Wednesday, July 2

Loss of Innocence

Your 1979 NBA champion SEATTLE Supersonics

A lot of words and tears will be spilled in the next days and weeks as all of us seek to describe what has happened to the Seattle Supersonics. After 41 years of heartache and happiness, 41 years of Kemp and the Glove and Gus and DJ and all the rest, trying to distill the emotions of what transpired will be difficult, if not impossible. But allow me to offer up a small window into how I'm feeling this afternoon, though.

When I was a boy growing up in Seattle, one of my most prized possessions was a special edition of the Seattle Times from 1979, the year the Sonics won their (can we say only now?) NBA title in Seattle. It was chock full of anecdotes, statistics, game recaps, and other bizarre tidbits of information. In those pre-computer years, it was a delightful mishmash of stories, obviously put together by editors and writers who were just overjoyed to be doing the work.

As the years passed, the newspaper yellowed. I've moved quite a bit since leaving Seattle; first Oregon, then Southern California, now Vancouver. Somehow, that newspaper always managed to tag along with me. Every so often, maybe once or twice a year, I'd open it up and read through the stories again and it never failed to make me smile, to put an extra hop in my step.

Now, though, I don't know if I could bear to read it; that special section became a little less special today. Not because I was convinced the Sonics would never leave, but because a small part of me hoped they wouldn't. That small part of me that scoots to the edge of my seat when the Sonics are involved a close game; that small part that makes me pick up and phone Raf or Paul when the Sonics do something extraordinary; that small part of me that imitates Xavier McDaniel when I'm shooting hoops by myself.

After what happened today, that small part of me isn't doing so well right now.

64 comments:

Paul said...

On a related note, I just bought bootleg DVD's of all seven 1979 Finals games. We should set up a screening in Seattle somewhere and get really drunk.

kdoublec said...

I'll only go if there is a promise that i get lucky to make me feel better until I pass out and wake up in a ditch.

Anonymous said...

This doesn't mean Supersonicsoul is done, does it?

chunkstyle23 said...

Done? I was thinking about that on the way home. I sure as hell am not going to follow some crappy-ass team in OKC. I only do that for crappy-ass teams that reside here.

Paul said...

Supersonicsoul is not done! I've got secret plans that will be revealed shortly. Right now, I have to drink. A lot.

chunkstyle23 said...

By the way, great summary of my current state of emotions, Pete. I'm nowhere near coherent enough to express anything besides a whole lot of profanity.

Anonymous said...

Well, I can't wait to see the plans.

I guess the good news today is that the site will remain...

Anonymous said...

SuperSonic Soul is one of the best basketball blogs out there period end of story. I hope you guys continue to write about the saga of something, and what not.

I hope your drunk goes well. If you call a cab, please remember to name which bar you are at. If you can.

wiilee cool said...

Despite the bad economy, I was thinking about moving to Seattle from Hawaii (great place, just overpopulated) and one of the first things that came to mind was the Supersonics. Now I can only settle for the Mariners or Seahawks. I guess I'll just have to drive down to Portland if I have to watch NBA Live. Sucks, indeed.

Anonymous said...

This is altogether heavy and depressing stuff, but sometimes shit like that is a part of life.

Until an expansion team is awarded to replace the departing Seattle SuperSoncis, I'll be aligning myself with the Portland Trail Blazers. As an organization that's solid from the top on down, it'll be easy to support the Blazers. Besides, I need a team to root for against the Oklahoma City [Insert Team Name Here] for the next few years ... or decades.

Luckily for us, though, Clay Bennett and Sam Presti have yet to prove that they can run things successfully. Those horrendous draft picks of Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook -- in conjunction with the overrated Kevin Durant, who I've railed against for almost two whole years -- indicate a less than stellar future for them.

On a side note, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickles absolutely fucked over Brian Robinson and his crew of deluisonal cultists. The Save Our Sonics lemmings should've seen it c(o/um)ming, though, as Nickels enjoys lifting up his fat stomach, unleashing his 3 inch cock, bending over his so-called friends, and flat-out screwing them. For example, look at what recently happened to Rick's Nightclub on Lake City Way.

Anyhow, this is the one and only time that I pity everyone at S.O.S., since nobody -- even a despotic jackass like Robinson -- deserves to suffer failure in such a humiliating fashion.

Anonymous said...

na na na na
na na na na
hey hey hey
gooooddbbbyyee

-Oklahoma city

haha screw seattle. time to see K-Smoove in his prime, baby!

Alan said...

I'd never support the Blazers. Its just not right.

I'm throwing my support behind an 0-82 campaign for OKC next year. The NBA, and the crooks that run it, can go to hell.

epicaricacy said...

This is one of the worst travesties of all time and it just shows how incompetent the government of Seattle is. They have done so many things wrong and now they do one of the greatest injustices to Western Washington sports fans ever.

And for 75 million...

