How could this happen?, The NBA now has stooped down to an all time new level with this one. I am HEARTBROKEN.
I am a lifelong Seattle Supersonics fan who has watched the glory years unfold from the likes of the Glove, The Reignman, Sam Perkins, Hershey Hawkins, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, and many other players that made the franchise a recognizable cog in the structure of the NBA.
As a lonely fan here in the state of New York and untouched by the reality of not having a local team in my town to root for anymore, I understand how it's really hard for me to understand the loss of a franchise.
But if there's any Sonics fans out there reading this, I am with you in grief. We all thought and knew this could happen two years ago when the idiot—yes, idiot—Howard Schultz sold the team to majority owners TPC inc. from OKLAHOMA CITY. It was like the writing was on the wall once that happened.
There are too many villains to name ranging from Seattle Mayor George Nickels, the governor of Washington, Clay Bennett and especially the scum of David Stern.
We watched it unfold, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis' trades for basically nothing. We watched at the trade deadline as Sam Presti, the GM of the team, made every trade he could to dump salary and replace it with expiring contracts and watched the Sonics win an all time low 20 games last season.
- B/R Ticket Guide
We've been lied to on so many levels that I feel like we've been raped of our basketball team Sonics fans.
This team was above the caliber of the Charlotte Hornets and Vancouver Grizzlies. We won a championship in 1979. Look at the list of teams that won a championship in a city, then relocated. It's not impressive.
I applaud the efforts of the "Save our Sonics" group based in Seattle because at least it showed how some people in general could forge an effort and voice their opinions in a public form. Although I was unable to partake in the effort to protest, I would have been there front and center to voice my opinion to save the team.
So Sonics fans, I ask you this. Go to any venue in the NBA where the new Oklahoma City joke of a team visits and make signs, band together, and make sure the players such as Kevin Durant remember that SEATTLE is his home.
The NBA can no longer call me a fan or count on my dollars. No more will I buy jerseys and apparel. No longer will I watch the countless NBA games and coverage that goes on from night to night.
I say: Boycott the NBA, Seattle. We dont want it back ever again. No new team, no expansion franchise. It won't be the same as the real Sonics team now playing in OKC, as hard as that is to say.
The Oklahoma City Thunder sounds like a minor league baseball team to me.
Have fun OKC fans. Eight years from now, David Stern will find the Ford Center unsuitable for the NBA and you'll have your team ripped from your hearts as well.
Hope your marriage continues well David and Clay, the two villians who just broke my heart. Thank you Paul Allen and Marc Cuban for having the decency to vote against the relocation. The other 28 owners, what were you thinking I ask.
Oh well, what's done is done, farewell to the NBA in Seattle. We'll never be able to see Gary Payton have his number retired, or watch the greats be welcomed back into the Key. I, for one, will no longer be able to watch my favorite team play in the Garden or in New Jersey for their once-a-year visit in the Green and Gold.
Don't put this on the taxpayers, either. Shame on you, City of Seattle leaders, for allowing this to happen.
RIP The real SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
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6 months ago
I'm with you Kristopher.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/34640-boycott-the-nba-seattle-supersonics-stolen-by-david-stern-and-clay-bennett
from 6 months ago
OKC baby ! I hear yeah Reuben, Seattle Sucks big time. Go OKC Thunder !
6 months ago
ha ha seattle sucks thats why they belong to us now! Yeah, and kevin durant is a country boy now so don't be mad because his hall of fame career will end in the OKC! ha ha ha!
From boyz from o-city fool!
P.S.- how u like dem apples! Seattle Super Suck!
from 6 months ago
You assume he's going to want to stay there when his contract is up. I've already read that his agent doesn't want him there. Good luck with that.
from 6 months ago
what? an agent doesnt have a say in whether or not Kevin durant wants to stay here in OKC. dumba$$. ne ways he will be surprised at how well OKC will support the OKC howevers
6 months ago
hahahah thats sucks major balls!!
