Seattle Still Pissed

[bucktalk]

Spent four days in Seattle this past week. Was amazed how many in Seattle are still pissed about loosing their NBA team. Seems like OKC still leaves a bad taste for Seattle folks. Wasn't sure how I should have responded to some of the rude comments...

[dcsooner]

BuckTalk, No response is the best response because nothing you could say would change their opinion. We have a team, they don't and won't unless they do what is necessary to do so, end of story.

[bucktalk]

What bothered me was how vicious some were about OKC! The worst comments came from our airport shuttle driver who freely spewed misinformation to about 30 of us on the shuttle!! Grrrrr...

[Steve]

Speaks more badly about Seattle than OKC. I seriously doubt such vitriol would greet visitors here if the situation were reversed.

[lasomeday]

I was in Washington this summer, and I have cousins that live in Seattle. I had to wear my Thunder shirt one day just to see what they would say. They told me they were glad they were gone and they are happy just having a girls team.

I just laughed!

[bandnerd]

What kind of misinformation was he sharing?

[kevinpate]

Maybe some folk are just pissed because it rains so much, but having zip control over it, they need a scapegoat.
Maybe not.

[Thunder]

Ignore them. They are just a bunch of minority crybabies whom are extremely jealous of not being able to see the dudes (more like drool at them) on the basketball court in their broken-down arena. It is not Oklahoma or Oklahoma City's fault.

[Tydude]

they should just give up and move on in they lives because they will probley not getting a NBA Team

[Double Edge]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, don't care about pro-sports all that much and didn't keep up with the boys who brought them here but in case you forgot, or never knew, the accusations were the new owners came to town, lied to everyone and left with the team. I'm sure that bad press left a life long impression about OKC on a few in Seattle, justified or not. Did the owners really do anything to attempt to repair that damage or did they not really care, sour grapes, we don't need Seattle etc?

E-mails obtained by lawyers for the city of Seattle show Sonics owners were talking enthusiastically last April about moving the franchise to Oklahoma City — despite telling the public and the NBA they were still interested in keeping the team here.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...onicsheds.html

[okcpulse]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, don't care about pro-sports all that much and didn't keep up with the boys who brought them here but in case you forgot, or never knew, the accusations were the new owners came to town, lied to everyone and left with the team. I'm sure that bad press left a life long impression about OKC on a few in Seattle, justified or not. Did the owners really do anything to attempt to repair that damage or did they not really care, sour grapes, we don't need Seattle etc?

E-mails obtained by lawyers for the city of Seattle show Sonics owners were talking enthusiastically last April about moving the franchise to Oklahoma City — despite telling the public and the NBA they were still interested in keeping the team here.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...onicsheds.html

Double Edge, think about it. People won't agree with how things were handled by Clay Bennett and it was obvious his underlying intention all along was to move the team from Seattle to OKC, but you have to view the entire picture.

1) Mayor Mick Cornett visits NBA headquarters in the early 2000's to discuss a possible expansion franchise. Is told repeatedly that's not an option. Even gets laughed out of the office on one occasion. So we've now established that an expansion team is out of the question.

2) Hornets temporarily relocate to OKC during repairs from Katrina. Success motivates Clay Bennett to make an offer to George Shinn. George Shinn refuses.

3) Howard Schultz puts the Sonics up for sale. Clay Bennett purchases the team, and almost immediately the bloggers and sportwriters, namely from Seattle, begin attacking Clay Bennett's character before he even announces any plans about the team.

4) Clay Bennett announces his intentions to keep the team in Seattle, provided they come up with a plan for a new arena (or remodel, I can't remember which). Bloggers and sportwriters don't change their tune about Bennett, or about people in Oklahoma, who somehow got dragged into the mess.

5) After several proposals on the table, a cold attitude from the public and no clear picture from Seattle's local leaders on financing a new arena, it's already clear to Bennett that Seattle won't work out, as long as he's the owner.

6) Deadline passes, Clay announces the team will relocate to OKC. After entering into a settlement agreement with Seattle and dealing with an attempted lawsuit on behalf of Howard Schultz, the team relocates in 2008.

Clay Bennett bought the team with a two plan approach. Move the team to OKC if things don't work out in Seattle. If Seattle DID surprise him, he probably would have sold the team back to another owner for a profit and approached Shinn with an even bigger check. And he knew Seattle wouldn't build him an arena. Let's get serious about this. As I have asked dozens of times before, what would Clay have done if Seattle cemented a proposal for a new arena before the deadline? I agree Bennett should have been upfront about his intentions, but that wouldn't have changed a thing about the attitude the national press or Seattle has toward Oklahoma, sports or no sports. Deal or no deal, they didn't like the fact that an Okie was the owner of their team. Plain and simple.

Has anyone even considered approaching this strategically without framing it in politics?

[Double Edge]

Double Edge, think about it. People won't agree with how things were handled by Clay Bennett and it was obvious his underlying intention all along was to move the team from Seattle to OKC, but you have to view the entire picture.

No need to recap (and leave out a few pertinent facts.) Besides having lived through it while not really being a sports fan, I did pick up most of the pieces as they happened. I also just spent 2 hours the other night watching the movie linked upthread. Did you? I don't read sports blogs and I could care less what they had to say from the git-go.


