Thursday Bolts – 7.2.09
One year ago today, a professional team started to make its way to Oklahoma City. It wasn’t pretty and we didn’t make 
any friends, but through a lot of hard work and tremendous dedication, Clay Bennett and his group gave us what we’re sitting here talking about today. And I just want to say thanks to all those involved. Without this team, I can safely say my life would be quite a bit different. Happy anniversary Oklahoma City.
Berry Tramel on the anniversary: “Bennett spent Father’s Day 2008 in a Seattle high-rise, prepping for the federal trial in which the city had sued the Sonics, trying to force the franchise to play out its lease at KeyArena. He was Public Enemy No. 1 in a major U.S. market, and just because he wasn’t the first sports owner to feel such wrath – Art Modell, Walter O’Malley, Bob Irsay – didn’t make the notoriety any easier. Bennett traveled to Seattle that weekend with full-time, armed security. He stayed in a secret location, a condo outside the city, with guards in the hallway and guards in the lobby. The rest of the Sonics party from OKC stayed at a hotel under aliases.”
ESPN’s Ultimate Standings are out and the Thunder ranked 57th, one spot in front of the Red Sox: “Looks like the move from the Emerald City was a fan-friendly one. Clay Bennett may have been the worst owner in last year’s Standings, but Oklahoma City fans have given their new franchise a 59-spot overall bump and an increase in nearly every category. The fans are excited by a future that includes young talent (Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook) and community initiatives such as the Rolling Thunder Book Bus and fitness clinics run by the players themselves. And with tickets, soda, beer and parking going for less than the league average (though the price of a hat is tied for most expensive, at $22), fans are more than okay with OKC, declaring the Thunder the eighth-most affordable franchise in sports and the cheapest of any NBA team. The only negative is their home, the Ford Center, which lacks luxury amenities, well-lit concourses and leg room. But even that negative has a positive upside: The Thunder will sink $100 million into the facility over the next two years, adding restaurants, bars, premium seating and a new scoreboard. As Oklahoma City proves, there really is no place like (a new) home.” (Click here to see the scoring system)
Gortat has said he wants a mid-level deal: “Marcin Gortat, who has never made huge money and wasn’t part of a college recruiting process, seemed touched when Morey showed him how hundreds of messages were pouring in. By mid-afternoon Wednesday, Gortat had received more than 2,000 messages telling him how he’d love being a Rocket. There’s also a tough-love side to this story. Gortat’s agent mentioned wanting a full mid-level exception. That amounts to around $30 million over five years. The Rockets aren’t offering nearly that much and apparently aren’t prepared to go higher. They’ve assigned a value to Gortat, and if, say, the Mavericks are offering more, the Rockets are prepared to lose him.”
Here’s one vote for Paul Millsap: “Paul Millsap would immediately add a tough rebounding presence and the blue-collar attitude that the young Thunder need. Adding Millsap makes the playoffs a possibility, especially considering Yao Ming’s injury in Houston puts the Rockets 2010 playoff hopes in major jeopardy opening up a spot for another Western Conference team. Millsap gives any team he’s on many second (and often third) chance opportunities on the offensive end. If Boozer opts out of Utah, then expect the Jazz to match any offer made on Millsap.”
And interesting column from the Seattle Times Jerry Brewer: “Easiest assignment ever: Go to the town that abducted the Sonics and write some impressions. Or, in other words, sip some Hater-ade and let ‘er rip. But a crazy thing happened on this disdainful mission. I learned to tolerate Oklahoma City. Then I learned to kinda, sorta like the place. And then, shocker of all shockers, I learned to accept it as an NBA city and stop connecting the Thunder with the Sonics.”
HoopsDaily on OKC’s current state: “This is a team on the verge of a quick rise in the win column. After their dreadful 1-16 start, which got coach P.J. Carlesimo fired just 13 games into the season, the Thunder finished strong under Scott Brooks, going 10-14 in their last 24 games. That isn’t exactly setting the world on fire, but it’s a start. Oklahoma City must keep its patience and use their cap space wisely this summer and the next. If they do, the playoffs are very likely in the near future.”
