Chris Paul On TNT Tonight
According to the Times-Picayune, Chris Paul will be a guest on TNT’s Tip-off show tonight live from Atlanta with Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.
Don’t be surprised if the Hornets’ poor attendance comes up, and maybe even some mention of Oklahoma City. Remember, the last time Paul was a guest on the show, Charles Barkley made his infamous comments about Oklahoma being a “wasteland,” filled with chickens and cows and void of black people.
One last thing on Paul. Apparently he is growing more and more frustrated with bad losses, most notably Monday night’s to the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite Paul’s career-high averages of 18.6 points, 10.4 assists and 3.0 steals to go with 4.1 rebounds, the Hornets are just 10-6 after that 9-2 start.
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Hornets Struggling With Attendance
After all that was said and written about the Hornets’ temporary stay in OKC and their return to New Orleans, the team enters their fifth home game tonight against Orlando ranking last in the league in attendance. The announced paid attendance average is 12,151. The actual butts in the seats have been said to be much fewer.
The Times-Picayune tackled the attendance’s diminutive digits in today’s paper. George Shinn is quoted as saying, “There is no way we are going to survive without support.” A few weeks back, columnist John DeShazier called out the fans. In two separate columns.
Here’s DeShazier telling it like it is in this column: “It shouldn’t be that the lack of an opening-night sellout partly is attributed to the game falling on Halloween. Or that the kind of crowd that should have been prevalent when the Hornets went 18-64 in 2004-05, fewer than 9,900, showed up for the second home game this season, the limp excuse being that prep football ruled that Friday night. Those would be viable pitches only if New Orleans was the sole NBA city that observes Halloween, or if the bulk of prep football is played on Thursdays everywhere except here. Otherwise, it seems that attempting to produce a lame excuse is preferable to the truth, which is that New Orleans has been a pitiful excuse for an NBA town for the first week and a half of the season.”
And here’s DeShazier telling it like it is in this column: “And if this is the way the Hornets are going to be greeted and treated after a two-year stint in Oklahoma City, then it’s disingenuously hollow that we behaved as if talk of their possible relocation to OKC was a form of treason that should have been punishable by public flogging. If New Orleans is, indeed, an NBA city, it’s past time we stopped flapping gums about how much we love the game and started buying tickets, time we stopped reflecting on what was or wasn’t said and worn on jerseys and patches when the team was in OKC and started acting like this is a team that likely will win 45 games and reach the playoffs.”
Other reading material on the subject comes from some New Orleans television sports anchor. Other than calling this state’s newspapers “silly little newspapers,” he’s astute enough to reason that the city is blowing its chance of keeping the NBA. You can read about it here: “Right now I feel queasy going to Hornets games because the crowds are embarrassing New Orleans…If the Hornets ever leave or threaten to leave New Orleans (and if the attendance stays the way it does it’s only a matter of time before that happens) it’s bad for not only our image, but for recovery and rebuilding.”
Mike Kahn, a contributor to FOX Sports, chimes in here. He praises the team’s franchise-best 9-2 start, but raises the question, “What happens this season when the Hornets fall into an inevitable swoon? And if injuries mount again, causing the team to slide out of playoff contention, the attendance at games will be impossible to fathom.”
Here’s the team’s paid attendance numbers heading into tonight’s game.
Oct. 31 — Sacramento — 15,188
Nov. 2 — Portland — 9,817
Nov. 9 — San Antonio — 15,297
Nov. 14 — Philadelphia — 8,302
I’m on record of saying attendance doesn’t figure to improve anytime soon simply because of the schedule. The Hornets play hosts to Orlando tonight, a good team but one casual fans won’t come out and see despite the talents of Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. Then its Indiana on Wednesday and Minnesota next Monday. Neither is a good team. The early portion of the December schedule brings Dallas, Detroit, Memphis and Seattle. Ordinarily, the Mavs would draw a good crowd. But that’s SEC Championship night in Atlanta. Good luck with that. And few people circle Detroit, Memphis and Seattle on the schedule when choosing games they want to see. We’ll likely be hearing a lot more about the team’s attendance over the next five months.
