If I sound bitter about the Sonics, it’s probably because I am
Constable Echelon
I’m currently studying a little revolutionary era France. I’ll admit it’s always been a little hard to wrap my head around the idea of a society so unjust that the only recourse for the common man was to take to the streets, round up those responsible, and cut off their heads. I imagine that insatiable bloodlust started with those people feeling like I feel right now.
Obviously I’m being dramatic. It’s just a basketball team. In theory I’ll get over this.
I know that professional sports owners don’t care about me. I’m poor. I have maybe a couple hundred bucks a year to give them. My chief benefit is the ambience I help provide for the people in the suites. They only care about me when I’m the only exploitable revenue stream, and if a team is counting on regular fans to keep it profitable they are fucked.
When Olympia decided there were more important things to spend money on than remodeling an arena that was just remodeled ten years ago, that was it for the Sonics. The rest of it was inevitable. Our legislature had their priorities right by the way, even if they were a little disingenuous that the choice was between an arena or the children.
(As anyone who was paying attention knows, the money that our legislators were so loathe to give to the Sonics came from hotel and restaurant taxes in King County. It came primarily from tourists. There has been no effort to appropriate that money for schools or anything like that since the arena plan failed, proving that Citizens For More Important Things were full of shit. They had a one item list of “more important things” that went like this: No new arena. Congratulations local bored housewives.)
The current NBA business model requires a massive amount of public money to keep teams profitable. Someone has to pay for Kenny Thomas’s contract, after all. Now Seattle has provided a delightful example for the league to scare the shit out of other markets with. We’re a nicely above average region replete with affluent demographics that’s out of the way enough that people don’t get too outraged at how we’ve been treated. If the league doesn’t care about our 41 years of rock solid fan support and consistently winning basketball teams, what hope does anyone have?
So Milwaukee, Minnesota, Memphis, Atlanta, New Orleans, Utah, Sacramento, Golden State, Charlotte, Toronto, Cleveland, Orlando, and pretty much everyone except LA, Boston, and the New York teams beware: Sooner or later they’ll come for you too. And rest assured Seattle will be cited as the example of what happens if you dare to question the logic of giving billionaires millions of public dollars.
I’m not really that mad at Oklahoma City. Good luck to them. You’re going to have a lot of fun in the next few years. Good luck sustaining interest when Kevin Durant bolts to play with LeBron on the Brooklyn Nets. Or when Clay Bennett and David Stern decide that their recently remodeled Ford Center just isn’t cutting it anymore within the next ten years. Or if it turns out that the only thing that Sam Presti is good at is engineering spectacularly bad rosters to maximize ping pong balls.
I just hope the good people of Oklahoma City always keep in the back of their minds how contingent keeping their franchise is on their continued willingness to prostrate themselves for these hard luck oil men.
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Fabulous article man. It was logical and forthcoming, yet really made valiant points. And your point about the NBA coming out for your team, meaning no one is safe, is a scary and worrisome reality that NBA cities will be forced to deal with in the years ahead. What’s 41 years right? It’s only like half of the average human being’s lifetime. Nah, that’s nothing. Pssttt, so sad. A lot of good comes from sports, but there are also a lot of jerks too. A dark day in Seattle indeed.
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:41 am
Bravo! Bravo!
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:04 am
#1 top viewed story on the Daily Oklahoman’s website (newsok.com):
“Dog sex tapes lead to arrests”
I’m not mad at OKC either, who will get a chance to watch Durant for a few years. It’s going to be weird seeing highlights of that team in different uniforms. I know it’s totally sacrilegious, but I’m not rooting for B-Roy and co.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:04 am
[...] Constable Echelon, Hot Dog & Friends: I’m currently studying a little revolutionary era France. I’ll admit it’s always been a little hard to wrap my head around the idea of a society so unjust that the only recourse for the common man was to take to the streets, round up those responsible, and cut off their heads. I imagine that insatiable bloodlust started with those people feeling like I feel right now. [...]
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:29 am
Our Mayor decided that money was more important to our city than it’s culture, identity, and heritage. Congratulations Mayor Nickels, you just turned Seattle into LA. At least we’ll have money to expand the monorail.
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:32 am
http://www.fuckyouclaybennett.com/ - hilarious
Those god damn Oklahomans are a bunch of beastubers if you ask me
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:49 am
I am all in favor of mass transportation.
However - this will probably be a problem for a lot of elected officials. The City and State gov’t of Washington put on a clinic on how to shift responsibility to others during this whole affair. Nobody stepped up and took responsibility for anything. Zero leadership. Nickels is at the head of that bus. Nobody is going to buy his spin job. He was the mayor that let the Sonics leave Seattle.
Mr. Echelon -You are Jean Valjean to Clay Bennett’s Javert. We need someone to be Cossette though.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 am
Dave is right, I don’t blame OKC at all. They wanted a team, they are getting a team. The most upsetting thing is the way that all of Washington State’s elected leaders behaved. From the Governor on down the line, right to the Seattle City Council and Mayor.
Thanks to all of them for turning Seattle into a city that now has a football and baseball team only…just like Cincinatti, Kansas City, Pittsburgh (but at least THEY have an NHL team). Goddamnit, even Oakland (Oakland!) has three pro teams.
Nick Licata, ask business owners on Queen Anne if the Sonics actually have a financial impact on the city…dick.
And no, I also will not root for the Blazers.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:44 am
I actually meant to say I am “now rooting” for the Blazers. Funny how one letter changes everything. The NBA can wash my balls (and wash ‘em good), but I will now direct all cheer towards Brandon Muthafuckin Roy.
All of the elected officials stand no chance of serving more terms. It just won’t happen. Nothing in this town has been accomplished in the last few years. Maybe the constituents have a lot to do with it, but just like baseball, you fire the manager before you fire the players. I hope McLaren is ready for some company.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
excellent word Constable
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
work*
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I’m with ya. Nickels sold out big time.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/34714-dear-seattle-mayor-greg-nickelsyou-sold-out-your-city
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
The fudamental premise of any attempt to get another NBA franchise or an NHL franchise, or both, is to go 100% private on the arena or for the legislature to create a taxing mechanism that could be used by any city, not just Seattle. Seattle had its chance, but given the continuing lack of poilitical leadership, and the nature of Seattle politics genrally, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to start over in Seattle, unles it is a 100% private deal. Then again, what did we expect from a City whose CEO received his “termimal degree” from Seattle Prep?