Rick Sund: Part Of The Rebel Forces!

Sager Bombs

 God, this is getting good.  Clay Bennett’s legal team has fired back, filing a brief that suggests that the City of Seattle trying to enforce the lease and not offering to gas up the moving vans amounts to a ”Machiavellian plan” to force Bennett’s ownership group to sell the team to Seattle investors. 

I’m feeling pretty much exactly the way Seth at Enjoy The Enjoyment  feels… this brief reads like it was thrown together in a panic, and comes off like a paranoid, Bennett-mandated counterstrike.  Not only is it unlikely to be effective (really? Seattle doesn’t want him to own the team?  really?  like he’d want to stay here if he had to?) but it’s only going to dig him a bigger hole in the court of public opinion.  It reads like a pouting billionaire throwing money at a fire to try and put it out.  Oh wait, maybe it reads that way because that’s exactly what it is. 

For me, it’s all about footnote 11.  You see, a major part of the argument in this brief is that potential owner Matt Griffin’s internal documents are based on “confidential Sonics’ financial information he wrongfully obtained and disseminated.”  But where, praytell, would they get their hands on such precious data???  From footnote 11:

“It appears that the documents were improperly given to the Griffin Group by the individual who was the General Manager of the Sonics under the prior owner.”

 Wait… RICK SUND did something to help the Sonics organization?  WHAAAAAA?

My guess is that Griffin hired an immobile 7 foot European to sweet talk Sund into dishing over the goods.  He’s powerless to resist their charms.  But seriously, folks… if Rick Sund and Howard Schultz are suddenly the good guys, I need to start breathing in a paper bag.  This is all getting to be too much for my tiny little brain to handle. 

Oh, and ESPN, I know you’re in bed with the NBA and are showing the playoffs, but this is news.  Feel free to cover it whenever you’re ready.  We need your help in publicizing this tomdouchery.