Well the OKC Thunder advanced to the NBA Finals. And it hurt and angered me much more than I thought it would. Not that I ever thought it would be pleasant, but the emotions the whole thing stirred up surprised even me. As I logged on to facebook and twitter after the game I wasn’t surprised to see that a good 75% of my friend’s posts were about the Thunder/Sonics. But I have to say I was completely shocked and caught off guard by the number of those posts that were supporting and congratulating the Thunder. I knew there were some Sonics fans out there cheering for ‘em, but I had no idea how many. And I don’t get it. I simply can’t wrap my head around cheering for this team. I understand what happened in Seattle wasn’t the players’ fault. And yes, Durant is fun to watch and he’s a likeable guy. Yes, these players were drafted by Seattle. I’m not arguing any of that. But I can't just forget the guy in charge. Who gets handed the Championship Trophy when the Thunder win? Clay Bennett. How can you be okay with that? Just seeing his smug face on TV last night for even a split second made my stomach churn. And horrible swear words come flying out of my mouth. It brought it all back.
So no, I am definitely not one of the people cheering on the Thunder. The Thunder are not my Sonics. They are not Seattle’s team. I get confused talking with Sonic fans who are now cheering for the Thunder. A good many of these people say they want Seattle to have an NBA team again. So to me, that begs the question of who they’ll cheer for down the line…OKC Thunder or the Sonics when we get a team back…and we WILL get a team again.
I guess part of me is just glad to see some passion for the whole issue. It’s clear after last night’s game that love for the Sonics and NBA in the Pacific Northwest is not dead. And that is a relief. I hate it when I hear people say the NBA is dead to them. It's over and done with, move on. Ugh. I hate the mentality that it happened, it’s over and we can’t change that. So at least this whole debate of cheering for or against the Thunder has shown me that people do still care about the NBA, even if there’s disagreement on how to show your love for the Sonics.
Whether it’s for or against OKC, most people debating at least agree we want the NBA back in Seattle. And for the first time since our team was stolen it appears we have a really, really good chance at making that happen. Thanks in large part to a guy we know as “San Francisco based hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen.” I hope everybody realizes what a crucial time this is in the efforts to get an Arena built in Seattle and bring back the NBA, and hopefully the NHL as well. All this passion I’ve seen in the last 24 hours from people in the NW for basketball, the NBA, Sonics, Thunder, whatever…please take that and channel it for good. Don’t just sit back and hope that something will happen. Or, don’t just sit back and assume that it’s not going to happen. Be a part of this and do YOUR part to make sure that it does happen.
Chris Hansen, the Arena investor, has set up a website www.SonicsArena.com. I urge you to go and check it out. The site outlines all the various ways that you can get involved and show support. Perhaps one of the biggest events coming up is the Arena Rally taking place at Occidental Park from 4pm-6pm Thursday, June 14th. Go down to Seattle for the rally. Be a part of this. Show everyone that we want the NBA back in Seattle. Show people that Seattle is NOT just about Starbucks and flannel and that we ARE passionate about our sports. I haven’t been to too many rallies in my time. Not usually my thing. But I was 1 of about 3,000 people who gathered in a courtyard in Seattle right outside the federal courthouse back in June 2008 to try and ‘Save our Sonics.’ And although we lost that fight, lost our team, I am proud to say I was there. I went to the rally. I held signs. I chanted and cheered right alongside Gary Payton, Spencer Hawes and thousands of fans just like me. I showed my loyalty to the team I grew up watching and cheering for. That’s what a true fan does. You support your team till the end. Even while it’s being ripped away and stolen right in front of your eyes.
The fact that four years later we have an opportunity to rally for the return of the Sonics is pretty amazing to me. To be honest, I didn’t think it would happen this soon. I thought it would be many more years down the road. And while I know we are still a loooong ways away from getting a team back, we are a step closer. With a huge opportunity to get another step closer. And that’s how this thing is going to get done. One step at a time.
I wish everyone could have experienced that Save our Sonics rally with me back in 2008. While I wish we never had to go through it at all, it was a pretty incredible thing to be a part of. It was pretty cool to bond with total strangers over our love for the Sonics. Much like when you’re high-fiving the strangers sitting in your section at the arena for a game. I can’t wait for the rally next Thursday at Occidental Park to join with probably many of those same 3,000 fans, and hopefully a whole lot more, in showing our support for a new Arena and bringing our Sonics back to Seattle. I hope you will all join me! I don’t care who you cheer for in the NBA Finals. But if you are a true Sonics fan, show your loyalty by getting behind this Arena deal and doing your part to make it happen. When we get the Sonics back, you’ll want to be able to say you were a part of it.
