Wilcox Still Undecided

Reports are still trickling in regarding Chris Wilcox' free agency status, with his agent telling the PI that Wilcox if it comes down to signing a one-year deal and waiting for FA next year, "Chris is prepared to do that."

Ouch.

In my mind, Wilcox signing a one-year deal is an absolute worst-case scenario, even worse than letting him go for a bucket of wings and a 2nd-round draft pick.

Seattle GM Rick Sund chimed in as well, stating, "We've had dialogue the past few weeks but we are not close to an agreement." I know it's all posturing on both sides, but the longer this thing drags out, the worse of a feeling I'm getting. In a perfect world, Wilcox would take the 3-year deal he's been offered, as he'll be able to command a good salary at the end of it, and the Sonics won't be on the hook for a monster deal if he turns out to be the 2006 version of Jerome James/Calvin Booth/Jim McIlvaine.

In other news, Johan Petro may or may not be on the French World Championship squad. According to FIBA, Petro is competing with Ronny Turiaf for a center spot, and one of them will have to go. Be nice to see Petro get some more recognition, but I'll be honest, seeing him get some rest wouldn't be so bad, either. And, for what it's worth, does anyone know if Gelabale is playing in the tournament as well? I'm beginning to think that the government should start using European basketball leagues for their witness protection programs - it's next to impossible to find a boxscore or team roster for the myriad of tournaments that go on over there.

Rally! Really.

If you're reading this, you're probably not at the Friday 7pm rally organized by our pals at SaveOurSonics.org/SaveOurStorm.org. No worries, though, because there will two more chances to show the teams some love this weekend (as seen on the site's front page):

Seafair Torchlight Parade
Saturday, July 29, 2006 at 7:00 AM

We will be walking in the parade with our banners and shirts.

Seattle Storm Game
Sunday, July 30, 2006 at 6:00 PM

This game needs to be a sellout. Bring your "Keep our Teams here" signs. Volunteers needed before the game.

And if you're like me and are unable to join the throngs in person, you could always show your support by turning the image above into a car sign... computer desktop wallpaper... or...uh, fashionable paper briefs and pirate hat, held together with Scotch tape.

Moore Dealt

The Sonics traded Mikki Moore to New Jersey today for a 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft. The Sonics roster now looks like this:

C - Sene, Swift, Petro
PF - Wilcox (?), Collison, Fortson
SF - Lewis, Gelabale, Wilkins
SG - Allen, Wilkins, Gelabale, Brown (?)
PG - Ridnour, Watson

Add it up and it's 13 guys, so we're still looking at a one, maybe two roster spots still available. Noel Felix impressed the heck out of everyone at the Rocky Mountain Revue (just curious ... am I the only one who thinks the Sonics' summer league sounds like something gay cowboys would put on?), so Felix may have an even better chance of making the roster. Otherwise, the Sonics may look to add another PG as a 3rd-stringer.

Shinn on New Orleans

George Shinn, owner of the Hornets, made a few comments yesterday regarding his team's move to New Orleans, implying that a final decision on where the Hornets will call home after next season should come "as early as September, maybe as late as December or January."

Shinn also indicated that he would prefer to spend this season in Oklahoma before moving to New Orleans in the 2007-08. The Hornets are slated to play 35 games in OKC this season.

Insert nasty comment about how the Sonics are on a one-year trial in Seattle here.

How I See It

Artwork by Rafael Calonzo, Jr (Click for larger pic)

If you’ve followed the arena situation at all in Seattle, you’ve heard two different arguments. One, we need to build it to retain the tradition of NBA basketball in this city. Two, the NBA is blackmailing the city of Seattle and the state of Washington into building them an arena. This second argument has been reinforced, of course, by the recent sale of the team to Oklahoma City investors.

Well, neither side is right. It’s not necessary to carry on the tradition, and it’s not blackmail.

It’s extortion.

Let’s consult a dictionary, shall we?

From Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary:

Extort \Ex*tort"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Extorted; p. pr. & vb. n. Extorting.] [L. extortus, p. p. of extorquere to twist or wrench out, to extort; ex out + torquere to turn about, twist. See Torsion.] 1. To wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt.

Now, Pete, you’re saying to yourself, isn’t that a little harsh? After all, are Clay Bennett and his colleagues holding a gun to our head? No, they are not. But a closer examination of the definition reveals that, yes, the city is being extorted. Or do you think that forcing the city to make a decision in 12 months isn’t duress? Or that moving the Sonics to Oklahoma would be anything but “tearing away” the team from its devoted followers?

Believe me, I have struggled with saying this out loud. As someone who writes for a website devoted to a sports team, it’s more than a little hypocritical of me to criticize those who throw their support and money behind the team. In fact, I admire the tenacity with which others have attacked this issue, trying to raise public consciousness of what is obviously a dire situation. And, most importantly, as someone who tied his shoelaces as a kid to mimic the way Gus Williams did, I have more than just a passing interest in Sonics’ basketball. But after having looked at this from every angle, I cannot legitimately justify going ahead with a new arena.

I’m sorry, but when you look at the current situation objectively, you cannot come to any other conclusion. At the present time, basketball fans in Seattle are faced with two options in regard to Clay Bennett:

1. Buy scads of tickets, hoping to convince the city council/state government to build a new arena for Mr. Bennett. End Result: Mr. Bennett becomes wealthier, both via increased sales and the added value to his team due to the new arena.

