There is a lot of people out there who don't know what's going on when it comes to their team. Pete Nussbaum is not one of those people. He is, of course, one of the three proprietor's of SuperSonic Soul. He makes some interesting points that so many people out there really don't have a firm pulse on the whole story of what's going on in Seattle. I've been meaning to write this for awhile, but I'm going to do so tonight while I'm waiting for some clothes to dry.

The differences between Oklahoma City and Seattle are vast. I do think, however, that the biggest difference between the two is that Seattle is a major regional center of industry, tourism, and entertainment. Does OKC have any such claim? That's not Oklahoma City's fault for wanting a NBA team. If it was up to me Bennett could have the Grizzlies or the Hornets in OKC. Those are the teams that should be moving to Oklahoma City. But why aren't they? Because both have bought "new" arenas and Stern perceives that good business. Remeber that if you buy Satan whatever you want you will get a short term reprieve. Until he becomes bored and wants something new and better and more from you. That's the problem with this buying of new arena's. It's in similar fashion to the internal arguments we as Kings fans have had about Ron Artest. It's become a mass circle jerk of stupidity with very little being accomplished it seems. (With the possible exception of fostering long-term bad feelings.) However, if you want the biggest difference of where I have with this whole ordeal? The idea that there is another spot for a new Arena in Seattle. This isn't Sacramento. Space is limited in Seattle, which is why many 1/4 acre plots are filled with 2 houses that normally would see one in Sacramento. The amount of creative land use in  Seattle has been use for decades because of a housing shortage here, and Clay Bennett, and David Stern, expects that Seattle will just spring up a new site just for the Sonics? Psshhawww! (I still think it's forgotten, even Henry Abbott pointed it out, that the offer of Steve Ballmer (CEO of Microsoft) and his partners, combined with the public money would have far out-dwarfed the offer of what OKC gave with their tax dollars. Everybody count. 300 million vs 121 million. Hmmm, Yogi?)  The Sonics  have multiple corporate opportunities that the Maloof's could only dream of. It'd be nice if that was true of the Kings, but that simply isn't the case.

I'm not thrilled that the Maloof's went to David Stern. I, still, think Cal Expo is not a very intelligent spot for a new arena. Unlike Seattle, which does not have the land space that Sacramento has, there are multiple spots to put a new arena. The best space is behind where the Amtrak/Light Rail station currently is. The 2nd best space is probably where Arco is now. Cal Expo is the 3rd best place. But the Maloof's want a subsidy. They want the taxpayers to improve their finances on the team. Because they're owners, and visible one's at that, they expect that the taxpayers do what other taxpayers have done. It's not hard to understand, but if you're on the other side, and I am, I don't particularly give a damn about billionaire problems. The reason I'm not interested in David Stern being involved in the process is how callous he's been towards Seattle for the entire process.

"Is there always some crime? Sure," Stern said. "But the rebuilding continues in a positive way and we think we have a contribution to make by calling attention to the opportunities that people have to pitch in, to make this into an American success story, rather than an American failure.

I don't really have a problem with that comment. But since when is David Stern interested in philanthrophy? After his speech in Nawlinz, this is what Steve Kelley wrote in the Times the next day. He called Stern "The Royal Smugness". He called Bennett and his ownership group "The Hijackers". And they are. I'm not interested in anything Stern has to say when he popped off about the state legislature approving money for UW. Udub is a state institution. It's a popular sporting institution that hasn't crapped on the state as a whole in the way the 3 professional sports team have tax wise. That's the problem in this whole scenario. Stern is holding onto a vendetta against Seattle, and because of that I don't want him in anything regarding a new arena in anywhere in the vicinty of Exposition and Challenge. That is not a soothing proposition.

For the record. I am opposed against public funding of the new arena. I voted against the 2 measures put to a vote in 2006. (I was annoyed with the flip smugness of the Maloof's against a parking structure. Nothing irritates me more than people who think the right to drive is more important than the greater good. Not a damn single thing. Suburbanites married to your car take it for what you will.) I don't like David Stern. He's Napoleon in charge of a PR Firm. I don't particularly enjoy that. I enjoy Mark Cuban making an ass of himself. I enjoy the fact that nobody in their right mind knows who Peter Holt is, but it's seemingly gone totally under the radar how more public funding is needed to make the Spurs work in San Antonio only a short year after winning their 4th championship in 7 years. That's pretty irritating. Not to mention greedy as all hell.

If the NBA is interested in me they have to stop treating with so much contempt and dis-ingenuity. I don't like it when somebody acts entitled to something when I answer them on the phone, and as such I treat them like shit. (After all I don't give a rat's ass if you ever get a cab. That is, after all, your problem.) I feel likewise towards Stern and NBA Owners. I'm tired of the circle jerk that these owners, and Stern in plying his trade, which is shilling the highest amount of public tax dollars for many wealthy men, many of whom who would be opposed to giving 400 dollars to a poor woman with 2 children to feed. If you want me to have total interest in the product stop insulting me. And frankly, I know I'm not alone, I don't think it's going to stop soon. That is the real shame. The real shame that as the country has real problems, and very serious decisions to make post Bush, the idea's of David Stern revolve around putting NBA franchiess in both China and Europe. That's David Stern's grand idea. Putting franchises on one continent, that's more than 7 hours in time zones, from the furthest eastern point of the US, to the furthest Western point of the European continent, and it's far worse in China. China is about 18 hours ahead of the West Coast, and Stern wants to put a live NBA franchise there? This guy is a clown, and because he's made so much money for tax payer gobbling assclown's like Clay Bennett, he will be dictator for life. I, for once, and maybe I'm alone, hope that the Sonics start a trend that, for a change, starts treating the fans with the respect they've earned after supporting the NBA enterprise for the better part of 6 decades now. Where is our multi-million subsidy? Where is our guarantee?