David Stern screws over the city of Seattle once again

By Kshell

In a stunning decision NBA dictator commissioner David Stern has chose to keep the Kings in Sacramento instead of moving them to Seattle. What makes this so hard to accept was Seattle behind Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer put in the work to bring a team here. The city passed a deal to allow them to build a new arena. The NBA which as of a few years ago had two-thirds of their owners bankrupt are saying no to these two is just crazy. The Kings offer was 125 million dollars less than the Seattle offer. The Kings still don't have a solid arena plan in place either. Stern acted a complete 180 from how he treated Seattle back in 2008. In 2008 the city wasn't allowed to match Bennett's offer. He didn't give us three chances(Sacramento has been threatening to move since 2010) to keep our team here. That's what is so terrible about all this is the hypocritical of a corrupt commissioner in David Stern.

I'm still in shock that the NBA would deny Chris Hansen who is a young energetic up and coming Mark Cuban. With Ballmer's money and Hansen's passion there is no doubt that Sonics would have had a top five ownership in the NBA. They would have made the league a profit and built a contender up in the great northwest. There was rumors they were going to throw a ton of money at Phil Jackson who has won 13 NBA titles(11 as a coach, two as a player) during his lifetime. They overpaid for a Kings franchise who hasn't made the postseason since 2006 and hasn't won a playoff series since 2004. They made an agreement with the Malouf's ownership to buy the team. They put up money for land which they had to fight the idiots from Port of Seattle on and the Mariners. Hansen has jumped through hoops and has never said a negative thing about this process. He is everything we want as an owner and a real asset to the NBA. Why I'm so puzzled on why the NBA would risk turning the backs on this man. Sacramento's problems that led to them almost moving aren't going away.

The facts are despite what Mayor Kevin Johnson has presented the Kings aren't as great of fans as he has portrayed. The Kings this past year finished dead last in attendance, 28th last year, 29th(out of 30 teams) in 2010-11, 29th in 2009-10, 29th in 2008-09. In fact 2006-07 when they finished only 16th was the last time they weren't in the bottom five in attendance. Seattle ranks as the 14th biggest market in the U.S. while Sacramento ranks as the 20th(Oklahoma City is 45th). They still have no viable arena plan in place or land yet. How is a city that is nearby Stockton(going bankrupt) able to function as a city and afford this mega arena? I have no ill-will towards Sacramento but again the league made a bad business decision. The Kings in Sacramento minus a few of the Chris Webber years have been a terrible franchise that has played in three different cities already.

The NBA didn't give Seattle a chance to match any offers in 2007 or 2008. Stern shut us down from the get go but stated once Seattle has an arena plan in place we'll get a team. Well Seattle had a willing owner, an arena plan in place, had the land and the fan base was passionate like it was 1996 all over again. Then Stern decided to still shut it down. I know this isn't over and we can still steal the Milwaukee Bucks who appear in danger, the Minnesota Wolves, Indiana Pacers, etc but will the fans be as charged up again? Will Hansen want to go through this process yet again? I think this was our last realistic chance. I don't see the same passion to try and get a team as long as Stern is commissioner. As of July 2nd, 2013 if Seattle didn't have a team we lose our history as well. So perhaps this is why Stern screwed the Sonics so his buddy Clay Bennett can keep the history despite Bennett himself not wanting it. Look at Oklahoma City new playoff slogan says "established 2008" while a few years back said "established 1967". With Stern breaking our hearts twice I doubt anyone of us will let our hearts get back into this league. I think we aren't going to have the NBA or NHL for a long time. As long as Stern is commissioner the NBA isn't coming to Seattle I'm convinced. This is a sad terrible day that brought back terrible memories of July of 2008 all over again.

Sonics fans should boycott these people!

By Kshell

Despite the great news of the arena deal being passed there are still those who are doing whatever they can to kill this plan last minute. Their voices don't matter as the NBA and NHL is coming to Seattle where they  like it or not. Chris Hansen bought the land in the SODO(south downtown Seattle for those who don't know) area with the intentions of building an arena there. The tax payers are getting the best deal in U.S. sports history and he will pay back all his debt. Hansen is doing whatever he can to get a team to Seattle even if it bankrupts himself. For that the city should praise this man instead he is met with some much difficulty. The port of Seattle continues to bring up useless points that aren't factual at all. The Seattle Times editorials are done by the same group of elderly people that nobody cares about what they say. Then lastly our Seattle Mariners led by dumb(Howard Lincoln) and dumber(Chuck Armstrong) are opposing the arena despite them bending the tax payers over with a highway robbery deal for Safeco Field in their favor.

I think all Sonics fans should never forget who is against this arena plan and do everything in their power legally to bring them down. The best way to hurt a man is in his pockets. The Seattle Mariners who have shit on their fans ever since 2004 with one last place finish after another are going out of their way to oppose this deal. Sure this arena could hurt their business but you don't see the Seattle Seahawks or Sounders openly protesting now do you? That is because both teams are committed to winning so they don't have to worry about lack of fan support unlike Chuck Armstrong and Howard Lincoln.

The Mariners appear to be building something special after they set a record for most wins by a minor league organization in baseball history. The Mariners should welcome this competition and realize this could help them. When the Sonics have a night game schedule a day game so you have a sports double header. The Mariners also caught a huge break that tax payers are still paying for Safeco Field. You would think a team who is going to finish last place for the third straight year and seventh time in the last nine years wouldn't be causing trouble. You would think a team who had the best stadium deal in their favor and worst for tax payers would keep their mouths shut. So I propose nobody go to their games anymore until these guys sell the team.

Now the port of Seattle people also need to shut up. They are just jealous because the port of Tacoma is killing their business due to better freeway access to their port unlike Seattle. The port of Seattle is also just trying to get some money out of Chris Hansen. It is sad that these greedy guys(who all make more money than most reading this post) are pretending to be upset only to extract money from Hansen.

The other villain in all this is the Seattle Times who has gone out of their way to not support this new arena. The Times who in the past did their best to destroy Husky football in 1993 with the backstabbing to the program. Then in 2007 the same Times who ran a piece focusing on some bad eggs on the 2000 Rose Bowl championship Husky team instead of the good guys on the team. If you haven't already I suggest quit reading the Times and never buy one of their newspapers again. All the editorials are from those who oppose the arena who never bring up any facts at all.

At the end of the day the arena is going to be built regardless of what these idiots say or do. Hansen will instantly become a million times more popular than Chuck and Howard ever were. The NHL will also be coming to Seattle for the first time ever which will give our fans another chance to experience a big time sport. I just hope fans remember this act of betrayal by these groups. I won't forget how big of babies the Mariners were in this situation since they haven't given us any reason to cheer since 2004. On the positive the NBA and NHL will be in Seattle soon which is a good thing. This city desperately needs good teams and the Mariners aren't providing that. I can't wait until the NBA and NHL are here as this arena is being built. For all those who fought for this arena a big thank you to you guys! Just remember if you are thinking about supporting the Mariners, Port of Seattle or the Seattle Times remember how they did their best to prevent the NBA and NHL coming here. For that those groups shouldn't receive any more money from our fans.

News of arena deal is Suuuuuuuuuuper!

