I apologize to:

SEATTLE - I posted this as a comment at SonicsCentral.com, and I thought it was a keeper (unedited). The topic was:Happy Yom Kippur Howard

Mr Baker Says:
September 22nd, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Since you brought it up Brian, I was thinking about this while watching the Colbert Report. I wondered what Howard must be thinking, then, I thought about myself as Howard. In some ways he knew what could happen, but it is hard to be that successful without looking at the potential positive side of things as the likely outcome, or why get up in the morning. In some way I think he does have to get up in the morning and know that everybody he knows connects him to the Sonics and what is happening, like it or not. He lives in society with us, maybe not me, but maybe you, but others; they know.

Then, while watching Steven Colbert, thinking about Howard; I thought about what the effect of having Yom Kippur (or something like that) would be for me (being a non-believer), how to separate myself from my negative actions and resolve to act differently in the future, where have I been unnecessarily negative beyond the basic disagreement of opinion I have with another person. I’ll admit to them, bury them, and envision myself as my ideal. Look to the past, you go there, look to the future and go there. Then a commercial came on and I forgot all about it. But, since you brought it up Brian I’ll go ahead atone here since you are on my list.

I apologize to:
Brian Robinson, our ideas of what is a journalist are not the same, that doesn’t mean that I have to be an asshole to you.

Steve Kelley, I can’t nail this down to one thing Steve, in general, I didn’t like how you were critical without providing an idea of a positive outcome for
Sonics fans (until about two weeks ago). I didn’t always do the same thing, I should not have expected that from you if I didn’t expect it from myself, besides, Mike Seely says you’re a nice guy.

Just under half of the posters here, If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t write things that I didn’t agree with, I don’t have to agree, I do have to remember that you care.

That guy that didn’t wash his hands (this could apply to anybody), I didn’t have to yell “hey, wash your hands” outside of the restroom. It was up to me to tell you that but not in such a public way.

Anybody that has read my blog, sorry for not including solutions where I have written about problems, we lead each other into the past problems or future solutions.
http://theseattlesupersonics.blogspot.com/

Steve (sonicscentral xteve), I don’t have anything for you, I just didn’t want you to feel left out.

David Locke, (this is a tough one), I really didn’t like your play-by-play, but that doesn’t mean that I had to get you fired (I’m kidding, that one is on Clay), you care about basketball and the Sonics, I have to remember that if I ever write another thing about you (not likely, sorry).

Howard Schultz, it isn’t as hard as it looks to publicly apologize to the public for a public thing, I do not expect you to apologize as I have, but I hope that I have set some kind of example for you, should you want to.

That’s the past to me and not the future me.

Nothing but sunshine and happiness, or constructive criticism from here on out.

50 Feet from the Sun

SEATTLE - On Monday, August 13th, truth telling hot heads (just kidding) went on record.

Aubrey McClendon freely spoke to Oklahoma City newspaper The Journal Constitution and said, without coercion, “But we didn’t buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here,” he said. “We know it’s a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it’s great for the community and if we could break even we’d be thrilled.” the freewheeling Aubrey McClendon

The comment earned Clay Bennett the title of Liar (you'll have to believe me since the title was changed) by Brian Robinson. Since then Bennett, McClendon and Robinson have done some backpeddling from what was said, none noting that at the time of the free expression event that what they said wasn't true.

The reality is that it is all true. Bennett is a liar, McClendon didn't buy the Sonics just to leave them in Seattle, they are just bound by a one year game of shadow puppets until they can pack up and leave. Robinson wants to have some kind of relationship with the ownership group even though they are liars (Clay didn't mean to hit me) and the relationship is all one sided. Robinson is doing all of the leg work the owners don't want done, because they don't want to stay and Robinson doesn't want them to go.

In the end, the only way they stay is if the fans support the team, shun the owners, make a stink about the lying liars and the lies they tell (sorry Al) and somebody has to step forward with the money to buy the team along with a deal that keeps them in the Seattle to keep them in town without soaking the taxpayers.

No matter what Bennett, McClendon and Robinson say from here on out isn't keeping the team in town without a local owner stepping up.

Are they going to bury you with all that money?

