Cheers, Hurrah and Goodnight

[truth serum]

Wow, this is depressing. I haven't even given this whole thing much thought to be honest until I came over to this board out of curiosity to see how you guys are reacting. I feel really sorry for you all. Good luck, and I hope for your sake that the NBA puts a team back in Seattle one day. The Sonics were a classic team in one of the great cities we have and David Stern is a grade A puss pop for helping destroy that. No regard for the fans....only money. He is an embassador for everything that is wrong with this country which is run by greedy pigs. What a shame.

[AbdicatedReign]

Yeesh. I'm at a loss, here. The past 18 hours have been devastating.

I know some (in the media, in my personal life) look down upon a devotion to sports, a loyalty to what amounts to nothing more than a money-making enterprise, as wasted energy, a delusion of sorts; especially in times of national strife/crises. I cannot count how many funny looks I've gotten after referring to the Sonics as "we" in mixed circles, or launching into a barely-prompted tirade on Earl Watson's deficiencies, or how Bob Hill is secretly a Venusian sent to confuse us to death with his substitution patterns.

But, to me, even now, it has never been wasted energy. The screaming and the laughing and the awkward hugs with family/friends and utter strangers alike has never been wasted energy, because, silly thought it may seem, the Sonics represent all I consider good in this life. My fealty to the Green & Gold has always been self-effacing, the act of joining yourself to something greater than the individual. It's bigger than one player, one fan, one owner, one game. It's a continuum of Sonic lore and history, players and fans past and present who have allowed themselves to be swept away together by a supreme exhibition of skill and passion. The game doesn't exist without the players, and it doesn't matter without the fans, and there's an unspoken agreement between the two to honor that. They thrill us, and amaze us with their talent/ability, and we give them recognition, acknowledge their effort, their spirit as modern, bloodless warriors on a benign battlefield. And we're equal in that balance.

Conversely, the Sonics have now come to represent all I abhor in this life: greed, cowardice and irreverent self-interest that mindlessly destroyed one the very few things we could still hold sacred. Because of the avarice of a few men, and the cowardly stupidity of others, a source of community pride, an avenue of kinship in an era where more bricks are added to the walls between humans every second, has been blotted out by forty-five, soon-to-be mismanaged, weak American dollars. It's disgusting. And all of the impotent rage that surged to the back of my throat, listening to a pure idiot of a man give a clueless press conference while the hearts of thousands lay dying, sits there still, cottonmouth from a bad hangover, that no amount of water over the years will ever slake.

Bureaucrats should never be trusted with the hearts of their constituents. Their roads, their utilities, sure, but never their hearts, because hearts are things politicians don't know how to quantify. In their eyes, thousands of bleeding red shapes on a see saw with a bag of money grades out like a feather v. an elephant. And that is where we see the flaw in the system. Between the players and ourselves, the flow is liquid, the exchange lovely and timeless. But when businessmen, who have long since forgotten the carefree nature of hobbyism and only see red and black numbers, make their decisions behind closed doors, with ticks of keys in emails and blackberry messages, in the sterile, crippling world of money and influence, we understand how little control we have.

As Sweezo said, it's petulant, but I fear I'm done with the NBA. For the first time in my life, I voluntarily chose not to watch the draft, because it just wasn't the same, knowing my team could be gone in the next week or so. I'm loyal to a fault in all aspects of my life, and this will be no different, it seems. A league that can allow what took place here is not one I can watch in good faith (pun intended?), as much as that will pain me, being a fan of the game who takes immense pleasure in watching it executed at the highest level.

The names have been mentioned by Jenn and others, so I won't repeat them, but I've truly enjoyed my time on these boards. We've debated and argued, usually intelligently, sometimes angrily, but always because we shared a common interest. I'm a relative latecomer, as it would turn out, and I'm sad to have missed out by not stumbling across this site sooner, because it really has been a haven of excellent and respectful conversation about the team we've loved, that I haven't seen rivaled anywhere for any sport/team.

So, a sincere thank you to all the posters, who gave me and everyone else a place to rant, and an excuse to look up obscure stats to support an unpopular opinion. I haven't been posting much lately (always reading, though), because, like bennith, I couldn't bring myself to with all the impending doom, etc.

[Sweezo]

Like a lot of other people, this became my Sonics sanctuary when sonicscentral was in flux. I've been able to get to know a lot of people through here, even met a couple in person, and I'm grateful for that opportunity.

This part is especially hard because I'm very protective of this board. I wasn't overly interested in being a mod when I was asked to be one...but the guy who was a mod at the time was some dude from Florida who didn't do anything. Some may have disagreed with how things got handled from time to time, but I did what I could to provide a place to discuss the Sonics without having to deal with people mocking you for the team you root for.