OKC i hope you guys have better luck then what Seattle had
6 months ago
I believe that Clay Bennett did everything in his power to keep the Sonics in Seattle. When he purchased the team, he made it clear to OKC that he had no plans to move the team to OKC. So I think the blame should go back to the city of Seattle for losing the team to OKC.
from 4 months ago
see the rest of the nation hasn't a clue, because they didn't witness first hand clay's lies. clear and blatant lies (period). day one of owning the team... he comes out and points his finger at the city and demands a new arena be in place in ONE year or he's leaving. um... find me one city who can do this. please do. especially when one of our major highways that crosses the water is about to need to be replaced and the alaskan way viaduct in downtown is no longer safe. 1st month.. mcclendan (one of the owners) comes out IN PRINT saying "we never intended to keep the team in seattle.. our plan was to bring them back to seattle all along".
a suburb city offered FREE (i repeat FREE) land, and he said "not a viable option". we offered a 300million dollar redo of the key arena... to which he quickly said "not a viable option".
Then we land the #2 pick in the biggest draft of the recent decade, land a potential superstar in Durant. when Oden came to Portland... Brandon Roy and others met him at the airport, there was a big announcement, news coverage at his practice and a BIG news conferance w/ Paul Allen, the Mayor, and Coach McMillian. When durant arrived... he sat on there by himself. no clay, no coach, noone.
They traded away all the players we loved for expiring contracts, and then RIDICULOUSLY made a team rule w/ 950KJR (our one and only local sports radio show.. and a GREAT and nationally respected one at that) that only ONE person associated w/ the team (player, coach, etc) could be interviewed per week. WTF is that all about? why would they do that? because they didn't want the city to get to know the players on the same personal level that we are accustomed to. imagine if someone tried to steal the team when The Glove, Kemp, Hawkins, and Perkins were here? yeah right.
Then they fire the radio announcer. then the last guy w/ strong ties to the area.. .lenny wilkins... he didn't feel right w/ this garbage and he left as well.
Then there's the emails.... "i'm a man possessed!" (to his boys when they were whinning about how fast they could move the team to OKC) to which he replied "i meant i was a man possessed to keep the team in seattle".
they left their headquarters and rented a temporary space from the beginning. sound like they planned to stay?
then there is that thuglife of a commisioner david stern. what a weasel. go to youtube and watch the video of him at the first game in the new Key Arena 8 years ago. he was on our jock saying how wonderful and great and intimate and perfect it was. now a 300 million dollar renovation "is not suitable?" then the NBA is messed up if this is the case. oh BTW... after OKC finally got the sonics... he then said "a 300 million dollar redo IS a viable option for the future". unbelievable!!!
5 months ago
OH MY GOD. Sheesh! Whaaaaaaaa boo hoo. grow up seattle you lost the team becuase you didnt support it plain and simple. Had you done that the team would have never been up for sale, clay would never have bought it and it would still be in that suburb of Canada known as Seattle. Swill your coffee with your pinky up in the air, shout your left wing crap wave your paste white fist at the right wing and go on your way!
5 months ago
Oklahomans will support anything that involves a game with a ball! Ask the Hornets who played two seasons, there with packed houses every game. The citizens of OKC voted in an additional tax so their facilities could be made NBA friendly.
Oklahomans proved they will support the Sonics/Thunder, another season in Seattle would cost the owners some 35 million bucks in revenue.
Boo Hoo Seattle, if you wanted them, why didn't you support them?
from 5 months ago
I'm sick of reading all of these comments from Oklahomans saying that we didn't support the team. Other than this past year, we had over 90% attendance for what I believe was the last 10 years. The reason we didn't sell that much this year is because Clay was threatening to move and the team sucked. Show me a city other than Boston, N.Y., or L.A. that would still give a ton of support to their team in a down year. Every team will go through their cycles of being good and bringing in a lot of revenue and then being bad and bringing only a little revenue. The reason that the current and previous ownership had trouble making money was because of the terrible lease that they signed with the city of Seattle that gave the city the majority of the money and not the team. If they would have waited out the lease they could have signed a new one in 2010 and everything would be fine.
