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Friday, April 18
Press Conference Televised
According to Eric Williams at TNT, the league will be holding a press conference in NYC between 1 and 2 pm East Coast Time (10 to 11 here), although Percy Allen at the Times expects the conference to be later than that.
Of note, the press conference will be broadcast on both NBA TV as well as nba.com. Stay tuned; if we find a link we'll throw it up on the site.
However, being that Clay Bennett and David Stern will be giving the conference, it might be considered NSFW.
UPDATE: Press conference has been delayed until no earlier than 12 pm Seattle time. Apparently, Clay and David still had some things to do.
Of note, the press conference will be broadcast on both NBA TV as well as nba.com. Stay tuned; if we find a link we'll throw it up on the site.
However, being that Clay Bennett and David Stern will be giving the conference, it might be considered NSFW.
UPDATE: Press conference has been delayed until no earlier than 12 pm Seattle time. Apparently, Clay and David still had some things to do.
Decision Day
It is now just after noon in New York City, and while the owners of 30 NBA teams lunch on whatever millionaires and billionaires lunch on (caviar? $100 bills?), the fate of the Seattle SuperSonics, somewhat, hangs in the balance.
I say somewhat because, as we all know, that fate will be more concretely decided in mid-June during the court case between the team and the city.
But today’s vote will be interesting nonetheless. A number of possibilities await, among them:
-A unanimous or near-unanimous vote of YES to relocation (most likely)
-A vote of YES, with a condition attached related to the outcome of the trial (equally likely)
-A postponement of the vote (less likely)
-A NO vote (as likely as the three of us attending Karl Malone’s Hall of Fame induction)
Somewhere in between all of those options is the reality. In a numbers game, how many votes will Seattle get? Mark Cuban seems to be likely to say no, Paul Allen has been reported as leaning towards abstaining (way to take a stand, big fella), and the rest are seemingly on side with David Stern and Clay Bennett.
I’m putting the over/under on NO votes at 3. Feel free to chime in with your expectations.
UPDATE: Eric Williams at the TNT notes in his blog that the owners will be giving a press conference shortly, indicating the vote has already been held.
Sene Out for Next Season
It appears Mo Sene fans will have to wait an entire year before seeing him lace up his shoes for the Sonics.
The Senegalese center made great strides in the D-League this season, but that achievement has been tainted with news late yesterday that he underwent microfracture surgery on Monday, the same surgery which sabotaged Greg Oden's chances at glory this season.
Sene was already under the knife for a tear in his right knee when doctors found out about the additional injury.
The Senegalese center made great strides in the D-League this season, but that achievement has been tainted with news late yesterday that he underwent microfracture surgery on Monday, the same surgery which sabotaged Greg Oden's chances at glory this season.
Sene was already under the knife for a tear in his right knee when doctors found out about the additional injury.
Thursday, April 17
Non-Arena News
Just to remind us all that this is a basketball team we're following, and not a conglomeration of lawyers and court cases, a bit of on-court news to report:
1. Scott Perry will not return as the Sonics' Asst. General Manager next year, having taken a position with Detroit Pistons, from whence he came to the Sonics a year ago. Perry is expected to be named the VP of Basketball Operations for the Pistons.
2. Gary Washburn reports in the PI that Sam Presti failed to confirm - not once, but twice - that PJ Carlesimo will return as the Sonics' head coach next season. I'll allow you to read Washburn's piece to get the rest of the story, but the bigger question is, Does it mean anything?
Perhaps not. After all, Carlesimo is a big enough boy to be able to withstand a few days or weeks of uncertainty, so it's not as though he'll be anxiously awaiting every text message and phone call he receives in the next little while.
On the other hand, Presti can't be terribly enthused with how the season went, especially the way in which the team seemed to tune out their coach and go on early vacation in numerous games in the second half of the season.
The franchise's utter lack of certainty in any aspect of its existence has more than a little to do with that, of course, but shouldn't Carlesimo's avowed dedication to defense shown up on the court at some point this year?
