Some 45 minutes before tipoff, my friend Jim Ratt finally finished his feeding frenzy. Looking a little dyspeptic after a buffet dinner of pizza, hot dogs, sushi, a chicken caesar, popcorn and pop, Ratt slowly shuffled around The Key's lower concourse.

"Hey, 25 percent off from 5:30 to 6:30? I'm there," Ratt said, referring to the Sonics' new fan-friendly concessions discount. "Now, let's find one of those kiosks so I can swipe my Green and Gold card. I want some free merchandise.

"This franchise owes me, as Dick Cheney would say, 'Big time.' I've been coming every night watching this team fade like the sunset. I've suffered through Olden Polynice and Billy Owens, Patrick Ewing and Don MacLean. I've watched more retreads the last few years than a quality-control engineer at Goodyear. If I can win a free T-shirt, with my Green and Gold card, I'm going for it."

Ratt has been coming to these Opening Nights since the days of Crash Kron and Bob Rule. He still flashes his membership card in the Fred Brown Fan Club when airport security asks him for his picture ID.

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Oklahoma City Thunder

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