…just watch the tre trailer. I agree the film looks like it has been very well produced, and I’ll watch it’s entirety when released.

I didn’t learn of the trailer by your blog, rather by reading the always entertaining Save Our Sonics blog. Under the thread where it was introduced, someone asked the film maker if he’d had any comment from Oklahoma City. He replied that Brad Keller (the Sonics attny. during the lease trial) represented OKC. Then he added something like ‘the actions of those villans told their story.’

So, although we knew it wouldn’t be a fair representation of what really went down, it isn’t even going to pretend to be a true documentary, actually looking at both sides of the story. He clearly doesn’t want any information that would cloud his version of the tale. I’ll take the film with the same grain of salt I do with everything else from Seattle media.

Terry,
I said “The true villains have told us their story by their actions.”. This movie is not about bashing OKC or telling the OKC version/perspective b/c this didn’t happen to OKC or in OKC, it happened in Seattle to Sonics fans.

We are sticking to the facts and as represented through the media. YES, we are filmmakers and Yes, we are also Sonics fans. I can tell you that as filmmakers we have a whiteboard with huge red letters saying ” stick to the facts”. Because the facts speak for themselves. It is our job to put them all together so others can understand the story and actually sit through it. Remember we are sports fans so politics and courtroom drama is not fun for us. This movie will be released Free on the internet in brilliant HD @ sonicsgate.org It should be very exciting to watch, even for OKC fans.

This movie will be like watching how hot dogs are made. Sure they taste good but what goes into making a hot dog should disgust just about everyone.

Please Terry, let’s not cast stones about Seattle media here in the Galylord Glass house(Mr. Clay’s wife’s newspaper)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Oklahoman

Yawn…

Camp Jones – thanks for your reply.

I can appreciate and understand the aspect with which you and other Sonic fans view the story of the relocation. My point, which you reitereated, is that the film isn’t to be viewd as a true documentary, but rather a version of the story told mostly from tye perspective of the Sonic loyalist. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

I’merely saying the film shouldn’t be sold as a story based on ‘fact’ and one that is fair minded and balanced when it seems clear, by you posts and the trailer, you’ve inlcuded ‘facts’ which skew the story and support only your interpretation of it. Are their viewpoints and ‘facts’ presented from Oklahoma City? Interviews with people, reporters, city leaders, on this end of the story with information or stories that perhaps offer a different opinion or version of how the deal went down?

Just don’t try and sell it as a ‘stick to the fact’s’ film when all the facts aren’t included. Should I be on the lookout for the part of the story where Sen. Gorton’s emails violated the confidentiality agreement? Or Wally Walker’s clumsy ‘poisoned well’ powerpoint? The inclusion of such would indeed, make for a factual story. (If they are, I’ll be the first to recant).

Like I said, I’m going to watch it and even look forward to seeing it (and seriously, judging by the trailer, the production looks great – congrats!). I agree, this film is a Seattle story, made for Sonic fans, your target audience. So of course, it’s a film from that perspective. If the tale had been reversed, I’d expect the same from here. And there’s nothing keeping anyone here from making such a film from this side. Good luck with it.

But…you can spare me, Camp, the sophomoric taunt about Mr. Bennett and his wife owning this newspaper. Everyone here is aware of the family connection, but thoughtful and well-informed people who know better, have information that she/he have little if any input in the daily operations of The Oklahoman. You’re better than that.

Darnell! You guys need to include an ‘edit’ option for these posts. I hate typing a quick post, doing a fast scan and hitting submit, only to then read my spelling/punct mistakes. Help us out. lol.

Terry, take it from a guy who has to do this every day and has his work seen by thousands locally and millions nationally, slow down! : )

terry: brad keller explains the wally, slade and many other issue very well. sonicsgate.org will have more information to view on the website(all your heart desires).

please remember we are Sonics fans and we lived through this. our understanding is comprehensive and up close and personal.

please visit “sonicsgate.org” there will be more information, blogs, videos, court papers… the movie will bring people to visit, they will stay for the information. this is bigger then just the movie. stay tuned.

camp jones and sonicsgate–

i really do feel for you guys and your city.. we’ve only had the Thunder for a year and i’m absolutely in love with them and it would already tear me up to see them leave.. i can just imagine how hard it would be after 41 years of loyal fandom.. and i mean that sincerely..