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Bennett And McClendon Inducted into OK HOF
It was strange, strange night at the Cox Convention Center on Thursday night, with the trio of NBA Commissioner David Stern and Sonics owners Clay Bennett and Aubrey McClendon sharing the spotlight at the 2007 Oklahoma Hall of Fame ceremony.
A quick refresher, Bennett has applied to relocate the Sonics to OKC, and Stern slapped McClendon with a $250,000 fine a few months back for saying the ownership group never intended to stay in Seattle when they bought the Sonics.
Stern was on hand to present Bennett into the Hall, and the three shared the head table Thursday night with Stern sitting to Bennett’s immediate right and across from McClendon, who was also inducted into the Hall. It was an unusual scene to say the least.
Some have perhaps read too much into Stern’s presence, though. Bennett and Stern have known each other since the early 90s, back when Bennett was a part of the San Antonio Spurs ownership group and served on the board of governors. Some perhaps might not be reading enough into it. In the thick of an arena dispute in Seattle, Stern comes to OK City to present the Sonics owner into the hall of fame of the state he has applied to relocate the Sonics to. Stern, however, did say that this was arranged months ago before the arena dispute became this heated.
At any rate, I had the opportunity to sit two tables over from their table, and I couldn’t stop observing the various facial expressions and frequency of conversation.
Like a proud friend, Bennett couldn’t stop smiling during McClendon’s acceptance speech. Stern, however, had a look of confusion on his face throughout McClendon’s verbal and video introductions. He almost looked like he didn’t like what he was hearing or the subject of the intro. When McClendon got back to the table, Stern attempted to say a few words to him but it didn’t look like he could get it in.
It’s worth noting, though, that Stern and Bennett speak of one another as if they’re truly good friends. Stern called Bennett his “old friend.” Bennett spent the first two minutes of his acceptance speech praising Stern’s work, vision and impact on the NBA.
I thought the trio handled the situation well, going as far as to joke about the past and current set of circumstances. After McClendon was introduced, he almost immediately said, “Because I heard there might be reporters from Seattle, I brought a script….And I’m going to stick to it.” McClendon also called Bennett “Seattle’s favorite friend these days.”
Stern, meanwhile, threw in a joke about having to teach McClendon about public speaking. He also said he “wasn’t getting into any of the Cowboys-Sooners stuff” in reference to the rivalry.
On a side note….As I was leaving the restroom before the event began, McClendon was using the sink right next to me. There was a bathroom attendant in the men’s room and McClendon tipped the 17-year-old high school kid named Reggie a cool hundred. He said to Reggie, “Here, that’s for all the people who don’t tip,”……at the exact same time I was throwing my towel into the bin without tipping. I later went back and gave Reggie two bucks because McClendon shamed me into doing so. But I felt worse then. What’s two bucks compared to a hundred?
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Bennett Files For Relocation
STATEMENT OF CLAYTON I. BENNETT
SEATTLE, Friday, Nov. 2, 2007 – The following is a statement from Seattle SuperSonics & Storm Chairman Clayton I. Bennett.
On behalf of the owners of the Seattle SuperSonics and Seattle Storm, I am disappointed that our efforts over the last fifteen months to foster the development of a new multi-purpose arena in the Greater Seattle area were not successful. From the beginning, it has been my absolute hope and expectation that we would be able to secure the necessary governmental commitments to build a successor venue to KeyArena. Even though our proposal for a new state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility to be built in Renton was thoughtfully developed by a world-class team, was financially reasonable and was realistically attainable, we were unable to persuade the Washington Legislature to vote on our bill. The region is still in need of a modern building, not just for the Sonics and Storm, but also for the broad commercial and quality of life benefits such facilities provide.
