Yes, after a bizarre, unexpected and still semi-unbelievable ride, Oklahoma City becomes an official NBA city with tonight’s Thunder vs. Bucks match-up.
Hard to believe, isn’t it?
It still seems like yesterday that I was just a 14 year old kid rooting for Shawn Kemp and the Sonics to upset Barkley and the Suns. Now that team (or at least its ghost) is playing home games in an arena that’s just 10 miles from my house. Sometimes I think I need to pinch myself (or at least watch Mike Morgan cover a tornado) and wake up from a strange dream.
And it looks like I’m not alone.
The excitement associated with this team is a cross between surreal and unreal. There is a waiting list for season tickets. Most games are already sold-out. Walgreens is selling t-shirts. Even Wichita is jumping on the action with its newspaper creating a Thunder column. And all of this is for a team that most experts (including our Clark Matthews) think will be the worst one in the league.
Lost in all the excitement, though, is something that’s a little bit worrisome. Simply put, the Thunder ownership group seems to be ridiculously in over its head when it comes to managing and operating an NBA franchise.
Yeah, it’s great we have a team and everything, but I am a little bit troubled about some the things regarding the franchise. Check them out after the jump.
Past history is not a good indication of future success:
One reason I’m worried about the Thunder is because I have to write “the Thunder” a whole bunch. Seriously, “Thunder” is a terrible name. It’s right up there with the The Heat, The Magic and The Homos. Granted, in 30 years, the name really won’t matter, but it does sucks, and it’s kind of a bad thing to screw up.
That being said, you would have thought if they screwed up the name, that they would have at least got the logo right. But “no”, they f*cked that up even more. When the logo was released, Ackerman McQueen took a lot of heat. But from what I’ve heard, Thunder ownership decided to microdesign the logo to death. Granted, that came from some Ackerman employees who are embarrassed to admit that the logo came from their firm, but I believe them. I guess we should just be thankful that the OKC isn’t written in Comic Sans.
Anyway, if the team can’t get a logo or name right, you have to wonder how they can get the less important things correct. Hopefully they will, because…
Everything they do will be judged against the Hornets:
For two seasons, the Hornets literally spoiled the fans inside the Ford Center with an amazing game presentation. Virtually everything that the Hornets did, from the halftime show to the PA announcements to the t-shirt toss was entertaining. For any team that relocated here, it was going to be a tough act to follow. But it’s going to be really hard for the Thunder, because…
They are going to be frugal:
Remember, Clay Bennett and friends paid $350 million for the Sonics. But they also had to pay a $30 million relocation fee to the NBA and a $75 million settlement to the City of Seattle. And, oh yeah, it cost money to hire the top defense attorneys in Seattle. The moving vans, logo designs and billboards; they cost a little cash, too.
Already, we are hearing rumors that the Thunder game and broadcast presentations are going to be cheap. Besides hiring some high school PA announcer, here is some proof…
They hired this guy to be the game emcee:
And they hired this guy to host the radio pre-game, half-time and post-game show:
For those that don’t know who Craig Humphreys is, let me remind you that he was overwhelmingly voted the WORST Sports Animal host in our “Worst of OKC” competition, receiving 349 of the 1,077 votes. You would think that if the Thunder ownership listened to their fans that they wouldn’t hire the guy least liked by their target audience.
Anyway, all this makes me think one thing that I never thought I would think…
I kind of miss George Shinn!
When it looked pretty obvious that the Hornets were going home and the Sonics were heading here, the local media would preach how it was good for our NBA team to have “local ownership.”
I’m starting to wonder how beneficial that really is. First of all, when has it been good to have a Gaylord as the head of something? Aren’t they the most powerful and controlling family in the state who just happen to own our embarrassing newspaper? How’s that worked out?
I kind of wish we had an owner like George Shinn…someone who wasn’t a part of the exclusive OKC good old boys club…someone who doesn’t have a first name like Clayton, Aubrey or Jeffrey…someone who did what was best for the fans, whether they were in Loud City or in the Nicholson seats.