By Kshell

The city council  has come to an agreement with the Chris Hansen ownership group to build a new arena. That means our Seattle Supersonics are finally coming home.  Not only will the NBA return to Seattle but with this new arena for the  first time in Seattle history we should be getting a new NHL team. The news couldn't have came at a better time given that the Seahawks opened the season with a loss, Huskies were embarrassed in a big game once again the Seattle Mariners are headed towards their third straight last place finish. A piece of my childhood is returning when the Sonics are here. I wrote last year in April of 2011 how much I missed the Sonics as they were the first ever sporting event I ever attended. There is one man who should drink for free for the rest of his life in Seattle and that is Chris Hansen who made this all happen.

Chris Hansen is doing his civic duty much like Paul Allen did with the Seahawks back in 1996. Hansen is a rich guy who gets it. He is a fan and although the city of Seattle put him through the ringer he never gave up. Hansen should be a legend in this city if not already. The joy he is going to bring to so many in this community cannot be measured. I wish there would be more rich people in this world like Mr. Hansen is willing to risk millions of his own dollars so his childhood team that he loves can finally return home. The NBA did the original Sonics wrong but never once has Hansen been negative in his campaign to bring the team back. That is what I like most about Hansen he seems to connect with the fans which is the opposite of how the Mariners ownership is.

During this whole ordeal the fans of Seattle have shown over and over again our love for the Sonics. During game two of the NBA Finals there was a rally held to bring the Sonics back. The rally was clean too there was no name calling of Oklahoma City it was all pro Sonics which is what I enjoyed the most. Sonics fans like myself have moved on from the terrible thing that happened in 2008 as we realized dwelling on the past won't do any good. This movement which was started by the Sonicsgate guys when they made this this wonderful movie documenting the Sonics leaving. For many of us the Sonics were the only consistent thing in our lives sports wise. They have the most tradition among our pro teams. For my dad(born in 1961) he remembers the Sonics going to the Finals his junior year in 1978 and then winning the title in 1979. For me(born in 1985) I remember growing up in the 1990's when the Sonics were winning 55+ games six years in a row.

Growing up in the 1990's it was so great watching the talents of Gary Payton throwing lobs to Shawn Kemp as he threw them down. Watching George Karl win four Pacific Division titles in a four year span was something special as well. Watching the three point shooting of Detlef Schrempf, Hersey Hawkins and Sam Perkins was a joy as well. I used to always wear Sonics stuff to school and like I said the first game I ever went to was a Sonics game in the Tacoma Dome.

Watching Wally Walker destroy this team was one of the saddest things to watch. Then seeing this team flea town was a horrific experience that I hope to never experience again far as sports go. I'm glad in this whole process these former players from those teams were so active in this. Payton, Kemp and Schrempf have been big fixtures in this community the past decade in post retirement. When the NBA finally returns to Seattle look for #20 and #40 to be retired together in a ceremony in a game which will sell out quickly. For now it doesn't matter how good our team will be as we'll have a team once again. The next generation of kids can find their new NBA heroes like my dad always references "Downtown" Freddy Brown, Dennis Johnson or Jack Sikma. How I bring up Payton, Kemp and Schrempf these kids will have their own guys to idolize growing up.

Just like my father I also get to experience a new sport in this city as the NHL will most likely come to Seattle as well. The city of Seattle will have NFL, MLB, D-1 college sports, NBA, NHL, MLS and WNBA meaning they will officially become a major sports city in the United States. This is a huge day for the city of Seattle as they'll experience a huge economic boom in the SODO market as that area will finally get cleaned up with some big time restaurants and hotels. This is a beautiful day for those in Seattle who haven't had much to cheer about in the last couple of years. The Sonics are coming back and so today everyone wear your green and gold. I know today I'll be feeling pretty suuuuuuuuper as my childhood is returning as the Sonics will be coming back!

2012 NBA Finals preview + prediction

By Kshell

The dream NBA Finals match up that every casual basketball fan has wanted has finally arrived with three-time MVP Lebron James and the Miami Heat taking on the three-time defending scoring champion Kevin Durant. Both players will be the face of team USA this summer in London. Both of are the best players in the world who happen to play the same position. Both guys are also looking for their first championship ring in their young careers. Both guys have also left a city bitter with James having the "decision" which still has Cleveland fans pissed off. While Durant has done nothing wrong the man who signs his checks moved the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City and us Seattle fans are still hurt about losing our team along with Durant. In this post I'll break down my three keys to the series while reflecting back on the Sonics situation. Then at the end I'll offer up prediction on the series as the Oklahoma City Thunder are the heavy favorites this series after defeating the San Antonio Spurs four straight games while the Heat struggled to beat an aging Boston Celtics team in seven games.

1. Who will emerge from this Finals as the best player in the NBA?

What makes this NBA Finals so unique unlike previous other finals is that so much is riding on the superstars of each team. Fair or not the winner of this series will see their star emerge as the best player in the NBA. In most sports the role players step up and win MVP's sometimes in championship series but in the NBA the MVP is almost always the best player on their own team. This postseason both players are playing surpurb basketball. For the Heat Lebron James is averaging 30.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG and 5.1 APG. He is averaging 42:22 minutes a game in 18 games while recording 1.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He is making 1.1 three pointers a game and shooting 50.8% from the field. He is also getting to the foul line averaging 10.4 free throws a game. In the Eastern Conference Finals win over the Celtics James was terrific averaging 33.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 3.9 APG. James though has struggled in 10 career Finals games averaging only 19.6 PPG and has yet to score more than 25 points.

His counterpart will be Kevin Durant who will be playing in his very first of probably many NBA Finals. Durant these playoffs is also playing terrific averaging 27.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 4.2 APG. In 15 games he is averaging 41:33 minutes a game while recording 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He is making 1.9 three pointers a game while shooting 50.5% from the field, 36.4% on three pointers and 87.0% on 8.2 free throw attempts. Durant has defeated the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and then the hottest team in the NBA the San Antonio Spurs. All three teams have represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals the last 13 seasons including 10 championships. I have a feeling the Durant-Lebron rivalry is about to reach Bird-Magic territory as this won't be the only time these two will square off in the NBA Finals.

Whoever wins this matchup will most likely be hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy. I can't see a scenario where either player has even an average series by their own high standards and their team prevailing. One of these two is about to be the face of the NBA, team USA basketball and win their first ever championship and that is all in their hands.

2. Nobody likes a third wheel except for both these teams:

In this series Kevin Durant-Lebron James battle will grab the first, second and third headlines. The next headlines will be the battle between Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook who will also be a fun matchup as both are combo guards. If those matchups cancel each other out as they'll be going up against each other offensively and defensively then this series could be decided by the "third wheel's" on each team. For the Zombies Sonics that is sixth man of the year James Harden and for the Heat that is six-time all-star Chris Bosh who is coming off injury. Currently Bosh like Harden is coming off the bench and I actually like that move as he provides instant offense off the bench which teams have used to win a title recently with Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, and Manu Giniboli.

The man with the incredible beard James Harden has been great all year and especially in these playoffs with already two big moments(both of which were on the road against Dallas in game four and San Antonio in game five). Harden these playoffs is averaging 17.6 PPG, 5.2RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.7 steals per game in 31:04 minutes while coming off the bench. Harden is shooting 45.2% from the field, making 1.7 three pointers a game on 44.6% shooting and 87.3% of his free throws on 6.8 attempts. He is playing incredible this postseason as he has the third highest PER rating behind on James and Durant.