We now understand and respect that there is very limited public support for such a public investment. As we stated on July 18, 2006, and have stated on many occasions thereafter, KeyArena is not a viable modern venue for the NBA and if a successor facility is not identified by October 31, 2007, we would evaluate our options, which would include relocation. Given the clear lack of public, political, and business support for a new multi-purpose arena, plus the enactment of Initiative 91 as a City of Seattle ordinance following a public vote authorized by the Seattle City Council itself, and the significant operating losses the businesses are now incurring, we have no option but to commence the NBA relocation process.
Today we notified Commissioner Stern that we intend to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City if we succeed in the pending litigation with the City, or are able to negotiate an early lease termination, or at the end of the lease term.
We have not made a decision regarding the future location of the Seattle Storm. We appreciate the deep local interest and support for the Storm and have begun to evaluate a future course of action for the team.
Notwithstanding the uncertainty and difficulty of this challenging time, we remain completely committed to the success of our basketball teams. We will continue to provide our players, coaches and staff the tools and support they need to be competitive.
We are also completely committed to providing our fans a first class basketball, entertainment and social experience. We will do all we can to ensure that our fans, sponsors and marketing and broadcast partners enjoy the highest value from their relationship with the Sonics and Storm.
There have been many in the region who have provided courageous, visionary support to our efforts. We sincerely appreciate your hard work and friendship in this difficult process.
The Day That Was
SEATTLE — Oct. 31 has come and gone. Same for Nov. 1. Now what? Will Clay Bennett file for relocation in the coming days? What will it mean if he does? The team is tied up in a federal court case that could keep them in Seattle until 2010 no matter what. Answers are likely to come soon. Let’s hope so. I spent my Thursday trying to get a feel for the mood of Seattle Sonics fans. It was a rat race of a day, between navigating an unfamiliar city, setting up and trying to keep interview appointments and getting my story in by deadline, which given the time zone difference is always a tall task in and of itself whenever out west. I met many interesting people along the way, though, and have gained a deeper and greater respect and understanding of the Seattle people. I ran into a lot of fans who couldn’t care less about the Sonics anymore and just as many who’d give their left arm to keep them in town. What linked them all together is their knowledge. This is a very knowledgeable sports town and one that deserves to keep its oldest sports team. For as much as we in the media have made about this potentially being a lame-duck season, the announced attendance was a sellout crowd of 17,072. Still, think there isn’t passion for basketball in this state? Yes, there are 40 more home games remaining. And yes, the Bobcats, Hawks and Wolves will come to town, too, not always the high octane Phoenix Suns. But give Seattle credit for supporting this team despite all the uncertainty.
Several times throughout Thursday’s game I thought about the very strange scene playing out before me. I was 2,000 miles from home watching a team that I might be covering next season — in Oklahoma. While I don’t think that will happen, I can only imagine what the fans were thinking Thursday, especially those who’ve invested 10, 20, 30 years of their lives, forget money, into the Seattle SuperSonics.
That said, the Sonics need a new arena. All the talk about $100 million for renovations is nonsense. No amount of renovations will fix that place. Again, great place to watch a game. Too small to make big money. Problem is, a new arena will never be built as long as Clay Bennett and his partners own the team. Won’t happen. The damage has been done. The politicians feel insulted. Bennett feels mistreated. Like he never was given a fair shake. I see this whole situation ending favorably for Seattle. I think Bennett and his group eventually will sell the team to local owners. I think, just like the Seahawks situation, the city will pony up a good chunk of change (not all) for a new arena to satisfy local businessmen who they know will keep the team in town. Oklahoma City will one day get a team (and no, it won’t be the Hornets). Hopefully it will be an expansion team and not this city’s most storied franchise.
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Steve Kelley’s Thoughts
SEATTLE – Seattle Times columnist Steve Kelley was nice enough to share his thoughts with me after the game on the state of the Sonics. If you aren’t familiar with his work by now, I suggest you read up on him. He’s outspoken and doesn’t sugarcoat anything. I’m talking about a guy who has ripped the Sonics organization (insert Clay Bennett here) so much that his own maintenance man fears being around him. True story. Here are his thoughts on the uncertainty of the Sonics….