Luckily for PJ, both Kevin Durant and Jeff Green showed improvement in their games as the season went on, for if those two keys to the team's future failed to show any increase in skills after 82 games under Carlesimo, then that might have been it for the long-time assistant.
One other aspect to consider, naturally, is Gary Washburn's obvious disdain for the entire situation. It's only human nature to grow weary of a lousy situation, and covering the Sonics this year was a lousy situation no matter how you looked at it. GW, perhaps inheriting the Bitter Baron title from the since-departed Frank Hughes at the TNT, seemed to take the Sonics' failures down the stretch more than a little too close to heart, and his frustration at the season may have played a role in the quotes he obtained.
1. Scott Perry will not return as the Sonics' Asst. General Manager next year, having taken a position with Detroit Pistons, from whence he came to the Sonics a year ago. Perry is expected to be named the VP of Basketball Operations for the Pistons.
2. Gary Washburn reports in the PI that Sam Presti failed to confirm - not once, but twice - that PJ Carlesimo will return as the Sonics' head coach next season. I'll allow you to read Washburn's piece to get the rest of the story, but the bigger question is, Does it mean anything?
Perhaps not. After all, Carlesimo is a big enough boy to be able to withstand a few days or weeks of uncertainty, so it's not as though he'll be anxiously awaiting every text message and phone call he receives in the next little while.
On the other hand, Presti can't be terribly enthused with how the season went, especially the way in which the team seemed to tune out their coach and go on early vacation in numerous games in the second half of the season.
The franchise's utter lack of certainty in any aspect of its existence has more than a little to do with that, of course, but shouldn't Carlesimo's avowed dedication to defense shown up on the court at some point this year?
Luckily for PJ, both Kevin Durant and Jeff Green showed improvement in their games as the season went on, for if those two keys to the team's future failed to show any increase in skills after 82 games under Carlesimo, then that might have been it for the long-time assistant.
One other aspect to consider, naturally, is Gary Washburn's obvious disdain for the entire situation. It's only human nature to grow weary of a lousy situation, and covering the Sonics this year was a lousy situation no matter how you looked at it. GW, perhaps inheriting the Bitter Baron title from the since-departed Frank Hughes at the TNT, seemed to take the Sonics' failures down the stretch more than a little too close to heart, and his frustration at the season may have played a role in the quotes he obtained.
Bennett on the Attack
No matter your opinion on the ongoing saga between Clay Bennett, David Stern, and the City of Seattle, you cannot disagree with the sentiment that this situation has become much, much more difficult than either of the first two parties anticipated.
Whether you believe Seattle is reaping the fruits of years of ignoring the “problems” with the KeyArena lease, or if you believe Bennett is fully within his rights to pick up and move the Sonics, you must also believe that Clay Bennett – and David Stern right alongside him - is sweating bullets these days.
How can I be so sure? Because people who are convinced they are going to win court cases do not start slinging wild accusations in federal court, that’s why.
Bennett’s lawyers filed motions in Federal District Court on Wednesday, a number of which are sealed at the present time, but the motions in essence question the integrity of the City of Seattle, whether the city truly is revealing the true cost of the remodeling of KeyArena, and whether there is collusion between the proposed ownership group and the city. (You can find the a PDF links here).
Looking at the documents, you can only come to one conclusion – this entire situation is going to give the National Basketball Association a black eye unlike anything it has ever seen. Already, months before the court date, acrimonious charges are being bandied about, by both sides. From the city:
“When the current owners bought the Sonics, the NBA required ... that the new owners make ‘good faith best efforts’ for a year to keep the Sonics in the Seattle area. ... In the midst of the ‘good faith best efforts’ period, the owners deceived the NBA about their actions and true intentions, which from the outset were to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City. As an apparent result of this deception, the NBA began taking the new owners’ side by endorsing their claims about the Lease and KeyArena.”and
“The NBA refuses to produce responsive documents [the city was referring to financial records pertaining to profit and loss] ... The NBA cannot involve itself in the events underlying the litigation and simultaneously refuse to provide necessary discovery.”And on and on. Further, reading Mayor Greg Nickels’ deposition, and the adversarial tone taken by Bennett’s attorney, you can only imagine how the events will proceed in court, when Slade Gorton and his crew get the opportunity to cross-examine Clay Bennett and David Stern.
