Question/Poll from Blazer

jenn_gp · Post #21 » by **jenn_gp** » Tue Jul 8, 2008 10:18 pm

I want to know who said "Root for OKC?"

Identify yourselves please, and go to the OKC forums ASAP.

GOBlazers · Post #22 » by **GOBlazers** » Tue Jul 8, 2008 10:37 pm

LOL Shall we string 'em up???

Post #23 » by **bennith13** » Tue Jul 8, 2008 10:43 pm

The cities of Seattle and Portland are rivals, not just the teams. I could careless if every single person in your organization had ties to Seattle, I still would not root for them.

big L · Post #24 » by **big L** » Tue Jul 8, 2008 11:53 pm

I must admit, I've been checking out our summer league results. I'll have a tough time rooting for OKC, but I feel the pull much harder than I thought. I was talking with a buddy about it, and he was telling me about some folks in his family who kept rooting for the A's when they left Philadelphia for Kansas City (and then on to Oakland... this is what will happen to OK City. They'll be in San Jose soon.), and even refused to root for the new Phillies when they came.

Anyway, even though I've never set foot in Seattle in my life, I just can't see myself going for OK City after all this. I may be a passive fan until the Nets come to Brooklyn and then root for them.

Dick Tate · Post #25 » by **Dick Tate** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 12:37 am

Root the Blazers! (Aussie slang)

Norm2953 · Post #26 » by **Norm2953** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 2:26 am

Being rivals does not mean you can't root for the other team for I was
happy for the Sonics fans when the team won the title in 78 after the
Blazers won in 77.

As it stands now, Portland and OKC are going to be in the same NW division
and will play sometime in 2008 in the Rose Garden. The first game in the
Rose Garden is going to be an emotional game for fans in the NW so don't
stay angry and come down to either root or jeer OKC.

GOBlazers · Post #27 » by **GOBlazers** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 3:43 am

Seems like those that vote for the Blazers and OKC are worried about the unwarranted crap they will hear from the disgruntled fans. I haven't noticed anyone openly claim they will do either. They just vote anonymously.

I thought more would join Portland (as Portland follows the Mariners and SeaHawks). Also thought fewer would stay onboard with OKC. I understand the attachment to the players though, but have a feeling that in a few years, OKC will stop feeling like your team, as players are traded away (maybe not though)

Hardzy · Post #28 » by **Hardzy** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 4:37 am

I want to root Clay Bennett with baseball bat with barb wire around it.

jenn_gp · Post #29 » by **jenn_gp** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 6:45 am

Norm2953 wrote:Being rivals does not mean you can't root for the other team for I was
happy for the Sonics fans when the team won the title in 78 after the
Blazers won in 77.

As it stands now, Portland and OKC are going to be in the same NW division
and will play sometime in 2008 in the Rose Garden. The first game in the
Rose Garden is going to be an emotional game for fans in the NW so don't
stay angry and come down to either root or jeer OKC.

I don't think the players should be booed. They had nothing to do with it.

DmoneyH3 · Post #30 » by **DmoneyH3** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 6:56 am

Yea, I too don't consider Seattle rivals at all. Utah, LA and recently Denver have been the big ones. I have family in Washington so I like the Hawks and M's and always had Seattle as a secondary team. If PDX got eliminated, for most of the time I'd root for Seattle (sans the matchups vs. Clyde's Rockets and against the Nuggz..I heart upsets)..but who couldn't love Gp and Kemp?

Norm2953 · Post #31 » by **Norm2953** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 7:03 am

I would agree with that but you can't boo the owner at a game and I don't know
what would happen if a bunch of Seattle fans showed up at the first OKC game
in Portland with a lot of angry banners.

I've got a lot of family members living in the Seattle area and they seem ambivalent
about the loss of the team. Granted most of them are Republicans who would
probably never vote for any more tax increases to fund new or renovating Key
Arena but I like a lot of Portland fans, will miss the Sonics. I do think it's going to
get a lot worse for the really hard core Sonics fans for only these fans would care
about summer league games but come September when training camps open,
the loss of the team will really be felt. I think most of the people on the Blazer
board would welcome the Sonic fans for you don't have to cheer the Blazers for
if you come down to Portland to see some games for we can all come down to
collectively boo the Lakers. There's a lot of enthusiasm for the Blazers this year
and Nate in todays paper said Martell Webster, Aldridge, Oden, Blake and
Brandon Roy will probably be his opening training camp starters with Outlaw,
Bayless and Rudi Fernandez among others as the bench. Don't stay angry and
bitter and make the best of it by coming down and seeing some good
basketball and if David Stern is at any of the home games in the Rose Garden,
we can all let him know our feelings for we Blazer fans are not happy to see
the Sonics leave.

jenn_gp · Post #32 » by **jenn_gp** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 7:18 am

^Sorry, going to a Blazers game in Portland requires that I hand my hard earned money over to the NBA. I refuse to do that while David Stern is running the league.

