For those that may have missed it:
Today, Jim Traber backed off his Nick Collison comments somewhat, apologized and then mentioned the “little Thunder chat room,” which was a reference to this place. He called me a “nameless blogger” even though I explicitly tried to make sure he knew I wasn’t anonymous, going as far to toss my email address out there. As reader Dylan hilariously put it, “Your mistake was putting your name and email at the end of your column. He couldn’t read that far without getting winded.”
I called in to the show’s producer, Bobby Thompson, and asked him to tell Jim he was mistaken. I didn’t necessarily want to go on air, because I really didn’t feel like being yelled at. Bobby told Jim, Jim mentioned me and Daily Thunder on air then went on to question if “Royce Young” was my real name. As far as I know, it is. He did apologize for making the mistake though. Traber also said something about the comments that “personally attacked” him, and directly asked me about allowing them on the site.
Since he directly asked me a question on air, I decided I would break my vow to never call in and cash in on my Johnny’s Charcoal Broiler, and also to answer his question and explain some other things. Well, I waited on hold for AN HOUR AND A HALF and finally gave up when Dean “The Stream” Blevins came on. I never got through after holding my cell phone to my ear for 90 minutes. Thanks for the brain cancer, Sports Animal. But anyway, here’s what I would have said:
- First, I would have confirmed that yes, in fact my real name is Royce Young (at least is says so on my birth certificate) and also that I have met Jim in person and shaken his hand. It was in the OU pressbox in 2007 where my seat on press row was literally two down from his. Evidently, I didn’t make much of an impression.
- Second, to address his comments about the commenters: Traber has a website (www.jimtraber.net) and on the site is a message board. And on that message board, there’s even a thread about me, where some people make fun of me a little and even chuckling about what I look like (my wife thinks I’m handsome…). And in the same way Jim is “allowing” personal attacks on me, I guess I am allowing them on him. I serve as a quasi moderator and instigator of discussion. I throw out a topic or some opinions, and then commenters here are free to take that and run with it, as long as their comments fall within the commenting guidelines. So as much as he allows “personal attacks” on his site, I guess I allow them on mine.
- I wanted to ask him this: What if Kevin Durant still made his offseason home in Seattle and made the same comments about it as he has recently about Washington D.C. (where he currently lives)? Would he vow to run Kevin Durant out of town?
- I would have made sure to say that in no way do I think he should be fired or even reprimanded for what he said. While all of it was completely ridiculous, it’s his job to give his opinion and his thoughts on air. He crossed the line of sanity and good judgment, but he never crossed the Imus Line. We’re not always going to agree (obviously), but it’s his job to tell us what he thinks. I listen to him almost every day and this little hiccup isn’t going to stop me.
- And in the same vein, the same way he rips on Jenni Carlson for what she writes and what he calls “terrible writing” on his show, I ripped what he said on my outlet, my website. There’s no difference. If he can go on air and rip on someone else’s thoughts, he should be able to take it back when he tosses out strong, controversial opinions. There’s no difference there. He came with some bold statements and I had thoughts of my own about them. It’s how it works.
In reality, it’s probably better I didn’t get through, because I likely wouldn’t have had the chance to get half of those points across unless I decided to talk to him using a bullhorn. I think this closes the book on Collison Tweetgate 2009, at least for me. I’m done with this and ready to move on and start thinking about actual basketball being played on an actual court.
@Mike
Haha, yeah this is a couple months old. You may want to try that in one of the new posts. It's well said though.
Ok...maybe I posted this in the wrong place...=/
I'm not a typical message board guy. Just came accross this thread and was interested.
I have to say that I was not well educated on how OKC inhabited the team from Seatle. I knew what I read in OKC news, etc. Basically I had just though that Seatle was not supporting them, so the owners were trying a new undiscovered venue. I know now that was not the case. As many others have said, I will not apologize nor make excuses because in reality I had nothing to do with it. I do however sympathize with Sonic fans. I have been a Univerity of Oklahoma fan (specifically football) my entire life. My first outfit as a newborn was an OU outfit. I was doomed! lol. =) I can't imagine how I would feel if OU decided all of a sudden to shut down the football program because someone came in and convinced them that football shouldn't be played. I know the scenario is a little farfetched, but you can get my point. With all of this said, I'd like to ask former Sonic fans to join us in support of the Thunder. I know they are technically 2 different entities, but this was once your team. I have never cared for the NBA, but I now watch every Thunder game and go as often as I can. They have made me a fan. These were once your players. It may be too much to ask, but understand that most of us true fans are just fans because they are in our town/state and we want to be as supportive as we can be. It has absolutely nothing to do with being vendictive towards Seatle. Cheer with us now...it will only be a matter of time before you have another team see that there should be someone there and make the move.
