Like it or not, OKC doing pretty Well

[dcsooner]

NBC Sports

Like it or not, OKC's working out pretty well
Fri Mar 12,2010 12:15 PM ET By Matt Moore
Clay Bennett is a weaselly, lying, no-good, rotten son-of-a-gun. Trying to find someone who disagrees with that sentiment, at heart, would be pretty difficult. He said he would commit his due diligence in attempts to keep the Seattle Sonics in Seattle, he instead never had such plans, and cavorted off to Oklahoma, leaving a 40-year old fanbase weeping and broken in his tracks.

Even the most merciful of critics would review the actions taken during the move of the current Oklahoma City Thunder and label them "unfortunate."

And the outcry has been vast. Go take a look around the internet circa the move. Try and find a dissenting view, a single, bright shining example of "Well, let's be reasonable, there are two sides to this story." Not going to find one. That's how difficult it is to look at the facts and reach any other conclusion other than "Seattle got hosed." There was even a brilliant documentary made about the shenanigans. From mainstream sea to small-blog creek, the rivers all ran with bloodlust for Bennett, and that mixed with something just as ugly as the tar on Clay Bennett's immortal soul (too much? To quote Animal House, "forget it, he's rolling.").

Some sort of bizarre resentment for the good people of Oklahoma City. Oh, it was denied. But the sentiment was out there. Not only was a classic franchise having their team ripped from their very hands, but it was being given to... Oklahoma? The coastal bias actually dripped so much a small flood occurred. There was rampant speculation that the Thunder would fail miserably in Oklahoma, proving that the move from Seattle was a mistake, on top of travesty, bathed in a traveshamockery.
The brilliant Tom Ziller actually did a piece looking at the immediate failure of the Oklahoma City Thunder, just two weeks into their first season in OKC. Ziller was simply examining a trend and positing if OKC really is a viable NBA market. After all, the league is littered with teams that simply don't seem to support their teams, regardless of performance, which leads of course to an impact on said performance. (Strangely enough, no one talks about the Philadelphia 76ers, who have been in the bottom half of the league in attendance for 6 of the last 10 years and miserable the last few). So Ziller was right to start tracking whether OKC would continue to bottom out.

They did not.
The Thunder wound up 9th in their first year in OKC. And this year? 8th. The Thunder have the 8th highest percentage of attendance in the National Basketball Association. That's better than the Jazz, Spurs, Suns, Celtics, and Nuggets, all of which have been around a bit longer and most of which are in bigger markets. Not bad for a cowtown.

You can blame Bennett, or Stern, or Schultz, or anyone else you'd like for the Sonics skipping town. It was a devastating blow to a great fanbase. It left the town with only a major league baseball team, an NFL team, and an MLS team to root for. There's no question that it was shady business. But OKC, while still very young in its NBA life, is thriving, as it did with the Hornets in town, which is what helped land them a team in the first place. The city is full of passionate sports fans that have responded to the team's success, and are building a great atmosphere. And so far, the results are there. OKC is an NBA city.
One last note. In 2005? The Sonics had the seventh best attendance percentage. That's how quick things can change in this modern sports world.

Categories:
NBA business,
Thunder
attendance, Clay Bennett, Oklahoma City Thunder, Seattle Supersonics, Sonicsgate Okie
@Matt. The only truthful statement in the first 4.5 paragraphs is "the league is littered with teams that simply don't seem to support their teams, regardless of performance". The next to last paragraph shows that perhaps therapy is doing you some good, I encourage you to keep attending.

1 - Fri Mar 12,2010 12:57 PM ET Reply Richard
Get back to me when they've had their run and are hitting bottom, not when they're a team on the rise combined with the novelty of it all.

[PennyQuilts]

Nice.

[TaoMaas]

The brilliant Tom Ziller actually did a piece looking at the immediate failure of the Oklahoma City Thunder, just two weeks into their first season in OKC. [/B]

Oh, please! How "brilliant" can anyone be who thinks they know it all within two weeks? To me, that's the classic definition of "moron". Any "brilliant" person KNOWS that they have no clue how things will turn out.

[mugofbeer]

Now the best thing the Thunder could do is to try to sign some folks who would have tremendous local interest - as examples a Blake Griffin or a Xavier Henry - of course it's a long shot. Even lesser names would help ensure the local interest.

[Jethrol]

Totally biased against Bennett, the other owners, and yeah...our great city. **** em.

Seattle should not be ticked off at anyone but the former owner for selling.

I like how they act all, "poor me" when he says they ONLY had MLB, NFL and MLS to root for....meanwhile we've only had minor league franchises to root for.

Hard to find a dissenting opinion? Nope....he just wasn't looking very hard.