On Clay Bennett
I think the one thing he did, and it’s what (Aubrey) McClendon did really, that woke everybody up. And it was almost like before he made those statements everybody was like leave, I don’t care. And that just fired everybody up. It fired the city council up. What I think is happening now, and who knows if it’s too late or not, the first thing is to keep them to their lease which gives them time. Get an arena deal done. One thing about him is he hasn’t negotiated ever. Just closed the doors and said we’re not coming out until we’ve got a deal. He hasn’t done that. He’s gone to the legislature. I don’t think he’s ever talked to the mayor. So forgetting that, I think there’s going to be an arena deal that’s exclusive of him. Once they get the arena deal done then all these fat cat owners will come forward and say we’re willing to buy the team. They’ll go got Stern and ask Stern to help. And then my guess is, if the arena deal’s in place and it’s palatable to the NBA, then Stern goes to Clay and says look I don’t want to lose
Seattle.
On mood of the fans
Two things. There’s one group of fans who’ve gotten to the point that they hate the NBA. But it’s the peripheral fan who thinks guys are selfish. Every city has them who think (players) are selfish, they’re spoiled, they’re making too much money, they’re shooting up strip clubs. There’s that group of fans, and some of them maybe were one time Sonics season ticket holders. But what I’ve noticed, again since McClendon said his stuff, the long term Sonics fans have said we want to keep this team and we’re going to fight for this team.
I think they’re resigned to the fact that this team is going to be really bad. This could be a 25-win season, if they’re lucky a 30-win season.
On the crowd
I didn’t think they were really into the game. I thought they were into the game when Durant had the ball. When they made that run in the fourth quarter when Durant hit those two shots, you’d think the place would be going crazy because that’s the way it normally is. It wasn’t very loud tonight. That’s the one thing I noticed. Fans weren’t really as fired up.
On the lack of protesting Thursday
I was surprised, because at the end of last year it was. I’m also surprised that it wasn’t more activity outside. I don’t think there was any.
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Jerry Brewer’s Thoughts
SEATTLE — Having to follow the Sonics from 2,000 miles away is not the most fun thing I’ve ever done. Thankfully, every so often I wake up, pull out my laptop, fire up the Seattle Times’ web site and get a good read from columnist Jerry Brewer. For those in Oklahoma who aren’t familiar with Jerry’s work, I suggest a quick Nexis search or even google. You’ll find some pretty, ahem, entertaining stuff regarding the whole off-the-court situation, specifically with regard to Clay Bennett. I got a chance to get Jerry’s thoughts on a few things after the game. Here’s what he had to say….
On the atmosphere in Seattle
It’s a very tense situation. I don’t feel like the ownership has been totally frank with everyone. And so there’s just a lot of confusion on exactly what they’re trying to do. They say they want to do everything to keep the team here, but yet and still by their actions they leave a lot of doubt. They don’t seem to have a desire to clean up some of those problems. And that’s the real worrisome thing. Either they have the thinnest skin ever, or they just don’t care.
On the crowd
It just shows that there are a lot of people in
Seattle who love basketball. And they love the Sonics. And they will support this team as long as the team wants to be supported.
Seattle politics is a funny thing. They like to argue, argue, argue stuff, and they like to do stuff at the last minute. But I think if they just grinded it out a little bit more, they would work out a comfortable situation and get everything that they want.
On the mood of the people
You’ve got the fans who are die-hard, who are going to come to the game and protest like Save Our Sonics chanted in the crowd. But you’ve got a lot of people here who are just resigned to the fact that they’re leaving. And all they want to do is talk about how much they hate the situation. And it’s not just Clay. Clay thinks it’s him a lot, but a lot of people are just as mad that Howard Schultz sold the team to the outside and caused this whole mess. But for the average true
Seattle sports fan it’s something that’s constantly on their minds. Because nobody wants to lose a basketball team. They don’t want to lose that brand. It says something about a city if you have all the major sports. And it would just be a huge void if basketball was gone.
