Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Trust me, this wont end. If and when Seattle gets the Sonics back, they and the Oklahoma City team will be instant rivals, just like the Ravens and Browns.
As someone whose team was stolen and then revived, I can tell you that the animosity is not that strong. If the team has a true rival already, the old team will take a backseat. Compare the Steelers to the Ravens in the eyes of Clevelanders.
You guys should look over the opinion polls about the team leaving in the Seattle times. More than 75% in Seattle dont give a cr@p about the team. OKC will be successful and people will just have to wait to realize that it will happen. Expect tons of support. I have come to like the Westbrook pick.
Soon the Ford center will have a 850,000 sq footprint after the improvements and will be looking across the road at a new Devon skyscraper that is currently being designed. OKC is an obvious up and coming city.
Also, it will be the OKC somethings and not the Oklahoma somethings. We escaped the cheesy State name like the Utah Jazz. Thank God.
You are wrong about that. The Seattle area supported the Sonics for 41 years through thick and thin. Yes attendance was down, but thats because the team has sucked for the better part of a decade, and we were dealing with a carpetbagging owner who's intentions to move the team were known since the day he bought them.
That's rather my point. You just said that the team and owner has soured peoples attitudes.
I would think that these things have dimmed the Seattle desire for the NBA and again you mentioned the attendance.
So basically I'm thinking they've done some damage to the fan base that isn't just going to recover overnight.
I find it odd that you tell me that I'm wrong and then proceed to talk about all the damage that was done to fan relations.
I was referring to your statement that people aren't passionate about basketball. Yes there is a large contingent of people that don't give two rips about basketball in this town, but you can't keep a team for 41 years without having passionate fans. I don't think the people of OKC understand that. They have this impression that we don't have good fans or that we don't support the team when they aren't playing well, which is flat out wrong. They can't understand this because they have never had a professional franchise and have no idea what it takes to support one for 41 years.
I was referring to your statement that people aren't passionate about basketball. Yes there is a large contingent of people that don't give two rips about basketball in this town, but you can't keep a team for 41 years without having passionate fans. I don't think the people of OKC understand that. They have this impression that we don't have good fans or that we don't support the team when they aren't playing well, which is flat out wrong. They can't understand this because they have never had a professional franchise and have no idea what it takes to support one for 41 years.
I said the Seattle area wasn't that passionate about basketball, I didn't say the fans weren't passionate. The polls (and your own statements) indicated that people just didn't care as much as they once had. I'm not blaming the fans, certainly a legitimate case could be made that the ownership alienated a lot of people in the Seattle area.
Bottom-line, the last owner poisoned the atmosphere in Seattle for the NBA. Find another team to root for as I suspect you won't be seeing a new team there until after Dwight Howard has retired.
Trust me, this wont end. If and when Seattle gets the Sonics back, they and the Oklahoma City team will be instant rivals, just like the Ravens and Browns.
You know what, that is a VERY good point! I didn't think of that. It would actually be a good thing for the NBA. Great observation JJG!
I said the Seattle area wasn't that passionate about basketball, I didn't say the fans weren't passionate. The polls (and your own statements) indicated that people just didn't care as much as they once had. I'm not blaming the fans, certainly a legitimate case could be made that the ownership alienated a lot of people in the Seattle area.
Bottom-line, the last owner poisoned the atmosphere in Seattle for the NBA. Find another team to root for as I suspect you won't be seeing a new team there until after Dwight Howard has retired.
Seattle isn't as hungry as OkC. OkC has been watering at the mouth for this opportunity ever since they got a taste of the Hornets (a name that I REALLY like, btw). Seattle is a big-time city that has been in the spotlight for decades; Oklahoma City wants some of that.
You guys should look over the opinion polls about the team leaving in the Seattle times. More than 75% in Seattle dont give a cr@p about the team. OKC will be successful and people will just have to wait to realize that it will happen. Expect tons of support. I have come to like the Westbrook pick.
