I give homage to Seattle (the NBA can shove it)
Fig Jam
I hope, in a year or so, when the initial sting and sadness over losing the Sonics has faded a little, that the people of Seattle (especially the diehard fans) adopt the appropriate attitude towards the NBA. In two words: Fuck you. While I do not doubt that many Sonic fans are heartsick over losing their franchise and are hopeful that they will one day get that uniform in action again, I believe the terms under which a team returns to the city ought to be a little different than the current path that has been laid out.
Because to be frank: I cannot stomach the current path that lays before Seattle to get back into the NBA. It is a pride swallowing, get-on-your knees and beg, pay for whatever I tell you to procedure that will be ruled by an arrogant and conceited commissioner who does not deserve it.
Rather, to channel William Wallace a little bit, I propose that before Seattle “lets” the NBA come back to the city and Key Arena there should be a few conditions placed on the league:
1. David Stern has to walk to the middle of Seattle Center, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own ass.
2. On his way back to Sea-Tac, Stern must stop at the residence of every Sonics fan and beg forgiveness for putting money ahead of history, for insulting the Franchise and the city, and for treating Seattle and its fanbase like second class citizens.
3. The NBA can finance the new arena. Unrealistic? Maybe - but the NBA earned this. Seattle provides one of the top 15 markets in the Country and has a proven track record of success in the league. Oh- and it has a billionaire ownership group sitting around waiting to provide an extremely solid financial base for a team. If there was an objective (there’s not.. but if there were) member of the NBA front office who was involved in making a list of potential NBA cities as of today, July 9, 2008: Seattle would be #1 and #1a. They should be selling out to get back here.
If the NBA is willing to do those things to rectify the situation it has created - then Seattle should consent to the return of Supersonics to its rightful locale. If not: see above. In keeping with my theme of revolutionaries, I cite back to Emiliano Zapata* who declared that it is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. Sonics fans should stand up.
Kevin Calabro has it right in his interview with Jim Moore. “I get incensed because people, particularly leadership in the town and the region, don’t seem to have the same pride in the area that I do. They sold the legacy away for less monetarily than they should have for a promise down the road of an NBA team from a league run by a commissioner that disrespected them and the region.”
He’s right. The elected officials failed too. Not only did they pass the buck every chance they got (from the governor on down), but then when they finally took the ownerhship to court - they folded for money and a illusory commitment minutes before a decision was rendered. Sad. Sonics fans have every right to be upset with the way the politicians conducted themselves, but ultimately the NBA brought this fight to them - they aren’t the root cause, just additional embarassment and an example of leaders who demonstrate no leadership.
The real insult comes from the NBA, and the arrogance with which it holds the carrot out over the head of the Sonics populace should be responded to accordingly. Fund a remodel and hope we are so inclined to grace your shores again with our NBA presence - we will promise you nothing. Get the fuck out of here with that.
*courtesy of the reference in Ocean’s 13 - which I double checked… totally true. Everyone take a shot.
July 9th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
[...] A public display of David Stern’s ass is just one of these proposed conditions for letting the NBA back. [Hot Dog and Friends] [...]
July 9th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
i loved that calabro article. he basically gives the finger to oklahoma city, the nba, WA politicians, Seattle U and Van Halen
July 9th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
I am hoping that karma is already starting to rear its ugly side to all the parties involved in this turdly ordeal. The signs are looking good with Starbucks and Howard Schultz facing a financial downturn. Unfortunately that bastard is so rich it just means downgrading his baby sandwich from Swedish to Finnish. I would like to see the people of Seattle revolt against Starbucks and just boycott that place until that greasy asshole is run out of town too. I quit going there the day Schultz sold the team and life has not been any different at all. One time at work they gave everyone Starbucks cards as a thank you gift and I gave mine back to the HR person and told her to get me one from Uptown Espresso. My request was fulfilled. Next up, I start painting bricks with Sonics colors and throwing them through windows of my neighborhood Starbucks then dumping buckets of diarrhea into the coffee machines. See if you can taste the difference!
July 10th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I had a realization today when I was reading the Times article that had people recounting their Sonics memories. I realized that my memories ended about 9-10 years ago. Since then, I haven’t cared about the team on the court at all. The teams of Vin Baker and Vladimir Stepania, Ruben Patterson and Shammond Williams, Jelani McCoy and Olumide Oyedeji, Ansu Sesay and Peja Drobnjak just didn’t inspire anything in me. Then I realized I just don’t care about the NBA all that much.
My hope is that the NBA doesn’t grant the city a team in the next few years, David Stern retires (or dies, Jew bastard), and the league goes in the toilet a la the NHL. Without his heavy hand, the league built on teenage millionaires and public financing will have a hard time sustaining itself. Then, when the league is “beleaguered” they will grant a new team in an attempt to right the ship. The city will be in a position of power, and the franchise will be done the correct way, and that will help rebuild the civic pride that has long been missing.