Meanwhile Bosh who got hurt during game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals has finally returned while coming off the bench. In this postseason Bosh has played in only nine games making six starts. He is averaging 13.7 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 28:28 minutes per game. He is shooting 52.3% from the field and making 80.0% of his free throws on 3.9 attempts. He has also made 0.6 three pointers a game on 62.5% shooting. In game seven he was a huge spark for the Heat making a career high three three pointers as he scored 19 points while pulling down eight rebounds as he looked healthy.

Harden will be guarded in crunch time by Shane Battier while Bosh will be guarded by Serge Ibaka who is better at blocking shots not necessarily playing on the perimeter. If either guy can go off and help ease the load of their two stars this could be what is needed to shift this series. Both guys are very capable of erupting for 30 plus at home or on the road.

3. Like Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg the other guys can save the day:

This series will be defined by Lebron vs Duant, Westbrook vs Wade and the two major 6th men stars. What could swing a game or two in this series is the other guys headlined by the Zombie Sonics Serge Ibaka. The Miami Heat trio of Lebron-Wade-Bosh scored the final 31 points of their game seven win over Boston. In these playoffs the Heat big three is averaging 67.4 PPG, 10.0 APG and 21.5 RPG. They are also getting 4.0 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while hitting 2.1 three pointers a game. The "other guys" on the Heat are averaging 28.7 PPG, 7.3 APG and 19.0 RPG. They are also getting 3.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game while drilling 4.3 three pointers a game.

The Oklahoma City trio of Durant-Westbrook-Harden is averaging 67.1 PPG, 13.1 APG and 18.2 RPG. They are also getting 4.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while hitting 4.6 three pointers. The "other guys" on the Zombie Sonics are averaging 35.2 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 22.1 RPG. They are also getting 4.2 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while hitting 2.3 three pointers a game. As you can see the Zombies "other guys" are more explosive than the Heat. The Zombies feature Serge Ibaka who these playoffs is averaging 10.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.3 blocks per game.

For the Heat their main "other guy" is Mario Chalmers who is averaging 11.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 3.9 APG while making 1.4 three pointers a game. The Heat don't have a deep roster there is a reason why head coach Erik Spoelstra started three different guys at center in the Celtics series alone and basically only played the big three along with Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier and Chalmers. The Zombies though have the edge in talent and championship experience with Kendrick Perkins and Derek Fisher who have combined played in nine NBA Finals while winning six NBA championships.

The national media has it all wrong and that's a damn shame!

I'm already getting annoyed with how Lebron James and the Miami Heat are the "villains" because he chose to leave his hometown team for less money to pursue a championship(already in two seasons been to more NBA finals than in seven seasons in Cleveland) while most on ESPN are covenietly ignoring how Oklahoma City became Oklahoma City. The Thunder were flat out stolen from the Sonics as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Collison were all drafted by Seatle. To pretend they are the heartfelt good guys is a slap in the face to all those in Seattle who grew up as Sonics fans.

I understand the national media doesn't want to hate on Oklahoma City or be disrespectful towards them as this is their moment. Just don't pretend they are the good guys either while Miami is the villains because that is simply not the case. We have suffered a lot in recent years with the Seahawks not having a winning season since 2007, the Mariners lost 95+ games three of the last four seasons while finishing in last place six of the last eight seasons. For our college fans the Washington Huskies going 0-12 in the Tyrone Willingham era and for the Washington State Cougars fans going 9-40 the last four seasons in the Paul Wulff era. The Sonics with Kevin Durant was supposed to be our reward and we didn't even get that. Hopefully the Sonics return(they'll be here sooner than people think you watch) I hope we are awarded a talent like Durant as this city is so overdue. At least Cleveland got the experiene of Lebron James for seven years. We got to experience Durant for one season in a lameduck year that was full on rebuild mode. Seattle fans got robbed and the national media continues to piss down our back and tell us it's raining isn't helping either.

Prediction: Heat in six games

As if I was going to take Oklahoma City in this series. In reality I'm making this prediction for basketball related reasons and I'm even wagering money on the Heat to win. I can't believe a team that features Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is being underestiminated but they are. The Heat I feel are more battle tested than the Thunder after playing in the NBA Finals just last year plus are always under the media spotlight so this is nothing new to them. While the young Thunder are on center stage for the first time. Durant especially has received a free pass from the media his entire career if he starts to slump and James is going off that won't happen this series. Westbrook has already received some backlash last year but it won't be like it is now if he struggles in the Finals. I do think experience plays a role as well as the losing team from the previous year in the NBA finals who happens to reach the finals the next year has won the championship four out of seven times since 1980. Two of those champions the 1988 Detroit Pistons and 2009 Los Angeles Lakers would actually go on to win the next two titles. The teams that lost were the 1984 Lakers who would win the title following season, 1998 Utah Jazz who lost to the Michael Jordan dynasty back to back and the 2003 New Jersey Nets who came from the weakest east ever.

Now since 1980 when teams with Finals experience went up against teams without it(basically the core players) the team with experience has won 10 of the 14 matchups. The four cases where no experience prevailed was the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers who would go on to win five NBA titles, 1991 Chicago Bulls who would go on to win six NBA titles, 2004 Detroit Pistons who would reach NBA Finals following season and 2008 Boston Celtics who were all veteran future hall of famers.  I think both these teams are going to be living in the NBA finals for the rest of this decade as Durant and James are in their prime years.

Besides experience and being battle tested the main reason I'm taking the Heat is I feel like Lebron James is playing the best ball of his career. I also think Lebron has matured and is just focused on winning a title. Last year he worried too much about his critics and was tweeting about his "haters". While this year he seems at peace with himself and that hate towards him isn't as strong as it once was. He is playing like Karl Malone if Malone was able to bring the ball up court and pass. James is playing at a super natural level and defensively he is guarding Rajon Rondo one possession while guarding Kevin Garnett the next. I think he is going to give Durant some problems in those crunch moments plus Wade brings his "A" game in the NBA Finals as Wade in 12 career games has averaged 30.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 4.5 APG. Last year in the Finals loss Wade averaged 26.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 5.2 APG as he was having another spectacular finals. In 2006 Wade won the Finals MVP averaging 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 3.8 APG. For the Heat to win Flash will need to go off once again.

This series is what every fan who doesn't live in Cleveland or Seattle can hope for. We have six stars including four guys who will be on the U.S. Olympic team and a fifth in Bosh depending on his health. All of these guys are in their primes and in the case of both teams best two players play the same position. Westbrook will be going up against Wade in the fourth quarter and more importantly Durant will be squaring off against Lebron in the fourth quarter. America better get used to this matchup as I think this will be the new Magic-Bird of the 1980's which saw one of those two play in nine of the 10 NBA finals in the 1980's winning eight championships. They went up against each other three times as well with Bird winning the first matchup while Magic won the last two. I'm looking forward to this Finals and I truly believe this is the Finals where Lebron silences his critics for good.

