trying to land anything they can in return), or should the team cling desperately to the one thing that will bring people to the game?

UPDATE: Ray Allen was just named to his fourth straight (and 7th overall) All-Star Game. Congrats, Ray!

Bob Hill: Just Fire Me Already

In 1969, Swiss-born psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross outlined the five stages of grief. In the midst of the longest death-watch in NBA history, it appears Seattle Supersonics coach Bob Hill has arrived at the final stage, Acceptance:

About an hour before the start of the Sonics' 107-101 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, Hill gave a soliloquy about the realities of being an NBA coach.

"I look at my position very realistically,'' said Hill, in his ninth season as an NBA coach. "You know, when you get fired, you don't die. You don't die.''

Read the rest here.

I love Bob Hill. He's a great, old-school coach who says what he thinks, which is a rarity in today's NBA. He gave Sonics fans a glimmer of hope last season when he did the impossible: he made Robert Swift look like an NBA player. Hill has been pummeled this year with adversities of biblical proportions. That's why I want the Sonics to fire him.

Hill deserves better than this. The ax was raised the day the Sonics were sold down the river to Big Boy Bennett. Let it fall already.

Bob Hill. R.I.P.