Lately I have been thinking about what the first OKC-Blazer game will be like in Portland. When GP was traded to Milwaukee, the first game he played as a Buck was against the Blazers. My Dad and husband made the drive all the way down to Portland with me to watch GP. There was so many Sonics fans there it was pretty awesome.

And no offense to you Blazers fans whatsoever, but I had some really crappy seats and I just wasn't impressed with the Rose Garden. Not when I have such an intimate setting at the Key where there are no bad seats in the house. Then again, that's one of the reasons why we lost our team. You must be doing something right.

pr0wler · Post #33 » by **pr0wler** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 8:49 am

I have a lot of admiration for the Trail Blazers and they're in my top 10 for favourite teams in the league. I think Portland fans feel the same about the Sonics, there is/was a mutual respect for each other. However, I can never be a Portland fan. I like the fact there are so many players on that team that have ties from Washington but that still doesn't make it much better. If the Blazers are playing San Antonio, or the Lakers in the playoffs will I cheer for them? Absolutely. But they're more like a backup team I would follow if there was no one else left...

Anyone else have more distaste for Stern than Clay Bennett? Yea Clay is a big fat liar, we know all know that. It's really distasteful that he stole the Sonics but I can somewhat understand where he's coming from. He wants to help out his home city to create some excitement and on that end I can see his point of view. While I don't think jacking a team with 41 years of history shouldn't be looked down upon, there's just something about David Stern I can't stand. Like during that interview where the Seattle reporter asked him "If there was a plan to remodel the Key Arena, would that be sufficient to keep the team in Seattle?" (or something along those lines) and when the reporter tried to clarify Stern dodged the question by making it seem like he was being rudely interrupted. Then sure enough after the settlement is made, suddenly the KeyArena remodelling would've been okay to keep the Sonics in Seattle! Does anyone doubt that if he tried to support Seattle and said "Yes, if you renovate KeyArena then the Sonics can stay" that anyone and everyone wouldn't be trying to put something together? But his story about how "Seattle is unwilling to pay for a new arena" for $500 and then the story changes as soon as it's too late really bothers me. F*ck that piece of sh*t.

jenn_gp · Post #34 » by **jenn_gp** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 3:51 pm

pr0wler wrote:Like during that interview where the Seattle reporter asked him "If there was a plan to remodel the Key Arena, would that be sufficient to keep the team in Seattle?" (or something along those lines) and when the reporter tried to clarify Stern dodged the question by making it seem like he was being rudely interrupted.

I will never forget Stern's reply to that question. Not only did it not make sense, but the way he said it was so crass and vengeful.

"I'm not going to talk about how many angels can fit upon a pin."

wiff · Post #35 » by **wiff** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 5:33 pm

Norm2953 wrote:Don't stay angry and bitter and make the best of it by coming down and seeing some good basketball and if David Stern is at any of the home games in the Rose Garden,
we can all let him know our feelings for we Blazer fans are not happy to see
the Sonics leave.

Hey Norm you seem like a decent and earnest guy, but honestly this is so easy for you to say.

You have the Blazers get ripped from Portland with the aid of David Stern and his damn smug look on his face along with the owners vote and see how much money you want to put in their pockets after they lied to you, then pounded your arse.

The only way I spend another cent on the NBA is if the truth rings out and Howard Shultz wins his court case. Otherwise I'll simply watch the Zags.

McG · Post #36 » by **McG** » Wed Jul 9, 2008 8:06 pm

Norm2953 wrote:I would agree with that but you can't boo the owner at a game and I don't know
what would happen if a bunch of Seattle fans showed up at the first OKC game
in Portland with a lot of angry banners.