I still hate Howard Schultz

By Kshell

What should have been a great day in Seattle Sports history was ruined due to what Howard Schultz did to the city on July 18th, 2006. On that day Schultz the owner of Starbucks coffee sold the team out to out of state owner Clay Bennett who was from Oklahoma. On that day most Sonics fans became scared as we knew our team was in serious danger of moving. The team eventually moved after the 2007-08 season due to mayor Greg Nickels selling out the team and releasing the Seattle Supersonics of their two year lease agreement. Now most in this city have a ton of hate towards this situation I feel like Howard Schultz who receives a ton of hate doesn't earn even more. This man not only robbed me of my team that I grew up with but he robbed us all of the experience to witness one of  the NBA's all-time greats when it is all said and done in Kevin Durant. Howard Schultz was supposed to be on our side as was Greg Nickels and yet both failed us. This is why I'll never vote for Nickels and will never spend one penny at Starbucks!

Howard Schultz often used the phrase "civic duty" yet when it came to the hometown team he stabbed them in the back for more money.  Schultz bought the team from long time owner Barry Ackerly in 2001 as Ackerly sold to Schultz due to being an in state owner despite someone else bidding more. Schultz then ran the franchise into the ground and alienating his fan base by trading away Gary Payton. With poor drafting and bad free agent signings the Sonics were a complete mess under Schultz watch. In 2004-05 the Sonics came out of nowhere to win the first ever Northwest Division title going 52-30. Schultz was there courtside acting like a fan. Acting like the type of owner you want. That offseason he would let Nate McMillan walk down the road to coach the Portland Trail Blazers. Schultz once again went cheap instead of hiring a real head coach he promoted long time assistent Bob Weiss. After the Sonics failed that year he sold the team that offseason to Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett. Steve Balmer and others in this area were willing to buy the team but Schultz never officially put the team on sale. Instead sold to Bennett who way overpaid. Schultz when all said and done made over 150 million dollars in profit by selling this team.

I remember in my college years at Central Washington University trying to ignore reality of the situation. There was no way the NBA was going to let some new owner just move the team away who had 40 years of history including an NBA title. There was no way our city was going to let Bennett out of his lease that ran through the 2010 season. The Sonics under Bennett that first year continued to struggled then that offseason he decided to blow the team up. Most thought he was doing that on purpose but I actually liked that decision. The Sonics landed Kevin Durant with the #2 pick and traded franchise star Ray Allen for Jeff Green. The Sonics last year in Seattle would lose over 60 games for the first time in franchise history. The Sonics in that 2008 draft would select Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Already I was worried because at the draft both players were chosen by the "Sonics" there was no mention of Seattle. All the national media guys were saying the team was gone and recently at this time Schultz stepped forward claiming he was going to sue Bennett for lying to him about having a "good faith" to keep the team. I was thinking right on Schultz maybe you aren't this bad guy after all! Schultz I figured knew people hated him and wanted to right his wrong.

Come to find out it was all for show by Schultz. A week after the draft then mayor Greg Nickels sold the team out and realeased the Sonics of their two year lease. Immediately after that Schultz dropped his lawsuit and the nightmare scenario had become reality. I was so upset as I knew Kevin Durant was going to become a star. I also knew that first year they would struggle and receive another high draft pick which they did in James Harden. Seattle fans put in the hard work with this franchise which didn't give us many memories from 1998-2008. Now Oklahoma City in just their fourth season is going to the NBA Finals meanwhile here in Seattle we are just hoping that someday we can have a team. Clay Bennett and David Stern aren't high on my list at all and I hate them. I really hate Greg Nickels and Howard Schultz the most. Those guys were supposed to be on our team yet they stabbed us in the back for more money. Money that none of us fans are ever going to see.

I'm so angered when I drive by a starbucks in Seattle and see the place is full. I'm so angered that so many in this area still refer to OKC as their team. How can you claim them as us when they were stolen from us?!! I like Kevin Durant but I hate their owner, hate that city, and hate their fan base that is consistently rubbing our noses in the fact our team was stolen. I was disgusted when this state had a starbucks day to honor Schultz just shows the politicians didn't care then or care now about the Sonics franchise. Last night we should have been celebrating our first trip to the NBA Finals in 16 years instead we are left with sadness, anger and just flat out depression. For this feeling I'll never forgive Howard Schultz who destroyed a city and made a profit. A guy who most of this state doesn't hate for some reason. I'm not a hateful person at all but I truly hate Howard Schultz and can't stand the way people have easily forgotten what he did to our city.





If you want to learn more about the Sonics situation feel free to watch Sonicsgate the movie as you'll learn a lot about what exactly had happened to us during that terrible time.

On this date in history: June 2nd

By Kshell

On this date in sports history some signficant events happened that I remember very vividly. The one event that happened was 16 years ago was when the Seattle Supersonics defeated the Utah Jazz in game seven of the Western Conference Finals 90-86 which was their first Finals appearance since 1979. I was in 4th grade and since the Sonics were going to play the Chicago Bulls I knew we had no chance so my dad and myself celebrated like we had one a title. That same school year the Mariners began the season with their magical 1995 run which saw the Mariners defeat the New York Yankees in five games. Edgar Martinez had the double heard around the northwest as Ken Griffey Jr scored the game winning run to defeat the Yankees. Sports was looking well for the northwest teams back then and on June 2nd the Sonics going to the Finals was one of the happiest sports days of my life.

Fast forward to 2010 and I was in Las Vegas, Nevada on a 10 day vacation. I was playing a lot of poker which you can see as I'm playing in a World Series sponsored sit and go(took 3rd place had chip lead got rivered back to back hands). Whenever I'm in Las Vegas with my friends I'm about having a good time and staying out late. Las Vegas is a great social city and this trip was no different than every other trip I've had down there. For whatever the reason whenever I'm in Las Vegas a major event happens in my life. The year before while I was in Las Vegas pop icon Michael Jackson had died and being in Vegas when that happened was a very surreal moment for me. Now in 2010 I didn't expect another big moment to happen. Instead I had two moments happen on the same day which was pretty crazy.

I woke up on June 2nd in the afternoon to a ton of text messages from my friends telling me that Seattle Mariners legendary outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. had suddenly retired without warning. Now there was rumors leading up to this as Griffey was struggling in 2010 hitting .184/.250/.204 on the year with zero home runs in 98 at bats as the team was experiencing a horrible season. There was no final goodbye to Griffey which was the sad part instead he retired. Griffey had retired with 630 home runs and a batting line of .284/.370/.538 in 9,801 at bats. Griffey scored 1,662 runs and drove in 1,836 runs in his future hall of fame career. Griffey had won an MVP in 1997 and finished in the top five in the MVP race in 1993(5th), 1994(2nd), 1996(4th), and 1998(4th). He was a 13-time all-star and had won 10 gold gloves. The Griffey retirement hit home to everyone in my age group who grew up with Griffey and was very sad to see the way he went out. Normally when a player of his calibar retires that is the big news of the day. Instead Griffey was overshadowed that day by a pitcher with a 26-30 record and a 4.69 ERA for his career.