Think about it. George Shinn was a self made millionaire who got rich by peddling business schools. He wasn’t born (or married) into a family like the Gaylords, Kerrs or Records. Hell, he even got caught up in a sex scandal with a former cheerleader. Our owners get caught up in campaign finance scandals. With Shinn we seemed to have a slightly goofy, real guy owning the team. Not a guy born of excessive privilege and wealth.
Anyway, I may be worried, but…
I’m still going to root for this team. I’m still going to watch almost every game in person or on television. I’m still going to be a super Thunder fan. And although it still feels awkward, I have to say “Go Thunder…and please prove my worries wrong.”
I’m scared to say this because Patrick wrote it, but this is one of the most insightful commentaries ever presented on the lost ogle.
This team is not “Big League City”. With the things mentioned above, and the fact that the Sonics… er Thunder … will be lucky to match last year’s win total of 20…despite Mike “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” Baldwin’s predictions in the Jokelahoman…. this is “Bush League City” material all the way.
You failed to mention that they chose the least professional radio station in OKC, the Sports Animal to host their games, the least professional TV station, Brady Brus Narcissius Channel, to host their non Fox Oklahoma games (and while we’re at it, Fox is the least professional cable sports network as well).
And they have former Keating spokesman Dan Mahoney as the management mouthpiece, another step toward sub-mediocrity.
Welcome to Oklahoma City, still minor league despite an NBA franchise.
Shinn might have been over-demonized, but you have to admit that there is going to be less concern about the Thunder seeking to head for better pastures at the first signs of discontent here.
Damn hard on Craig, I like him better than B.ob B.low J.ob, actually who shamefully I am listening to right now. I’m about to switch over to JOX to hear the fat ass (Pork, or Todd or whatever), old man, and know-nothing instead. God Bless you Coach Tubbs…. how long do still have left?
Ah, Wackerman McQueen!
These are the people who came up with “Homeland – Where the Carrots Are”.
“The Thunder,” doesn’t exactly roll right-off the tongue does it? In fact, it takes some effort to think about it and then say it. I think Meisner will probably be alright for emcee. He has a nice voice and a clear thought process in the clip. Although, I hope the oligarchs here in OKC don’t run it in the ground. There was an advertisement in The Daily Repug Rag this a.m. It was place by the Chamber of Commerce concerning the team’s debut tonight. It contained such glowing terms that one might believe the Holy Grail was about to be discovered in OKC. However, I do hope our NBA team is successful.
Literally spoiled?? I always assumed Loud City brought that smell with them from home.
It is good to see, though, that we have been able to approach the new basketball team with the same sense of entitlement and bitchiness that we have perfected in our “support” of our college football teams of the years. I was getting worried that our well groomed inferiority complex might be threatened by having a major league sports team in town. Thankfully, it seems stronger than ever. Now, if we could just get Devon to screw up that tower, or at least shorten it a bit, all will be normal again.
Judging by the game last night, they apparently decided to go cheap with the defense, too.
Shinn isn’t the most likable guy and maybe not the best business partner for the city but his style of ownership is somewhat like Jerry Jones – he’s about selling his team and is willing to throw some money into the mix to make his product more appealing.
If the Thunder want to be more than just an afterthought on the NBA scene they’re going to have to spend.
The defense wasn’t nearly as bad as the offense. Milwaukee has some good scorers on the team, but their defense is bad, and the Thunder still couldn’t make a bucket.
Clarkdogg,
Fadeaway jumpers with 3 seconds on the shot clock are always good ideas – I think that was the title of John Wooden’s book…
They are bad.
Was Governor Lite high or drunk last night? Did anybody see his halftime interview?