5 months ago
Yes the taxpayers as well as the leaders of Seattle are to blame for them losing the NBA team to Oklahoma City. Mr. Bennett did everything in his power to keep the team there. Now Seattle can sit back and see how its done. Oklahoma City will be a great location for the new team. From everything being reported today, it looks like it will be OKC Thunder. Kinda funny OKC actually took the Thunder out of Seattle.
5 months ago
My husband has been a lifelong sonics fan but at least he can admit Seattle didn't support their team. Then when the talk of relocation came up the city suddenly wanted to be proactive. Too little too late!
5 months ago
Sorry for your loss, the Seattle fans IMO were great and the team had great history...but as an NBA fan and living in OKC i am excited about the team moving here...whether or not it will survive is beyond me, but i know i will enjoy watching this community rally around its players much like it did in the short time the Hornets were in town...This team is going to struggle, that is obvious, but they are doing some good things building for the future...I hope Seattle gets a franchise back in the near future, it just doesnt seem right not having a team there...a team was going to come to this city at some point and the Seattle area has no one to blame but it's own leaders and the former owner, as well as the NBA execs that sided with the OKC group...
OKC Thunder...i'm cool with that...better than the Bobcats...
5 months ago
I'm sorry Seattle is losing the Sonics, but NBA = OKC. The fans in OKC are terrific, the arena and everything around it are fantastic. Okies are humble people and really don't like the idea of having someone else's team, that's why they didn't press the Hornets to stay, because they didn't want to steal N.O.'s team. Under the circumstances from an outsiders point of view, it appears that even though Seattle says they want an NBA team, the hype doesn't match the reality on paper. Just an observation... take it or leave it.
5 months ago
daniel...im totally with you buddy...these d bags on here that rant against oklahoma city have no idea what they are talking about...live in this city your whole life, see what happens here, see what kind of people live here, and maybe ull change ur stubborn ass stereotype views that are the result of ur team being pulled out of a shitty situation...keep crying too as the mariners and seahawks go nowhere either...id be pissed all the time too if i lived in a city where it rained everytime...depressed little fucks
from 4 months ago
some more ignorance from you guys. what does rain have to do w/ anything?
guess you didn't realize that we here in the pacific northwest rank in the mid 20's in the US in annual rainfall. eye opening?
we aren't bashing OKC. we are pissed at the way Clay and his gang lied to our city from day 1, showed no true effort to help the team thrive under his ownership and then stole the team.
5 months ago
I get that you have a right to be upset about losing your basketball team, but why trash Oklahoma City? And you do realize that Seattle isn't in fact Durant's home, right? Yeah, that's where he began his NBA career, and yes, he bought a house and moved there for a year, but he went to HS on the east coast and went to school right here in Big 12 country. He's familiar with OKC, and he's familiar with the Ford Center, and it'll be fantastic to see him play again. And Nick Collison? He's coming home. He's from Iowa, and I remember watching him play when he was at Kansas. He was one of my favorite KU players! So not all the players are going to automatically think that Seattle is better just because it's Seattle. And anyways, most of the people who trash OKC are those who have never been here. There's a reason that the nearby city of Norman was ranked the #6 place to live in America by Money Magazine. It's a great area with friendly people, and it hasn't been hit very hard by the recession (meaning we have a good housing market and $3.59/gallon gas). I think the players and any staff who make the move will enjoy it here. I'm a transplant, and I love it. Plus, for the money the players would spend on a house in Seattle, they'll get something 3 times that size here for the same money. And guess what? We even have Starbucks, automobiles, and indoor plumbing now. Imagine that!
So go ahead and call our OKC team a joke if you want, but guess what? They're still our team now.
5 months ago
Cuban only voted against the move beacause he said it would take revenue away from Dallas if people from OKC started being loyal to another team. Not because he loves the state of Seattle or anything. And yes, there have been great things done by the Seattle Supersonics but there's always a time for change and nobody gave a shit about the team there until they heard they were moving and then all these Sonic "fans" started coming out of the woodwork bitching about their beloved team moving. And I'm sure when the Jazz became a team and the Bobcats people were real excited about the team names. Those sound like local women's bowling teams. But you get used to it. So get used to it. Cuz it just happened.