Later that day I was watching the t.v. when sportscenter switched to the Detriot Tigers-Cleveland Indians game as Armando Galarraga was working on a perfect game. The Detroit Tigers had a 3-0 lead going into the 9th inning as Galarraga was three outs away from perfection. After recording the first two outs he was one out away facing shortstop Jason Donald. Donald hit a grounder inbetween second and first where Miguel Cabrera decided to snag the ball and toss it to Galarraga for the final out. As you can see Galarraga made the out but umpire Jim Joyce called the runner safe. I screamed in shock waking up my friend who I was staying with who is a night shift poker dealer on the strip in Vegas. When he saw the replay he couldn't believe it either as Galarraga was robbed of the perfect game. He would record the next batter but that opportunity to be perfect was lost forever. That story was the story that everyone was talking about on national t.v. and later on that night on the strip in Vegas at the poker tables all anyone could talk about.

For whatever reason when I go to Las Vegas major events happen. Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett die on the same day, Griffey retires same day as the perfect game was robbed by an umpire then last year when I found out I was going to be an uncle for the first time. This date in particular was special as the Sonics had clinched a trip to the NBA Finals back in 1996 and then the biggest Seattle sports legend we had ever seen retired on that same day 14 years later. June 2nd will always be a special date in Seattle sports history due to the Sonics and Griffey. I was just glad I can recall these moments so well and glad I can share those memories with you guys.

SSB weekly rant: May 19th-25th edition

By Kshell

Happy memorial day weekend everyone! I hope everyone has a great memorial day weekend even though the traffic is a nightmare currently in Seattle. On this memorial day weekend there is plenty to talk about in the sports scene as I continue my weekly rant. The NBA postseason is providing some nice moments. In this following post I'll mainly be talking about the NBA postseason, why some fans in this area are against Chris Hansen's arena proposal and do a nice little rant on a certain Cougar fan on the Seattle Times who is bashing our Seattle Sounders. I honestly don't understand the sports fans in this town. Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this following rant and be sure to remember your loved ones who have passed away this weekend by decorating their graves with flowers.

cougforlife2011 on seattletimes

"meredith is one of the worst if not the worst goalies i have ever seen in my life. The guy couldn't stop a shot from going into the back of the net if it was only 3 feet wide. Time to put him on the bench and start weber. Our front office has no clue on how to bring evaluate and bring in talent. Sounders are becoming the mariners of seattle. Oh wait the mariners have a youthfull team that actually tries and puts out effort, never mind."

I don't understand this rant at all by this dumb Coug fan. The Sounders have made the playoffs the last three seasons and are top 10 in the world in soccer attendance. While the Mariners rank 11th out of 14 teams in the American League in attendance. The Mariners haven't made the playoffs since 2001 as well. This was just a stupid overreaction by a dipshit fan who obviously hates soccer. I'm not a big soccer fan myself but to go off on the Sounders at least say something intelligent like complaining how they haven't reach the second round of the postseason. Sorry there Coug fan but the Sounders are not the Mariners, they actually win some games every now and then.

I don't get why fans are against Chris Hansen's arena proposal? See to my right is Hansen with  our good friends from Bring Back Our Sonics. This arena in the SoDo area will bring in the NBA and the NHL. This will also make the SoDo area a kickass area to be around in. Sure the Mariners will be jealous but you know what? Screw em! Win some damn games then you have a right to complain! I'll admit I wanted the team to be in the Seattle Center but it's looking like that isn't going to happen so time to join forces and rally behind Hansen. Hansen is doing what Steve Ballmer has claimed he'd do for four years now only Hansen is actually going through with it instead of blowing smoke up our asses like Ballmer. Hansen is paying for the arena too as the tax payers are getting off. The SoDo district will finally be cleaned up as well and we can have a kickass part of town basically dedicated to us sports junkies. I'm fired up over this plan and I suspect Hansen is going to make this happen regardless of what the longshoreman or Chuck Armstrong think.

Kevin Durant who should be for the Sonics will be playing in his second straight Western Conference finals for Oklahoma City as they take on the San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan. For Duncan this is his seventh Western Conference Finals trip as he has won four NBA championships. While Durant is still looking to reach his first NBA Finals after losing last year to Dallas Mavericks in five games. Both teams have cruised in the playoffs as the Zombie Sonics are 9-1 after defeating the Lakers in five games. While the old Spurs are 8-0 this postseason including two comeback wins at Staples Center to sweep off the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round. This should be a great playoff series which could set up for a good NBA finals. You have the battle of the up and comers(Zombie Sonics) against the old consistent team since 1999(the Spurs). These are the type of matchups the NBA dreams about.

What a difference a week makes for Dwyane Wade and Lebron James? This time last week they were trailing 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers.  Now they are resting to see who they host in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals starting this Monday. Lebron James had a historic performance in game four scoring 40 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and dishing out 9 assists becoming the first player to do that since Elgin Baylor back in 1961. Lebron in the last three games averaged 32.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG and 8.0 APG with 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Wade since his horrific game three responded as well in game six scoring 41 points on 17-25(68.0%) shooting with 20 points in the second quarter alone. In the last three games Wade averaged 33.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 3.8 APG. He is averaging 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game as well. The Heat proved they can win a tough playoff series and this was without seven-time all-star power forward Chris Bosh who should return this series. When James and Wade are clicking like they were this series they are impossible to beat. If the Heat advance past the winner of the Celtics-76ers that should make for another great highly rated NBA Finals.

This has been another fun week in the sports scene and this weekly rant ran a little bit longer than most. I must admit I probably left off a few things like I always do. Next week my rant will be taking place in Boise, Idaho as I'll be there next week the home of two-time Fiesta Bowl champions Boise State Broncos. These NBA playoffs have been great and I'm back into the fold as a NBA fan once again which is good since our Sonics are coming home very shortly. The NHL playoffs is compelling as well with the L.A. Kings making the Stanley Cup Finals while the New York Rangers-New Jersey Devils are battling it out in a hard fought series. Well guys have a fun and safe memorial day weekend and hope you enjoyed my weekly rant!

Two words I'd thought I'd never utter in my lifetime.........Go Lakers!

By Kshell

There is a saying that an enemy of my enemy is now my friend. That is how I feel about the second round playoff matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Zombie Sonics. Sports can be funny sometimes but I'd put this in the cruel category where I'm forced to root on a team that growing up was my first sports team I ever hated. Many people make the mistake that the Seattle Supersonics biggest rivals were the Portland Trail Blazers but that simply wasn't the case. Minus the 1978 season neither team was good at the same time. When the Blazers were contenders the Sonics were rebuilders, when the Sonics were contenders the Blazers making the playoffs as a bottom seed. No the Sonics true rivals were the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and of course the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have ended the Sonics season five times in their history including twice in the Western Conference Finals and twice in the 1990's when the Sonics had homecourt advantage in both series. Still the Lakers are the lesser of two evils this series and I'll be rooting for them even though it's going to be painful.