Like some of the regulars I'd also had a hard time posting here for the past year...kind of a shame because a lot of the newer posters probably didn't get to know a lot of us and didn't get to experience what it was like when you'd log into this board and see a page full of new posts and topics.

I'll miss that. I've missed that since the OKC Death Watch began awhile ago...

Like AR, I didn't watch the draft this year either, and I didn't find out who the Sonics drafted until reading it in the paper the next day. I just...didn't care. I didn't care because I didn't think I'd ever find myself rooting for those people.

I don't want to list names of people I will miss...there are too many to list. And I hope to see some of you over on the M's and 'Hawks boards (we still have two teams guys!). The posters here helped make the Sonics memorable...would've have been so if I hadn't had so many people to talk to about the team (no one in Eastern WA seems to follow them...everyone talks M's and 'Hawks but that's about it).

It's been fun guys. Thanks.

[HeatFanSince87]

No regard for the fans....only money. He is an embassador for everything that is wrong with this country which is run by greedy pigs

Exactly..

The whole ordeal is pathetic, that a franchise, with a GREAT FAN BASE, and GREAT HISTORY, can be ripped from the community simply due to a few people and their greed! OKC should be black balled from the rest of the NBA and their fans! Not only due they get YOUR team, then get a team on the rise with young studs, after the REAL fan base had to wait paitently the last few years for the likes of KD, JG and now RW to come in! My post doesnt give justice to how pissed I am about this, as a fan of the NBA, and knowing I'd pry go AWOL if my Heat would be taken away from me!

David Stern and that Clay whatever dont relize, these franchises, the games, the trades, the ups, the downs..EVERYTHING, basically benchmark our lives! You give me a Heat moment, and I will tell you what was going on in my life at the time!

I am so sorry guy/girls... it's been a sad sad day

[jsonic007]

Even though I live far, far away from Seattle, WA, I can say I feel part of the pain you guys feel. And it's a lot of pain. One I never thought I'd feel. I had to drop a few words about it.

I've been following NBA and the Sonics since 1998. Not that long, I know. I was a 9 year old boy by then. By that time nearly no one in Brazil watched NBA (there were some Bulls fans that started to watch games due to MJ success, and a few older Lakers fans, from the Magic Johnson years, although). After 1998 NBA grew up amazingly fast here in Brazil. ESPN became really popular among here, and NBA one of its main products. Then in 2002 Nene was drafted very high in the draft and made immediate impact as a rookie. Just after Leandro Barbosa came, and then Varejao and Hoffa. NBA picked up very fastly here. In Argentina they had a similar trend, with Ginobili and etc. Nowadays I go out and see many people with Nene, 'Melo, Kobe, etc. jerseys. That's one thing I would never imagine 10 years ago.

I remained loyal to the Sonics all those years. Even though they started to lose just after I started following them. I remember those days we had Jerome James and Calvin Booth running the paint. And Peter Fehse, the marvelous 2nd round pick the Sonics made in 2001. When we had Kenny Anderson and Pat Ewing wearing a Sonics jersey. The day the Sonics traded GP for Ray, of course. The 2004-05 season, no doubt the beautest I had the opportunity to follow. And even when the Sonics fell badly after that, I kept believing and cheering. And even when mr. Schultz held a press conference and waved goodbye to the Sonics, I just kept believing and cheering. When we landed the #2 and took Durand, I believed and cheered even more. Even when we traded Ray, because I new that it had to happen so that the Sonics could keep building and rebuilding.

Soon after the Sonics I jumped into the Seahawks, too. Curiosity first, but soon a passion just like NBA. Everyone laughed at me because no one in Brazil knew anything about NFL. And just like NBA, NFL became very popular down here over the last years and now even my College has its own football team. Even more amazing, I became a fan of Seattle, its rainy beauty, its cosmopolitan outlook, its music (just don't ask me to drink coffee or listen to Pearl Jam).

Those were amazing 10 years. It's hard to see that this counts for nothing, as in the end it's always the money that prevails. I could curse David Stern and all the guys around and behind him, but that would be useless, waste of time. Nothing else needs to be said against them.

The love for the game stays alive here inside. I'm not saying goodbye to NBA now, and probably never will. NBA is much bigger than those guys in suits, IMO. I've always had a few franchises I like, I'll keep in touch with them and move on. Specially now that NBA is getting so much attention down here, it makes me feel happy because basketball was completely abandoned here 5 years ago, and now people are playing it again (slowly, but it's showing signs of life again). But no Oklahoma City Whatevers for me. I just can't. I'm not taking up something pretending to be part of what I loved.

I've been here for 5 years (I guess). Not that much, too, but it's been enough to meet some great people. I haven't posted much here for the last 2 years, leaving away from home and lots of things to study, you know... But I tried to at least read those boards every day, and drop a few lines whenever I could. You guys (and girl) were very important for me those years, as watching the Sonics here is terribly hard. Reading your insight was the best way I had to get the best info about the team and the players. Thank you guys for all!