A nice feature on B.J. Mullens: “B.J. Mullens has seen the worst and made the best of it. While he was growing up, his family bounced around to a dozen different homes with stops at a homeless shelter in between. He got shuttled around from one school to the next. His brother got in trouble for dealing drugs. Then basketball helped change everything. As he kept growing, opportunities started opening up for Mullens. He was accepted to a prep school on scholarship and then committed to Ohio State when he was in the ninth grade and already 6 feet 8. And now, he’s a first-round draft pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder.”
Dime on Robert Swift’s deal with the Celtics: “Now, this does NOT mean Swift has signed a free-agent deal with Boston. It just means the unrestricted FA has a spot to showcase himself in case no one signs him beforehand.”
Sports Illustrated released this year’s Fortunate 50 and let me tell you, that list blows me away. Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis check in 17 and 12 spots in front of Albert Pujols. If that doesn’t show you how messed up salaries and money are in sports then you don’t get it. It’s amazing how franchises shell out money to these guys like they’re throwing them Skittles. Oh you want six-years, $75 million? You got it! It appears Sam Presti is on top of things and isn’t running that sort of franchise. And I’m grateful for it. Free agency has completely changed sports, but when you see things like this, it kind of makes you think.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Per Rotoworld
“Magic GM Otis Smith said on Wednesday that Orlando is prepared to pay a stiff luxury tax to keep restricted free agent Marcin Gortat.
“The owner said we can go into tax so that changes things,” Smith said. “At this point, we’re matching everything that comes back to us on him.” The Rockets are doing everything they can to attract Gortat, and the Thunder, Pacers, Knicks and Pacers are also interested. Jul. 2 – 1:46 am et
Source: Florida Today “
As a Seattle native, no one feels the pain of losing the Sonics more than I do. I love them so much that I can’t stop following them even though they wear unfamiliar unis and play in a state I’ve only flown over. Blaming the people of OKC is neither here nor there. It does grate me that Clay Bennett is treated as something of a hero over there for pillaging my city, but I guess that’s to be expected. I blame the league and owners for being myopic protectionists that routinely hold cities ransom I blame Howard Schultz for selling to an obvious carpetbagger; I blame Bennett for being that carpetbagger (and, as much as I can’t quit rooting for this team, I will never buy a single piece of Thunder merch or give a dime to Bennett); I blame Wally Walker for Jim McIlvaine and the start of the Sonics decade long march in mediocrity. Seriously, for all you guys blaming Seattle fans for indifference, eff’ you. Do you have any idea what 10 years of lottery picks will do to a fanbase? The fans were still in the woodwork, they just needed something to root for. In the 2005 playoffs, KeyArena suddenly became the loudest arena in the league again. Funny what winning does, huh?
There’s been so many “stolen” franchises in the history of sports. Boston Redskins, Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Rams, Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals, LA Chargers, Dallas Texans (Chiefs), Baltimore Colts, LA Rams to name a few in the NFL that were controversially moved by their owners. Brooklyn Dodgers are the first to come to mind in MLB. Charlotte Hornets, Minneapolis Lakers, Vancouver Grizzlies, San Diego Clippers in NBA.
Nearly every NHL team that relocated from Canada/northern states to southern states, i.e. Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars.
The only people that look like idiots are the Seattle fans that act like their the only ones this has ever happened to.
Now to a more relevant subject. Sam Presti:
I like all of the Presti moves in the last year. Westbrook taken too high? Maybe, but what a surprise he was this year. Harden? I’m personally glad we’re not having to deal with the Rubio soap-opera. Vaden/Mullens/Sefaloshia/Weaver/Krstic all good pickups as far as I’m concerned.
Oh and Seattle will eventually get another team. Just gonna take a little time.
@ Royce: Thanks for having the best Thunder site. Check the Bolts daily and I love the insight and feedback by the people that post on here. It makes it much easier to keep up the Thunder.
I don’t really want to come across as being better than anyone, but the hardest part about being a sports fan, at least to me, is realizing that the vocal majority of that demographic is “that guy”. I realize that I’m not one of them, but I also realize that because we both cheer for sports teams, we’re together in the same boat. You know “that guy”. He’s the guy who posts all the drivel on the ESPN conversations. He’s the guy that buys into all the emotionally charged illogical fallacies used to sell opinions in various forms of media. He’s the guy that can’t see past the tightly formed narrative. He’s the sports fan who cares enough to make himself seen or heard, by posting foolishness on ESPN, CBS, SI, etc., or calling into radio shows nationally and locally to offer his ridiculous opinion.