Before I can get into why I'm rooting for the Lakers this series(should be pretty clear) I have to explain why it's so painful. There is a deep playoff background between these teams. Back in 1978 the Sonics who started off 5-17 made the playoffs led by new coach Lenny Wilkens. That would mark the first of three straight years the Sonics-Lakers would face off in the playoffs. In this best of three series the Sonics would earn their first ever playoff series win defeating the Lakers two games to one. In 1979 on their way to the franchises only championship the Sonics faced the Lakers in their first round(actually second as top two seeds received byes) which they won four games to one.  That series though featured two overtime games and four games decided by six points or less which the Sonics won three of them. Then in 1980 the Lakers had a rookie sensation at point guard named Magic Johnson. Despite winning 56 games(four more than their title year) the Sonics lost out on the division title to the Lakers but would square  off with the Lakers in the western conference finals. The defending champs upset the Lakers on their home floor in game one 108-107. Then the Magic dynasty started as the Lakers rattled off four straight wins including the final three by six points or less. That paved way to the 1980's as Magic dominated the league winning three MVP's and five NBA championships including a title that year while going to the NBA Finals eight times that decade. In the 1986-87 season the Sonics who were the 7th seed with a losing record shocked the #2 seeded Dallas Mavericks then #3 seeded Houston Rockets before once again facing Magic and the Lakers. The Lakers swept the Sonics in the Western Conference Finals led by Magic, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Michael Coopers defense. The Lakers won game one by five points, game two by eight points then game three by a score of 122-121 before blowing out the Sonics in game four. In the 1988-89 season the Lakers swept the Sonics in second round as Magic Johnson would go 3-0 against the Sonics in the playoffs.

In the 1990's Magic Johnson had came down with HIV virus so the Lakers weren't dominant anymore. The Sonics were the new team on the west coast as they swept the Lakers in the regular season five games to zero in the 1993-94 season in earning the top record in the NBA. The Sonics would of course choke in the first round to the Denver Nuggets. The following year Nick Van Exel would become a Sonics killer as the Lakers won four of five in the regular season against the Sonics. The Sonics would face the Lakers as the 4th seed who won 57 games while the Lakers had won just 48. In game one at the Tacoma Dome the Sonics blew out the Lakers 96-71. Then in game two the Lakers had built up an eight point lead then a sudden power outage happened in the Tacoma Dome killing the momentum. When the game resumed the Sonics made a run but would lose 84-82 as the Lakers stole home court. In game three the Sonics would lose 105-101 which had them facing elimination once again. Then in game four the Sonics were up by nine points after the first quarter and led by eight heading into the fourth only to see the Lakers outscore the Sonics 32-20 to end their season 114-110. After the Sonics won the Western Conference title in 1995-96 the Lakers would sign Shaquille O'Neal. In a tight division title race that came down to the final day the Lakers would lose to the Blazers as the Sonics won the division title over the Lakers. Again in the 1997-98 with Shawn Kemp traded everyone expected the Lakers to win the division title. Once again came down to the final day only the Sonics defeated the Blazers in Portland to clinch the division crown for the third straight year and fourth year out of five. Those two teams would square off in the playoffs. The Sonics would win game one at home before losing the final four games to the Lakers which marked the end of the George Karl era in Seattle.

As you can see this Lakers franchise has caused the Sonics fans plenty of grief in thier lifetime. With all that said I'd kill to live those moments again vs the garbage we have to deal with now which isn't having a team. Seeing ESPN jerks posting our stuff as Oklahoma City stuff. I have no choice now to become the type of person that I hated which is cheer on Kobe Bryant and hope the Lakers knock off the Zombie Sonics. The Lakers defeated my team fair and square but what those dirtbags in Oklahoma City did was rip out my heart and now with Durant being so incredibly good like we all knew he would be they are now stomping on my heart  as well. The Lakers have already defeated the Zombie Sonics back in 2010 but this Zombies team is different. The Zombies are trying to take over the Lakers as the premiere team out West since the West has only seen three teams make the NBA Finals since 1999 which is the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. The Zombies are challenging that and hopefully Kobe Bryant still has one last run left in him. This is a great series from a basketball standpoint as you have the estbalished franchise with the established super start going up against the up and coming franchise with the rising super star. Both will be starters this summer on Team USA as well. For now I have to root for the Lakers despite growing up hating that team for breaking my heart in the 1995 playoffs and then putting the final nail in the George Karl era which led to this mess.

At the end of the day in sports when you watch games whether you like to admit it or not you are always rooting for a team. When the Washington State Cougars take on the Oregon Ducks I say "Go Cougs!" as they are the lesser of two evils. In this matchup the Lakers are the lesser of two evils as they didn't pack up and leave my city to some dust bowl in the middle of nowhere. The Zombie Sonics are going to go on a run and the only thing that can prevent that is the Lakers who seem to destroy every young team's chances at making runs. The Lakers since 1980 have won 10 NBA championships and made 16 NBA Finals. They are the most successful franchise in the NBA in the last 30 years and there isn't really a close second. So to this I say Go Lakers proudly! Sure I'll most likely be rooting against them in the Western Conference Finals but for this series I want the Lakers to win. Look they are the lesser of two evils and I encourage everyone in Seattle to hop on the Lakers bandwagon for just this series.

SSB weekly rant: May 5th-11th edition

By Kshell

This week my rant won't be as controversial as last week which received some hate messages for calling out a KJR host. Instead this week I'll focus on the Seattle Mariners going to play the New York Yankees at Yankees stadium. As the Mariners prepare for the Yankees they'll have a rookie returning to the place where he was supposed to be part of their future but was traded. The Mariners will also be sending their ace Felix Hernandez who lately has been fantastic in New York. I'll also touch on a former Sonics coach who is doing everything in his power to provide a major upset in these playoffs. A coach who in my personal opinion someday belongs in the basketball hall of fame as he is one of the most underrated coaches in the NBA.

Today the Seattle Mariners are taking on the New York Yankees as Felix Hernandez takes the hill. In his career against the Yankees Hernandez is 6-4 in 11 career starts having thrown 79.1 innings with three complete games and one shutout. He has a 3.29 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 66 strikeouts. However since 2009 Hernandez has simply dominated the Yankees.  Hernandez in seven starts has been 5-1 having thrown 55 innings(7.2 IP a start) with 2.12 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. He has recorded 47 strikeouts(7.7 K's per 9) with three complete games including a shutout. His lone start last year at Yankees stadium he recorded the win having pitched seven innings allowing one run. That win was signficant because the Mariners had been on a 17 game losing streak which of course their ace ended. Hernandez the last three years has stepped up his game when going up against the Yankees and I'm excited to see what he will do today.

This series in New York will also have the return of Jesus  Montero to Yankees Stadium. Montero this offseason was traded to the Mariners for Michael Pineda(who is out for the season). Montero was the prized prospect for the Yankees and last year in 61 AB's he hit .328/.406/.590 with four home runs and 12 rbi's with nine runs while catching only three games. This year Montero is experiencing his first full season in the majors as he is the Mariners DH but also catches some. This year in 112 AB's Montero is hitting .268/.282/.420 with four home runs and 16 RBI's. He has also scored 10 runs while playing in 11 games at catcher all of which were starts. Montero is only 22 years old and since Pineda is out for the year the Yankees will be very bitter if Montero were to have a big series. Since New  Yorkers drive me nuts I hope Montero has a big weekend so the Yankees crowd can turn on their own because that makes me very happy.