Coincidently today is my birthday (unbelievable, duh?). And I didn't want to end on a bad note today. I know I can't just say "everything is gonna be all right". But life goes on, sports go on. I'll be always following the Seahawks, and will definitely try to take on the Mariners now. And if that's really a goodbye, I wish you the best of the best, always!

[AndreaBustani]

May you guys + Vancouver get your teams back... never should have left the two cities to begin with.

cosign

Vancouver grizzlies

Year Total Avg
2000-01 563,218 13,737
1999-00 569,864 13,899
1998-99 417,966 16,719
1997-98 660,457 16,109
1996-97 679,422 16,571
1995-96 704,489 17,183

memphis grizzlise
Year Total Avg
2006-07 600,836 14,654
2005-06 647,533 15,793
2004-05 691,362 16,862
2003-04 622,723 15,188
2002-03 614,301 14,983
2001-02 591,030 14,415


F you michael heisley and david stern.

Anyways, my favorite sonic moments, seeing kemp payton schrempf perkins sam perkins i loved those teams cries

[blackery3000]

Wow, it's an honor to be mentioned by a few posters I've really come to admire and respect over the past year or so. My time here was relatively short, but I've enjoyed getting to know a lot of you guys through what you write. I just wish I had had the time to reciprocate. Just about everybody here seems like somebody I'd love to have a beer with.

Anyways, there's not much more that I feel I can add here. I think we all pretty much feel the same way.

I just want to say thanks to all the regulars around here - posters like hippie, wiff, dj, benjamin, AbdicatedReign, jenn; mods like Sweezo and bennith - the list goes on and on. You don't know me too well, but you guys got me hooked on this board with your humor, positive attitudes, and well-crafted Robert Swift jokes. You're all gentlemen and scholars in my book.

From now on I'm going to try to start posting more on the Hawks and Mariners boards. If there's one thing this saga has taught me, it's that you shouldn't take things for granted - especially your hometown team.

[CatchNShoot]

The agony of defeat.

What I thought was agony when Dennis Johnson was traded, or when Mutumbo held that #%%^@ ball, or when the Suns shot 7,000 free throws in Game 7, or when Michael Jordan cried with the trophy in his hands, is nothing like this.

This is agony. This is defeat.

On the day of the settlement, I went to a memorial service for an incredible man, who was a passionate Brooklyn Dodgers fan. His kids wore Brooklyn Dodger jerseys to the service, and one told the story about how his daughter couldn't wait to get their dog so that she could name it Jackie Roosevelt Robinson.

This man knew the pain of seeing his team leave, and it was probably harder for him because it was all about baseball in those days. He could not understand how his sister could become a fan of the LA Dodgers - it just didn't make sense to him. He became a Mets fan instead.

I cannot say it was coincidence that I was there at his service the day I lost my team. I am still wrestling with the hidden meaning of all this, but from what I can gather is that amidst the agony of losing his team, he managed to live an incredible life, raise an amazing family, discover many things, and yes, root for the Mets. To his children he did not pass on bitterness, hate, or apathy. He instead passed on his love for his boyhood team, and the greater beauty of the game itself. His children today love baseball, and so do his grandchildren.

I want my children to love basketball for the game itself, because it is a beautiful game. I want them to admire Dr. J's timeless shot from behind the backboard, tell them about the time I witnessed Shawn Kemp's dunk over Lister, and use terms like "Get up on the magic carpet and ride!"

I do not want to pass on resentment and scorn. I do not want them to believe that our right to happiness is controlled by others like Bennett, Stern, Nickels, and Shultz.

I think that the only way to get beyond the agony of today is to take the longer view, to take this truly unique feeling of loss and consider it a privilege to pass on to future generations so that they can handle it better. Teach them about what we have learned so that when the next Bennett steals a team, they don't mind so much it's not about HIS team as much as it was about the passion for OUR game or the memories we keep.

We don't bury our passion today because somebody else tells us to, we change its course because our passion is still ours. That's what we learned from the fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and that's what others will learn from us.

Yes, it's agony, and yes, it's defeat. But we haven't lost anything yet.

Thank you everyone for the years of fun, laughter, creativity, and love of the Sonics. I will miss this board tremendously. Although I haven't posted much lately, I have read it daily. You are all great people and deserve the best life has to give.

And maybe we'll meet again when our version of the Mets show up? Until then...

CatchNShoot

[pr0wler]

I wish I had been here during the days of the magical 2004-2005 run, if not before then, because it seems like the only common experience I have with everyone here is rooting for a struggling Sonics team. But even then, there was always the hope and belief between all of us that the Sonics were going to be damn good in a couple of years. All of us knew it, it is a rebuilding process and I know that we were all willing to wait it out. I certainly was.