Okay, okay. But, can we still rag on Traber? ; )
Okay, one last submission from me on this thread. This isn't directed at anyone necessarily, but just in general, for those folks that like to keep up with the message board drama.
I completely understand the fascination with the drama. Not the soap opera / reality TV kind of drama, but real drama from real people in real situations such as the sonics move to OKC. I get that.
But, after a full year or more of keeping up with all that drama, can you imagine what all that negative energy is doing to you?
I'm serious. For the sake of our collective blood pressure, stress level and good moods, lets leave the drivel drama alone. There's nothing wrong with knowing the facts of the story, but we don't need to know every time someone signs in to one of a 100 blogs as T McVeigh and wishes ecoli on all Oklahoma residents. Responding to it just feeds the beast.
@Steve H
Thanks. At first I didn't have an issue with EJ, except for rolling my eyes at his condescension towards our fan base. Then, on the same day as seeing him here, you can read his posts on SonicsCentral, repeating the same old crap about OKC and the local media, how everyone who doesn't agree with them is moronic. I didn't want that to go unnoticed and wanted to point it out.
Like others, I've been a long time reader of this blog (and thanks for creating it Royce), since before the merger, Hornets blog, etc. Also, a long time reader of the Sonics boards, and that's prob what messed me up on those people. I've not posted here before and nor on our other boards (except for a couple on Darnell's the other day)(never on any Seattle blogs) but feel like I know most everyone here. And I am very familiar with the events of the relocation, both pro and con, from the PBC perspective.
Seattle is a marvelous city - have been there numerous times. But I have to say, though-reading all those over-the-top negative comments directed toward us, from day 1 (not just the blogs, but the Times and P-I too), has really tainted my opinion of the city and it's people. And having one of the regular posters from SOS come here (on the same day he's ripping us on that site), trying and make nice while at the same time spoute the tired song of how evil PBC and OKC are, on a Thunder site, is weak.
Royce you usually just delete the seattle comments. I think that works better.
@Byron James Hardison
I really appreciate that. Thanks for the kind words.
@Chris
Dibs on the Jim with a Collison jersey on top of an Obama shirt.
Props,to Royce for making a positive impact in Oklahoma sports reporting and not further hindering our reputation as one of the worst states for journalism in the country(and rightfully so). Being a lifetime Okie I learned, through the relentless banging of my head against a wall after reading/listening to_______ a report by, Insert local idiot talking head Traber/Carlson, that if I want to learn anything about Oklahoma sports I needed to look outside of the Daily Disappointment/WWLS( can we just start calling it the evil empire?) [ed.-the oklahoma sports journalism community kinda like a communist state, the Disappointment/WWLS is your only choices and they control what you hear/read/see]. Royce I think that you have made broad strokes in raising the bar for Oklahoma sports reporting. It is refreshing to read your site and think man that is actually good reporting coming from a local journalist!
Thumbs down Daily Disappointment/WWLS for years of crapping on oklahoma sports fans for years
Big thumbs up Daily Thunder
PS I think Traber's main problem stems from the fact that he hasn't seen his steroid induced small package since he showered after his last curtain call up in the big leagues... C'mon Traber Napoleon Dynamite's unlce probably had a more fruitful sporting career than you.
@Chris
Haha, that's not such a bad idea. I'm sure Patrick and Clark would love it.
This has been remarkably civil... I am pretty impressed. Lost my faith in humanity when I got on the comments section of another blog a few years back and someone had timothy mcveigh as their handle. I get pretty emotionally involved in sports but i cant even imagine hating a sports team/city so much that I would invoke the name of a terrorist who killed 168 innocent people.
Sorry that was a bit of a tangent, just had to vent a bit.
I think this site and TLO should get together and have a contest, whoever brings in the best life sized Cardboard Jim to a specific Thunder game wins a pair of tickets. Think of the exposure it would get the two sites.
@Josh “Bear” Jarboe
Oh go eat some Cici's.
This place is confusing. Throw me the ball at Troy this year. Look out Florida. We're coming.
Well crap. An honest to god Seattle troll in our midst, and I didn't get to join in the fun.