Truly a sad day.

0-82 and I hope that Clay Bennett loses money in OKC.

Anonymous said...

Shit. I guess now I'm supposed to support the Timberwolves. Pity the Sonics fan who moved to ND and now has nothing.

Unknown said...

Sommetimes in life you have to be willing to lose. Its tragic the City of Seattle didn't get it; they never have...

Now something very precious is dead. As is a bit of myself.

Anonymous said...

and you thought the suicide rate in seattle was high before the sonics left...

Anonymous said...

HAHAHA YEA DRINK...DRINK ALOT...YOU NBA-LESS'$TARBUCK$ DRINKING'SEATLEIANS...CLAY BENNET IS NOT GOD, BUT HE JUST MIGHT BE MOSES......MONEY TALKS, BULLSHIT WALKS AND THATS EXACTLY WHY KEVIN DURANT WILL ONE DAY RAISE A LEAGUE MVP TROPHY IN THE FORD CENTER.......BOOOOOOOOMER SOOOOOOOONER!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Damn. Blazer fan here. It won't mean much, but every Blazer fan I know was rooting for you guys. Unfortunately, a hillbilly scumbag with a bunch of cash and Stern was just too much too overcome.

As has already been expressed, it'd be hard for you guys to become Blazer fans, but the door's always open.

Anonymous said...

if there were more fans like yourself, you would be gearing up for next season. It is a money issue and as we all know, it's what makes the world go round. Don't worry, the team will do well due to the fact that the state of Oklahoma will cut every bit of of it's funding for education just so they can say they have a pro team. This is the "bass ackwards" way of thinking from the leaders down here! Yes, I said down here! I'm an Oklahoman but you won't see me going to any basketball games! All I can say is, I'm sorry for your loss

Anonymous said...

With no guarantees and only $30mil coming to Seattle in 5yrs should we not receive a team. I don't see any real incentive (outside of us being a large media market) for the NBA to come back here. We now have a free market chance just like any other city to get another team -- Yay!

If Howard Schultz withdraws his lawsuit or one game tips off in OKC, I'm done with the NBA.

Anonymous said...

Has a trial date been set on the Howard Schultz lawsuit?

Anonymous said...

Keep your heads up, guys. Whenever a team leaves a city there are always going to be good, die-hard fans getting the short end of the stick.

Bottom line is Seattle legislature should have gotten a new stadium a while ago, Stern wanted a team in OKC, and Bennett did too. It took a whole team of rich scumbags to fuck you guys out of a team and true sports fans across the country should be feeling for you. I know I am.

Anonymous said...

Oklahoma City is the next Memphis in 36 months. Oklahoma can not support a pro franchise LONG TERM. Those super regional banks and tangential oil players are going to be trending down. The loss of upper income jobs and corporate season support will mimic Memphis. Stern let his ego get in front of a sound business decision. There is no population influx into the state that LONG TERM allows Sacramento and Orlando to exist. Piss poor decision Stern-Go back and revisit the mandatory dree code idiot.

haizman_brain said...

I can't believe that I won't be hearing Kevin Calabro next year. The voice of the franchise has been the only thread of continuity as owners and players have shuffled in and out over the years.

I've been living in San Diego for the last 10 years and have still watched all the games (well, at least 90% of them with the invention of the Tivo) via the NBA League Pass subscription. Watching some of the other team's telecasts over the years really makes me appreciate how genius KC is. With the exception of Chick Hearn (RIP) and Hot Rod Hundley, the rest of the NBA broadcasters are a bunch of vanilla stiffs or ultimate homers (ie the Celtic's Tom Heinson).

Mayor Nichols - million dollar move, 5 cent finish.

Anonymous said...

I usually have a slight smirk on my face every time I type in my screen name. Doesn't seem very funny now.

Paul - '79 Finals screening and drinking sounds awesome. Definitely in.

Keep the blog going though -

Anonymous said...

One request and one comment:

1. Please try to use a name for your comments. You don't have to sign up for a google account, you can just use the "Name/URL" identity option and type in whatever you want.

2. From what I understand, Schultz has withdrawn his intention to use an injunction to keep the team in town. Therefore, there is nothing stopping Bennett from playing in OK next season. I am not sure when/if the trial date would be set. Of note, Judge Pechman would preside over the trial.

Anonymous said...

I am a die hard sonics fan living in the middle east, currently in Yemen.

First I want to say thanks to Paul and Nuss and the rest for your blog. It's kept me in the loop. Do keep it going (and add RSS feeds!)!

What follows is removed from the day to day local trial coverage, etc. so consider that when flaming.

I have very mixed feelings about this move. We can say the government of Seattle failed, but what did they fail to do except refuse to subsidize this absolute prick?

The truth is that the Mariners and Seahawks both have ownership groups that have a baseline of respect for their fanbase (no matter how crappy the Ms)

Bennett clearly didn't. He was bad news from day 1. He didn't even try the Paul Allen route of trying to fool us with a public initiative.