Point repeatedly ignored, the perception of many in Seattle is the operators in this deal were not upfront with the people of Seattle, which seems to be well documented and not believably explained away by those involved. You can yammer on and on about how good it was for OKC, how it was going to happen anyway, which may all be true, but it isn't going to change the way it went down, with one thing said to the people of Seattle, while actions and emails show intents were otherwise.

[betts]

No need to recap (and leave out a few pertinent facts.) Besides having lived through it while not really being a sports fan, I did pick up most of the pieces as they happened. I also just spent 2 hours the other night watching the movie linked upthread. Did you? I don't read sports blogs and I could care less what they had to say from the git-go.


Point repeatedly ignored, the perception of many in Seattle is the operators in this deal were not upfront with the people of Seattle, which seems to be well documented and not believably explained away by those involved. You can yammer on and on about how good it was for OKC, how it was going to happen anyway, which may all be true, but it isn't going to change the way it went down, with one thing said to the people of Seattle, while actions and emails show intents were otherwise.

Since we're now discussing this, it doesn't really matter what Clay Bennett said in private e-mails that were never meant to be made public (although I agree it was foolish of them to put anything of a sensitive nature in an e-mail). If Seattle had built an arena, the Sonics would still be there. Clay Bennett might or might not be the owner, but it wouldn't manner. They would still have a team. David Stern wanted a team in Seattle more than in OKC and it was only the rudeness and intransigence of city and state politicians that caused him to give in and allow the team to move. It was not in the NBA's best interest to have a team in OKC rather than Seattle and so it was with the greatest regret, I can guarantee you, that he allowed it to happen. If Stern had sniffed an arena deal in Seattle, Bennett could have filled the world's e-mail inboxes and the team would never have moved.

[Soonerus]

They need to get over it, it happens and they really have nobody to blame but themselves...

[Double Edge]

They should blame themselves that our leaders would lie to them about it?

[bluedogok]

If their Seattle based owner haven't of sold the team to owners based in OKC it wouldn't have been an issue. He had to have known it was their intention to buy a team to move to OKC after the Hornets experience. If he didn't he was pretty dang clueless.

[Double Edge]

I think everyone knew that was their full intent from the beginning. So if they lied about it, why? It was good for their business, it was the only way they could pull it off? What was the need to be dishonest other than for their personal gain? It appears to me they were damn poor ambassadors for the state.

[dmoor82]

Well Double Edge,after OKC's wildly sucsessful tenure with the Hornets EVERYONE knew OKC was trying to pursue an NBA franchise,infact Bennet's same group tried to buy the Hornets to no success.Howard Schultz should be public enemy #1 in Seattle,everyone knew when the SuperSonics were sold TO AN OKC BUISNESS GROUP that this was their intent to bring said team to OKC.When people from Seattle or National sportswriters dog OKC it shows a lack of class imo,what did the people of OKC or the Thunder fans ever do to deserve such bashing that has taken place?Were we not supposed to be happy we got an NBA team?or were we supposed to embrace and wildly support the Thunder like we have to prove everyone wrong!

[Double Edge]

Yes, the OKC fans are winners and the owners are winners. Don't know how you can expect to go to Seattle and be loved, considering. Maybe you can explain that to me, or more importantly to them next time you go there. The ends justify the means? Like I said, I don't care about the Thunder, Clay Bennet or his buddies. The ill will and allegations of less than honest dealings from Okies does concern me.

[Celebrator]

Sorry to hear about your experience bucktalk. If anything, Seattleites reaction to this whole situation has taught me that although Seattle may be a beautiful place on the outside, many of the people there are arrogant, rude, and deeply unhappy folks...and my sister lives there, I know from experience! Must be the crummy weather most of the year. Boy, that must stink. I would rather live here ANY DAY!

[dankrutka]

This isn't so simplistic. Seattle leaders lied, the City failed to provide an arena, and Clay Bennett lied through his teeth. Seattle had good fans for a long time. I don't blame them for being mad, but they shouldn't be mad at OKC FANS. and most Seattle residents aren't. Don't make thus so black and white. It's more complex than that. I'm still extremely happy we have the Thunder, but I understand that there are some conjugations. I hope Seattle gets another team someday.

[Double Edge]

In the meanwhile, about the last thing OKC needs is for Thunder fans to go to Seattle and be douchebags.

[venture]

In the meanwhile, about the last thing OKC needs is for Thunder fans to go to Seattle and be douchebags.

Best way to do this? Stop bringing it up...regardless of what side people are on. Don't even mention it and move on. The complex people get of needing to "have the last say" is what keeps rehashing something that should be over and done with.

[dcsooner]

best way to do this? Stop bringing it up...regardless of what side people are on. Don't even mention it and move on. The complex people get of needing to "have the last say" is what keeps rehashing something that should be over and done with.

agree

[Barry Luxton]

In the meanwhile, about the last thing OKC needs is for Thunder fans to go to Seattle and be douchebags.

People from here are probably going to be douchebags about this until the Thunder pack up and leave town for greener pastures ten or fifteen years from now. Then they'll know how the people of Seattle feel.