Nope, Brian Robinson was right all along – the NBA doesn’t want anything to do with a court case, and the city – as well as the rest of us, now – knows it.
Sonics Win! Off-Season Awaits
Any chance we can get Kevin Durant's grandmother a season pass to all 82 games next year?
According to Eric Williams in the TNT, Durant's grandmother, Barbara Williams, was in attendance last night, and, "Every time she comes to the game, I feel like I’ve got to do something special because she rarely gets to see me play."
That something special translated into a 42-point, 13-rebound performance in a rare Sonic road win, this time over the Golden State Warriors in a game with absolutely no significance whatsoever, unless you consider the last game in Sonic history to be significant, that is.
Even more amazing was his 18-of-25 (!) performance from the field and six dimes, easily his best all-around performance of the season.
Jeff Green shined in a secondary role, and added 27 points and 10 rebounds, in what turned out to be what must be one of the best rookie performances in NBA history.
So, now we wait for Friday, when the Board of Governors meets to decide what to do with the Sonics' future. Honestly, I'm not all that concerned with their decision, in that it pales in significance to the decision handed down this June in a Seattle courtroom, let alone the decision rendered in Ho Shu's (kudos to Paul for the nickname) case against Clay Bennett.
And, if you're desperate for a laugh, visit the Daily Oklahoman, where Clay Bennett's minions try to explain how the City of Seattle is in collusion with Steve Ballmer and the Group of Four in an attempt to drive down the price of the team and facilitate a sale.
Yeah, that's right, Clay, we're all out to get you. It doesn't have anything to do with the craptacular way you've gone about your business for the past year and a half.
According to Eric Williams in the TNT, Durant's grandmother, Barbara Williams, was in attendance last night, and, "Every time she comes to the game, I feel like I’ve got to do something special because she rarely gets to see me play."
That something special translated into a 42-point, 13-rebound performance in a rare Sonic road win, this time over the Golden State Warriors in a game with absolutely no significance whatsoever, unless you consider the last game in Sonic history to be significant, that is.
Even more amazing was his 18-of-25 (!) performance from the field and six dimes, easily his best all-around performance of the season.
Jeff Green shined in a secondary role, and added 27 points and 10 rebounds, in what turned out to be what must be one of the best rookie performances in NBA history.
So, now we wait for Friday, when the Board of Governors meets to decide what to do with the Sonics' future. Honestly, I'm not all that concerned with their decision, in that it pales in significance to the decision handed down this June in a Seattle courtroom, let alone the decision rendered in Ho Shu's (kudos to Paul for the nickname) case against Clay Bennett.
And, if you're desperate for a laugh, visit the Daily Oklahoman, where Clay Bennett's minions try to explain how the City of Seattle is in collusion with Steve Ballmer and the Group of Four in an attempt to drive down the price of the team and facilitate a sale.
Yeah, that's right, Clay, we're all out to get you. It doesn't have anything to do with the craptacular way you've gone about your business for the past year and a half.
Wednesday, April 16
A Long and Winding Road
You want to hear something crazy?
Tonight may be the last game ever played by the Seattle SuperSonics, and nobody - absolutely nobody – is talking about the game.
The X-Man. Haywood. Lenny. Gus. DJ. Scheff. Vinny Askew. Clem Johnson. Dana Barros. Sam. Rashard.
All gone – possibly - after tonight.
Of course, that is far from a certainty. In fact, it’s about as likely as David Stern donating his next paycheck to Hamas, but it is certainly possible.
One game left, one more time to hear, “And here’s the starting lineup for Seattle tonight ...” One final time to read a boxscore in the morning paper, one last time to check the standings.
Well, that aspect of following the Sonics left town a few months, if not years ago, but you get my drift.