On how he sees the situation playing out
Maybe I’m overly optimistic, but I still think there’s a possibility that some private investors can make something happen. There’s just a lot of money in this city. And that’s another thing, sometimes we think there might be sort of a quiet movement where people are meeting with Clay and talking about ideas. But he never really talks about it. But if he’s not taking advantage of that, or if he’s not seeking out those people, he’s making a great mistake.
On
Oklahoma City
I think basketball can succeed in
Oklahoma City if they win. But can a franchise there handle the tough years? Years like this, when a team has no chance to win. I mean this team has no chance to win. It’s too young. But it’ll be interesting to see if
Oklahoma’s going to be stable enough to hold a franchise for years and years.
On
Seattle’s history of last-ditch efforts
It’s truly the 11th hour.
Seattle’s had to deal with a last minute save for a baseball park and for a football stadium. Maybe because those two things have happened, we sort of have the feeling that something’s going to happen here. But this one is a lot more grave of a situation because you’re talking about somebody whose motivation is a little different.
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Durant After The Game
SEATTLE — Kevin Durant had a much better outing in his second NBA game, finishing with a game-high 27 points on 11 of 23 shooting with five rebounds in just less than 40 minutes. He had only one assists and six turnovers, a ratio that will kill your fantasy team. But I digress. Here’s what he had to say after the game….
On whether he surprised himself with his performance
I wouldn’t say that. I know my abilities. I just tried to come out aggressive and have fun. I think that’s the biggest thing, is to have fun. And I think that’s what we did tonight. Even though we came up with the loss we learned some things.
On how long he thinks it’ll take before he gets it
I don’t know. I’m trying to figure that out right now. Hopefully as we go on through the season I get more and more comfortable with the game. We’ll see.
On whether he’s tired after back-to-backs
I’m young, man. I’m 19 years old. Plus I love playing the game. I can’t be tired. This is my job now.
On playing at home
It was fun. The crowd was into it and they supported us 110 percent and they really got going at the first tip. That’s what we need out of our fans and it was fun.
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Sonics fall to 0-2
SEATTLE — The outcome was about as predictable as a superhero flick. The Sonics hung in there for three and a half quarters before the Suns just tightened up at both ends and ran away with the win. While the Sonics were looking for a go-to guy late, guys like Marcus Banks and Steve Nash and Grant Hill and Amare Stoudemire made sure to seal it on offense. Raja Bell did his thing to seal it defensively, coming up with a big charge call on Durant in the final three minutes. While you can’t ask for too much out of Durant, he looked to be too passive in the second half. He had 18 at the half and sat on 22 for much of the final 24 minutes. He drilled a baseline jumper and a deep 3 from the top of the key to give him his final total of 27. He deferred way too much. At some point, though, he will learn to take over like he used to do at Texas. He tried during that brief five-point stretch. But that was all he had. For now, he’ll need more help from his teammates. He’ll still be a star.
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The Good and Bad of KeyArena
SEATTLE — The ironic thing about KeyArena is that, for all its shortcomings, it’s a great place to watch a ball game. There isn’t a bad seat in the building. It gets loud (and these fans are loud and proud tonight). And it’s not massive like, say, Dallas’ American Airlines, so it’s a great atmosphere and you don’t feel like you’re a state away from the action. The problem for owners is that it’s so small, (the smallest in the NBA) that it doesn’t have the biggest money makers of today. Not enough suites. Not enough concession space. Not enough VIP areas. And no space for restaurants. It’s the same thing that’s going on in Oklahoma City right now with the Ford Center.
That’s a tricky balancing act. Owners need to make money, but fans deserve a great atmosphere and a good time. Houston’s Toyota Center has a great mix. Denver’s Pepsi Center is considered one of the best. You also won’t get many complaints about Staples Center in L.A. or FedEx Forum in Memphis. The only thing keeping the Hawks’ Phillips Arena off the list is that that will never be considered a great atmosphere until the place draws more than 5,000 a night. I’m quite fond of Milwaukee’s Bradley Center, which is a great place to watch a game and provides a great atmosphere but is widely considered sub par.
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