FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Let me start with a disclaimer: I don't know everything about the now-approved move and won't pretend to.

 That being said, I feel I am rather well versed in this atrocity to the city of Seattle.  With the owners approving the move to OKC, basketball is all but dead in the Emerald City.  They have few last ditch efforts that rely more on luck and hope than anything else, and they have the same feel as all those last second appeals a lawyer makes for his death-row client.  Perhaps I am merely a pessimist and the Sonics will remain in Seattle for years to come, but I truly believe that all of the practical options have been exhausted and the Sonics will be gone, if not this year than certianly in the next two.

I am a native of Portland, born and raised.   Many of you know I am a huge fan of the Blazers, and thus am fond of the I-5 rivalry that has existed for nearly four decades.  With Durant's arrival in Seattle and Oden's soon-to-be premiere in Portland, that rivalry has been rekindled, or should have been.  And thus it pains me that much more to see the Sonics go.

This whole ordeal stunk from the start, and the mere fact that is allowed to be followed through to conclusion is astounding.  With the emails that recently surfaced, it is obvious that Bennet never had any intention of keeping the team in Seattle and lied to the city, the players, the league, and the fans about it.  And yet Stern is still allowing it to happen.  How is this possible?  I can only assume Stern is in on it somehow, there is nothing else that can explain his actions.

It can't be about the arena, because there was a $200 million offer to renovate Key Arena, which is double the OKC is offering to fix up their place.  The market is larger in Seattle, and the team is set to be on the rise with Durant, Green, and a glut of first rounders on the way.  When the team was good the arena was packed, and it only stands to reason it would return to capacity once the winning resumes.  All teams lose attendance when performance suffers, so it can't be about fan support.

This is only Bennet, with the approval of Stern, tearing an established team from a city that loves it and lying and deceiving every step of the way.  He demanded a $500 million publically funded arena, which is simply unheard of, especially with the recession.  He has lied to everyone, and Stern is allowing it.

I have resigned to the fact that Seattle will be without a team, but I refuse to accept that it will be Sonicless.  I have two desires now: that Bennet is forced to stay for two more years and bleeds money on a lame-duck team while Stern gets tons of bad press about it dragging out, and secondly all of the team's memorabilia, stats, records, retired jerseys, and most importantly the team name remains behind.

I am not opposed to a team in OKC, I have nothing against the area and believe it can support an NBA franchise and perhaps a team could thrive there.  But it shouldn't be the Sonics.  They belong in Seattle, and whatever team winds up playing there will not be the Sonics.  It may be the players, owner, and coach that played basketball in Seattle, but they won't be the Sonics. 

The Sonics need to stay in Seattle, with or without players to fill the waiting jerseys.