Being a fan is more than celebrating the championships, it is following the day to day progress of young players, the possibilities of trades, the draft, the injuries.
Being a fan is remembering how Gus Williams tied his shoes, or the way Xavier McDaniel took a fadeaway jumper, or grimacing at Detlef Schrempf’s mullet, or marvelling at Gary Payton’s ability to run backwards, tilt his head to the side, and talk smack.
All of that goes into it. We remember the beautiful times of the early 90s when Shawn Kemp reigned supreme and anything was possible, or the ugly times of the past few years. It all goes into being a Sonic fan.
And, tonight, it might all just end.
Sonics. Warriors. Tip-off at 7:30.
Let’s hope it won’t be the last.
Tonight may be the last game ever played by the Seattle SuperSonics, and nobody - absolutely nobody – is talking about the game.
The X-Man. Haywood. Lenny. Gus. DJ. Scheff. Vinny Askew. Clem Johnson. Dana Barros. Sam. Rashard.
All gone – possibly - after tonight.
Of course, that is far from a certainty. In fact, it’s about as likely as David Stern donating his next paycheck to Hamas, but it is certainly possible.
One game left, one more time to hear, “And here’s the starting lineup for Seattle tonight ...” One final time to read a boxscore in the morning paper, one last time to check the standings.
Well, that aspect of following the Sonics left town a few months, if not years ago, but you get my drift.
Being a fan is more than celebrating the championships, it is following the day to day progress of young players, the possibilities of trades, the draft, the injuries.
Being a fan is remembering how Gus Williams tied his shoes, or the way Xavier McDaniel took a fadeaway jumper, or grimacing at Detlef Schrempf’s mullet, or marvelling at Gary Payton’s ability to run backwards, tilt his head to the side, and talk smack.
All of that goes into it. We remember the beautiful times of the early 90s when Shawn Kemp reigned supreme and anything was possible, or the ugly times of the past few years. It all goes into being a Sonic fan.
And, tonight, it might all just end.
Sonics. Warriors. Tip-off at 7:30.
Let’s hope it won’t be the last.
Cantwell, Murray On Board
So, let's do a quick tally here ...
- 70% of respondents in an espn.com poll thought the Sonics should stay in Seattle
- The overwhelming majority of NBA fanblogs across the country think the Sonics should stay in Seattle
- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is willing to contribute his considerable wealth to keep the Sonics in Seattle
- The Mayor and City Council want the Sonics to stay in Seattle
and now
- US Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell want the Sonics to stay in Seattle
So, Mr. Stern, still feeling pretty good about your decision to relocate the Sonics?
All facetiousness aside, at what point does Stern admit he has made a mistake? When photos of Clay Bennett giving a deposit to a moving company emerge? When incriminating emails between Stern and Bennett come to light? Ever?
Folks, Murray and Cantwell have been as inconspicuous as Rashard Lewis on defense in the past few months and the fact those two have throw their weight behind this situation only further illustrates how pathetic the Stern & Bennett camp is beginning to look.
- 70% of respondents in an espn.com poll thought the Sonics should stay in Seattle
- The overwhelming majority of NBA fanblogs across the country think the Sonics should stay in Seattle
- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is willing to contribute his considerable wealth to keep the Sonics in Seattle
- The Mayor and City Council want the Sonics to stay in Seattle
and now
- US Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell want the Sonics to stay in Seattle
So, Mr. Stern, still feeling pretty good about your decision to relocate the Sonics?
All facetiousness aside, at what point does Stern admit he has made a mistake? When photos of Clay Bennett giving a deposit to a moving company emerge? When incriminating emails between Stern and Bennett come to light? Ever?
Folks, Murray and Cantwell have been as inconspicuous as Rashard Lewis on defense in the past few months and the fact those two have throw their weight behind this situation only further illustrates how pathetic the Stern & Bennett camp is beginning to look.
ESPN buries Sonics story--Are they bowing to NBA?