While it may pale to keeping the team (and man do I miss going to margaritas at Pesos before the game and biking back after to my apt.), I think for once this is a matter of principle.

Imagine if we got the arena. And then we'd have to deal with that douchebag's triumphant grin as he snookered the taxpayers in King County. (though I guess there isn't any justice... I won't be watching the OKC ticker tape parade on the evening news)

Jennifer said...

Another Blazer fan here....I know it's not much consolation, but I was rooting for the Sonics to stay in Seattle. We welcome Sonics fans in Portland and come on down to the Rose Garden and watch the Blazers kick some OKC butt when they come to town. Seattle is too great of a city with wonderful fans to not have an NBA team. Keep your spirits up and an NBA team will be back in Seattle.

Anonymous said...

Stern & Bennett have been scheming this from the get-go. We Seattlites/Washingtonians are the victims, I for one will not be partaking my time nor the effort into the NBA at all. Stern hates Seattle too much to even allow us another NBA team again (Source: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/354371_arena10.html)

Sorry Oregon, I hate the ducks and the beavers. Most of all I could never be a traitor and root for the Trailblazers. Thanks for the pity

Anonymous said...

Can't believe this. This is not happening. This can not be real.

I've waited 15 years to finally live in a NBA city that I actually like, and now... the future seems so bleak. Do I give up one of my favorite things in life to stay in a city I love?

Even in the best case of Shultz winning the team back, the NBA will be forever tainted treating the fans like this.

Niko said...

OKC losers can never take away this..they will never have anything like this.....click it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKz8ACUAApQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVY0UHDT3bI
and this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g36vjEI9cYg

OKC=CURSED

Anonymous said...

I'll say this, I'm not the average Blazer-hating Sonic fan. I went to the University of Oregon, fell in love with Eugene, lived in Oregon for a total of 5 years, and learned to love the city of Portland. Honestly, if it weren't for the lousy fall/winter weather, Portland would be my hands-down choice as best place to live in all of the U.S.

I say that to say this -- I don't think I could ever root for the Portland Trail Blazers. I just can't do it. Thank you very much for your kind words, Blazer fans, and it's very gracious of you to make such comments, but I'd rather root for no one than the Blazers.

Two final quick comments before I get out of here - this situation is not over:

1. Howard Schultz' lawsuit is still a possibility. If he decides to follow through on it (a sizeable if), there is an outside chance he could win and force Bennett to sell.

2. There is a chance that the league will grant Seattle an expansion team if/when KeyArena is refurbished. Set aside your opinions of whether this is a viable route to take for the moment, and focus on this question: Would you ante up the money as a taxpayer to re-do KeyArena, knowing that the NBA will be profiting tremendously from that action?

That last one is a tough one to swallow, especially in light what's transpired over the past year or so.

Anonymous said...

First off - I am a Trailblazer fan, born and raised in Salem. That said, I am very sad as I type this because the I-5 rivalry is a part of our culture. What happened in Seattle is cheap and low.
I understand those that cannot cheer on the blazers, but know that most of us will despise the OKC with you, for taking a small part of our team as well. We welcome all support even if it is only when we face off against OKC (or maybe the L*kers too).

Anonymous said...

1. Oklahoma is a college-based sports state. We have no sense of PRO-anything here except "pro-life" and "pro-death."

2. Stop worrying so much about your ex-sports team. If you're right about OKC becoming Memphis, OKC being "teh suk," Bennett being a loser - then why would you want it anyways?

3. They aren't going to be the SuperSonics anymore. Work on your arena, get another team - and guess what? Guess what you can call them!? The SuperSonics! omgwtfbbqpwnd?!

4. Don't be hating on OKC because of one man's decision on bringing a team here. They didn't disappoint with the Hornets, and some nice outside influence would be wonderful and less incestuous sportswise.

Anonymous said...

Sports fans from Vancouver can well relate to feelings of Sonics fans this night. The whole saga of the Grizzlies left such a bitter taste in the mouths of many that the NBA would have little chance even if they wanted to come back. As sorry as I am for the fans in Seattle, some of the blame can also be laid at the feet of Washington residents. 41 years of history is no small thing to give up on but when the various attempts to get Key Arena updated or replaced were shot down, the fates were cast. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Tradition and history have a cost. A cost the residents of Washington weren't willing to pay for in any incarnation. At least you guys had some choice in the matter. The fans in Vancouver didn't. They had a modern facility, but years of bumbling ownership, management and NBA policy kept a young team from getting better. Ultimately, it cost the team its fan support and the city, its team. I'm sorry for the hurt that some are feeling tonight but the result was inevitable. I hope they spend the 75 million wisely because that is the last that is going to be seen from that revenue stream for some time.

Anonymous said...