5 months ago
Oklahoma City is a great sports town, and the people who put it down just don't know what they are talking about. OKC and Tulsa are both good cities, but OKC is a better market for sports. As for Cuban, well, he is just worried about the competition. I feel bad that Seattle lost its NBA team, but I understand that they didn't support it until it was too late. Major league sports franchises change cities all the time. Seattle will still have the NFL and major league baseball to enjoy. I think it's sad the way a few people on the east and west coast trash Oklahoma, but as I say, they don't know what they are talking about. I am sure the majority of the people there are cool though, and I am sure Seattle is a beautiful city.
5 months ago
I wonder what the author of this article would propose that Bennett do differently. I wonder if it was HIS money that was being lost trying to run an NBC team that a city refuses to support, if he'd be as incensed and outraged at the decision to move it to a city where it will actually turn a profit.
This morning, I picked up a toy off the floor and put it away. My 9-month old son who previously hadn't been interested, suddenly threw a fit when he saw me walking away with it.
Deja-vu.
from 4 months ago
here's an idea. try to prove to the city that you intend to keep the team in Seattle and gain their respect. maybe then we would want to support the team and in turn... make him money.
for all the OKC posters, saying this and that in ignorance.. please get your facts straight. he made it impossible to get behind our sonics from day 1. barely any advertising. not allowing players to be interviewed by our sports radio station (1 player or coach per week MAX). demanding that a new arena deal be put in place in ONE year when there was 2 years left one the lease w/ the key arena (which he said he had all intentions to uphold... of course he later got out of that in a lawsuit)...
if you are going to lie to our city "clay clay"... then put a freakin' muzzle on our co-owners before they go around to the Oklahoma newspapers stating that you never wanted to keep the team in seattle. you think aubrey mcclendon has ever heard of the internet? like we wouldn't read that. (rolls eyes).
refuse to support ... a "NBC team?"... maybe not. but we supported an NBA team for 40 years. one of the original franchises in the NBA, in one of nicest cities in america. Clay Clay should have gone to a struggling team in a struggling city and tried to steal that instead of targeting one of the original franchises w/ a storied history and an NBA championship under it's belt.
ignorance is bliss
5 months ago
nice article. but the glory years are over, so lets see wut happens in OKC
5 months ago
Now that we, in Oklahoma, have proven ourselves with the Hornets.......not to mention our billionaires outgunned your billionaires in Seattle to obtain the Sonics. Now the only thing left is to watch our Sooners whip your Huskies ass in September to seal the deal. So sit back with your Birkenstocks on and sip your StarBucks while reality sets in for your treehuggin ass'!
5 months ago
This happens every decade with one franchise in one sport or another, its just a matter of who and when.
4 months ago
What is OKC known for besides being bombed? I mean the fact that the Sonics were moved out of Seattle is crazy, and then the fact that the team was moved to OKC is insane.
I hereby propose a name for the OKC team; the name really describes not just the owners, but also the people in OKC as well, who were so anxious to get a team that they tossed aside integrity:
The OKC Leaches
4 months ago
I've been in both cities and both are great. It's a terrible loss for Seattle (by the way Emilio, Seattle is a city, not a state... but then your comment about Cuban was about as intelligent). I feel for the Seattle fans for being lied to and screwed out of their history. The flip side, is I knew a couple years ago when I saw a game in the Ford Center that it would be a GREAT city for a basketball team. I was impressed by the way the city embraced the Hornets that year. The team that SHOULD be in OKC is the Hornets.
Keep your head up Seattle, if this is as good as the ownership of your team can do, you'll get a team back, it wil be YOUR team and it will be the Sonics. And if all goes well, you will have an owner that has integrity and a desire to be in your city. Don't look at it as losing your team. Call it rebuilding and getting rid of biggest flaw of the organization... the Owner.
