Comments on: NBA coming to OKC

By: michael u.

michael u. — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:58:41 +0000

HEY DM, I LEAVE THE CAPS ON BECAUSE AS A 30-YEAR FAN OF THE SONICS, I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW HOW YOUR LIL DIRTY CITY IS TRYING TO TACKLE GOLIATH AND STEAL 40+YEARS OF HISTORY. SEE, UNLIKE OKC, IM NOT TRYING TO SWEEP IT ALL UNDER THE RUG. WE HAVE BEAT THE PANTS OF 4 OTHER CITIES THAT TRIED THE SAME THING. THERE WILL NOT EVER BE A “TONE IT DOWN” ATTITUDE HERE. YOU GUYS INCLUDING YOUR LIL MAYOR WHO ACTUALLY VACATIONS HERE IN MY LOVELY CITY DIDNT WANT A FIGHT., BUT, WALKED INTO A BIG ONE. WHY DOESNT YOUR MAYOR VACATION IN CUSHING OR SOMETHING. NO, HE SPENDS ALL HIS VACATION DOLLARS WITH US!haha! CMON DM, TRYING TO EMBARRESS A DIE-HARD SEEMS A LIL LOW FOR EVEN YOU!! SEE YA IN JUNE MR. MAYOR!!

MIKE U.

By: Save Our Sonics

Save Our Sonics — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:05:14 +0000

Let’s put this vote into perspective…

When the Sonics won the NBA championship they set NBA attendance records that still stand today.

The number of people that voted yes in OKC is about equal to the largest crowd to attend a Sonics game in that era.

Now to put the wealth of Ballmer into perspective…

He could purchase a house in OKC for every single one of those voters and still be worth more than Clay Bennett.

By: Julie Riley

Julie Riley — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:01:45 +0000

This story is bittersweet for me. I live in Seattle, but am from OKC originally.

I’m so excited about OKC getting a NBA team. My parents attended Hornets games, and said the turnout and support was amazing. I also know OKC has been wanting to “go pro” with sports, but didn’t know if the economy would support it. WAY TO GO OKC!!

The Sonics leaving Seattle, however; is very sad. We have a huge following for all sports here, and there are fans that are very devestated. I’m not a basketball fan, but I believe the fans are a huge component to a teams success. If the fans are that upset at the team possibly leaving, then maybe they should have done something before now. It’s too late for the crying!

By: joey

joey — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:26:53 +0000

tyler, stern cant block anything! its up to the owners. stern doesent have half the power that he seems to think. remember stern works for the owners. the only thing the other owners wanted to see in regards to seattle, is movement. we have shown that, stern and bennetts attempts to censor the rest of the nation, have failed. now our legislature has got to get off thier ass!! all the reasons why they said no to bennett were actually justified. this new local group(which could buy and sell bennetts group by about 30 times) and new proposal is exactly what the legislature was looking for. now, no more exscuses get it done!!

By: Tyler

Tyler — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 06:18:38 +0000

So if Seattle fights to keep Bennett and the Sonics (Actually, they arent the Sonics…they are an abomination of Bennett’s doing) to their lease, Stern is going to punish the city by blocking a team to move here in the future? Its official. Stern and Bennett have completed their hijack and now are even turning down the ransom. I believe that OKC deserves a team, but to move a team that has 41 years of history? 14th largest market? Does it seem right to anyone?

By: joey

joey — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:30:04 +0000

if this gets through the washington state legislature, the bog will not and cannot, okay the move. bennet will be forced to sell, and purchase the memphis club. everybody will be happy. like i have said before, it really makes no difference which club your little town gets. you will certainly lose it with in ten years!!

By: SEATTLE Sonics

SEATTLE Sonics — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:52:56 +0000

DM,
So would you say that it is personal with Stern or that the motivation in his threats to Seattle remains maximizing financial leverage? Knowing that Stern has a predictible pattern when it comes to securing publicly financed arena deals for the owners he represents is it really any different this time? It seems to me it might be since I personally have not seen this same kind of rhetoric from him before. Publicly, he’s behaving like the NBA God.
~Chris

(Chris, I do think it’s sort of personal with Stern. I think it has been since he testified before the state legislature in February 2006 in an attempt to drum up support for a $200 million KeyArena renovation. That’s when Frank Chopp coldly refused his pleas, basically saying thanks for coming, don’t let the door hit you on your way out. Then Initiative 91 passed November 2006 and Stern seemingly has been turned off since. -DM-)

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:18:47 +0000

DM,

Your response to this Seattle fan’s emotional response is representative of the strategy that David Stern, Clay Bennett, and the rest of the folks abducting the Supersonics hope to employ: turn down the volume of the Seattle fans, because if the voice is taken from the powerless, then injustice is free to reign.

This strategy is their only hope because there are no good arguments for why Clay Bennett should continue to attempt to move the franchise. He came in under false pretenses and he refused to negotiate once we realized what he was doing. As excited as anyone in Oklahoma is to get an NBA team, there is no basis to defend Mr. Bennett’s actions. This is a clear cut case of right and wrong. This isn’t your last chance for an NBA team, but it is your final opportunity to show how thick your moral fiber really is.

By: michael u.

michael u. — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:58:05 +0000

JUST LIKE MR. STERN SAID, “I WOULDNT BE A BETTING MAN ON THE TIMING”, IN OTHER WORDS, DO NOT COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH!hahaha! HE HAS OBVIOUSLY LISTENED TO OTHER OWNERS BESIDE CUBAN, WHO , HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN OF OKC’S SMALL MARKET, AND THE REVENUE THAT WONT BE AROUND TO SHARE AMONG OWNERS. I USUALLY DISAGREE WITH MR. CUBAN, BUT, HE IS “IN IT, TO WIN IT”, AND, TOTALLY UNDERSTANDS THE ECONOMICS OF ANY NBA FRANCHISE COMING TO OKC. CANNOT WAIT FOR THE TRIAL IN JUNE. MR. BENNETT BETTER HAVE A LIL MORE CONTROL OVER HIS ANGER (UNLIKE THE KIND HE DISPLAYED TO THE FAN WHO WAS HECKLING HIM AT KEYARENA), AND, PUT THE RABBIT EARS TO THE SIDE, BECAUSE WE “REAL” FANS WITH A 40-YEAR HISTORY WITH THE TEAM IS GOING TO OUT IN FULL FORCE. JUST LOOK AT ALL THE GREAT PUBLICITY YOUR LIL TOWN (NOT BIG ENOUGH TO BE A CITY), IS GOING TO BE GETTING WORLDWIDE AT THE TRIAL. SEE YA IN JUNE OKIE’S!!

(There’s a key at the very left of the keyboard with the words “Caps Lock” written on it. Press it. — DM)