@Terry
I entirely agree with your "thanks, but no thanks" to EJ's flattering observation that we are not as moronic as he imagined OKC fans would be. People by and large (with the exception of Albanians) are roughly cut from the same stuff wherever you go. Some are stupid. Some brilliant. Some kind. Some cruel. Most exist somewhere on the spectrum between the extremes of whatever characteristic it is you are discussing. Expecting a large swath of any one demographic to be dumb, or lazy, or any other negative attribute is the stuff that Klan rallies are built on. (see how I just did that- now the condescending troll is a racist. How slick was that?)
And for the record: While I sincerely admire Royce's "take the high road""zen-like""Ghandi-esque" approach to trolls and LOTIs, I was actually one of those evil OKC trolls who would visit "Save Our Sonics" to stick pins in posters railing against the wasteland that is OKC and comparing Clay Bennet unfavorably to Hitler and Satan. It is truly unfortunate that the rank and file Sonics fans lost their team, and I really do have some sympathy for their loss. Those bereaved fans that translated their hurt into childish attacks on the city I grew up in, or exagerated events into an operatic battle between villains and heros however, deserved to be mocked and verbally abused. Long story not so short-Sorry I missed you EJ- look forward to visiting with you next time around.
@Traber Fan
julie traber, everybody!
The only thing I'll say about EJ's statement is that he and so many others are wrong to think we only followed the issues surrounding the move by reading the Oklahoman. I would guess that, like me, most of us began reading the Seattle Times and the P.I. sometime in 2007, around the time they were talking about building an arena on Muckleshoot land, Renton, etc. Of course, we hear $500 million and think that's about what it would cost to build the American Airlines Center in Dallas these days. I appreciate that we have different perspectives, but to say we were ignorant is simply wrong.
Guys, I think he really means it. He used four exclamation points.
@Traber Fan
And we bow to our lord.
Also, your = possession. You're = ... ah forget it.
All I have to say is your all a bunch of idiots!!!!
I've enjoyed the brief exchange guys. Well, the stuff besides Terry. But I got head out for a few days. I'll definitely return. I don't mean take away from your enjoyment of your basketball team. But it's the offseason and there isn't much going on. Plus this upcoming film is going to be interesting. I just hope Traber doesn't have a coronary after seeing Nick Collison in it. ;)
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
It's true, sometimes even blog commenters use Trabers' style.
@okcnba
Yeah dude, I notice at least. That's why I said what I did in comment #26. He just reiterates and rehashes the same mute points over and over, resorting to yelling if he has to. Whoever yells the loudest wins, or if that doesn't do it, then whoever talks last wins. Which is convenient since Traber has the that mute button right in front of him.
@EJ
That's why I mentioned the Huskies and Cougers. Mariner, Sonic and Seahawk fans have no rivalry with each other, no reason to engage in a troll war with each other. It would be more similar if there were no Mariners or Seahawks around, but only Trailblazer fans living in your city.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Jax, I think you really might be onto something with the comments about OU and OSU fans and it being the case that most only know a bitter rivalry and inflamatory approach to sports. Good point man. Living in a town with more pro teams than college, I never thought of that. And yes, there will always be trolls. But considering the evironment you talk about, it does explain a bit. Thanks.
Ever notice how Traber tends to prove himself right by talking at length... I mean really never shutting up, and really never saying anything of substance. Than declaring himself the winner... just a thought.
"So, in your third post here, you’re already insulting us and calling me an idiot, not comprehending what was said….kind of speaks volumns. Yeah, we all get what you say the point of your post was, but it was pretty much buried in all of your tired yarn."
I was calling you an idiot for being said idiot. That doesn't speak volumes to anything other than you and what kind of poster you are.
"If you actually read what I wrote, I said your thinking that one person speaks for an fan base is silly. The fact you come here, saying ‘wow, who knew there where decent fans in Oklahoma City?’ because you made an immature leap in thought that everyone is the same, and now realize that isn’t the case, in itself details your immaturtiy."
And I guess you didn't notice where I said, "I always knew there had to be decent fans in OKC, I had just never encountered them, thanks for giving me such an experience finally." OF course I know not all people are the same. Do you honestly think that? People can make generalizations and still be aware of this incredible fact of life. To nitpick on words and ignore the message SPEAKS VOLUMES on you as a poster and your agenda. Get over it bro. I've read your crap on multiple boards. Go do something productive and stop trying to start arguments all over the internet. I will not reply to speak on this nonsense any further. As I've explained myself more than enough for you. And the decent posters and readers of this site don't deserve to suffer through us bickering about you being thick. Thanks dude. It was real. ;) Sorry to the rest of the blog.