Soon the Ford center will have a 850,000 sq footprint after the improvements and will be looking across the road at a new Devon skyscraper that is currently being designed. OKC is an obvious up and coming city.
Also, it will be the OKC somethings and not the Oklahoma somethings. We escaped the cheesy State name like the Utah Jazz. Thank God.
OkC made a big mistake when Cornett rather vocally dismissed the idea of the "Oklahoma ???s" as opposed to "OkC ???s."
IMO, the name OkC ___ actually sounds much better from a marketing standpoint, but Cornett did enlist the aid of the Tulsa metro area up the turnpike (Tulsa Mayor) and other state officials to pitch the idea to the NBA. The Tulsa Mayor was even at the meeting.
Then, when the deal was done, he was like "No! The name will be OkC ____!" "I don't care what the second half of the name is but it WILL be OkC!" Sounds a little childish in my opinion.
He should have at least let it sit awhile before announcing the name (and why should HE be doing that anyway? Shouldn't it be the owner?).
In doing so he alienated a LOT of Tulsa residents and over the long term, and that will hurt the franchise over the next five + years, which is something that I do not want. I want this franchise to be successful.
Cornett behaved very childish when he wouldn't even act as though a name other than OkC _____ was an option.
Also, a LOT of state tax dollars were used to lure this franchise from Seattle. People, especially in Tulsa, don't take kindly to their tax dollars being sent to support a franchise for OkC, especially when the Mayor of Oklahoma City acted in such a childish manner in squashing out any debate about the name of the team.
In short, there will be a long row to hoe for this franchise, especially in light of the childish behavior of Mayor Cornett.
OkC made a big mistake when Cornett rather vocally dismissed the idea of the "Oklahoma ???s" as opposed to "OkC ???s."
IMO, the name OkC ___ actually sounds much better from a marketing standpoint, but Cornett did enlist the aid of the Tulsa metro area up the turnpike (Tulsa Mayor) and other state officials to pitch the idea to the NBA. The Tulsa Mayor was even at the meeting.
Then, when the deal was done, he was like "No! The name will be OkC ____!" "I don't care what the second half of the name is but it WILL be OkC!" Sounds a little childish in my opinion.
He should have at least let it sit awhile before announcing the name (and why should HE be doing that anyway? Shouldn't it be the owner?).
In doing so he alienated a LOT of Tulsa residents and over the long term, and that will hurt the franchise over the next five + years, which is something that I do not want. I want this franchise to be successful.
Cornett behaved very childish when he wouldn't even act as though a name other than OkC _____ was an option.
Also, a LOT of state tax dollars were used to lure this franchise from Seattle. People, especially in Tulsa, don't take kindly to their tax dollars being sent to support a franchise for OkC, especially when the Mayor of Oklahoma City acted in such a childish manner in squashing out any debate about the name of the team.
In short, there will be a long row to hoe for this franchise, especially in light of the childish behavior of Mayor Cornett.
I figure the owner should name the team. We could have a lot of fun with coming up with some names.
As an aside, its a shame to see the inferiority complex that is heaped on some of the smaller cities in the US....mainly by the coasties. Omaha, OKC etc. are really nice cities and don't have the high cost of living and traffic etc.
I figure the owner should name the team. We could have a lot of fun with coming up with some names.
As an aside, its a shame to see the inferiority complex that is heaped on some of the smaller cities in the US....mainly by the coasties. Omaha, OKC etc. are really nice cities and don't have the high cost of living and traffic etc.
And to be perfectly honest, most Tulsans didn't care one way or another what they were going to call it, until Mayor 'Dick' Cornett lived up to his first name
Wouldn't have gotten the owners on board unless it was sold as Tulsa being part of the market, then he pretty much puts the hand up and says, 'it's our ball, you can't have it'.
If he'd have just kept his cakehole shut, Tulsans wouldn't have been mad about this.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