Well the OKC Thunder advanced to the NBA Finals. And it hurt and angered me much more than I thought it would. Not that I ever thought it would be pleasant, but the emotions the whole thing stirred up surprised even me. As I logged on to facebook and twitter after the game I wasn’t surprised to see that a good 75% of my friend’s posts were about the Thunder/Sonics. But I have to say I was completely shocked and caught off guard by the number of those posts that were supporting and congratulating the Thunder. I knew there were some Sonics fans out there cheering for ‘em, but I had no idea how many. And I don’t get it. I simply can’t wrap my head around cheering for this team. I understand what happened in Seattle wasn’t the players’ fault. And yes, Durant is fun to watch and he’s a likeable guy. Yes, these players were drafted by Seattle. I’m not arguing any of that. But I can't just forget the guy in charge. Who gets handed the Championship Trophy when the Thunder win? Clay Bennett. How can you be okay with that? Just seeing his smug face on TV last night for even a split second made my stomach churn. And horrible swear words come flying out of my mouth. It brought it all back.
So no, I am definitely not one of the people cheering on the Thunder. The Thunder are not my Sonics. They are not Seattle’s team. I get confused talking with Sonic fans who are now cheering for the Thunder. A good many of these people say they want Seattle to have an NBA team again. So to me, that begs the question of who they’ll cheer for down the line…OKC Thunder or the Sonics when we get a team back…and we WILL get a team again.
I guess part of me is just glad to see some passion for the whole issue. It’s clear after last night’s game that love for the Sonics and NBA in the Pacific Northwest is not dead. And that is a relief. I hate it when I hear people say the NBA is dead to them. It's over and done with, move on. Ugh. I hate the mentality that it happened, it’s over and we can’t change that. So at least this whole debate of cheering for or against the Thunder has shown me that people do still care about the NBA, even if there’s disagreement on how to show your love for the Sonics.
Whether it’s for or against OKC, most people debating at least agree we want the NBA back in Seattle. And for the first time since our team was stolen it appears we have a really, really good chance at making that happen. Thanks in large part to a guy we know as “San Francisco-based hedge fund manager Chris Hansen.” I hope everybody realizes what a crucial time this is in the efforts to get an Arena built in Seattle and bring back the NBA, and hopefully the NHL as well. All this passion I’ve seen in the last 24 hours from people in the NW for basketball, the NBA, Sonics, Thunder, whatever…please take that and channel it for good. Don’t just sit back and hope that something will happen. Or, don’t just sit back and assume that it’s not going to happen. Be a part of this and do YOUR part to make sure that it does happen.
Chris Hansen, the Arena investor, has set up a website www.SonicsArena.com. I urge you to go and check it out. The site outlines all the various ways that you can get involved and show support. Perhaps one of the biggest events coming up is the Arena Rally taking place at Occidental Park from 4pm-6pm Thursday, June 14th. Go down to Seattle for the rally. Be a part of this. Show everyone that we want the NBA back in Seattle. Show people that Seattle is NOT just about Starbucks and flannel and that we ARE passionate about our sports. I haven’t been to too many rallies in my time. Not usually my thing. But I was 1 of about 3,000 people who gathered in a courtyard in Seattle right outside the federal courthouse back in June 2008 to try and ‘Save our Sonics.’ And although we lost that fight, lost our team, I am proud to say I was there. I went to the rally. I held signs. I chanted and cheered right alongside Gary Payton, Spencer Hawes and thousands of fans just like me. I showed my loyalty to the team I grew up watching and cheering for. That’s what a true fan does. You support your team till the end. Even while it’s being ripped away and stolen right in front of your eyes.
The fact that four years later we have an opportunity to rally for the return of the Sonics is pretty amazing to me. To be honest, I didn’t think it would happen this soon. I thought it would be many more years down the road. And while I know we are still a loooong ways away from getting a team back, we are a step closer. With a huge opportunity to get another step closer. And that’s how this thing is going to get done. One step at a time.