Where in the world is Timothy McVeigh when he is really really needed...ok..that comment is asinine but I just hate every single thing about OKC right now..

*Sigh*

No matter how politicians may try to spin it..the fact of the matter is we will never ever have a NBA team in this town again...

Stephanie @ RESNET said...

As a Cleveland Browns fan, I feel for you guys. Although this has got to be horrible, the good news is that you KEPT YOUR NAME AND COLORS. To me this indicates that you will get a new team, and I'll be a Sonics fan when it comes, because they will be the Browns of basketball. You guys put up a hell of a fight and you will be rewarded for it. Not to downplay how wrong it is that the team is moving, but there is some good news in this. Keep up the fight and someday soon Sonics basketball will return to Seattle.

Anonymous said...

Geri -

1. You now have a pro-franchise. I hope everyone there comes to truly understand what it cost (and no I'm not talking about finance).

2. What compels a person to come on a blog dedicated to a favorite sports team and say "stop caring about them." You heartless bitch.

3. We don't want another team. We want your team. Perhaps the worst part of this acquisition is that few OKC residents care at all for the history they've just inherited; indeed, the vast majority are probably completely ignorant of it.

4. If and when you get your heart pulled out and stepped on, then come into my home and tell me how I should feel about it. Until then...you know where the door is.

pg said...

I think what bothers me the most is how powerless we were in the face of something awful that didn't have to happen, except that a few rich people wanted to make more money...

(...and if those of you with a liberal political bent feel a similar feeling to what you felt following the last two presidential elections, I feel that, too.)

Contrary to the propaganda, Seattle was NOT a struggling NBA franchise with a non-existent fanbase and little hope of being profitable. All it would have taken was a winning team...a team that could contend--and this city would have once again lived and died by green and gold. (We certainly managed to do so quite well in forest, mustard and maroon.)

It wasn't that Schultz couldn't make money with the Sonics--he simply couldn't make ENOUGH money, and he used this team as his own little sandbox and his whims took us temporarily out of contention...right at the time when he decided that he wanted us to give him gifts.

"Screw you, rich man...pay for it yourself," was said in reply with confidence, because we never imagined that he could take this team away from us. After all, Seattle has dealt with piss-poor ownership who kept threatening us with leaving before--and we managed to hold onto both the Seahawks and the Mariners.

"Give me a fancy new stadium," the rich man cried--but we pointed out that we'd GIVEN his team a fancy new stadium quite recently (OK, a fancy newly-renovated stadium, but still)...and doing that made us give every other team their own fancy new stadium...and we'd be damned if we just kept doing that. It'd be a vicious circle of giving rich men gifts...

So, this particular rich man pouted...he not only took his ball and went home, he SOLD his ball to the neighbor-kid whose family was already packing to move.

Nobody believed Clay Bennett when he said he wanted to keep the team in Seattle--we were never that naive. We were astonished when he just flat out lied in court and got away with it...but, whatever happened, we never thought that he'd actually be allowed to move such a storied and beloved franchise.

(Right. As if we'd never heard of the Brooklyn Dodgers before...)

We watched as he severed almost every link this fan base had with the team...players, coaches, front office types... We watched (from home, mostly) as a team that needed to be competitive for its survival was gutted and left ineffectual and uncompetitive.

And, even in the middle of this...there was one glittering moment...when we lucked into the lottery balls giving us the second overall selection in the draft--and it seemed like the contending team was a heartbeat away...a team that would raise the spirits of dispirited fans and help keep the team here... The THOUGHT of Kevin Durant, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis on the same time moved me to being ready to buy season tickets for the first time since the early Vin Baker era... And that thought couldn't even last the day...and the team was left being Durant and nothing in particular (only to see even the nothing in particular squandered away during the year...)

And somehow, although we were powerless to do much about it, we thought it was obvious what was happening and we thought that no one would allow it to happen.

When Clay's idea of "good faith effort" to keep the team in Seattle was bundled up into a half-billion dollar take-it-or-leave-it proposal that he wouldn't actually invest a penny in...we laughed in his face and said "Screw you, rich man...build it yourself," confident that it was in such blatant bad faith that it was laughable.

We then put our faith in David Stern (cue the man in the top hat who lives in comedian Dana Gould's closet, who steps out and announces "Misssstaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!")...who stabbed every Sonics fan in the face.

David Stern told lies. He sold Clay's lies as if they were the gospel and made up his own lies just to twist the knife and make it hurt even more.

David Stern made it seem like WE, the fans, were the problem. That we didn't love this team enough to deserve to keep it.

It was the faith healer, blaming the lame kid for not having enough faith to be healed enough to dance, much less walk.

Stern did this...because he could. He did this because he has no other job but to keep an ever increasing stream of money go into the coffers of the rich men who make up the ownership of the teams in the league--and there was more money, in the short term, to move a team--any team--somewhere else--anywhere else.

