Name the Oklahoma City......

[Big Ticket]

Here is an idea that definitely embodies the sarcasm necessary for this charade, while also being a somewhat legitimate possibility...

Oklahoma City Bandits

[SShoreFan 2.0]

Here is an idea that definitely embodies the sarcasm necessary for this charade, while also being a somewhat legitimate possibility...

Oklahoma City Bandits

Wow, I just clicked on this post to suggest the Bandits, it's the name that came to my mind first!

TP

[boscel33]

I agree.  If an owner feels he isn't getting the best deal in a city, why not move.  It is their company and they are responsible for it.

In the case of the Sonics, the "best deal" has nothing to do with it.  Some dude wanted an NBA team in his city, and he took it.  Obviously it's a much more complicated issue than that, but this wasn't about the team not making money in Seattle and making money in OKC.

That said, sorry 76er fans but OK City 66er's after Route 66 which OK City was a major part of back in the day.

This is no more different than the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, or the past moves in the NBA.  An owner (new or old) sees an opportunity to make a bazillion dollars and moves to a new city.  It's not that OK City stole then, that happens to be where the owner wants to relocate to since they have given him that bazillion dollars.

Lets not foget, the NE Patriots where a RCH away from being the St. Louis Whatevers (I heard Spirits).  They were going to remove the face from the new Patriot logo to have just a Red/White/Blue flying banner.  This was until Kraft stepped in and bought the team to keep it here.  That said, even Kraft used Hartford as a negotiating tool to get what he wanted from Mass.

It's a fact of life that owners come and go and they should have the right to move a team to whereever they want.

Geez, they already stole one team, why not steal another teams name?

[BrickJames]

Tornadoes

[boscel33]

Tornadoes

I like that!

[nickagneta]

I'm thinking of the team colors trying to embrace their Sonics past. Something like black, green, and gold. Black for oil, green for the money you make selling oil and gold for the stuff you buy after making the money selling the oil.

And the name can be the Oklahoma City Dikes.....


What's that honey? I'm not politically correct? They people at who won't like the name? GLAAD?

Oh, right........um.......nevermind!

Maybe the Barons would probably be a better name. I still like the black, green and gold idea though.





(I wish the wife would stop reading over my shoulder all the time!!)

[boscel33]

Here is an idea that definitely embodies the sarcasm necessary for this charade, while also being a somewhat legitimate possibility...

Oklahoma City Bandits

I wonder if Skoal has that trademarked and they might have to get permission.  Interesting that Smokey and the Bandit had Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who owned Harry Gants car which was sponsored by Skoal Bandits with the same logo.

[Roy Hobbs]

Robber Barons.

Oklahoma City Backstabbers
Oklahoma City Traitors
Oklahoma City Despicable Excuse For Franchise That Deserves To Rot In Hell

Any one of three suits me fine. I think it's important to pick something that represents their franchise.

Oklahoma City Theft

Oklahoma City Travesty of Justice

The OKC Sonic-stealers

But do you have cultivate this kind of feelings for every other franchise in the League that was once relocated or you just despise the guys in Oklahoma? Is it because it's a rural state in the Midwest?

Come on, "Robber Barons" was clever.   You just need to appreciate the use of the term in relation to 19th and early 20th century capitalists in this country; some saw it as a derogatory thing, whereas others see unfettered capitalism (which this move is) as a good thing.  Hence, Robber Barons.

As for the negative feelings, though, those stem from the ownership group making certain promises to keep the team in the city, while they were lying through their teeth.  This is extremely distasteful.  When you couple that with Seattle being a key franchise at one point (winning a title and playing in the Finals on other occasions), it's not hard to see where the animus stems from.

[cordobes]

But do you have cultivate this kind of feelings for every other franchise in the League that was once relocated or you just despise the guys in Oklahoma? Is it because it's a rural state in the Midwest?

This has nothing to do with Oklahoma being a rural state, nor is it even a swipe at the fans -- who legitimately supported the Hornets and were a very strong and passionate fan base.

This is about the sheer greed of ownership. You could find 3-5 teams who would be more justified in relocating due to poor attendance/local support (Charlotte, New Orleans, Memphis, Washington, Minnesota)than the Sonics. It's a shame that an entire region gets punished because they refused to play David Stern's game of "Stadium Chicken" -- build me a new one or we leave.

The ownership bought this team to move it, they had no interest in even trying to make things work in the city.

And I hated it when the Colts left Baltimore, when the Browns left Cleveland, the Cardinals left St. Louis, the Rams left Los Angeles and the NHL left most of Canada. But wasn't upset when the Hornets left Charlotte or the Grizzlies left Vancouver, because they city never embraced those teams.
[/quote]

It's not greediness, it's self-interest. "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest". I'm not going to make moral judgements about the supposed intentions of the owner because he didn't hurt anyone moral rights. Unless you believe that some cities, or more properly, some citizens have some kind of divine right to have a pro sports team located in their cities.

If you are certain about your suggestion, than buy one of those teams and relocate it to Seattle. Apparently, the owners don't agree with you. But it's a great opportunity. Especially for Seattle fans: they can have a team in their town and still make money from it.

[ACF]

How about moving the Knicks, then?
Seattle Soknicks.
Sorry, I couldn't help it.

I'm hopeful there'll be a team in
Seattle fairly "soon".

Why not do a poll as to the new name
for the Oklahoma franchise?
You know, just for fun.

[silvershamrocker]

I just hope the colors aren't red, white, and blue. The pistons, nets, and clippers already have those colors.

[boscel33]

Robber Barons.

Oklahoma City Backstabbers
Oklahoma City Traitors
Oklahoma City Despicable Excuse For Franchise That Deserves To Rot In Hell

Any one of three suits me fine. I think it's important to pick something that represents their franchise.

Oklahoma City Theft

Oklahoma City Travesty of Justice

The OKC Sonic-stealers

But do you have cultivate this kind of feelings for every other franchise in the League that was once relocated or you just despise the guys in Oklahoma? Is it because it's a rural state in the Midwest?

Come on, "Robber Barons" was clever.   You just need to appreciate the use of the term in relation to 19th and early 20th century capitalists in this country; some saw it as a derogatory thing, whereas others see unfettered capitalism (which this move is) as a good thing.  Hence, Robber Barons.

As for the negative feelings, though, those stem from the ownership group making certain promises to keep the team in the city, while they were lying through their teeth.  This is extremely distasteful.  When you couple that with Seattle being a key franchise at one point (winning a title and playing in the Finals on other occasions), it's not hard to see where the animus stems from.

As I said, this is not the first time.  Check this out and it seems the Lakers went through very similar things.  Promise was made to stay in Minneapolis but they did not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Los_Angeles_Lakers

[wiley]

"Oklahoma City Charge"

Some of you are saying what the ...#%!!

But I like it....

[Roy Hobbs]

As I said, this is not the first time.  Check this out and it seems the Lakers went through very similar things.  Promise was made to stay in Minneapolis but they did not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Los_Angeles_Lakers

If the internet was around back then, I bet people would have been complaining, too.

One more reason to hate the Lakers.

[Brazilian Celtic]

What about

OKC Tornados
 or
OKC Twisters