I wish everyone could have experienced that Save our Sonics rally with me back in 2008. While I wish we never had to go through it at all, it was a pretty incredible thing to be a part of. It was pretty cool to bond with total strangers over our love for the Sonics. Much like when you’re high-fiving the strangers sitting in your section at the arena for a game. I can’t wait for the rally next Thursday at Occidental Park to join with probably many of those same 3,000 fans, and hopefully a whole lot more, in showing our support for a new Arena and bringing our Sonics back to Seattle. I hope you will all join me! I don’t care who you cheer for in the NBA Finals. But if you are a true Sonics fan, show your loyalty by getting behind this Arena deal and doing your part to make it happen. When we get the Sonics back, you’ll want to be able to say you were a part of it.
Well the OKC Thunder advanced to the NBA Finals. And it hurt and angered me much more than I thought it would. Not that I ever thought it would be pleasant, but the emotions the whole thing stirred up surprised even me. As I logged on to facebook and twitter after the game I wasn’t surprised to see that a good 75% of my friend’s posts were about the Thunder/Sonics. But I have to say I was completely shocked and caught off guard by the number of those posts that were supporting and congratulating the Thunder. I knew there were some Sonics fans out there cheering for ‘em, but I had no idea how many. And I don’t get it. I simply can’t wrap my head around cheering for this team. I understand what happened in Seattle wasn’t the players’ fault. And yes, Durant is fun to watch and he’s a likeable guy. Yes, these players were drafted by Seattle. I’m not arguing any of that. But I can't just forget the guy in charge. Who gets handed the Championship Trophy when the Thunder win? Clay Bennett. How can you be okay with that? Just seeing his smug face on TV last night for even a split second made my stomach churn. And horrible swear words come flying out of my mouth. It brought it all back.
So no, I am definitely not one of the people cheering on the Thunder. The Thunder are not my Sonics. They are not Seattle’s team. I get confused talking with Sonic fans who are now cheering for the Thunder. A good many of these people say they want Seattle to have an NBA team again. So to me, that begs the question of who they’ll cheer for down the line…OKC Thunder or the Sonics when we get a team back…and we WILL get a team again.
I guess part of me is just glad to see some passion for the whole issue. It’s clear after last night’s game that love for the Sonics and NBA in the Pacific Northwest is not dead. And that is a relief. I hate it when I hear people say the NBA is dead to them. It's over and done with, move on. Ugh. I hate the mentality that it happened, it’s over and we can’t change that. So at least this whole debate of cheering for or against the Thunder has shown me that people do still care about the NBA, even if there’s disagreement on how to show your love for the Sonics.
Whether it’s for or against OKC, most people debating at least agree we want the NBA back in Seattle. And for the first time since our team was stolen it appears we have a really, really good chance at making that happen. Thanks in large part to a guy we know as “San Francisco based hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen.” I hope everybody realizes what a crucial time this is in the efforts to get an Arena built in Seattle and bring back the NBA, and hopefully the NHL as well. All this passion I’ve seen in the last 24 hours from people in the NW for basketball, the NBA, Sonics, Thunder, whatever…please take that and channel it for good. Don’t just sit back and hope that something will happen. Or, don’t just sit back and assume that it’s not going to happen. Be a part of this and do YOUR part to make sure that it does happen.
Chris Hansen, the Arena investor, has set up a website www.SonicsArena.com. I urge you to go and check it out. The site outlines all the various ways that you can get involved and show support. Perhaps one of the biggest events coming up is the Arena Rally taking place at Occidental Park from 4pm-6pm Thursday, June 14th. Go down to Seattle for the rally. Be a part of this. Show everyone that we want the NBA back in Seattle. Show people that Seattle is NOT just about Starbucks and flannel and that we ARE passionate about our sports. I haven’t been to too many rallies in my time. Not usually my thing. But I was 1 of about 3,000 people who gathered in a courtyard in Seattle right outside the federal courthouse back in June 2008 to try and ‘Save our Sonics.’ And although we lost that fight, lost our team, I am proud to say I was there. I went to the rally. I held signs. I chanted and cheered right alongside Gary Payton, Spencer Hawes and thousands of fans just like me. I showed my loyalty to the team I grew up watching and cheering for. That’s what a true fan does. You support your team till the end. Even while it’s being ripped away and stolen right in front of your eyes.
The fact that four years later we have an opportunity to rally for the return of the Sonics is pretty amazing to me. To be honest, I didn’t think it would happen this soon. I thought it would be many more years down the road. And while I know we are still a loooong ways away from getting a team back, we are a step closer. With a huge opportunity to get another step closer. And that’s how this thing is going to get done. One step at a time.
