What Could Make It Change?
What a bummer of an afternoon on here, and then the Sonics settlement. I come here not to moan, or bang my fist anymore. I will not curse Stern because sorry, I like him more than the city I call home, flawed as he is. I still don't like Oklahoma City, except for records and UNLV tees. But as I told a Tulsa station right before the draft (I think they'd brought me on to fight about the trial), I just wanted it to be over. Clay Bennett is an asshole, and the city of Seattle has bigger sports fish to fry, like MLS. But none of that has to come back on the fans; both are viable NBA cities, deserve teams, and will have them sooner rather than later.
Seth, far more Seattle than I, pessimistically reminded me to look down in Charlotte. And you could argue that things are worse, since here the team itself was part of the city's identity and tradition, not just a successful team that instilled some civic pride. Still, Seattle keeps the colors and logo, which is (as Seth also said) could be the Browns all over again. And anyone thinking the Grizzlies are long for Memphis are hysterically optimistic.
To repeat something I've said a zillion times: Seattle didn't have interest in a losing team, especially once Bennett razed it. In OKC, the NBA will be the only show in town (like the Hornets once were). But all those wild crowds were feeding off of what the roving Hornets stood for, the initial novelty, and, oh yeah, Chris Paul. There will be a honeymoon, but if the team sucks or Bennett is an asshole to his own people—that's Charlotte all over again.
So congratulations Clay, you stole a team. Now you've got the daunting task of actually running one.
One a more sunny note, here are two videos I enjoyed:
Labels: clay bennett, okc, sonics
posted by Bethlehem Shoals @ 7/02/2008 10:32:00 PM
15 comments
15 Comments:
The McGrady video reminded me. Today, the death of an off-the-court NBA pioneer was announced: Judge Warren Ferguson, the guy who ruled Spencer Haywood could play (before it went to the supreme court).
First, Stern kills (maims?) basketball in Seattle, and now I'm sure it was the one-year rule that finally crushed Ferguson's spirit. R.I.P.
OKC can get a team but the state of Mississippi can't even get a mention for one? As in the words of Chris Rock, "It ain't right!" Clay Bennett is a fucking prick.
Unless Stern starts letting franchises split time with the same venues that host Ratt reunion tours, it aint happening, DP. (btw, I've lived in Biloxi. I get to say this)
I'd never say that Mississippi doesn't PRODUCE great basketball players (Monta, Chris Jackson), but
Mississippi doesn't have even one city among the top 50 media markets. (Jackson is their first coming in at #90) So by my lights, they should be up for a team somewhere around the time when Chattanooga, TN & Anniston, AL get one. Enjoy SEC basketball, the *real* D-League.
Yeah I live in Jackson, tredecimal, and it isn't the greatest media markets in the world. Especially when our biggest attraction was a minor league baseball team called the senators. Yes, SEC basketball with Miss State and Ole Miss are the only things that draw some revenue. Monta usually brought in everybody in the state of mississippi whenever he played because I was at one of his games. People would sit on the freakin floors just to get a glimpse of probably the best to come out of our state. He went for 72 points that game and that was the best individual performance I have ever seen up close and personal.
You know, I'm just glad that devil Clay Bennett will be out of this city's hair. He was bad news, and barring a forced sale, the less time he was around, the better.
Is it beneath the Darkosphere to brainstorm on a nickname for the new team? I've come up with the OKC Dust, the OKC Bullshit, and The Flatlanders. A friend of mine at work wanted to call them the Rubes.
wv: uiiegfy: Gallinari's very first rack in his very first game of American Scrabble, versus Balkman.
The OKC Flaming Lips.
Also the... yeah, OKC is pretty lame. I almost took a job there for this fall. Though having KD and the gang to watch nightly woulda made it easier. Or not.
Hell, why not celebrate the new Clips? The Warriors burned too bright to last (as anybody with a Nellie-coached player on his fantasy team could tell you) and we'll always have their shining moment, unimpeachable and pure, to remember them by. Seriously though, the thought of Baron to Thornton in transition is a consolation, right?
I like where Welk is going with this, but I would like to suggest The OKC Pink Robots.
Only if they play Zaireeka for pregame intros.
And I've been waiting for a chance to mention this to someone, but did anyone notice (if you watched the Euro championships) that Roberto Donadoni is a dead ringer for Wayne Coyne?
salt bagel, very true. Also, to those who have watched the European championship: Italy's style of play = Boston's style of play.
A buddy of mine has recommended the "Oklahoma Cty Bombers," but that may, in fact, be a case of "too soon, too soon."
i'm a bombers fan.
i hear the official steez is gold and black bearing the monicker "Barons"
if that's true, i'm just going to pretend they're baron's team. gold and black is a sick color scheme too.
@BS-
I usually am down with your allegiances, but I think you've really missed the boat on Stern. In addition to actively colluding to move the Sonics to OKC, he almost certainly played an active role- or at best was willingly complicit- in the game fixing of the lakers-sacto and DWade over Mark Cuban series. Time after time he puts the sport we love in the backseat to $$. What makes you care so much for this man??
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