4 months ago
if you wanna get in on these big hairy balls, just jump right innnn
its a crotch party so just get in on this big john
4 months ago
I see the rest of the nation hasn't a clue, because they didn't witness first hand clay's lies. clear and blatant lies (period). day one of owning the team... he comes out and points his finger at the city and demands a new arena be in place in ONE year or he's leaving. um... find me one city who can do this. please do. especially when one of our major highways that crosses the water is about to need to be replaced and the alaskan way viaduct in downtown is no longer safe. 1st month.. mcclendan (one of the owners) comes out IN PRINT saying "we never intended to keep the team in seattle.. our plan was to bring them back to seattle all along".
a suburb city offered FREE (i repeat FREE) land, and he said "not a viable option". we offered a 300million dollar redo of the key arena... to which he quickly said "not a viable option".
Then we land the #2 pick in the biggest draft of the recent decade, land a potential superstar in Durant. when Oden came to Portland... Brandon Roy and others met him at the airport, there was a big announcement, news coverage at his practice and a BIG news conferance w/ Paul Allen, the Mayor, and Coach McMillian. When durant arrived... he sat on there by himself. no clay, no coach, noone.
They traded away all the players we loved for expiring contracts, and then RIDICULOUSLY made a team rule w/ 950KJR (our one and only local sports radio show.. and a GREAT and nationally respected one at that) that only ONE person associated w/ the team (player, coach, etc) could be interviewed per week. WTF is that all about? why would they do that? because they didn't want the city to get to know the players on the same personal level that we are accustomed to. imagine if someone tried to steal the team when The Glove, Kemp, Hawkins, and Perkins were here? yeah right.
Then they fire the radio announcer. then the last guy w/ strong ties to the area.. .lenny wilkins... he didn't feel right w/ this garbage and he left as well.
Then there's the emails.... "i'm a man possessed!" (to his boys when they were whinning about how fast they could move the team to OKC) to which he replied "i meant i was a man possessed to keep the team in seattle".
they left their headquarters and rented a temporary space from the beginning. sound like they planned to stay?
then there is that thuglife of a commisioner david stern. what a weasel. go to youtube and watch the video of him at the first game in the new Key Arena 8 years ago. he was on our jock saying how wonderful and great and intimate and perfect it was. now a 300 million dollar renovation "is not suitable?" then the NBA is messed up if this is the case. oh BTW... after OKC finally got the sonics... he then said "a 300 million dollar redo IS a viable option for the future". unbelievable!!!
4 months ago
Coulda kept them but didnt make a million excuses but the bottom line is the team is ours and not yours, now go watch your sidekicks and seahawks and get over it!
4 months ago
I'm tired of reading all of the OKC's fans posts. Clay Bennett did effectively steal the team. He DID NOT make an effort to keep the team, as he and the rest of the ownership group planned on moving the team (as evidenced by the e-mails that came up during the first trial). Seattle, while not supporting the team like in the past, still averaged better attendance than other teams (ie Griz, Bobcats).
It's a jack move, plain and simple. I'm down with the boycott (tho i stopped spending money on the L 4 years ago)
4 months ago
Think This Sonic Fans ,In The NFL the Browns left Cleveland OH. The NFL Corrected the Mistake by Giving Cleveland A Browns Franchise Back ,I hope The NBA Does The Same For Seattle.the People
Supported The Team For Years
from 4 months ago
True, but the reason seattleittes are so pissed at the league is the way it was handled. David stern clearly turned his head to the obvious breach of Clay's agreement w/ schultz' "good faith effort" clause clearly written in the sale agreement. clay also agreed to honor the two years left on the lease (which emails between his crew and w/ david stern DIRECTLY proved he had no intention of honoring. not to mention the BROMANCE emails between stern and clay).
Another despicable thing is selfish Clay took "shared history". WTF is that? think about it. he's going to hang replica banners of the Sonics hard earned championship and division titles in their "thunder" arena? doesn't that sound ridiculous to anyone? bueller? the Ravens did not retain any of the browns history, and didn't want it so they could have their own identity.