He’s the guy that buys into this kind of thing…
A. The Timberwolves suck at basketball
B. The Timberwolves are in Minnesota
C. Therefore, Minnesota must suck.
His opinion is further validated because Minnesota is cold, which also means Minnesota sucks, obviously. So there! That’s confirmation of his opinion. Minnesota sucks.
He’s also a fan of the Lakers. Why? Well they’re the team that he sees the most on TV. Since only stupid people cheer for teams that don’t win, his choice is easy. The Lakers win, and they’re on his TV. Done. Whew! That major life decision is now out of the way, and we can move on to important things now, like continuing life’s logical progression.
A. The Lakers are better than the Timberwolves.
B. The Lakers are his team, the Timberwolves are your team.
C. Therefore, he is better than you.
Not only is he better than you, he gets to make disjoint, illogical and grandiose associations about you and where you live and what you think and what you must be like; you and all your neighbors and generally, everyone else in your entire city, state or region of the world.
He’s also the guy that uses “always”, “never”, “worst of all time”, “greatest of all time”, and any variation of “hands down – period – end of story” in every statement he makes. And if you don’t agree with him, you’re an idiot or a hater.
These sports fans are all over the place. Oklahoma and Seattle has their share of these fans, just like every other place in the world. The Sonics-to-Thunder transition gives these two separate-but-identical groups of people all the fuel they need to keep their fire hot. It’s not about basketball now. Hell no! It’s about honor, and dignity, and identity! Hello! It’s about who is better than who; and it doesn’t stop there, it’s about how much better too. It’s about using whatever means or measure, real or imagined, as ammunition to degrade, berate, or otherwise “win” this “challenge”. Something as impacting on the history of humanity as the Sonics-to-Thunder transition is exactly what they needed all along. It’s the “reason” they get to hate, and to curse, and to despise someone else.
I’m not saying that it’s just sports fans who do this. But seriously, sports fans have more than their fare share of “that guy”. It’s really no wonder; you would expect something intended for entertainment to be taken so seriously by “that guy”.
I’ve posted on this site a ton of times, but usually skip this whole Seattle issue. I learned long ago that there is no good that comes from talking to “that guy”.
Just me.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
There is epic truth in what you have written.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Absolutely.
The unfortunate thing, however, is the fact that “That Guy” is able to get his opinion out much more easily nowadays. Start a blog. Comment on ESPN stories. If you’re lucky, someone will give you a radio show and call you the “Dominant Duo.”
When you meet “That Guy,” the best thing to do is just laugh and move on.
I must say, however–posting on Daily Thunder has given me faith that there are plenty of passionate and intelligent sports fans out there.
This is a different Ryan than previous ranter. I might have to go by a different name now. Anyways I think Gortat is perfect for this team. He is a big athletic defensive center that is also young enough to stick around with the core for years to come. Now coming to Milsapp I feel he is not what this franchise needs. It just creates a logjam again at the PF position and puts doubt in Jeff about the feelings the front office has about his ability. He has only been playing the position for a year. Give Jeff a chance to prove he is capable of playing it.
@KingGondo
seriously, the posting on daily thunder has restored my faith in humanity. haha, that’s probably pushing it, but this site really is a godsend. other than my brother (who comes close but can’t quite match my level of sports obsession), i am starved for intelligent sports debate. i enjoy talking about sports more than just about anything (save playing them), and this site has given me a vehicle to do that. i want to sincerely thank royce, joe, and all the posters here for a truly awesome site
that writer caught all kinds of hell. i think he may need that condo outside of town with the security in the hall after that article.
Seattle seems to be over the Sonics. I just spent four days there, wearing a Thunder ball cap constantly. I braced for, at minimum, some dirty looks, and likely, some nasty comments. Instead, the only time I got a comment from a Seattle native was when I wore a Joe Mauer (of the Minnesota Twins) jersey. Then, I was told by multiple people that I wasn’t welcome.
I never noticed so much as a sour look toward the hat.
Love the bolts. You guys are great
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Nice jax.
@Clark Matthews
Wow, you’re a brave man.
Was that for a column you were working on or just cause? If it was a column, did you already publish it on the site?