Sunday Basketball part 2

More sunday hoops...

Seattle Supersonics

This is a day I knew would come, but I was hoping against all odds wouldn't happen. The Seattle Supersonics are moving. I guess the biggest thing I feel is dissapointment that the whole situation got so ugly, and then the city itself flopped. Dissapointed that contracts don't mean a thing to anyone with enough money. Dissapointed that the city actually had a chance to prove that it wouldn't flop, and take a stand on something(guess I'll still be waiting). Disappointed that people are right the NBA doesn't care and screws the fans. Disapointed the city and some people don't realize what thier losing.
I agree that the stadium amount asked for was insane. I don't agree that the city and the owners did everything they could to keep the team here. Any owner asking for the taxpayers to build the most expensive arena to date, and not pitch in a cent of his/her own money is crazy if they thought the public would get behind this. Especially when they are a millionare to start. That was just plain ignorance on the part of the new owners. But the things said by the city and it's unbending stance toward Howard Schultz were wrong also. Things could have been worked out. Nick Licatas' comment makes me wonder how he holds down the job he's lucky to have. "Sonics provide "close to zero" cultural value". Really? How does this guy have a job when he's supposed to represent the people of seattle, not himself? It's not the comment itself that made me upset, but the fact that you'd have to be so close minded to assume such a thing. And yet there he is a Councilman. No amount of apologizing can make me believe you didn't mean that. So theres one liar.
The next person thats hard not to blame for this whole mess is Howard Schultz. Selling the team to an out of town ownership(which I could tell from day one didn't want to stay here) then trying to sue them is just lame. C'mon Howard, we all know you looked for the quickest exit when selling. If you in all honesty could say you believed Bennet well, that gives me hope to be a millonare myself, if you could do it. I've got some great land in florida to sell ya. Right on a swamp er I mean with a water view.
Lair number two.
The next is Mayor Greg Nickels. After stating that the he was willing to do anything to keep the sonics here, it turns out he lied too. Wow what a surprise. I never believed this from the get go, and he proved that all he can do is cave in like he always does.
Lair number three.
Next is David Stern. I shouldn't even capitalize his name. Way to go Mr. I used to think that to be a head of a major corp you needed to be able to think on a higher level than a goldfish, but he proves me wrong. After arguing that the key was unfit with or without a remodel, he turns around today and says that if the key gets X,Y, and Z it will work. Did I miss something? Wasn't that the whole basis of your arguement? Now after you move the team to one of your best friends cities you say the key could work! Are you kidding!?I'm not a business major but I know that the city of Seattle has a much higher advertising market than OKC. So it just goes against all logic that you would piss off a decent size fan base and move a team to a lower market. Guess what David? After this seasons playoffs(Celtics and Lakers) I swore if the team moved I was done with the NBA. You've run a great league into the ground. I can catch the highlights. Not one more cent into your greedy, corrupt hands.
HUGE Liar number four.
Then theres Bennet. Who in all honesty was so transparent from the get go it was hard not to see this thing coming. You just don't buy a team and tell it's fans you're doing everthing you can to keep it here without pitching in any money. Your breath must smell from all the BS you spew. I feel bad for your wife. You actually said you felt hurt that the people of seattle didn't believe you that you didn't want to move the Sonics? I guess we know a snake in the grass when we see one. The saddest thing is you didn't even earn the money you got to buy the Sonics, you married into it.
Lair number five.
Last theres the chunk of people in Seattle that wanted nothing more than to piss on someone else's parade. Yes as I stated before paying for the whole and, or the most expensive arena is nuts. I never thought we should do that. But as soon as there was a whisper of a new stadium some Seattle residents went on a witch hunt. "Sign this paper". "No money towards a new staduim, not one cent!"." We have more important things to worry about". I'm still waiting for that list. Yes Schools are important. Roads are important. Mass Transit is important. But it's not like the Sonics were whoring money from those things. If we had a new arena little Timmy would still have school books. Our freeways would still be just as clogged if we don't(as you will see). I for one am sick and tired of study after study on roads, or transit etc, wasting money to get zero results. Then turning it over to a vote. Can I sign a paper somewhere to get that barred? So when exactlly will the "more important things" be addressed, cause I sure don't see anyone heading up a movement for them.
I've heard people say players should put some money down towards the stadium because they make enough. Yes they do make a lot. Yes it is for playing a sport. But if someone where to give you millions for doing something you're good at, are you telling me you wouldn't take it? You can't blame em for that. Heck I'd even take half thier salary. I think anyone who says different is lying. So imagine for a second that your work came to you and asked that you pay one or two paychecks towards letting you work in the building you work in. It's kinda silly.
Seattle has always been a city that has had something for everyone it seems. Arts, sports, parks, trails, clubs, shops, etc. The list goes on. One of the reasons it's so great to live here is the diversity. There are so many things to do for so many different people. This is part of the reason it's so hard to take this news. It seems that a part of the Seattle public seem to think that what they do in thier spare time is better than what others like to do in thier spare time. Which is just not true. That and Seattle is so easy to part with a big part of it's history. While we may get a new NBA team, and they may have the colors and logo, it's not the Sonics.

I'll miss the Sonics as a fan. The dunks by Shawn Kemp. The excitement that swept up the city when they were on a run to the championship against the Bulls. Going to games in the wet windy winter with my wife, or friends. Mostly though I'll miss the Sonics because Seattle just doesn't seem like Seattle without pro basketball.

Hoopfest 08

Hoopfest seemed to come and go this year. The weather was once again right around the 100 degree mark. In other words, very HOT! The games broke down like this.....lost our first one by a point in OT. The next two we won, and made it into Sunday. The last game we played we were ahead by 2 with 30 seconds left. The other team threw up a prayer fade away double pump 3, and it went it to tie it up. So we rolled into OT again. Lost that by a point and ended our run. Very frustrating to say the least. Anyways big thanks to my team mates for playing and letting me play with them too. Here are some pics of the action. All pics were shot by Daniel Brunner

The other team that we had did great the first day. Won both thier games and got into sunday easily. The next day they lost their first one, won the next, then lost one after that.

It was fun but we all wanted to get further than we did. Oh well next year. Video will be coming in a couple days.