2. Don’t buy scads of tickets, watch Mr. Bennett move the team to Oklahoma City. End Result: Mr. Bennett no longer has to fly to Seattle and pretend to understand how to pronounce Puyallup.

So, we either give him a sack of money, or he takes our team and leaves town? That isn’t extortion? For crying out loud, if this was The Rockford Files, James Garner wouldn’t even take the case it’s so painfully obvious what is happening.

I’ve said this before, but I’ll repeat it: I don’t begrudge Schultz or Bennett their reasons for making more money, as we all have the same motivations. But did anyone else read the comments of Ray Allen recently? Look, I like Allen, he’s a gentleman and a terrific player; the consumate pro that any fan would love to have on his team. But when he starts complaining about how the Key lacks wireless connnections in the lockerroom, about how the coaches don’t have proper offices ... well, it makes me want to vomit. Let me get this straight – we need to spend $150 million in taxpayer money so Ray Allen can check his email? Are you kidding me?

The argument these stadiums/teams produce economic benefits is provably false, so the only argument can be that we as fans want others to pay for our fun. Sorry, folks, but I won’t play that game, because that makes us no better than Bennett, Schultz, Stern, and all of their ilk – and, in fact, makes us co-conspirators in an extortion scheme. Thanks, but I’ll pass.

He once got busy in a Burger King bathroom

Has all this Sonics drama got you down? Then stop by Mirabeau Room on Queen Anne Wednesday night for ComedyNight, a weekly showcase of Seattle's best comedians (like me!).

This week's show will feature a guest performance by none other than Mr. Humpty Hump himself, Shock G of Digital Underground. Seriously. Plus, I will be doing a special piece entitled "Why The Sonics Are More Important Than Homeless Shelters". Seriously.

Save Our Sonics!

In case you haven't seen it yet, the good people at SaveOurSonics.org are organizing an effort to save our team. We've offered our services, and encourage everyone else out there to do the same. Keep hope alive!

More Kemp Troubles

You know, you want to believe the best in people, and then ...

...................

Shawn Kemp, 36, was arrested in Houston early Friday morning and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Kemp allegedly had two ounces or less of the drug in his possession.

...................

The story comes from a Houston television station, complete with video footage.

Sonics top Sixers

The Sonics got a strong performance from young Robert Swift yesterday in Utah, as the 3rd-year center went for 13-10 with 6 blocks in only 25 minutes of play, and Seattle beat the undefeated Sixers 88-86. Louis Williams continued his high-scoring for Philly by grabbing 21 points, his 4th time in the +20 range this summer. Interesting to see how he fits in the Philadelphia equation when the pre-season gets underway.

Aaron Miles also made an immediate impact for the Sonics, as the former KU star scored 14 points in his first game for Seattle this summer. It's also worth noting that Swift got to the line 9 times on 11 field goal attempts, an outstanding mark for a young big man.

Also of note:

-Mouhamed Sene sat out his second consecutive game with a bum ankle
-Paccelis Morlende sat out
-Yotam Halperin only played 3 minutes
-Noel Felix continued to play well, and led the Sonics with 27 minutes played. It's beginning to look as though he'll get serious consideration for a roster spot this fall.

New Arena for Sacto

It appears the Kings won't be using moving vans any time soon.

"Negotiators for the city and county of Sacramento moments ago finalized a deal with the Maloof family to finance a new arena for the Sacramento Kings," report Mary Lynne Vellinga, Terri Hardy and R.E. Graswich of THE SACRAMENTO BEE. "The financing package would rely on voter approval of a new quarter-cent sales tax that would produce about $1.2 billion over a period of years, sources said."

from nba.com

Just wondering: If there was a vote today on a 1/4-cent increase in the sales tax, with the money dedicated to building a new arena for the Sonics, would you support it?

Summer Fun

Lost amidst the furor of the Sonics' sale to Clay "You can call me Jaws" Bennett, the Sonics are on tap to play the Sixers this afternoon in the Summer League.

Philly's been the juggernaut of the League this summer, running off to a 4-0 start behind some serious whoopings. Louis Williams, who appeared in 30 games for the 76ers last year, has been pacing them with 20 point outings in 3 of the 4 games. It would be nice to Sene back in the lineup after turning his ankle a few days ago, but we'll have to wait until later (tune in to sonicscentral for up-to-the-minute coverage; kudos to them for have a man on the scene for all of us losers who follow basketball in the summer). Otherwise, we may be treated to another version of the Robert Swift Show. It really has been nice to see how well Sene's played; I still don't know that I'd have taken another big man project in the first round, but he's beginning to get me to come around.

The Bomb has dropped

The Sonics are heading to Oklahoma. Sonics fan suicide watch starts . . . now:

SEATTLE - The city's oldest major league franchise has been sold to a group from Oklahoma City, according to a report in the Seattle Times quoting multiple sources.

The sale is reportedly being made to an investor group led by Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett. Bennet was instrumental in the temporary relocation of the Hornets to Oklahoma City following Hurricane Katrina. But the Hornets are scheduled to return to New Orleans following the 2006-07 season.

A news conference to announce the sale of the Seattle Supersoncis has been scheduled for 3 p.m.

from KING 5

Thanks to Susan for the tip. I think I need several drinks and maybe some drugs. Anyone else?