With Hornets thriving, NBA does right by Okla. City

[ksearls]

The Rant
With Hornets thriving, NBA does right by Okla. CityPosted: Wednesday February 1, 2006 12:48PM; Updated: Wednesday February 1, 2006 3:12PM
Richard Deitsch, Sports Illustrated



There are roughly 300 days to go before Sports Illustrated names its 2006 Sportsman of the Year. I'm not waiting. I'm nominating an entire city: Oklahoma City.

One of the best stories in sports has emerged from one of worst disasters we've ever seen. In the aftermath of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the NBA's New Orleans franchise was temporarily placed more than 700 miles away to Oklahoma City, a city not unfamiliar to tragedy with the 1995 bombing of a federal office building. Kansas City, Las Vegas and San Diego were among the other cities interested in the franchise but the NBA opted to send the Hornets to Oklahoma City, which paid for the Hornets' housing and office-space costs and offered the team a guaranteed cash payout if the team's revenues fell short of projections.

These days, the only projection Hornets fans are thinking about is who they'll play in the playoffs. Last year, the team finished with an 18-64 record. If the playoffs started today, the Hornets would be the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The team is 22-22 overall and 13-7 in Oklahoma, including a win over the Kings in January at the University of Oklahoma's Lloyd Noble Center. The Ford Center's upper bowl has been dubbed Loud City. They should call themselves Proud City. The Hornets have played 19 games at the Ford Center and have averaged 18,546 fans --- including 10 sellouts. The in-game atmosphere rivals Midnight Madness. Fans arrive early for games and scream throughout. So much for Oklahoma being a pigskin state.

The NBA is the first major sports league to place a team in Oklahoma City and the league is clearly impressed. They announced yesterday that the Hornets will play 35 games in Oklahoma City and six in New Orleans in 2006-07. The plan is for the team to return fulltime to New Orleans for the 2007-08 season. That's the right thing to do. But Oklahoma City has set itself up as the top choice for relocation if a franchise moves, or if the league expands beyond its current 30 teams.

For years, Oklahoma City has craved a reputation as a first-class, major-league city. Welcome to the club, cowboy.

[metro]

Amen Kim! I second your nomination.

[Karried]

Metro, clarification, this was from Sport's Illustrated (which makes it pretty cool)!

We've been talking about this article on the Hornet's boards.. this one, out of all of the recent Great! articles was the one that gave me goosebumps... it almost brought a tear to my eye, certainly a lump in my throat!

I emailed the author ( I think Doug did and a few others) thanking him for his compliments on our city & fans ..

Sport's Illustrated - National magazine and website!

Is this a great state or what??

Go Hornets!

[ksearls]

I wish I would have written it but it means much more coming from an unbiased observer. Yes, it made me get choked up too Karried!