When the wheel spun, it landed on us...it landed on us like a building.

Did city officials glibly take the side that we didn't need to just hand over gifts to rich men so we can be graced with their product? Yes--but I don't blame them. They felt like WE felt, "Screw you, rich man...build it yourself."

Did the State Legislature, after local officials realized that since David Stern was not on our side, that the city was no longer in position to just posture against corporate sports welfare but actually had to try to come up with a solution to keep our team here, fail to roll over and bark upon command? Yes...but again, the residents of this state were right in saying "Screw you rich man, build it yourself."

Do I think that there was anything in specific that either Greg Nickels or Christine Gregoire could have done to change Clay Bennett's mind after he was assured of getting exactly what he wanted--this team in OKC--??? No, I don't.

So, the city took the rich man, who owned our team and was given the support of his fellow rich men in taking our team away from us, to court in order to enforce a lease that the rich man wanted to break.

While we thought that the lease was a lease and it shouldn't be allowed to be broken--what did we really expect to happen?

Did we think they'd play two years here and then move to OKC? Did we really think that this ownership group who had received everything that it wanted was simply going to give it up because of a two year lease? Were we really going to support a team owner who made it very clear that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with us?

The team was gone long before today...every that happened today was just the negotiated divorce.

And the city got enough money to pay off a debt that it needed paid. (Better than was managed for the Kingdome.)

And we get to keep a name to a team that is gone...the colors of a team that is gone...and, if we get an expansion team (but NOT--note this clearly--NOT if we get a team that's been pried away from another city...), we get to a share the history of a team that is now gone with that team where it went.

And, if we can get the money to renovate a stadium without a team to the specifications of the unknown...we'd have five years to get a team or the city gets some more money--certain to be a mere fraction of the cost of renovating that stadium (and, thus, saddling a new team with another bad lease, I'm sure...)

AT NO POINT IN TIME, did it matter what we did...

Wouldn't have mattered if we'd gone to more games. Wouldn't have mattered if we'd voted for other people. Wouldn't have mattered if we kidnapped Kevin Durant and held him hostage until the team was allowed to stay.

We give our hearts, our souls and our precious moments on this planet to the idea of a "team"--only to find that it can be whisked away from us and erased based merely on the whims of rich men.

Honestly, I don't blame the future fans of the Oklahoma City team--other than the dicks who come on here and want to kick a broken hearted fanbase while it's down...

Really, you gloating OKC bastards...WE, the rejected, should get some latitude in our emotional reactions; we're the ones that just got dumped--so, we're going to call you a bitch. Expect it, accept it and let it slide--after all, you've got a team...a team that was once thought to be ours. You can afford more grace in this moment...enough to accept our futile rage.

They wanted an NBA team. They got one. They got one with the potential to be good...if they can manage to do that before everybody good decides they want to leave town. Best of luck with that.

And while I understand the "I will never love again" expressions of that futile rage here...I think if we're given a chance to love again...we'll do it. We'll kiss Stern's fat white ass...we'll even put another fan base through what we've just gone through...just for another chance at happiness.

...because what point in having principles can there be, now that we realize that we're just playthings in the sandbox of rich men?

I might root for the Blazers. Maybe I won't root for any team. I don't know. But, like baseball did in '95 (after a strike season where I swore I'd never care about baseball ever again)--I've got to remember that the passion might just return, in ways we might not expect or predict...if something compelling occurs, I'll fall, I know it.

Which brings me to the proper response of a fan to next year's season. I'm angry right now, so I'm truly drawn to the idea of Sonics fans packing the Rose Garden and booing the OKC Bandits out of the house next season. Just turn Portland green and gold and raise holy hell.

...and then I remember, that until 24 hours ago...Kevin Durant was ours, Jeff Green was ours, Luke & Nick...ours. Westbrook was about to be ours.

Is it THEIR fault that they've become caught up in the follies of rich men? Weren't they just as powerless as the rest of us in this whole nightmare? They didn't take themselves away from us...it was a rich man, who is unlikely to be with the team on that road trip.

If another kid won your favorite marble, is it any less your favorite as it rests in HIS marble bag instead of yours? If you loved it, does it truly matter who owns it or where it's kept?

Errrr...of course it does. Duhhh!

As Jerry Seinfeld once explained, rooting in sports comes down to yelling "Wrong Shirt!" at the opposing team.

And, as M's fans have shown A-Rod over the past few years, we really take the whole shirt thing seriously up here...

Here's what WON'T happen, but what should.

1) Screw the Schultz lawsuit, it's a red herring... This team, the one with Durant, Green, Westbrook--they're gone. They were never really ours, once Schultz sold them...time to move on.

2) Screw Key Arena. I know, I know--it's more convenient for me, too...but it doesn't NEED a renovation for anything other than an NBA team that we don't have...and there's absolutely no guarantee that the renovations we do this time will last any longer than the renovations we did LAST time.