4 months ago
OK, I am originally from OKC but i have been living in The Seattle area for 10 years on and off. I basically grew up in both places. I have been a Sonics fan since I was 8 years old. I feel it is very stupid to bash these Cities, Seattle is a beautiful city, And OKC is a up and comming city, The people in OKC love they"re City because they will take any tax increase to better OKC. When I was going to H.S @ Douglas there wasnt much to do, but i went back last year and Bricktown is very very nice. I do admitt that OKC has a lot to do to catch up with Seattle, however their are a lot of spoiled babys up here, and its a totally laid back mentality up here, which can come back to bite you. Truth is the sonics were like the forgotton step son to the mariners and seahawks, There are so many millionaires in Seattle, So why did a businessman from OKC have to purchase them??
Understand this is business first, many other citys have lost their teams that were much more popular than the Sonics. It hurts, but you move on, just like you would if your girlfriend left you for someone else, because the lack of interest you invested in her. As for me I am now a Thunder fan I am proud of OKC in 10 years we will be working on a NFL team, though they woud never beat my Seahawks.
3 months ago
Seattle was not supporting this franchise long before Clay Bennett. Why do you think Shultz & Co. sold the team in the first place? I can only find the last 7 years of NBA attendence records (which is plenty to prove my point) the Sonics did not even rank in the top 20 in attendence in all but one of those years (when they ranked 20th). That is ubsurd for such an established and storied franchise. Season tickets have been on sale in OKC for three days now and the lower bowl of the Ford Center is completely sold out, and pretty much all that remains in the upper level is single seats.
I look for the Mariners to be next. The love for the pro franchises up there is obviously not unconditional. The fans are bandwagon fans (evidenced by earlier posts that said personel moves caused the lack of support the last two years). I watched the Mariners play the Rangers on FSN the other night and there couldn't have even been 5,000 fans there. If they keep losing truckloads of money they'll be gone too.
3 months ago
The real villians in all of this are the Citizens of Seattle. They didn't support their team. This was the SONICS! Who own an NBA Championship. Whether it's because of all the liberals, no sports, pansy's moving in from Cali. or whatever. This team would have never been sold, the city would have called Bennetts bluff and built a new arena, and the team would have stayed. Now because of the idiots in Seattle govenment, it may be forever before a team returns. The Cleveland Browns were true victims, because they were supporting thier team. They did get another because of that support. But who would want to move a team here after this last couple of years. The real fans of the Sonics should get a reward, but you didn't have any help from your fellow citizens. They are the real Villians.
about 1 month ago
O-STATE: your attendance argument is flawed. While the Sonics ranked lower than 20th most years of the last 7, if you look at attendance as a percentage of capacity, they consistently ranked in the top 10 of the league. So the argument that Seattle didn't support their team is bunk.
Rob: why should the citizens of Seattle have to 'call Bennett's bluff' as you put it and pony up for a new arena? The fact is, Bennett did NOT handle the situation in good faith whatsoever. He lied to Schultz when buying the team, lied to the citizens after buying the team, and then extorted the city by threatening to move if they didn't buy him a new arena. So it's Seattle's fault that they didn't want to give in to extortion? Stern stood idly by and let this childish, boorish behavior stand, and even supported the move to Oklahoma City.
I'm not from Seattle, I'm not a Sonics fan. I'm an unbiased outside observer, and even I can see this was a garbage move. If Stern really wanted to give OKC a franchise, he should have taken the Bobcats from Charlotte. They've only been around for 4 years, and they already have fan apathy. The arena is only 60-70% full for every game. Charlotte had an NBA franchise once before and it didn't work. They got another chance, and they still aren't supporting their team. Why take a franchise from a city that does support its team?
There's an old saying... if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it must be a duck. Well this looks like sh*t and smells like sh*t, so it must be sh*t.
Oklahoma City: good for you, you got an NBA franchise; you deserve one after your support of the Hornets. It just shouldn't have been this one.
about 1 month ago
All I can do is laugh...1-14, Karma is a bitch!
8 days ago
Who sucks cock now Deez? You can keep this terrible team. This team is on the verge of blowing up, just like the federal building did in OKC.
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