Goodbye, Mr. Schultz

The sale of the Sonics to Clay Bennett came 10 years ago today. I tracked down the article I wrote about the event 10 years ago to see if it's prescient, irrelevant, or just plain dumb. Unfortunately, it is just as sad to read today as it was to write it then, and I don't think I'd change a word of it.

It's funny, a couple of days ago I was thinking of writing a piece about the greatest hair in Sonics history - X-Man, Sikma, Freddie Brown, and now Danny Fortson and Mickael Gelabale. I was hoping Chunky could put together some artwork to make it into a nice, funny piece about our favorite team. Now? I'm barely motivated to write two words.

Look, Howard Schultz doesn't owe anybody anything. He made a business deal to get himself out of a financially precarious position, and as the front man for a conglomerate of other businesspeople, he most likely has been feeling as much heat from them to sell as he has from all of us to not. Still, it seems a bit hypocritical to me that Schultz would on the one hand trump up the emotional relationship between the city and the team when it's convenient for his argument (i.e., Seattle must build me a new stadium because of all those future Sonic fans that love their basketball), and then turn around and completely abandon that same relationship when it's convenient for his pocketbook.

Mr. Schultz, I have never met you, and I most likely never will. Hence, I am in no position to judge your character. Further, if I have learned anything in life it's that passing judgement the motivations of others is a foolhardy and worthless endeavor.

Regardless, Howard, I think I speak for the majority of the people who read this site when I say that I am disappointed in you. You have passed yourself off as a man of the city, the man who saved the Sonics from leaving and preserved the legacy of Blackburn, McDaniel, Shawn, DJ, and Lenny, and a man who was engaged in a Quixotian struggle with the city and state to keep the Sonics in their home of 40 years.

And yet, you sold that same team to a man who even a 10-year-old can tell is obviously intent on moving it to Oklahoma, guaranteeing that the Sonics will become the Cleveland Browns or Montreal Expos of the NBA.

It’s funny. Howard Schultz, easily the worst owner in Sonics history in regard to wins and losses, will also go down as the most remembered owner in Sonics history. I wonder, Howard, was that part of your five-year plan?

Complete List of Sonic Nicknames

Updated July 29, 2016 (Jack Sikma)

PLAYER		NICKNAME
Zaid	Abdul-Aziz	The Kangaroo
Ray	Allen	Jesus Shuttlesworth	Ray Ray	Sugar Ray
Greg	Anthony	G-Money
Vincent	Askew	The Fiddler	Q
Dennis	Awtrey	Tree
James	Bailey	Jammin James
Vin	Baker	Shake and Bake	The Hartford Hangover
Dana	Barros	The Human Dynamo
Brent	Barry	Bones
Alfred	Beard	Butch
Benoit	Benjamin	Big Ben
Bob	Boozer	Bullet Bob
Frank	Brickowski	Brick
John	Brisker	Heavweight Champion of NBA
Fred	Brown	Downtown
Tom	Burleson	Newland Needle
Michael	Cage	John Shaft
Bill	Cartwright	Mr. Bill
Tom	Chambers	Tommy Gun	Ken
Archie	Clark	Shake and Bake
Martyn	Conlon	Celtic Killer
Dave	Corzine	Lumber
James	Cotton	100%
James	Donaldson	JD
Rod	Derline	The Rifle
Charles	Dudley	Grasshopper
Craig	Ehlo	Eggs
Dale	Ellis	Lamar Mundane	Silent Assassin
Reggie	Evans	The Collector	Joker
Sherrell	Ford	Shake
Danny	Fortson	Big Daddy from Cincinnati
Jim	Fox	Foxy
Mike	Green	Count
Jeff	Green	Uncle Jeff
Joe	Hassett	Sonar
Hersey	Hawkins	Hawk
Spencer	Haywood	Wood
Jerome	James	Big Snacks	Big JJ
Dennis	Johnson	DJ	Airplane
John	Johnson	JJ
Vinnie	Johnson	The Microwave
Eddie	Johnson	Fast Eddie
Avery	Johnson	The Little General	AJ	Taz
Bob	Kauffman	Ajax	Horse
Greg	Kelser	Special K
Shawn	Kemp	The Reign Man
Reggie	King	The Mule
Tommy	Kron	Krash
Rashard	Lewis	The Blade	Young Fella	Quiet Man
Art	Long	Longo
Bob	Love	Butterbean	Bean
Maurice	Lucas	Luke	Mo	The Enforcer
John	Lucas	Luke
Desmond	Mason	Mase	D-Mase	The Cowboy
Xavier	McDaniel	X-Man
Jim	McDaniels	Big Mac
Derrick	McKey	Heavy D
Nate	McMillan	Mr Sonic	Mac 10
Carlton	McRay	Scooter
Tom	Meschery	The Mad Russian
Ronald	Murray	Flip
Martyn	Norris	Moochie
Frank	Oleynick	Magic
Ruben	Patterson	Kobe Stopper	The Sky Pilot
Gary	Payton	The Glove	GP
Sam	Perkins	Big Smooth
Ricky	Pierce	Big Paper Daddy
Olden	Polynice	OP
Jerry	Reynolds	Ice
Bob	Rule	Golden
Steve	Scheffler	The Chef
Detlef	Schrempf	The Grand Teuton
Jack	Sikma	The Wichert Wonder	Banger	Big Boy
Tal	Skinner	Tab
Eric	Snow	Pookie
Dick	Snyder	The Duck
Larry	Stewart	Noise
Jon	Sundvold	Sunny
Wally	Szczerbiak	Wally World
David	Thompson	Skywalker
Sedale	Threatt	The Thief	Randy Watson
Al	Tucker	Airline Al	Twiggy	Supertwiggy
Danny	Vranes	Lou	Mr. Defense
Wally	Walker	Wally Wonder
Donald	Watts	Slick
Nick	Weatherspoon	Spoon
Marvin	Webster	The Human Eraser
Aaron	Williams	The A Train
Gus	Williams	The Wizard
George	Wilson	Jiff
Willie	Wise	Wondrous Willie
Danny	Young	Cool Breeze

Remembering Art Harris

Former Sonic Art Harris, who we briefly profiled many years ago, would have been 68 years old today. Sadly, he passed away in 2007.

Harris is largely unknown to Sonic fans who only watched the team in the 1970s or later, but he had an interesting life. In our very short biography of him, you learned that he came from a tough background in Los Angeles, matriculated to Stanford where he became a standout in the Pac-8, then made his way to Seattle, where he was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Team after averaging 12 points per game.

The remainder of his professional basketball career was brief, and, like many of his teammates of that era, it is extremely difficult to find information about him.

Since we posted that story, though, I did manage to find two contemporary articles about Harris from his time in Palo Alto. The first is from The Stanford Daily of January 12, 1968, and explores his transition from Watts to the Bay Area, as well as the difficulty he faced in guarding (then) Lew Alcindor.

The second is an even better article, also from the The Stanford Daily, from May of 1968, and is a recognition of his being named the Stanford Athlete of the Year.

Both are worth a read.