Not to go all conspiracy theory on you, but did anyone else notice how ESPN suddenly dropped their poll on where the Sonics should play next year? Could this be because Seattle was getting 80 percent of the vote? This is pure speculation of course, but do you think the NBA has been putting pressure on ESPN (who has broadcast rights to the NBA) to bury any pro-Seattle Sonics stories? Judging by the lack of front-page stories about Bennett's e-mails and the Schultz lawsuit, it sure seems to be the case.
Sonics in the News
Of course, we'd rather be in the news for the playoffs, but sometimes it takes adversity to bring attention to something.
At the moment, you can:
1. Vote for Seattle instead of OKC for the Sonics' home next year at espn.com (Sonics leading 70% to 30% thus far)
2. Read about how Jazz fans want to Save the Sonics at basketballjohn.com (yes, you read that right, the franchise of Stockton and Malone is on our side!)
3. With Malice showing support from Japan.
4. Third Quarter Collapse is backing the Sonics, and he has the photo to prove it.
5. South Florida, who jumped on the bandwagon sooner than just about anyone, is still there for the Sonics.
6. The Next Round with a list of why the Sonics are leaving, including a backhanded dig at OKC.
7. Canada lends a maple syrupy hand to help as well.
8. Christopher Cason at Bull Riding feels the pain of Sonic fans.
9. Henry Abbott at True Hoop, as always, throws support to Seattle.
10. Cav fans - and those are some fans who know pain - are putting together a petition to Save the Sonics.
There are dozens of more sites out there trumpeting the cause, the most important being, of course, SonicsCentral, which has spearheaded this effort from the beginning. Thanks to everyone who is keeping this story at the front of everyone's mind.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: David Stern and Clay Bennett want this story to disappear. You can keep that from happening!
At the moment, you can:
1. Vote for Seattle instead of OKC for the Sonics' home next year at espn.com (Sonics leading 70% to 30% thus far)
2. Read about how Jazz fans want to Save the Sonics at basketballjohn.com (yes, you read that right, the franchise of Stockton and Malone is on our side!)
3. With Malice showing support from Japan.
4. Third Quarter Collapse is backing the Sonics, and he has the photo to prove it.
5. South Florida, who jumped on the bandwagon sooner than just about anyone, is still there for the Sonics.
6. The Next Round with a list of why the Sonics are leaving, including a backhanded dig at OKC.
7. Canada lends a maple syrupy hand to help as well.
8. Christopher Cason at Bull Riding feels the pain of Sonic fans.
9. Henry Abbott at True Hoop, as always, throws support to Seattle.
10. Cav fans - and those are some fans who know pain - are putting together a petition to Save the Sonics.
There are dozens of more sites out there trumpeting the cause, the most important being, of course, SonicsCentral, which has spearheaded this effort from the beginning. Thanks to everyone who is keeping this story at the front of everyone's mind.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: David Stern and Clay Bennett want this story to disappear. You can keep that from happening!
Friday, Friday, FRIDAY
I'm guessing the NBA will announce the results of their vote from the Board of Governors meeting at about 5:38 pm on Friday, just so it gets buried in the weekend's other news, because it is painfully obvious to me that they are going to pass the motion.
Considering that only 16 of the 30 owners are required for approval, it would be extremely unlikely that a majority of 30 extremely wealthy people would find it in their hearts to side with fans over other extremely wealthy people.
In other news, Mayor Nickels and Gov. Gregoire sent out competing press releases to the NBA yesterday, Nickels refusing to sign the governor's missive because it failed to pledge any money towards the KeyArena renovation.
Stay tuned, as always, because you never know when the city is going to release more Clay Bennett emails.
Considering that only 16 of the 30 owners are required for approval, it would be extremely unlikely that a majority of 30 extremely wealthy people would find it in their hearts to side with fans over other extremely wealthy people.
In other news, Mayor Nickels and Gov. Gregoire sent out competing press releases to the NBA yesterday, Nickels refusing to sign the governor's missive because it failed to pledge any money towards the KeyArena renovation.
Stay tuned, as always, because you never know when the city is going to release more Clay Bennett emails.
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