Oklahomans, please don't take our Sonics!

[Cascadian]

Is there anyway to have the Hornets stay in OKC? Do they really want to go back to New Orleans? They have gotten a better reception there than in The Big Easy. You have to understand, the Sonics have been a part of our community and region for 40 years and Howard Schultz was the worst owner in the club's history. He brought on this demise. There is a history and a tradition here in this part of the Northwest. So you have to understand how we feel.

And if you do take our team, we are keeping the "Sonics" name and the colors. The Sonics name and the Green and Gold just doesn't seem very "Oklahoman" to me.


John

[YellowRubberDuckie]

1. Seattle's doing it to themselves.

We have nothing to do it. Actually, Sonic is VERY Oklahoman. The world headquarters of Sonic Drive Ins is here, and there could be great tie-ins. Also, the guys who bought it, including one of the guys who owns the company I work for, are all from here. Seattle could keep them. Just build them a new arena. :shrug:
Duckie

[Cascadian]

2. We built them a new arena!

We went through this nonsense 10 years ago with the previous owner of the Sonics (Before Schultz) and the City of Seattle bent over backwards to accomodate them. They got the Key Arena and everything was fine and then this all of a sudden, the Key Arena isn't good enough. How many times are we going to have to be held hostage like this? This is a huge problem with pro sports these days. I honestly think NBA Commish Stern simply does not want the Northwest to have any NBA teams. He is already thumbing his nose at the Portland Trail Blazers as well. It's probably why Paul Allen wants to sell that team.

John

[RoyGBiv]

4. Ya know what's funny ...

When I saw the thread, the Sonics with the hamburgers is exactly what I thought of.

I must be hungry.

[Joey Liberal]

3. The Sonics will thrive in Oklahoma

If the Hornets had any sense, they would have stayed. I just don't see how the new owners would not move the Sonics to OK City. Everything is in place. An arena. Plenty of fans to attend games.

[RoyGBiv]

5. Hornets ...

The group that purchased the Sonics wanted to buy the Hornets, but the Hornets' owner won't sell. At present, he is still insisting that after this next season, the Hornets are going back to New Orleans permanently.

Okies have pretty much fallen in love with the Hornets. It's a bit bizarre, actually. I'm accustomed to seeing various shades of crimson and orange around OKC, with the occasional sprinkle of Dallas Cowboy blue or KS Chiefs red, as people display their sports team gear. Now I see this light, Hornet blue color a lot, and it's a bit strange to the senses.

But, anyway, if the Hornets would stay, that's what pretty much everyone involved on this end would prefer, I think. However, the new owners' of the Sonics most likely would not have gone after that team had they held out any hope at all that the Hornets would stay.