[mmonroe]

what a prick

[Mr. T in OKC]

Shultz, a Seattle guy, buys the Sonics, runs them into the ground, and sells to an out-of-towner from Oklahoma City (when everyone knew OKC was starving for an NBA franchise). And people blame Bennett for playing hard-ball. Bitches Please!

[Laramie]

Apparently it is beginning to set in with former Sonic fanatics--Clay Bennett did not implode the team to destroy the Seattle NBA fan base. He freed the team of high salaries like Ray Allen (Boston) and Rashard Lewis (Orlando). PBC was losing $15 to $20 million a year operating in the Emerald City.

PBC first asked for relief on the overpriced highest NBA rent of KeyArena (NBA's smallest with few money-making amenities) and received a flat "No."

These events happened during the "Poison Well" plan in which the City helped in attempts to bleed the Oklahoma owners hoping they would incur enough loses and sell to Seattle locals--preferably to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer: http://boycottnovell.com/2008/05/19/steve-ballmer-eggs/

The Oklahoma boys had deep pockets and weathered that storm.


Poison Well Plan link (Seattle News source ): Sonics Trial: Following the court case: Sonics reveal Walker's "Poisoned Well" Plan to force Bennett to sell

The Seattle fan base continues its bashing of Bennett & Oklahoma City.

It's unfortunate if your Seattle leadership didn't see the relocation to OKC coming:

1. Bennett & PBC had failed attempts to purchase the New Orleans Hornets.

2. Schultz sold the team to Bennett because of the financial losses he had incurred.

3. NBA had warned Seattle to come up with an NBA Arena plan.

4. Seattle leadership did nothing to help with the situation. They helped sabotage the Renton Arena plan in attempts to keep the team in Seattle proper.

5. Bennett & PBC gave the City one year to act; he (Bennett) was active in trying to secure a new arena for the team.

Oklahoma City did what Seattle didn't do-- TCB!

[HOT ROD]

Shultz, a Seattle guy, buys the Sonics, runs them into the ground, and sells to an out-of-towner from Oklahoma City (when everyone knew OKC was starving for an NBA franchise). And people blame Bennett for playing hard-ball. Bitches Please!

Actually, Schultz is from New York. He is a transplant to Seattle.

But yes, I totally agree that anybody who ever thought CB wanted to keep the team in Seattle (unless it was profitably lucrative) is just simply an idiot moron themselves.

I knew all along, and had been telling many Seattleites this - that when all of the 'deadlines' failed, Clay will move the team to OKC. I was rebutted and called names and even quesitoned if I lived in Seattle. ...

Now, many "fans" say they have hate for CB and all but will not support the NBA. I honestly think Seattle was too saturated for major league teams. People think it is rich who go but really it is middle class who mostly fills the seats. Middle class is the bread and butter while the wealthy mostly is the profit.

Seattle has wealth, but Key Arena was not able to get any of that wealth from them, because why would anybody in their right mind pay those prices for substandard accommodations (at best). Seattle even lost their junior hockey league team (LOL, haha) to it's suburb (KENT, WA), who built a new arena with state help a year ago.

Now, if Seattle can't keep a junior league hockey team (not even minor league, really) at Key Arena, how could they ever expect to keep the NBA; or get an NHL team as some of these idiots think they 'deserve'.

Seattle is NOT Chicago, NY, or LA - even though there are many out-of-touch who think the skyline makes Seattle a player. We aren't.

Seattle is just a well established tier 2 city that would be even smaller if Vancouver BC was a US city and not canadian. The NBA wasn't the only thing that has steadily left Seattle, look at the business community - NO Financial presence at all now; when Seattle once had 2 of the top 10 bank hq's in the US.

Boeing and many other companies, have moved their Hq to Chicago and many others will do so once the "local" ownership is replaced by top business execs in-the-know and from the juggernaughts of Chicago and NY. Nordstrom, Microsoft, Costco, Real, Amazon, Nintendo-America all exist in the Seattle area because they are locally run with local people. So far, there has been some success, especially in the high tech area - because SF Bay area hasn't really challenged them and those companies have local people running them. But as Boards of Directors begin filled with Chicago-financial powers, look for all of those companies to move east and Seattle to once again be a lower tier 2 city. Im surprised it hasn't happened yet, but must of those companies are either privately managed or have provisions in their IPOs that execs remain "in the family".

Also, look for Boeing to move more ops OUT of the Seattle area, it's just much easier to do business elsewhere. OKC should really jump on this and get some factory space built at Wiley Post airport and maybe more at Tulsa/Wichita. !!!!

I think the Chamber should start attacking Seattle just like Bennett "did". The success will be quite similar and Seattle can go on thinking of itself in the past tense. Better enjoy the NFL, MLB, and MLS while they can; I hear MLS is already dropping off in only the 2nd year. lol.

So much for Seattle being a major sports market!

[jstaylor62]

Denile aint just a Harbor in Seattle...