But now that's all taken from us, and all the fantasizing about future playoffs hopes and dreams are now gone. The possibility of watching our young Sonic core grow up together and do great things is now a false aspiration.

I haven't been on this board for much longer than I year, but I hope everyone will remember me as an overly optimistic Sonic fan and blind faith supporter of Robert Swift, Saer Sene, and especially Danny Fortson. I love those guys, and regardless of where this Sonic group plays I wish them the best of luck and I will still track their progress as well as I can. It will never be the same as if they were in Seattle, but one can only try.

[D5150]

i want to thank all of you for allowing me to be a part of this great community. i had a great time debating, arguing, finding common ground, and just killing time talking Seattle Sonics basketball. this will be a little long winded so please hang with me here.

some of my fondest memories over the past 30 years involve the Sonics. going to games with my dad in 1979. game night parties at my house during the incredible 96 season (sorry about the couch hon!) rally in the ally and cutting in front of Groz in line to get beer (he just looked at me and laughed), winning suite tickets on kjr through MGD (Groz was walking around with a giant plastic cup filled with vodka and tonic and Mitch's old producer Wink was drunk as a skunk and hitting on my wife all night), talking with George Karl and Derrick McKey in the parking lot after a game and Kemp comes rolling up in his truck and Askew rolls down the window and smoke comes billowing out like a Cheech and Chong movie! (i wish i could have taken a picture of George at that moment, i will never forget the look on his face), trying to high five my buddy after game 4 against the bulls in the Key and accidentally slaping a guy in the face, he just laughed and gave my a big hug (i still owe him a beer for that).

my top three sports momments of all time in order:

game 7 in the Key against the Jazz
game 5 in the Key against the Bulls
one game playoff between the M's and the Angles in the Dome in 95

i was there for all three and as unbelievable as the M's where in 95, the game in the Dome just can't touch my Sonics memories.

so, while the fight may not yet be over, i am affraid it is over for me my friends. i pledged from the beginning that if the Sonics left Seattle that i was done with the NBA. and so i am, (i cancled my league pass subscription 15 minutes after the settlement was announced). i will not support the NBA directly and i will try my best to not support the organizations that sponser the league. i will not buy NBA merchandise and i will not watch NBA games. if in the future Seattle is awarded a new team through expsansion or a current team re-locates to Seattle i will not support that team in any way shape or form. i will not even follow said team as a casual observer. i am sorry, but it just would not be the same. it would not be the team i loved and followed for so many years. it would be a cheap consolation and my heart just would not be in it.

one caveat though, if Howard Schultz is sucessful in his lawsuit and this team is returned to its rightful place, then that would change things for me. i would support the team if it is returned, i would follow it closely, and i would happily resume my participation on this board.

again, i thank all of you for letting me be a part of this community and wish you the best.

Rember, the one thing they can not take away from us are the memories that we hold so dear.

signing off,

D

[Dick Tate]

Rember, the one thing they can not take away from us are the memories that we hold so dear.

Absolutely!
Folks have been asking me the last couple of days why i've been wearing my Sonics gear. My response was basically what you said.

I will miss all who leave this forum now. Very understandable. We have truly all lost our innocence.
As someone who still wants the Sonics name to return, i'll still be kicking & screaming for the next 18 months for a private interest group to come together and come up with a new arena plan and hopefully a future team. For anyone else who shares the dream of a future team, please do not waste anymore effort pursuing a Key Arena solution. The government will continue to let you down over and over and over again. They never cared about we the fans and never will. Put 100% of your efforts behind a private funded plan and maybe, just maybe, we'll see a team here in the future called the Sonics.

Whatever your plans or interests, take care all.
Sonics forever!

[BenjaminH]

I too want to be included in this conversation. (This is especially depressing because I recently committed to UW for a teaching fellowship / PhD program.) I can sincerely say that posting here has been a distinct pleasure. Yet, I hate to put it in the past tense. After all, we might keep this board open for a while. At the very least, we should all play fantasy basketball again.

[jenn_gp]

^C'mon Ben, no reference to Stern or Bennett as a "she?"

[BenjaminH]

Well, I do contemn them, if that makes you feel any better.

[jenn_gp]

Yes, as long as you don't feel that way about women...

[BenjaminH]

No, in all honesty, I am not a very contemptuous person. But, at the same time, I'm also no hippie.

[Ex-hippie]

Pardon me as I shamelessly bump this thread.

[jenn_gp]

Why? So we can feel depressed over the holidays? lol

No need for me, I'm already depressed. My cat just died recently. I've been sad enough as it is .

[Ex-hippie]

I'm very sorry to hear about your cat. My dog died three weeks ago, so I can commiserate. Some year 2008 has been, right?

[Dick Tate]

We had to put down our 16+ yr old dog on Friday. Some year.