Sonics will move to OKC for 2008-09 season. Sonics name stays with Seattle

[RainierBeachPoet]

It's just pizzing me off no end that Bennett now makes a claim to a "Shared History" with the Sonics when he had absolutely nothing to do with the them for the first 39 years of it's existence, and has only been involved in the last two years, which not coincedentally were the worst two seasons in franchise history.

and with this new arrangement, gary payton's future HOF celebrations will be muted

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...26#post2007626

[72-10]

and with this new arrangement, gary payton's future HOF celebrations will be muted

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...26#post2007626

You should consider that the voters for the HOF will recognize GP's dilemna and purposely postpone his induction until the Sonics are reborn.

[ChrisKreager]

What do you think will be the win/loss record of the OKC team?

I say 26-56.

[Howard Schits]

What do you think will be the win/loss record of the OKC team?

I say 26-56.

That is a very generous assessment. Now that the Oklahoma Stealers had drafted a guard. Watch they are going to ditch either Ridnour or Watson, or both of them. Bennett wants a have a clean start, nothing reflects the old Seattle Sonics. Wilcox already played like he had no interest last year. You think he will be pumped up this season? Collison would stay, cuz Carlesimo will threaten to sleep with Bennett wife if the Stealers dump Collison. Collison was the only player played hard every game last year.

So with all (most of) the vets gone. Do you think a bunch of 20 year olds can take this team to decency?

Nope!

They might win the NCAA champ. But they ain't going to be better than any team in the NBA. I predict they will be the worst team in the NBA in 08-09 season. I wish they are they become the worst team in NBA history.

[BrianScalabrine]

OKC should name their team: Champs.

OKChamps!

[kidachi]

OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS

- this should be the name. period. fcuk barons, fcuk thunderbirds, OUTLAWS will be the shyt.

[RainierBeachPoet]

quotes from the great kevin calabro-- voice of the sonics:

"I was embarrassed for the city," he said. "I was enraged that our council members would sit up there and titter and laugh nervously and congratulate themselves over being part of a 41-year history being sold. I was deeply embarrassed and still am.
"I get incensed because people, particularly leadership in the town and the region, don't seem to have the same pride in the area that I do. They sold the legacy away for less monetarily than they should have for a promise down the road of an NBA team from a league run by a commissioner that disrespected them and the region.
"What you're doing now is going after a theoretical building for a hypothetical team. I find that failed logic."



it is all a good read:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/moore/370078_moore09.html

[RainierBeachPoet]

OKC should name their team (after bennett): Chumps.

OKChumps!

corrected

[Tracy McGrady1]

Oklahoma Bombers!

[JordanL]

quotes from the great kevin calabro-- voice of the sonics:

"I was embarrassed for the city," he said. "I was enraged that our council members would sit up there and titter and laugh nervously and congratulate themselves over being part of a 41-year history being sold. I was deeply embarrassed and still am.
"I get incensed because people, particularly leadership in the town and the region, don't seem to have the same pride in the area that I do. They sold the legacy away for less monetarily than they should have for a promise down the road of an NBA team from a league run by a commissioner that disrespected them and the region.
"What you're doing now is going after a theoretical building for a hypothetical team. I find that failed logic."



it is all a good read:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/moore/370078_moore09.html

Yeah, the Mayor just lost his ability to hold public office, IMO.

[RainierBeachPoet]

Yeah, the Mayor just lost his ability to hold public office, IMO.

he is very popular with the "green" folk; nichols is one of the most environmentally friendly mayors in the country

he is not popular with the "green and gold" fans though

[Lakers Legend#32]

Under Bennett's management, he is delivering a team to OKC which might as well be an expansion team. See what happens Okies when you get in bed with the devil, eventually you get f#cked!

[RainierBeachPoet]

this lawsuit got trumped in the media by the shultz lawsuit:

Sonics fans Robert Brotherson, Patrick Sheehy and Carolyn Bechtel filed the suit in November and will receive a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jones on Aug. 1 concerning whether their case can be classified as a class-action suit representing the entire base of season-ticket holders.

for the full article:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basket...75_sonx09.html

[RainierBeachPoet]

a bit more:

The plaintiffs have charged they were duped into buying tickets based on a deceptive marketing plan and that the PBC breached its contract with them by failing to honor the future expectations in place at the time of their purchase.


The complaint shows a letter from Bennett to prospective ticket holders saying: "We recognize the uncertainty of the Sonics future beyond 2010. I assure you, we are absolutely committed to keeping the Sonics in the region."

[RainierBeachPoet]

sir charles chimes in on the sonics:

"The NBA doesn't need to expand," he said. "If they get a team, it will be somebody else's team. It's a travesty the way it went down.
"They always talk about the players being greedy; the owners are the greedy ones. It's really sad for me. They had the best fans. You were intimidated at that place when you went in there, and it's a great city, too."


Barkley was surprised when the settlement was announced but thinks it worked out the best way possible.


"It would be stupid to stay the next two years," he said. "It would have been a volatile situation."


The Sonics' move to Oklahoma City is hard for him to believe, too. He's familiar with the team's 41-year history and said the most intense series he ever played in was the seven-gamer between the Sonics and Suns in the 1993 Western Conference finals.






http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/moore/370396_moore11.html