Seattle Sonics
I'm furious. I'm heartbroken. I don't know where to go from here.
The Sonics signed a lease to stay in Seattle through 2010. Now, unhappy that the city won't build a new stadium, instead of playing out their lease, the team is trying to break it. Fuck that. Stern has always supported the need for a new stadium, which is one thing, but now he's supporting the broken lease. That's a whole 'nother. Fuck him. The city is suing to keep the team in Seattle for a last few years. I'm dismayed it has come to this.
The owners of the team offered city officials $26.5 million last week if the city would let the Sonics out of the lease. The city said no. Thankfully. I'm so concerned about this, though, that I personally e-mailed each and every City Council member and the mayor an e-mail that included the following two paragraphs:
Now, though, GM Presti has traded away every last shred of talent for a pile of late-round draft picks and expiring contracts. Everybody on the team save, like, four players is DEFINITELY going to get dumped in the next two off-seasons. Outside of those four players, do you think any of the players cares about the Sonics?
First of all: Fuck you, Sonics, for tanking like motherfuckers in your final years in Seattle. We appreciate nothing, assholes.
Secondly, don't you think that would have an effect on Kevin Durant and Jeff Green? Watching Green these days is a little painful. The rampant losing is clearly getting to him. What do even those guys have to play for? I mean, not only are they going to have to move their homes in the next two years, but they won't be playing with any of these same guys. Do you think losing 60 games a year will help their development? Ugh.
The trades have gotten us a heap of late-first round draft picks, but we're talking super late round. Phoenix Suns. San Antonio Spurs. I think we've got a Celtics pick. What good will these do Durant? Get him some crappy tall guys without any polish? Get him some flash PGs without any court discipline? Ugh.
I wish I didn't care so much, but I do. I freaking love the Sonics. Without the Glove and the Reign Man and Big Smooth, I'm never a sports fan in the first place. Without Brickowski and the Chef and George Karl, I'm never attending Syracuse University in hopes of becoming a sports reporter. It makes me ridiculously sad that if I were 20 years younger, growing up exactly where I did in exactly the same home attending exactly the same schools, my life would have been radically different. The Sonics were my number one passion. Now, they'll be gone. Ugh.
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
The Sonics signed a lease to stay in Seattle through 2010. Now, unhappy that the city won't build a new stadium, instead of playing out their lease, the team is trying to break it. Fuck that. Stern has always supported the need for a new stadium, which is one thing, but now he's supporting the broken lease. That's a whole 'nother. Fuck him. The city is suing to keep the team in Seattle for a last few years. I'm dismayed it has come to this.
The owners of the team offered city officials $26.5 million last week if the city would let the Sonics out of the lease. The city said no. Thankfully. I'm so concerned about this, though, that I personally e-mailed each and every City Council member and the mayor an e-mail that included the following two paragraphs:
As a Seattle resident and a sports fan, the Sonics issue has been difficult for me. Ultimately, I support the city's (and the region's) hesitancy to build a complex for the Sonics. I believe in the morality of such a stance. I'm not asking any of you to support any such plan.Two councilmembers wrote me back saying, essentially, "we agree. But for more money, well, we might not." That's bullshit. But, OK. Whatever. That's happening.
However, there is a vast difference between building an arena and allowing a treasured sports franchise to walk away from its lease. To allow the Sonics to walk away early would be a travesty. I understand that both the team and the league believe the franchise will leave anyway. As my elected officials, however, I implore you not to enable an early and otherwise illegal exit.
Now, though, GM Presti has traded away every last shred of talent for a pile of late-round draft picks and expiring contracts. Everybody on the team save, like, four players is DEFINITELY going to get dumped in the next two off-seasons. Outside of those four players, do you think any of the players cares about the Sonics?
First of all: Fuck you, Sonics, for tanking like motherfuckers in your final years in Seattle. We appreciate nothing, assholes.
Secondly, don't you think that would have an effect on Kevin Durant and Jeff Green? Watching Green these days is a little painful. The rampant losing is clearly getting to him. What do even those guys have to play for? I mean, not only are they going to have to move their homes in the next two years, but they won't be playing with any of these same guys. Do you think losing 60 games a year will help their development? Ugh.
The trades have gotten us a heap of late-first round draft picks, but we're talking super late round. Phoenix Suns. San Antonio Spurs. I think we've got a Celtics pick. What good will these do Durant? Get him some crappy tall guys without any polish? Get him some flash PGs without any court discipline? Ugh.
I wish I didn't care so much, but I do. I freaking love the Sonics. Without the Glove and the Reign Man and Big Smooth, I'm never a sports fan in the first place. Without Brickowski and the Chef and George Karl, I'm never attending Syracuse University in hopes of becoming a sports reporter. It makes me ridiculously sad that if I were 20 years younger, growing up exactly where I did in exactly the same home attending exactly the same schools, my life would have been radically different. The Sonics were my number one passion. Now, they'll be gone. Ugh.
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
Labels: Kevin Durant, Seattle Sonics
posted by Chris at 4:08 PM
1 Comments:
I've written seven posts about this situation over the last 18 months. Search "Seattle Sonics" on this blog to read them all. They are very depressing. From post one, Nov. 8, 2006:
"Seattle deserves to be treated better. That the NBA continues to threaten us makes me furious.
Threaten Atlanta, where nobody attends games. Or New Orleans, where nobody came. Threaten even Portland, which now plays to a third-quarters full stadium on a good day. I don't care. But, to threaten Seattle's loyal fans for a better stadium lease even while the team's financial health flourishes is an abomination."
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