How about the job that former Sonics head coach George Karl is doing? He lost what should have been his franchise player in Carmelo Anthony last year only to continue putting the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. This year after trailing three games to one to the heavily favorite Los Angeles Lakers the Nuggets led by Karl have forced a game seven. Karl is coaching circles around Lakers head coach Mike Brown which TNT analysis Charles Barkley makes a note of every game. Karl is one of the most underrated coaches in the NBA. In his NBA career he is 1,074-731(.595) in 24 seasons. In those 24 seasons Karl has seen his teams win 50 plus games 11 times and two of those years were strike shorten seasons. Karl has coached five different teams leading all five teams to the playoffs.

In Seattle the Sonics won the championship in 1979 with 52 wins then followed that up with 56 wins in 1980 as they lost in the Western Conference Finals. After 1980 until Karl's first full season in 1993 the Sonics won over 50 games just once which was in 1982 when they won 52 games. Then Karl comes to town and the Sonics win 55 plus games every year from 1993-1998. After Karl was fired the Sonics won 50 plus games just once in 2005 when they won 52 games. Karl took the Milwaukee Bucks who had won 52 games to a game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 a franchise that prior to his arrival hadn't advanced that deep since 1986 when they lost to the Boston Celtics. That was the Bucks first 50 win season since 1987 and his first year he took them to the playoffs in 1999 which was the Bucks first playoff trip since 1991. He then takes a one year break to go to the Denver Nuggets. During the 2004-05 season Karl took over midseason as the Nuggets were only 17-25, Karl went 32-8 with the Nuggets leading them to the playoffs. He has taken the Nuggets every year to the playoffs in his eight year career with them. In 2009 he led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals their first playoff series win since well they beat his Sonics in the famous 1993-94 upset. That was the Nuggets first Western Conference Finals since 1985 when they lost to the showtime Lakers. Karl has won seven division titles, made four conference finals and one NBA finals in his career. Karl is a legendary coach and I hope every finally appreciates his greatness as he belongs in the hall of fame damn it!

Well that was my weekly rant sorry if my Karl rant ran a little long but it does bother me that his name doesn't get brought up with the elite coaches. The Mariners will have a fun series this weekend in New York as the Yankees prized prospect returns home wearing the Mariners gear. Meanwhile King Felix gets to pitch on the big stage which he has done a great job of lately. The NBA playoffs has been terrific so far which hurts because I miss the Sonics even more. I'm glad you listened to my rant and hopefully my rant on Karl either confirmed what you had already thought or changed your mind a little on him. Karl is one of the greatest coaches in Seattle sports history and firing him just started the downhill spiral of our franchise.

Seattle Sports Blog weekly rant!

By Kshell

This past week in Seattle sports a ton of stuff has gone down. Due to work and other obligations I haven't had the time to sit down and discuss each item. As you guys know by now I have strong opinions on various topics. In this post this is more or less going to be a rant about various topics. I'm not going to pretend I'm reporting anything just rant how I feel about various subjects. I must admit with opening day happening this week due to the Mariners playing in Japan, sucking for a decade straight and trying to prevent the NBA/NHL to return to Seattle it has been pretty hard to get up for this baseball season.  Throw in the fact that the Washington Huskies basketball team has lost two underclassmen who happen to be the two best players and this week has been tough. The Seahawks debut their new uniforms which most of the fan base simply didn't like. Then you have news from the Washington Huskies football that they don't even have enough lineman to possibly run a spring game. Throw in another five star recruit leaving this state to play in conference and Seattle sports in general just seems pretty bad right now. I'm going to rant on each topic and I'm sure not everyone will agree with my rants. Then again I don't really care if anyone cares for my rants as long as they are heard that is all I truly care about.

Okay first rant which I'm already getting annoyed of. Can we stop with this ridiculous lazy ass analysis that the Huskies will be better off without Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten? I mean come on people! They were our two best players both were named first team all pac-12 and both were up for player of the year. You don't get better losing two NBA players especially when you are an NIT. The Huskies missed the tournament because they still have no low post scoring options which they won't have next year. The Huskies had no leadership which they won't have next year either as Abdul Gaddy and Scott Suggs aren't vocal in your face leaders like Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson, Jon Brockman and Brandon Roy were. The Huskies free throw shooting cost them as well which has been a problem for Lorenzo Romar teams the past five seasons now. Next year the Huskies will have streaky shooters in C.J. Wilcox and hopefully Scott Suggs can emerge as well as Abdul Gaddy. The thing is everything has to fall into place just right for the Huskies to make the big dance and I mean get hot in the only games that count apparently(since the regular season means dick). Will fans stop bashing Wroten already unless they like playing in the CBI then go ahead and bash away please.

You see that guys? That is me standing next to a Washington Huskies national championship trophy. You wouldn't know that the Huskies once won a national title 20 years ago according to the Dawgman, Seattle Times and Softy's page crowd. Expectations are such an all-time low right now for Husky football it's embarassing. Steve Sarkisian is heading into year four and yet I'm still hearing about freaking 0-12!! Shoot guys 0-12 is about as relevant as 12-0 back in 1991.  Facts are Sarkisian is entering year four as is 19-19 as a head coach and more importantly he's 4-12 on the road. Last years collapse shouldn't just be on Nick Holt's shoulders when Sarkisian begged Holt to come to UW and bosted how he hired the top defensive coordinator in the nation. Now with Chris Polk leaving to the NFL you see Scott Eklund posting how you make an excuse for a losing season in 2012. I find that talk to be insulting considering most teams would kill to have  junior quarterback as good as Keith Price. Besides I was told the last three years how Sarkisian is this great recruiter so although the seniors might not be good there should be more than enough talent to produce a winning season. This culture of low expectations around Montlake has really worried me. You add in the fact they created the zone and going to Husky games is turning more and more into that crap feeling I get when I go to Mariners games.

Speaking of the Mariners what is this bullshit about the biggest complaint fans give to Chuck Armstrong is the traffic?!!! Are you kidding me Chuck?!! You don't think fans are more upset with you putting a constant loser out there that has finished last place six of the last eight seasons?!! How some are defending Chuck Armstrong and Howard Lincoln trying to sabotage the potential return of the Sonics and NHL to Seattle is beyond me. First of all this gameday traffic myth is just that. From 2000-2003 the Mariners averaged nearly 40,000 fans a game. Now that number is around 23,000 so adding the NBA/NHL's 17,000 that is the same number as back then. When the Sonics were in town back in 2008 they shared just TWO home dates that was it. If the Mariners had a winning product people would go to their games the fact they expect me to pay to see them lose constantly is a joke. A ticket at a baseball game may be cheap but the concession stands alone will cost you over $50. That money is going towards what again?!! Payroll keeps trimming down, they claim they are doing a youth movement yet I see Ichiro, Chone Figgins, Kevin Millwood, George Sherrill and Miguel Olivo out there. Last I saw those guys aren't young. I wish Clay Bennett had been a baseball fan and not an NBA fan. I'd glady sell the Mariners and let them keep mayor Greg Nickels plus they can have Starbucks for the Sonics. We get Kevin Durant you can keep those other morons.