"I’d like to hear your take on the sonicsgate film when it comes out."
Sure thing. And I'm more than interested in hearing your guys take on it. I have a higher respect for most on this blog than I do the average OKC internet poster. Sorry I can't exempt all of you guys, but there's other boards I've been to where the ignorance to the suject is just baffling. The fact that a town the size of OKC can have the Daily Oklahoman as it's only newspaper doesn't help, I know. I've already read plenty of comments about how this film is going to be 100% biased and nothing more than bitter Sonics fans taking shots. And OKC people saying to everyone who will listen that the film shouldn't be viewed as any reasonable telling of the story. Well guess again. People in Seattle are nearly as angry with Howard Schultz and the idiot Mayor who sold the city out, as they are with Clay, Aubrey, and Stern. They won't be getting any free passes. All you guys need to know about who the villians in the story were is that Clay Bennett and all the OKC owners, David Stern, Howard Schultz, and the fat idiot mayor of Seattle all declined to be interviewed to give their sides of the story. You can make up whatever excuse you want as to why. But generally when you look extremely bad in something, you don't want any further unnecessary attention, and don't allow people to call you out on it. But again, I'm VERY interested to see what you guys think after watching it all. I've been saying it the entire time this fight raged on. That the biggest problem between Seattle and OKC fans was the OKC fans lack of understanding of what exactly went down over here, and the misinformation that Clay Bennett was constantly giving them. I hope you guys realize that while yes, Clay and his group did represent OKC during the whole affair. I mean, he was doing every dishonest thing possible in the name of bettering OKC. That he didn't represent the people of OKC. So there is no need for you guys to get offended when your ownership group is made to look EXTREMELY bad. I mean, all-time sports crooks. I really hope that there are a few OKC fans or citizens who are willing to watch this thing with an open mind. And who understand that they can see the other side of the coin that they NEVER once got to see. And just because they love their new team and dont regret having it, can admit that it was wrong what went down. Because there is absolutely no way anyone outside of OKC, if fully aware of all the events and how they went down, would ever in a million years defend Bennett and his group. It would be cool to see some OKC people say, "wow, i never knew it was like that over there. or that those events went down like that." Even though it wouldn't help me with the whole having my team ripped away thing. It would be something. Because it has been the utmost insult to not only have my team dishonestly stolen from my city. But in the process be slapped in the face, laughed at, and told it was my fault for being mugged. All while watching the crook who robbed me laughing it up and living the good life. We're not getting YOUR team back(The Thunder aren't ours. Never have been. The Sonics and Thunder are two entirely differently entities). So this isn't about that. We just want people to understand the full picture. Not just people in OKC, mind you. People across the country. Because as you probably know, we live way out almost in Canada. And most of the country doesn't pay word one of attention to us. And they were even more clueless than you guys were. All they ever heard was Stern trying to shake us down for a new arena for him and figured, "must be their own damn fault." This is really for them. For people to go, "Damn, the OKC owners were emailing each other about moving the team going, "When are we gettnig to OKC?" months after buying it? And one of the owners straight up told a reporter that they never intended to stay in Seattle, all while still inside the good faith part of their agreement?" There is so much that people outside of Seattle don't know. That's all we want. We just want recognition for what was done to us. David Stern is probably the biggest crook in all of this really. He needs to be held accountable for running his league like the mafia and trying to use Seattle as a scare tactic for any other city who won't cave to his owners' demands for hundreds of millions of dollars. Please guys. When watching this video, don't take any of it personally. Because it's not an attack on the fine people of OKC. It's an attack on the true villians. And you guys have no reason to take that personally. Just as you shouldn't take shots on Jim Traber personally.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Yep, that says it all right there. Dang well put Jax.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Good point!
@EJ
This is my take on the whole troll issue.
Around here, the main sports venues are OU and OSU. The not-so-friendly rivalry between them was the perfect feeding ground for "that guy" sports fans to bash the other guy and his team. This has been going on for years, and all that practice has made it's partakers pretty good at being unreasonable and purposefully inflammatory. It's like a little sport all on it's own.
Surely it's similar with the Huskies and the Cougers.
What Seattle fans got exposed to were these fans who found a new venue to rant and flame, finding themselves bored with 40 years of fighting each other. Texas fans get the same treatment.
Of course, when I read through the comments on Seattle's newspaper (not long ago there was an article some guy wrote that claimed OKC wasn't as bad as he thought, which generated a billion comments of disagreement), and the comments on cursethethunder.com, I'm lead to believe that Seattle has just as many trolls as we do. Every fan base does. If I started apologizing for ours, and you started apologizing for yours, we'd never finish. Ever.
