Moving-on.

So I think I’ve finally decided to stop being angry.

I’ve finally decided some things just weren’t meant to be.

I’ve finally decided it’s time to accept the world as it is and just move-on.

I recently caught the deciding game of the opening round playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the team formerly known as the Sonics. (Tip of the cap to ESPN’s Bill Simmons for coining the phrase.)

And I must say, I was impressed with the Oklahoma City Used-to-bes.

I came of sporting age in the mid-to-late ‘80s, smack dab in the middle of the Lakers versus Celtics, Bird versus Magic, “Showtime” hey-day of the NBA. And while I loved the game, I hated, Hated, HATED the Los Angeles Lakers.

So when I heard of the first round match-up pitting the Lakers versus the team formerly known as the Sonics, I was torn. Who should I root against, Magneto (the Lakers) or Dick Dastardly (the team formerly known as)? Which represented the lesser of the two evils?

Then I came across a column by Steve Kelly, an actual writer, in the Seattle Times. The title of the column was “It should be the Sonics playing the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs” and it struck me…

Man, we Seattlites must look bleepin’ PATHETIC. It’s been how many years since the Sonics left? And we’re still whining?

At that moment, I decided it was time to move-on.

Which, in reality, I think many Seattlites have done. As an example, I attribute much of the meteoric early success of Seattle’s new Major League Soccer franchise the Sounders FC, directly to the hole that was left by the departure of the Sonics. It was almost as if Seattle sports fans were/are saying “See, we can support a team. We really do appreciate it.”

But back to the NBA, which I had sworn-off out of bitterness that can only be mustered by one who has been scorned.

Yet, after seeing Kelly’s piece (well-written, as usual) I saw how infantile I and the Seattle fan base appeared, and decided it was time for me to grow-up.

I mean, you are never gonna meet the girl of your dreams if you spend all of your time stalking the Ex who dumped you.

So here’s my personal ad to the NBA:
Dear NBA,
I am a white male, age 30 (for a couple more weeks). I like food, music and spending excess income on sporting events. I’ve been out of the scene for a couple of years but am ready to start looking for a professional basketball team again. I have seen many who are taken and would like one to call my own. If interested please email me at: still.looking@needateam.com.

So I say, “Congrats,” to the team formerly known as the Sonics. It looks like the foundation laid here in Seattle, is starting to bear fruit. The system, management & team atmosphere they’ve established has been described as one of the best in the league. Props to Kevin Durant, he’s growing into the star everyone thought he could be on draft day. I cannot be angry with the players, as they had nothing to do with the business side of things. And to see KD crumpling to the floor with his head hanging low after the loss to the Lakers, I earned nothing but respect. He doesn’t have to, but he really seemed to care.

And I can’t hate on that.

I just hope that one day KD will return to Seattle to compete against a next generation incarnation of the Seattle Supersonics.

Until then, I’ll appreciate a game I love without sullying the experience with petty bitterness. Now if everyone else in the 206 could just get on-board with me.

Where's my 15 mintues of fame?

So I have to admit it, I have been paying a lil attention to the NBA this season.

I know, I know, I swore-off the NBA when they screwed us and stole the team formerly known as The Seattle Supersonics.

But I am a basketball fan. I love the game and just can’t stay away.

But I digress, back to my point.

I was watching a playoff game between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic earlier this week. During an intense play, Celtics forward Glen Davis spilled into the first row of the audience and bumped one of the fans. The fan just so happened to be a 12-year-old kid.

Let the uproar begin.

The ‘altercation’ garnered national attention, as the father of the ‘victim’ demanded an apology from Davis, the NBA, President Obama and God himself…

How dare a professional athlete come into contact with a member of the audience seated mere feet from the court.

The father referred to Davis as an ‘out of control animal.’

Can you believe the audaciousness of Davis?

Hmmm, last time I checked, chasing down a loose ball was called hustle.

This incident is yet another example of the ‘Hey look at me!’ desperation sentiment that seems to pervade American society.

From the Octuplet mom to Youtube, the idea of ‘15 minutes of fame’ is entrenched nowadays.

For the record, Davis issued an apology to the little fella, who was no worse for the wear.

But the hullabaloo raised over such an innocent mistake, has me shaking my head.

This was totally blown out of proportion by the so-called victim’s father and in-turn the media.

I am pretty sure that there is a warning on the back of the ticket stub expressly stating that this is a live sporting event and that items/people may come flying off the field of play. So it’s not like this should have been a surprise to the spectators, especially considering these were court-side seats.

Instead of a making this a once in a lifetime experience for his son, the father chose to ruin it, by exploiting it for attention in the media.

I’d like to say I am surprised.

But I am not.

Sigh.

1-11 never sounded so good.

