RE: AI to Supes? Keep dreamin'...

It ain't gonna happen. Seattle teams, regardless of sport, are never in the running for big money superstars, because they know that going to Seattle will have a negative effect on their street-cred (read: endorsement deals) and their bank account. I love my hometown, but let's face it--Seattle just has a remote, grungy, pasty-white suburban image that it can't erase. Could you ever imagine a T-Mac, AI, Kobe, Shaq or KG choosing Seattle over a half-dozen other more populated, "urban" markets? A guy like Ally I vetoes a trade here without blinking. Even has-beens like Kenny Anderson seem to look at Seattle as being the southernmost city in Alaska and high-tail it out.

I can think of only 3 ways a small-market team attracts/keeps/trades for big-ticket players:
1) Draft 'em. That's how we got Gary and Shawn. Or look at the T-Wolves and KG. And in baseball, Junior and A-Rod. Acquiring a star before they blow up also falls under this--see: Indiana Pacers, Jermaine O'Neal.
2) Back up the Money Truck. Look what guys like Paul Allen and Mark Cuban have done (not that Dallas is a small market, but well, they did suck for a long time). Good players consider signing with or being traded to the Seahawks, Blazers and Mavs because they know they'll be pampered, and that there's a commitment to improve the team every year.
3) Get a Brand Name Coach. This kind of relates to the Money Truck, but if you can get a legendary coach for your squad, your town suddenly shows up on the radar for good players. Was Miami a big NBA destination before Pat Riley showed up?

You get maybe two of those three things working for you, then maybe, maybe you get AI to give up cheese steaks for salmon.

Sonic Boom - The Album!

Through the magic of space-age technology, the sound-scientists here at Supersonicsoul have transferred my scratchy old "JCPenny presents... SONIC BOOM" LP into what the kids call "MP3" format. I'm told you can listen to it on your Personal Home Computer© even!

What a magical time we live in.

Excerpts from "SONIC BOOM":

Intro by Bob Blackburn.
Bill The Beer-Man goes nuts.
Groovy Sonics theme song.

Re: Norman Osborn? Jim Marsh!

Paul

The guy you're thinking of is Jim Marsh. He's now a coach for a (really good!) Seattle AAU team.

I totally forgot about him. I think he's from the days when they'd show random games on KCPQ, broadcast by Raycom sports or something. I'd be flipping through the channels and whoa--a Sonics home game?

Sorry about the new post. Couldn't figure out how to put a picture in a comment...