Me and a few friends have already made plans to go to that game decked-out in TRUE Sonics gear. I'd love to see even Blazers fans organize and wear green and yellow to the game. Odds are it will probably be nationally televised (finally the Durant-Oden matchup) and this could send a nice message, if nothing more.

And Wiff, as for spending $ on the NBA follow these simple rules: 1. Buy a scalped ticket (already paid for), 2. Eat out before the game, 3. Bring a flask.

Norm2953 · Post #37 » by **Norm2953** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:23 am

I would totally agree that as a Portlander, I have no experience in having my
team leave town but my situation is different in that Portland is a one horse
town for at least Seattle has the Seahawks and Mariners while all we have
are the Blazers. Politically, our politicians could never allow the only pro
sports franchise to leave while Seattle could if necessary due to the
popularity of the Seahawks.

The columnists in the Oregonian seem to think Stern has little regard for
the smaller city franchises for many people think Lebron will leave in 2010
for the big city Nets or Knicks. I don't if you guys are going to miss much
in dealing with the changing aspects of the business of the NBA for it
does seem to me the league is now preferring the so called small city
franchises in the one horse towns like Portland and yes OKC where they
don't have to share the business with the NFL and MLB. It does seem to me
that with the crappy economy, asking the taxpayers to fund another pro
sports arena or renovation is a problematical proposition which perhaps
is why your mayor wished to settle.

I just hope the Sonics fans would consider coming to Portland to see their
old players. Come dressed in Sonics gear if you wish for David Stern is not
going to be commissioner forever for he must be on some notice of discontent
from his owners due to the referee scandal. Communicate with some of the
guys on the Blazers board and perhaps something can be arranged so that the
Sonics fans in their gear can be supported with Blazer fans dressed in black
arm bands if the televised game is on national TV. Bring a lot of banners that
can be seen on national TV and embarrass David Stern for that would be more
effective than rolling over and hoping that Schultz wins his law suit

BlazertheGreek · Post #38 » by **BlazertheGreek** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 4:54 am

Blazer fan here...I for one have to agree with the Sonic fans who can't see themselves rooting for the Blazers. I know if it were reversed I would have a hard time rooting for the Sonics. Its easy for me to root the M's and Seahawks because Portland has never had a football or a baseball team to build a rivalry with. With that being said, any Sonic fans that would like to root for the Blazers, I think that would be great. I also would be all for wearing green and yellow to support the dislike of Clay Bennett while everyone cheers, "Clay Bennett Sucks!" during the game. You know Clay will be watching.

jenn_gp · Post #39 » by **jenn_gp** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:18 am

I want to do a head count here on the poll.

How many Blazers fans voted? I don't think there is this many regulars on our board to match the total from the poll. Plus, I find it hard to believe that at this moment, more than one person is planning on rooting for the OKC team.

We either have a lot of people from other boards voting (which doesn't really surprise me) or we have more lurkers on this board than I thought.

jenn_gp · Post #40 » by **jenn_gp** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:14 pm

Check out this ebay auction I just found..it makes me mad that someone like this is trying to capitalize off a sucky situation, but at least half of it's going to charity:

http://cgi.ebay.com/EX-Seattle-Sonics-F ... dZViewItem

FAN FREE AGENT NEEDS A NEW TEAM. I'm now a NBA fan free agent. In spirit of the new NBA, I've decided to sell my fandom to the highest bidder for the 2008-2009 NBA basketball season.
Seattle Supersonics owner, Clay Bennett and NBA Commissioner, David Stern, have stolen the Seattle Supersonics out of the Emerald City for the mighty buck and I've decided to return the favor.

You are bidding on me to cheer passionatly for your/our favorite team. I'll go to one (1) game at the Staples Center and root for your/our team in person. Ticketstub and photo will be sent to you via snail mail and/or scanned via email. I'll add a fan related widget to my MySpace page and consistently root for your team for the entire 2008/2009 season, including the playoffs. I'll use a part of your/our team name in my fantasy league.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to wear your/our team jersey since I'm over eighteen (18) and don't play professional basketball. Grown men should not a) wear sports jerseys and b) face painters. Both are reserved for children and professional athletes.

As a bonus, I'll boycott Starbucks for the entire 2008/2009 NBA baseketball season since Howard Shultz sold the Sonics to the snake oil salesman Clay Bennett and his team of tumbleweed cronies.

I wonder which team is winning?

What will you do now that your Sonics are TEMPORARILY gone