So I recently read an update about the-team-formerly-known-as the Seattle Supersonics. As I saw their record was 1-11, it dawned on me, I still care.

Not about the team or the season. I was just happy to see that they are so terrible.

It’s petty, but it’s how I feel. Seeing the horrible record is like hearing that an ex is dating a fat dude, sweet vindication.

See, I view the loss of the Sonics as a bad break-up where I got dumped. The Sonics have moved-on, with a new suitor who they deemed superior to me.

So I did the Sonics, the way I do ladies who’ve deemed me unworthy, I swore-off all contact. Why maintain a relationship that does lil more than remind you of what you’ve lost?

Any highlights flashed on TV prompt a change of the channel. I don’t even peek at the scores in the paper. I can’t even name their starting five.

I toyed with the idea of boycotting the NBA altogether. But that was too extreme. I love basketball too much. That’d be like swearing-off all women, just because it didn’t work-out with one.

So Go Celtics! (And secretly, Go Blazers!)

Am I happy to hear the-team-formerly-known-as the Sonics are 1-11? Hell yes.

Am I happy to hear they got booed? Yup.

Do I wish them any future success? No freakin way!

I made it to one Sonics game last season. We showed-up late and the ticket-taker was kind enough to note: “We’re down by 22, just so you know.” I only got to stick around for a quarter before my friends decided they were bored…I didn’t want to leave.

I mention the story, to illustrate a point.

Seattle loved the Sonics. I didn’t hear any boos at that game or any others. No matter how dark times got, we were in. Even though *we were down 22 points, I still wanted to be there. To support MY team.

I previously wrote that should the Sonics leave, the NBA probably wouldn’t return to Seattle. I was wrong. The NBA will return. Seattle is too big and a gateway to Asia. Meaning there is too much money to be made for a re-branded Sonics (Seattle got to keep the name) franchise to lie dormant.

So much like dating, there are other fish in the sea. I just hope that when the NBA does make its way back to town, that The Sonics will beat the crap out of the team-formerly-known-as.

*Please note, I still use ‘we’ in reference to a team that no longer exists.

It’s official.

The Seattle Supersonics are no more.

I’d like to say this loss is affecting me less than when I heard of Tim Russert’s passing, but I can’t.

That’d be a lie.

Not to belittle the memory of Russert, he was a great man and an idol to a coulda-woulda-shoulda journalist like myself. But his passing was more of an intellectual loss. I know I should feel bad in my head, but I didn’t feel the loss in my heart.

As I read the headline in today’s Seattle P-I “Hoopless” I definitely felt the loss in my heart.

Along with the Sonics goes my a bit of my childhood; watching the Sonics play in the Kingdome, trying to perfect the X-Man’s fade-away jumper (I never did, BTW) and coming of age during a golden age in the NBA and watching legends like Gary Payton feed the Rain-Man into the NBA finals.

When I think of the Sonics, I think of happy times.

Maybe it’s a good thing the team has moved away. Even if they were “forced” to play the next 2 years at the Key Arena I am sure those happy memories would be further tarnished as the less-than-hospitable relationship between the City of Seattle and Clay Bennett had two more years to make the low-light reel.

Basketball is a business, my head knows this. The Sonics are a good, which can be bought and sold…and moved, at the discretion of the owner. As a firm believer in free market economics and the right of private property I support the move.

As a fan and someone the Sonics/NBA have profited from, I feel disregarded. I feel cheated. I feel insignificant.

For something that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, sports seem to be a big part of American life. Sure enough, Seattleites took the luxury of having an NBA team for granted and we lost it.

But on the flip-side, where is the sense of social responsibility on the part of the Sonics?

Even if you take the fact that they are a sports franchise out of the equation, doesn’t any business, owe the community it has thrived in (especially for 40+ years) some semblance of respect? The Sonics apparently thought not.

I agree that sports bring an intangible benefit to the cities lucky enough to host them. A civic pride, a sense of unity, a rallying point. Which is now gone.

I agree with civic officials who stood their ground with regards to using public funds to refurbish/build a new arena so that the NBA/Sonics owners could make more money. I find it ridiculous that Clay Bennett and David Stern would claim the Key Arena was not up to “NBA Standards.” It’s childish to hold the team hostage and threaten to move anytime the NBA doesn’t get it’s way.

If the venue was is so bad, why doesn’t the uber-profitable NBA put-up some money to build venues that are indeed “up to their standards?”

As an avid basketball player and fan, I am now at a crossroads.

Do I turn my back and boycott based on the blatant disregard shown to the City of Seattle by the NBA?

Or do I keep watching a league I no longer have a vested interest in?

Luckily I have a few months to ponder such a deep issue.

I think it’ll take a few beers and bar conversations to get my mind right.

But for the here and now, I am in mourning.

So long Seattle Supersonics, thanks for the memories.