3) Steve Ballmer...meet the Muckleshoots...Muckleshoots, meet Steve Ballmer. Now...you build whatever you want, wherever you want... YOU BUILD IT.

4) Screw getting money from the city, screw getting money from the state.

5) If you can't figure out how to make money from an NBA franchise--you don't deserve an NBA franchise.


...and when you do that, and IF, in the next five years, there's a team for us...an expansion team (which I find terribly unlikely) or a team whose owner hasn't gotten enough gifts from where they are now to not sell his team to buyers from out of town (which, hopefully, will be a team that really IS struggling with a non-existent fanbase, but now I don't know who to believe about that shit any more...certainly not David Stern)...then be prepared to give us a few years to really take on a team dressing up in familiar green and gold into our hearts.

These hearts are broken...and it'll take some healing before a rebound team becomes our new true love.

There. I've said all that I could ever say. It might be my last post on supersonicsoul.

Time to sing sad songs and wallow in self pity until I manage to get over it. I wish us all the strength to do the same.

peter greyy--seattle (sonics fan)

(And Paul, if it means finally getting you to walk the two blocks over to my house, everybody can watch those bootlegs over at my place.)

Anonymous said...

Why are fucking idiots hating on citizens from Oklahoma City?

Why are fucking idiots hating on Professional Basketball Club, LLC Chairman Clay Bennett?

Why are fucking idiots hating on NBA Commissioner David Stern?

The blame here belongs to former Basketball Club of Seattle, LLC Chairman Howard Schultz -- who jewed every last one of us -- the Washington State Legislature, Gov. Christine Gregoire, the Seattle City Council, and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickles.

However, I'm going to cut Gregoire, Nickles, and every other politico a break. Due to the fact that most Washingtonians -- and, more importantly, a majority of Seattleites -- were against the use of taxpayer dollars to finance the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility, they were just doing their civic duty.

Besides, I can't believe that people think Dino Rossi would be any better than Gregoire; they're both losers. Rossi is a whore for insurance companies, while Gregoire is a whore for Native American interests. All in all, both of them swallow the jizz of corporate interests and lobbying groups; ergo, it won't matter a bit who wins the gubernatorial election this fall, as either way it'll be a loss for us.

Of course, I'm a libertarian minarchist -- rather than a cuntish conservative or a vaginized liberal -- who thinks that the public funds shouldn't be used on such unnecessary projects; hence, I'm somewhat biased here. I was nevertheless a diehard fan of the Seattle SuperSonics, though, which balances out my opinion on the matter.

Yet, apropos of that slick bastard (i.e., Schultz), someone ought to spit at his face and kicks him square in the motherfucking balls; he's a self-centered, money-grubbing sellout. Sans Schultz, I can fathom the rationale behind everyone's reasoning -- including Bennett, who's just trying to be a philathropist for his hometown -- in this whole debacle.

All right, I just had to vent a bit.

Anonymous said...

Hello from France. It's a bad news for basket and sport! How can a man move a 41's old team??? In Europe it's impossible and may be source of trouble (althought they did it in England with a little soccer team). I'm very disappointed and I hope the Supersoncis back from ash like the phoenix!!
Good luck for you, Supersonicsoul is a great blog!

Tony B said...

I'm no fan of the NBA or basketball in general, but I think this is crap.

The 'sonics are the only team that I've ever actually had a moment with.
Back in '96 or '97 they were in the playoffs and eliminated.
I saw The Presidents of the United States of America in Atlanta and they sung their song Supermodel with the lyrics changed to be Supersonics, not just a regular team.
It was awesome to see a band 2000 miles from home paying tribute to a sports team.

Oklahoma is not OK today.

Anonymous said...

as an OKC resident, i'm glad we have an NBA team but i think it stinks that we took yours. i'm an avid Oklahoma State Cowboys fan, and i know i'd feel pretty crappy if something happened to them. anyway, ignore the moron oklahoma sooner fans who have posted on here and try to cheer up. though it doesn't seem like it, the sun will rise tomorrow and i believe you will have another NBA team soon. at least i hope so.

-brad, OKC

Anonymous said...

It was tourist tax dollars for pete's sake!

Anyhow, don't understand this 'history staying here' business. The records & etc always move with the teams.

charlesb said...

The only consolation that I can find at the moment is this...

In 3 years, when Durant is just starting to hit his prime, there is no way in hell that he will renew his contract in okc. Why would he stay in a bush league town, when he could go live and play in an actual top 25 market?

And it is at that point that all of these sooner fans will be introduced to the real NBA. And that is when I will go to the okc land thieves blog and say "welcome to the nba, losers".

That, after all, is the biggest problem with a team in okc. No marquee free agents would voluntarily sign there, and no big name players will re-sign there. Unless Bennett can get his boy Stern to make them.