as far as the people of OKC go, we’re just generally great sports fans, good people, and very supportive of our teams.. we’re ecstatic to have the Thunder here and i think the players feel that and love being here.. the people had nothing to do with any scandalous move.. i think we, as fans and as a city, are getting tired of hearing all the crap from Seattle and Sonics fans.. be mad at Bennett, be mad at those with power all you want, but all the jabs at our city and our fans and us as people is uncalled for and unjustified..

my main question is this: all you fans who are so loyal, so dedicated, so passionate, so torn up, so upset that you’d make a documentary and start petitions and post constantly on forums and on and on, why didn’t they just show up to the games?

Brandon,
We hope this movie shows the good people of OKC that not everyone wants to bash on the people of OKC. You are fans just like us. The goal of this film is to focus on Howard, Clay, The City of Seattle and the NBA. All the people of OKC did was allow their tax dollars to be used to renovate the Ford Center and give lots of Tax breaks to the PBC.As Sonics fans we wish Seattle did the same.

to answer your question: We went to the games. Fan support did drop after 10 years of losing but not enough to make them leave. It is more complected then that, Losing year after year ultimatly caused the city to not support financially a better arena that allowed the owners to make money. The city had just paid for a new Arena in 1995 and by 2002 Howard Schultz was making threats to move.

Please make no mistake there was nothing the Fans could have done. The lock out and subsequent Collective Bargaining Agreement made the private/public partnership of the Sonics/Key Arena in Seattle not financially viable.

I am sure OKC will find out all too soon about how much money needs to go into a team. Then try asking for that money after a poor product has been on the floor for about a decade.

The Fans are innocent and gave everything. This film should explain that better.

want to see the last game played at the KEY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp4lAafmZFA&feature=related

the Slade Gorton “unclean hands/poisoned well” issue WILL BE COVERED in the film. we are not about suppressing information, only educating the uninformed.

We contacted more than 200 people with interview requests for this film.

We personally reached out to Clay Bennett and Aubrey McClendon to get “the OKC side” of the story. They declined our multiple interview requests.

Stern, Schultz and Nickels also declined.

Brandon:

Your naivete is charming, really. Attendance (or lack thereof) had very little to do with the team leaving Seattle. More like David Stern, the NBA bargaining agreement that ended the 1999 lockout (in which the owners gave way too much to the players), Howard Schultz and Katrina. Still with me? Many cities have had poor teams for years and bad attendance (think Atlanta, among others). You have no clue, but are better off without one. Enjoy.

Hey, Thunder fans in OKC:

What did you think about your ” savior ” Clay Bennett after you found out about him and his partners raising your ticket prices by a whopping 30%(!!)the very first season the team was in town? Talk about showing disrespect for your customers!!

This film depicts the rise and fall of the Seattle Supersonics. The fans and municipal government of Oklahoma City have no responsibility for what happened to Seattle. David Stern would have just found a different buyer and a different city if OKC wasn’t available. David Stern needed a trophy on his wall to warn uppity cities of what would happen to them if they didn’t kiss his ring and provide newer and better facilities.
Around 2025 that gun will be pointed at OKC’s head and you will be told that your state of the art 2009 facility is antiquated and no longer meets NBA standards.

As a life long Sonics fan (I’m just old enough to remember the Championship win!) and season ticket holder, I have never held the fans of OKC responsible for our loss. But it drives me crazy when I see their posts talking a mess, like we should just suck it up and be alright with losing our team! I also find the comment about them being supportive fans laughable! Especially since I read in their own paper about booing the team during one of their countless losses, IN THE FIRST SEASON! The team they were watching was built by their ownership group to lose because they thought there was a chance they would still be playing in Seattle.

Booing is never a show of good sportsmanship or the character of a supportive fan! I was a season ticket holder and sat through the entire last season, every game from start to finish and never booed MY team! It’s never ok to boo your own team and OKC hasn’t earned the right to even think about booing those guys. But then again, maybe that’s OK by “supportive” OK fan standards!

I went to see the film on Saturday and they did a great job! Those with dirty hands, refused to be interviewed and so the FACTS spoke for them. And they were the facts!

It was difficult to watch, but a great film! You guys did an awesome job of telling the story and sticking to the facts!