I understand why baseball has the opening series in Japan. I also thought it was very cool for Ichiro to play in Japan in a Mariners uniform. Having said that I think opening the season in Japan is the dumbest thing baseball can do. Due to the season opening in Japan I along with many other fans were robbed of an opening day experience. Due to living a normal life back then meaning I had to get up in the morning I was unable to watch the games so I missed out. So when the Mariners play the Oakland A's this weekend it won't be the same as they have already played. The whole series was ticky tack anyways with Root sports having Dave Sims and Mike Blowers announce the game from Bellevue instead of actually in Japan was dumb as well. Plus the Mariners played two real games then came back for spring training breaking up the season. The Mariners already travel more than any other team by a large margain and Bud Selig asked them to travel some more. I understand why they did the trip but in the future if the Mariners actually cared about winning which they obviously don't they'll say no to this.

The NFL debut the new Nike uniforms this week with the Seahawks being the only team to truly change their uniforms. Now most fans are already bitching about the uniforms and how ugly they are blah blah blah. The important thing is the uniforms were a smash hit as most current NFL players raved about them on twitter. The Seahawks stole the headlines on the new uniforms as they were the talk of the NFL. Now as you guys know I hate the Oregon Ducks but all those wacky uniform combo's makes them the "it" team of college football and definately of the west coast. Notice even our very own Washington Huskies have different uniform combo's now? There is a reason you don't want to be left behind on the times. Recruits also noticed Oregon's uniforms and with the Seahawks having nine different uniform combinations they'll be luring key free agents. So yes these uniforms may ruffle the feathers of some fans but in reality I'd rather they do that than piss off the players. If the Seahawks land good players then the fans will come. Fans don't go to games to see the uniforms they go to see good play a concept the Mariners still haven't figured out yet.

Well I hoped you guys liked my rant. From here on out I'm going to do a weekly rant every Friday morning to catch you up on what is bugging me concerning Seattle sports. A lot of stuff went down this week for our teams and I'll be there to give my two cents on the situation. I like what the Seahawks are doing in general while I continue to hate what the Mariners are doing. I'm just puzzled with UW sports in a nutshell as they have good teams but accept being average so damn much it pisses me off. If the NBA/NHL doesn't come to Seattle look for a lot of fans including myself to never step foot at Safeco Field again. The Mariners ownership continues to alienate their fan base with crappy play and now this nonsense. Well guys I'm out until next week hope you enjoyed the SSB weekly rants!

Greg Oden faces third microfracture surgery; career could be over

By Kshell

In Portland you have four guarantees in life which is being born, taxes, death and a Greg Oden injury. Sadly for Portland Trail Blazers fans the picture to my right has been seen far too often in Portland. Greg Oden who hasn't played a game since December 5th, 2009 will undergo his fifth surgery and third microfracture surgery of his career. Despite having just turned 24 years old Oden is facing the possibility of retirement. Oden should be entering his fifth season with the Blazers. The Blazers led by Greg Oden and Brandon Roy(Who also retired too young) were supposed to be contending for championships right now. Instead the Blazers are faced with losing two of their main guys they were counting on to win a title in the same season.

When Oden was selected to the Blazers with the top pick in the 2007 NBA Draft he was supposed to be that once in a generation center. He was supposed to be giving the Blazers what Dwight Howard gives the Orlando Magic every night. Oden immediately was injured at Portland missing his entire rookie season. In what should have been his second year in the NBA Oden played in 61 games for the Blazers averaging 8.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.13 blocks per game in only 21.5 minutes. In a six game series playoff loss to the Houston Rockets Oden averaged only 5.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 0.83 blocks per game in only 16 minutes. Oden's first year of playing in the NBA was a total bust. His third year in the NBA and second full season of playing was finally his breakthrough season. During his first 21 games of the season Oden was averaging 11.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.28 blocks per game in just 23.9 minutes. Oden was one of the most valuable players in the NBA during those 21 games then on December 5th, 2009 against the Houston Rockets it all came crashing down on Oden. Oden who was coming off of a 13 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks game against the Miami Heat went down early against the Rockets. He only played in 4 mintues and 15 seconds before going down. Oden would finish his last game with the Blazers like his first game scoring zero points and getting injured. There is a good chance Oden is never going to play again as he missed the final 61 games of the 2009-2010 season, all of 2010-11 season will miss all of 2011-12 season. Good chance he will miss all of next season and the start of the 2013-2014 season. What makes this injury to Oden even worse for the Blazers is the player they passed on Oden for is lighting it up in Kevin Durant.

That year in a fluke the Blazers jumped up to the #1 pick in the draft lottery while the Seattle Supersonics had the #2 pick. That year the choices for the top spot was Center Greg Oden from Ohio State who led the Buckeyes to the National title game averaging 15.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG and 3.3 blocks per game in only 28.9 minutes. The other option was the electric Kevin Durant from Texas university. Durant averaged 25.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.9 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. I thought Durant was the better player and was less of a risk than Oden so I was hoping the Blazers would choose Oden over Durant. Having said that I thought the Blazers were passing on a Lebron James type of talent for Dwight Howard. Meaning I thought both were going to be all-stars. I figured Durant would win MVP's while Oden would win defensive player of the year awards. The Sonics gift of Durant was quickly stolen to Oklahoma City. Durant in his five seasons has been named Rookie of the Year and is going to his third straight all-star game. Durant who led the Oklahoma City Zombie Sonics to the Western Conference Finals last season now has them with the best record in the Western Conference at 26-7. Durant in his career is averaging 26.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.2 Steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He is shooting 46.7% from the field, 35.9% on three pointers making 1.4 a game and 87.7% on free throws. He has led the NBA in scoring the past two years and this year is averaging 27.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks. He is shooting 51.6% from the field, 36.7% from three point range making 1.7 a game and 82.9% on free throws. Blazers management ignored their team doctors opinions on Oden suggesting he would break down after three years.  Durant appears headed towards being an NBA superstar while Oden most likely won't ever play a game again. This isn't the first time this has happened to the Blazers either.

In the 1984 NBA draft the Portland Trail Blazers had the second pick in the draft. They passed on five-time NBA MVP and six-time finals MVP Michael Jordan who is perhaps the greatest player to ever play the game. Instead they chose center Sam Bowie who had missed two whole seasons at Kentucky with injuries. Bowie played only four years with the Blazers having played in just 76 games his rookie year, 38 games his second year, five games his third and 20 his fourth. Bowie averaged in those years 10.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.67 blocks per game his rookie year. After that it was all downhill for Bowie as he played in just 139 out of 328 games(42.3% of teams game played) in his career with the Blazers. The Blazers would lose to Jordan in the 1992 NBA Finals where he was named finals MVP. The Blazers franchise would never live this moment down and when they had a chance to re-write history instead history just repeated itself.

The anger towards Oden is unfair but I understand it. The Blazers have a great fanbase and they feel like this is unfair. Twice now the Blazers have chosen the injury plagued center who had shown signs prior to the draft of being injury prone. Twice now the Blazers have passed up on a prolific scorer and superstar for the center. The Blazers franchise has nobody to blame but themselves for ignoring the warning signs which was right there. Hopefully in the future if the Blazers do get a third chance to re-write history they take the advice of the warning signs and go with the future superstar. Now the Blazers who already lost Roy and most likely won't ever see Oden play in a Blazers uniform again are only left wondering what if? History has repeated itself once again in Portland which has been a sad pill to swallow for such a loyal fanbase. Even more sad is that basketball fans will have lost out on the chance to ever see what Oden could have done in Portland. Once again the Blazers are left with what if?