Maybe we better check for a meth lab under the guv’s mansion.
shared Clark’s apprehension before going to last nights game, but I for one actually got misty-eyed when Clay and Aubrey took their old seats on the corner of the floor. I am really proud of our city and our team, and I think the word that sums up the mood of the whole thing is “earnest”. Granted, earnest is not usually the most fun guy in the room (think, horn-rimmed glasses and a pocket protector…) but Mr. Bennett reminds me most of the hulking, bashful, former minor football star that he is, and you can fault the guy for not being as “fun” as George Shinn (and I DO think Shinn would be way more fun in Vegas) but he did what he said he would do, and hopefully the play on the court will eventually catch up. As an aside, Avery Johnson looked JUST AS UNCOMFORTABLE on ESPN as KD looked shackled with the hopes and dreams of over 19,820 Okies. I think the old guy needs to go before Swift flips out on the bench and goes all “catfish noodler” on his ass! Let’s see what Avery’s price tag is, and if CHK stock goes back up, maybe we can afford a coaching upgrade next year!
sorry for the long post- it’s been a looong pre-season!
clay bennett was a minor football star??? when and where?? i thought he just married really well.
After the novelty wears off and the reality of just how bad this team actually is sets in, fan interest will fade and Claubrey will be looking to move the team elswhere. Major league sports, especially the NBA, is the world’s biggest shell game and owners have no qualms about trying to extort money from a city and its taxpayers to bail out their ailing franchises.
oubuzzpete- You caught me in a little bit of artistic license–http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=1268 being a board member doesn’t really make you a minor celebrity, or does it? You tell me if he ever played for OU when he was there, I quickly tried to cross-reference and got zilch. nada. But still, you can’t tell me those shoulders didn’t see some football action somewhere… little league? Anyone?
We didn’t win last night, but we did set a new media record for the longest post-game show ever concerning how we lost the game.
He played at Casaday, dropped out of OU.
http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/60377
True I didn’t make any of the hornets games, but after hearing how great they were, game presentation wise, I was really disappointed last night.
I have been to 100 OSU games and the worst D-II game was more energized than the Ford Center the first 3 quarters. And you don’t get beer at OSU games.
The TO acts were pretty weak and who the hell is Graham Colton?
They also need better food places for an NBA game. I know that part of that will be remedied by the renovations next year, but when I was forced to eat some Advance Food Company Steak-Eze at a pro game, something is wrong.
The free t-shirt was cool, though.
What exactly was wrong with the game presentation? OK, the scoreboard screen was not synched with audio and it went out a few times, but we know that it’s a piece of crap and that’s why we’re getting a new one.
Other than that you had:
C+C Music Factory
Dunk Team
Drum Team (this was cool, even the Hornets lovers have to admit)
The dance team was fine
Graham Colton (not a fan, but the guy does tour with some big acts and threw the ball to Wes Welker)
The House Band
A very good introduction with pyrotechnics
And the typical fan on the video screen stuff
Now, how was that worse or, really, and different than a Hornets game? I went to several of those things and, let’s face it, they ooooozed more cheese than they give you with your pretzel. Are people missing the free tots or something (did they ever actually give any away)? What? I don’t get it. The introduction was better, the Hornets as a team stunk it up in similar fashion plenty of times (they did not make it to the finals while they were in OKC, remember?), the girls were no more sloppy than the Honeybees, you had live music, and not one spandex clad trampoline dunker, but a whole crew of dunkers. Plus, no retarded balloon mascot.
The Hornets games have clearly been romanticized. People are thinking of their favorite stuff from all the Hornets games they ever went to and are acting like it happened every night. The first Thunder game had as much or more than your typical single Hornets game. I has as much fun at those as any body else and, yes, we do not have any Chris Paul’s on this team, but it’s clear people, in typical fashion, are secretly hoping that it sucks so they have something to post on the internet the next day.
Seriously, the proxy Hornets fans in OKC sound like the guy who always falls in love with the stripper which he can’t ever actually have and is never nearly as hot in real life as you remember. If that actually was a Hornets game, people would be saying how much better things like the player intro was. And the crowd was the same old crowd, vainly cheering on a team that’s down by twenty when they go on a brief 7-0 run. Personally, I liked it better because it was like a Hornets game with slightly less corniness.