"But unlike you, we know how to treat an NBA franchise."

um...yeah...since you have so much experiance...two whole years? NICE!!!

I love it when they talk. They are so funny.

I could take an article like that seriously if it wasn't written in such a manner as to enhance the type of language and behaviour thay are accusing us of using against them in the first place.

How about a well written and literate article with all of the facts Oklahoma? Not one that pokes fun at our drinking coffee, and your ignorance?

Smart business people, bidding against themselves by overpaying by $100M. What's the deal with the people down south? Remember Tom Hicks and A-Fraud? That worked out well.

It's easy to support an NBA franchise if it's the only thing in town. It's just like Portland. Without MLB & the NFL, what else are you going to spend your money on?

I think that it's funny that this columist is making fun of us for not wanting to spend 400 million dollars on a basketball team's arena. Let alone an arena that we, the people who would be paying for it, have no say in. We can't say where it goes or what it looks like or what to name it. We just buy it. Thats all. We are giving them free land. Build one in Auburn. Save's money and is a better traffic scenario.

I love the Sonics, but they are putting us in a no win situation. How about this. We let the Sonics go. Watch them loose money in a tiny little market that is Oklahoma City. Then take that 400 million dollars and spend it on Schools, Health Care, Transportation, maybe even a Seahawks Super Bowl party. Well 350 million after the law makers and politicians get there hands on it. Then in 5 years, the Portland Trail Blazers or New Orleans Hornets or Sacramento Kings will be begging to come up here in a Huge Market (13th in the nation) to place a basketball team. Heck they might even buy the stadium for us and call it Citizens of Seattle Arena.

Shoot I might even send the Sonics some boxes so we can get this process started earlier. On one condition though, we get to keep Kevin Calabro.

I'm not a fan of the let the sonics go and hope we get another team. If the non supporters are showing their faces now - I am sure they would flock again when a team thought about returning to the region.

Just wait until the team that moves there starts complaining about needing a $500 million arena, then complains 10-15 years later that it needs a new, $1 billion arena because the one they just built 10-15 years before is obsolete ... see how much they "support" their NBA team then.

It's just so short-sighted on their part. They're so infatuated with getting a team, they ignore the complex realities of having pro sports, only furthering the backwoods perception.

And that makes me laugh.

Write a response column...or get one of your columnists to do one. All we can do is write the author.

I give credit for Bennett and Co. being shrewd businessmen; they done well enough they could easily cough up the dough for a new arena, and walk away with 100% of the profits. It must be a bad deal if they're not jumping on it.

IOW, they're looking for some rubes to foot the losses. Take it to Oklahoma, we rubes up here are tapped out (Safeco and Qwest).

Clearly Oklahoma's method of blowing ridiculous loads of money on things I should not require ridiculous loads of money has gotten them farther in the world than Seattle.

Dont be ignorant. The city is not stupid. Seattle not having the miniscule braincells the city of Ok City has does not equate to Seattle not wanting the franchise here.

I find it funny that Oklahoma is acting more stuck up than Seattle is. Must be the Napoleon Complex.

You know, maybe if they spent money on their education system for once, they would have better journalists.

It's funny, the best part of that story was the much better written responses from the Seattle contingent.

Best solution:
David Sabey buys the Sonics

2nd Best solution:
Sups go to OKC, Paul Allen moves the Blazers to his home town of Seattle

I agree with the Okie, we are a bunch less than enthusiastic fans here in Seattle with many other things on our mind. Me, I live and die with the Sonics but I'm in the minority around here. I was shocked, as I am sure Clay Bennett was to, when the legislature turned its back on the Sonic franchise and there was no public outcry from the fans or the business community.

Oklahoma City is going to love the Sonics because it will be the only game in town and will receive everyone's undivided attention all year except when the Sooners are playing. What makes me mad is I believe this franchise will indeed build a winning team and it will be exciting to follow as it gets better and better.

The wife refuses to relocate with me to Oklahoma, so I guess its just me and the dog and the Sonics. I do hope they change their name from the Sonics to something else.

Why have some of you given up? Its looking more in our favor with each day that passes. Things certainly looked worse before. With the NBA now KNOWING they had the move on their minds the whole time, the Muckleshoots offering their land to us, and the fact the city is not going to back down from the key arena lease!!!

I think Clay Bennett thought it was going to be easier to move them then it has turned out. I bet if he knew all this was going to happen I bet he wouldn't even have bothered.

I don't know that WE are the minority around here, rengaw. It sure seems like those who aren't fans take the time to let it be known. Keep voicing your opinion though and hopefully they stick around.

and the spat continues. I would love to see Eric write a column in defense of OUR city and OUR treatment of OUR Sonics for 40 YEARS! Let's juice this up a bit!