Art Thiel is Blazing Saddles; Brian Robinson had his Feelings Hurt

SEATTLE - Art Thiel finds the perfect analogy for the Clay Bennett flyby trashcan rattling:

On the one-year anniversary of the announcement of his group's purchase of the Sonics, Bennett told those he met he was still waiting on action for a proposed Sonics arena. He reminded everyone that he was serious about relocating the franchise starting Oct. 31, even though it would spoil the basketball season and cost him perhaps as much as $50 million in fees and penalties.

The moment recalled the famous scene from Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles," in which the new sheriff, played by Cleavon Little, escapes a lynching by holding a gun to his own neck and threatening to shoot if he isn't released.

"Oh Lordy-lord, he's desperate," Sheriff Bart says of himself.

"Do what he say. Do what he say."

The townfolk are duped, and Bart walks away.

Marvelous as was the scene, the analogy is imperfect: If something isn't worked out in Seattle, holes get blown in the wallets of the city as well as Bennett.

The absurdity of the dilemma was inadvertently underscored when Bennett, answering a question in a meeting room at the Washington Athletic Club, said in his years as a venture capitalist that included "well over a hundred" major deals, he said, he's never been involved in one like this.

Read the rest here in the SeattlePI

Great job Art, very funny, and I mean it when I say: Greg Nickels as Hedley Lamarr; Lamarr's object of desire being a viaduct replacement (insert euphemistic joke here) and object of political failure (viaduct) playing the role of Lili Von Shtupp.

. . .

Brian Robinson at Sonicscentral/SaveOurSonicsandStorm is without humor today, a little hurt feelings, a little blame the people that should have been doing the heavy lifting. That shouldn't have been you Brian, they pay PR people to do this, and I don't think getting a special feeling by being around THEM, and getting juicy details you can't repeat to your "readers" is payment enough. They blew it with you, the free advocate, and that's putting it lightly.

During the course of the last year I have spent a great deal of time advocating on Clay Bennetts behalf. While I don’t regret that decision I have certainly re-thought it a number of times.

. . .
Early next week A Deal is a Deal, PAC will be filing an initiative designed to enforce the Seattle SuperSonics lease through the 2010 season. After EXTENSIVE legal review we believe this option to be legally binding and virtually assured to pass. The time it takes to get it on the ballet will depent on the number of volunteers and financial contributions we recieve. Most likely the campaign will kick into full gear coinciding with Basketball season and we will publicly ask the mayor to restrain from subverting the will of the people until this matter is voted on.

Read the rest of that, there: SonicsCentral.com

No Kidding, the Sonics will likely play in Seattle next year

SEATTLE - The Tacoma News Tribune's Frank Hughes writes next year's story today, getting a jump on the Seattle PI's Gary Washburn, and the Seattle Times beat writer when they are at home, Percy Allen (they don't go on the road with the Sonics anymore).

Las vegas – The SuperSonics have 11 days to file for relocation or they will be forced to play the 2007-08 season in Seattle.
According to NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver, the Sonics have not filed a relocation request and, as far as he knows, are not planning on filing by the March 1 deadline.
Sonics chairman Clay Bennett said if an agreement on funding for a new arena is not reached by Oct. 31, the one-year anniversary of the sale of the team, he will move the franchise, most likely to Oklahoma City.
Frank Hughes

Dear Frank,
The Oct. 31 in your story is for the year 2007, not 2006. The side letter agreement that was a condition of sale between Howard Schultz and Clay Bennett was that the buyer would make a best effort to secure an arena site in the Seattle area for one year from taking ownership. It was the thing that Howard put out there as some kind of blame repellent the minute the sale was annnounced. Bennett's group took control on Oct. 31, 2006, a year of "best effort" would run through Oct. 31, 2007.
I don't know about you, but I do not believe that trying to weasel out of Seattle this week while asking for a new facility wouldn't be "best effort" material.

By the way, please tell KJR's Gasman when the clock actually started. He thinks it started the day the team announced the sale last July. He would find out what the real date is as soon as the Sonics clarify it for him, or it falls out of the sky, god forbit he get's off his fat ass and makes a phone call. I guess he has to wait for an intern to show up to push all those buttons and hold the phone to his ear.

To answer a question by an infrequent reader, my problem is that you are a shill, and yes, I think that's a not so good thing. It isn't a personal thing, the media (Communication Technology and Society) is my area of study. I call it as I have been trained to see it.

It's all academic.