Anonymous said...

My condolences to Supersonicsoul and all of the Sonics fans that frequent this site. I love NBA basketball and I would be devastated if the Nuggets left Denver. Not because I'm a Nuggets fan, but because I'm a fan of the game. What happened wasn't right. But karma has a way of sorting these types of things out.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I wholeheartedly agree with the above post.

As a small-market franchise in the NBA, the Oklahoma City [Insert Team Name Here] will have difficulty building a winning organization. Even a middle-market team like the Seattle SuperSonics had trouble competing on the same level with the big boys, which is definitely tough stuff.

Furthermore, Sam Presti hasn't proven that he's capable of constructing a successful ballclub -- as Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook were questionable draft picks, while the current roster is mostly garbage -- plus, the Professional Basketball Club, LLC isn't the most affluent ownership group.

All in all, it'll be a tough road to hoe for the Okies.

Anonymous said...

Hey, y'all.

I just wanted to express my condolences on behalf of Hornets fans. If it makes you feel any better, there's one arena that's going to boo the hell out of that team every time it comes to town. Nothing against the (former) Sonics players, but We. Hate. That. City. Even now there are some douches there whining that they don't waaaant Seattle's team, they want the Hornets. Their media was generally classless toward New Orleans during the whole ordeal, and I have no doubt there's going to be classlessness toward Seattle and its fans.

I was rooting hard for Seattle, mostly because up until around April of this year we didn't know how much longer we'd have a team in NOLA either, and this just sucks.

NickZepp said...

What the hell did Clay Bennett do wrong. He said from day one that he was giving Seattle a year to keep their team. He bought the city in July of 2006. He spent more money trying to keep the team in the city than anyone had before in Seattle. Howard Shultz and Clay Bennett both thought that there would be a better shot at keeping the team in Seattle if you get an out of town owner.

The deadline passed and Seattle didn't really try to get a team. You can blame the people, the government, or the Mayor. You can't blame Clay Bennett for being a business man.

OKC was given a short term with the Hornets came(5 weeks) and filled it up every week. Then OKC's people were asked to vote to do renovations to the Ford Center and they passed it.

Seattle is a big time city, they could easily have come up with a plan and passed it if the people and the state and city government really wanted the Sonics to stay. Like it or not there's nobody to blame for Seattle but themselves.

Good luck in getting a new team, but it doesn't look too good. Seattle, there's nobody to blame but yourselves.

Anonymous said...

I'm a Knicks fan and I'm deeply saddened by Seattles loss of the Sonics. As a basketball fan coming of age in the late 80's-90's I can vividly remember watching Kemp knife to the basket for that impossible twisting reverse slam at the garden. After that I always watched the Sonics whenever I got the chance. Those Glove to Reign alley oops, The Lister Blister, the jam where Chris Gattling even had to give it up to Reign after getting dunked on (I have never seen that reaction before or since), the sonics always had my respect. My little brother got into the act and made a Shawn Kemp paper mache statue for a junior high art project. I know it's no consolation but from cruising basketball blogs these last few weeks, it seems the consensus is that the OKC "whatever" will be the most hated team in basketball by in every fanbase except OKC. Good luck guys.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the sympathy from all the fans of other teams.

I have a plan for bitter revenge. We Sonic fans need a big favor from all the other fans in the NBA: we need you to make playing for the OkC Whatevers a gureling, miserable experience. When they come to your arena, boo them like you hate their guts. Boo Durant, Green, Westbrook, everyone. Not because you hate them--they're likable guys, after all--but because we want them to leave OkC at the first opportunity. We want Bennett and company to go TU. We want the fans in OkC to be cheated, and have a loser. We want scorched earth.

KeFkA XIII said...

Hey guys i am so far away from seattle its not even funny. I am not even a seattle fan at all im from philly and i just want to say from a sixers fan i feel for yas. Its stupid that something like this can still happen. Hope you guys get something fast. Or riot that usually gets things done around here lol

Bruingirl83 said...

Long-time, die-hard Sonics fan here, currently living in Kansas City...just can't believe it. Even when there was talk that the Sonics might move here, my husband and I (both Washington-born) had a queasy feeling about. They're just part of Seattle's soul.
To all of you totally ignorant, classless Okies who come here and trash-talk, red-neck style: You can't even throw enough money at Bill Self to get him to come back there to coach at his alma mater, get it? "Your" NBA team won't be staying there very long...

Hil said...

As a Jazz fan, It makes me ill to think the Sonics are gone.

I'll never forget some of those games against the Sonics in the
90's.

Seattle is one of my favorite cities and it pisses me off that you guys were screwed over by Stern, Bennett, the legislature, ect. Shame on the NBA for doing this to you guys. I hope basketball returns to Seattle.

Ike Diamonds said...

I have that same paper. My Grandmother gave it to me when I started becoming a huge Sonics fan. You are right, it feels a lot less special now.