I wish everyone could have experienced that Save our Sonics rally with me back in 2008. While I wish we never had to go through it at all, it was a pretty incredible thing to be a part of. It was pretty cool to bond with total strangers over our love for the Sonics. Much like when you’re high-fiving the strangers sitting in your section at the arena for a game. I can’t wait for the rally next Thursday at Occidental Park to join with probably many of those same 3,000 fans, and hopefully a whole lot more, in showing our support for a new Arena and bringing our Sonics back to Seattle. I hope you will all join me! I don’t care who you cheer for in the NBA Finals. But if you are a true Sonics fan, show your loyalty by getting behind this Arena deal and doing your part to make it happen. When we get the Sonics back, you’ll want to be able to say you were a part of it.
With the NBA Finals here, it brings up a few different thoughts that have been on my mind regarding basketball lately. I, like the rest of the staff and what seems like everyone in the pacific northwest, have jumped on board with hockey!…the Canucks to be more specific. Although it wasn’t a hard sell. Especially given that all my relatives on my mom’s side of the family are from Canada and currently live in BC. I’m convinced there’s nothing greater than playoff hockey! But that doesn’t change the fact that my true love is still basketball. You can rip my team away from me but my love for the game doesn’t change. I know there are a lot of people out there that have chosen to stop watching the NBA. They say the league died when the Sonics left town. I often wish I could be one of those people who can just ignore the NBA. But I’m not and I can’t. Doesn’t really matter the team, I’m flipping channels and I see basketball…I will stop and watch. College, NBA, high school…I love it all.
Don’t get me wrong…I am by no means buddy-buddy with the NBA right now. I am still equal parts furious & saddened for what went down back in 2008. An old Seattle reference from commentators during games, watching a player who spent time in a Sonics uniform somewhere along the way and definitely watching Kevin Durant lead OKC on their playoff run are all very painful. But not enough to make me stop loving NBA hoops. Although, I have to say I got pretty upset with the official NBA Team Store a few weeks back. They sent me an email informing me of new products they were offering online…including a new line of official Oklahoma City Thunder Retro Gear. What?! Retro gear? I thought I must have read it wrong. So I clicked on the link only to find the feature image to be a hat with big bold words “THUNDER” across the front and “1967” on the back. I went ballistic. Brian can attest to that as I saw this while at work. Dear OKC Thunder, I’m pretty sure a team should be in existence for more than 3 years before coming out with their own line of “retro” gear!! If you choose to have a hat represented in this new line of merchandise, go ahead and put “2008” on the back. You have nothing to do with 1967.
But anyway, as far as these Finals are concerned…I guess I’m what many would call a “Lebron hater,” although I personally wouldn’t use that term. I don’t hate the guy and I’m not saying he isn’t good. Obviously. Anyone who knows anything about basketball isn’t going to argue how incredible of a player the guy is. He’s unreal…and seemingly getting better by the game in this playoff run! I respect that. But…I still can’t stand the guy. He makes it so impossible to want to cheer for him. I’ve tried. But the likeability factor just isn’t there. I’m not going to rehash all the reasons or talk about ‘The Decision’ or any of that. I don’t like the way the guy handles himself off the court (sometimes on it) and if that makes me a hater…so be it. It’s all about the Mavs baby! And for everyone out there that I’ve heard in the last couple weeks say “Oh I hate Dallas I could never root for them…I can’t stand Mark Cuban!” let me just say this….you do know that Mark Cuban is the only other NBA owner (besides Paul Allen) that voted against the relocation of the Seattle Sonics right?? That has to count for something people. I don’t think I’ve ever cheered for a Dallas sports team of any kind in my 26 years of life. But Cuban’s vote on this topic does mean something, at least to me. And I’ve never jumped quicker onto a bandwagon than I did for the Mavs. And Dirk! The guy is awesome. And hearing him on The Dan Patrick show the other week just cemented for me I’m cheering for the right guy. I can respect a player’s game without liking them but to truly cheer for someone and be a fan, more often than not they make or break it for me with their off-court behavior. Lebron has left a little to be desired in that area.
One final basketball thought. If you haven’t yet been to check out a Bellingham Slam game…do it. It’s fun, fast-paced action from start to finish. No, it’s not the NBA. But the competition and excitement surrounding the game is great. Granted I’m a basketball junkie who jumps at the chance to watch any level of the game…from my 5 year old nephews’ games, to traveling around Whatcom County for high school games, going to every home Western game I can and anything in between. But even if you’re not that hardcore, I highly recommend taking in a Slam game. Especially without having the NBA just down the road anymore. It’s nice to have another option for live hoops.