Anonymous said...

I know exactly what you're talking about when you talk about "the newspaper," even though mine isn't 29-years old (hell, not even I'M 29-years old). I'm from Cleveland, and I've moved back and forth between Cleveland and South Carolina, and now live in Oregon. But I still have all the newspapers following the World Series runs of 95 and 97 of the Cleveland Indians. They're still stashed away in my closet, and every now and then I like to look at them and bring up the memories of those times and what the city experienced.

I'm really very sorry and heartbroken about what happened to your team. Like I said, I'm from Cleveland, and I was a 12-year old kid when the Browns moved from Cleveland to Baltimore back in '95. That and the '94 baseball strike really killed the innocence of sports for me. Before, I looked at it as a game where the players were living and dying for the name on the name on the front of their jersey. Then I realized that it's just one damn big business and only fans care about the results on the field (well, maybe GMs and coaches too, since their jobs depend on it). But moving a team that had been in the city for close to 50 freaking years! You bring up 41 years...try 50! I've just become numb to it all.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Peter Greyy. Exactly.

A Corner Full of Thoughts said...

I'm an Oklahoman. I loved the Sonics too, so I can understand why so many people are angry. The biggest blame should be on Seattle's local government and the former ownership. This loss was five years in the making. I'm not going to lie, I will enjoy going to games in the Ford Center. I just wanted to say that IF YOU REALLY LOVE THE SONICS you would force your local government do everything possible to accommodate a new NBA team. I really do hope we'll see green and gold jerseys in Seattle soon.

Anonymous said...

hahahahahaha
seattle blows
elect some good politicians and you wouldn't be getting screwed right now

OKC FOR LIFE!

Fernando Chang said...

Hey, I'm here in Phoenix and I want to give my condolences to the virtual gangband Bennett's group put on.

No city should have to pay a ridiculous amount of $5mill to put up a new arena, especially when there already is a satisfactory home. That money should be put to use for education, and infrastructure, not the whims of a sports baron.

No city should have to be put to extremes to keep their beloved team.

And no man should be allowed to sneak out of a commitment (Key Arena lease)

As a Valley man, I'm a Phoenix Suns supporter through and through, and enjoyed kicking your guy's butt, but visiting Seattle a summer ago, the beauty of the cool region and passion of the supporters, I can't help but feel sad too.

Revive the Sonics, I look forward to seeing them around. As for now, to Hell with the OKC whatever-the-hell-they-want-to-name-it!

Anonymous said...

People who actually have the nerve to throw Timothy McVeigh into the mix here totally deserve to get their team taken. BY THE WAY... Bennett is a business man, if YOU were supporting the team and it was making money, it so would have stayed there. You people are ridiculous... this is not a tragedy. A tragedy is children dying in their daycare. You wouldn't know anything about that, though, would you.

Anonymous said...

"Oklahoma City is the next Memphis in 36 months. Oklahoma can not support a pro franchise LONG TERM. Those super regional banks and tangential oil players are going to be trending down. The loss of upper income jobs and corporate season support will mimic Memphis. Stern let his ego get in front of a sound business decision. There is no population influx into the state that LONG TERM allows Sacramento and Orlando to exist. Piss poor decision Stern-Go back and revisit the mandatory dree code idiot." I take offense to the idea that OKC puts Sacramento or Orlando in jeopardy. Sacramento had a team, and the strongest support of any small market team, or any team for that matter, for 10 years running, and when the team became legitmately very good and fun to watch, of any team in the league. It created an atmosphere you see in most college towns, because unlike most college towns around the US, Sacramento's "team" is the Kings. There is no real college team to root for in the area (at least not on the major college level anyway).

As far as Orlando they've had a team for nearly 20 years now. Orlando has had it's up & downs as a franchise, but they will succeed there long term because there is a market. OKC can only hope the same at this point. Whoever posted that comment has no balls.

Seattle is the 14th largest market in the US, but a city like Sacramento is the 17 or 18th largeset market in the US. It isn't much smaller. So what is the difference? More papers for one, but more regional tourism. You have cruise ships, and the only pro baseball/football team for 1000 miles in every direction in the continental US. What does Seattle have? The entire NorthWestern region at their disposal. That's why Sonics fans feel slighted. Why Oklahomans don't get that is beyond me.

I've lived in Seattle, Honolulu and Sacramento, and with the sole added exception of surfing, there isn't anything you can do in Honolulu you can't in Seattle. Seattle is a livable city with a stupid ass mayor. Unfortunately unfortunate. The timing is bad, and the NBA chose to make an example of Seattle. Or more accurately, David Stern did. He will regret this decision long term when he has to fall on his sword to allow either New Orleans or Memphis move their team here. (For the record a few fans in each city will be angry, but by and large I don't see why Hornets fans will really care. Memphis fans might be a different story. But long term who knows.)

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