I'm not one that's going to feed the fire though. I've never said a bad thing about Seattle or it's Sonic's fans. There was a bunch of crap that happened, outside my control, and yours. I get the benefit of all that crap that happened, you don't, and I realize that. I'm not one to rub it in your face. I'm one that feels sympathetic.
@EJ
So, in your third post here, you're already insulting us and calling me an idiot, not comprehending what was said....kind of speaks volumns. Yeah, we all get what you say the point of your post was, but it was pretty much buried in all of your tired yarn.
If you actually read what I wrote, I said your thinking that one person speaks for an fan base is silly. The fact you come here, saying 'wow, who knew there where decent fans in Oklahoma City?' because you made an immature leap in thought that everyone is the same, and now realize that isn't the case, in itself details your immaturtiy.
As for me not knowing what I'm talking about, you again make a false assumption that we here didn't follow the relocation story as closely as those in Seattle. It's called a different perspective and a desire to have both sides of the story told. I've got copies of the lease trial transpcript, and almost all the acerbic Seattle newspaper articles from the day PBC purchased the team. I know exactly what happened. As for Darnell's reply to my post to him, if you have any abiltiy to comprehend what one is saying, you'll see the topic was punctuation and where in jest - you guys sure like to spin facts.
Any spinning to your posts on SonicsCentral?
Good call Royce.
We're treading on a thin line here, so it's best to probably move on. Both sides see the issue differently and that's probably just the way it will be.
And as far as the troll issue. Hear me out for a moment. I realize I'm incredibly biased on the subject. But the two (seattle trolls and okc trolls) were not the same AT ALL. Seattle fans were in a fight to save their team. Seattle fans HAD a 41 year old team that was THEIRS. We weren't concerned with OKC fans or sites for anything other than DEFENDING ourselves against Clay Bennett's lies that he was constantly feeding you guys as well as the rest of the nation. We were on the defensive because Clay Bennett's wifes' newspaper, The Daily Oklahoman, was constantly flat out LYING in it's stories and news. WE HAD NO CHOICE. Just like Jim Traber ranting the other day about how Seattle sucked so bad with it's 4,000 fans a game (was actually 13,000), MANY out of OKC totally ATE up Bennett and his newspapers lies and misinformation. I really don't blame it on many of the people in OKC. Because from what I've learned, it's a bit of an isolated region of the country. Present company excluded. Now, did that cause some Seattle fans to get personal and insult OKC? Sure. That's going to happen. But Clay Bennett and his group, along with Mick Cornett and other city embassadors brought it on and were repsonsible for it. On the other hand, you had OKC trolls who BEFORE THEY EVER GOT THE TEAM, were on Seattle fan sights like Save Our Sonics, Sonics Central, and the Seattle Times, doing nothing but talking crap about us, continuing to spread their ignorance and lies, telling us constantly that we didn't deserve our team, and openingly to our faces root that we lose our 41 year old team? Was that necessary in any way? No. That was pure trolling at it's worst. I'm not going to say that Seattle people have never trolled or said mean things about OKC, cuz that wouldn't be true. But when you take your head out of your ass for a brief moment, and truly consider what was at stake at the time, IT WASN'T AN EVEN PLAYING GROUND. It wasn't a dollar bill on the ground that two people tried to grab at the same time. It was one city that had something that was theirs for 41 years and one group of fans who were scared and desperately trying to do whatever they could to help save their team. And another city that had zero stakes in the ordeal other than, "Oooh! It sure would be cool to get a shiny new car!" Not even the same. Won't ever be.
@EJ
Glad to have you stop by. Anytime we have a guest that isn't "that guy" (trolls, blowhards, idiots, etc...) we're glad to have you.
Of course, around here the topics don't often venture to the Seattle/OKC "war", but from time to time it comes up, and I think if you read back through all the articles and the comments, that this group of regular contributors are aware of the issues you mentioned. Even if you happen to peruse last week's Sonicsgate article, I think you'll get a good idea of where we're at as a group.
Traber has an inferiority complex. Not sure why exactly, but he does (could be his poor baseball career?). You can tell when guys have an inferiority complex because they yell, interrupt, reiterate and rehash mute points and unrelated personal history as a substitute for being right or rational.
Anyway, if you bother coming back to read up on these comments, then feel free to stop by from time to time. I'd like to hear your take on the sonicsgate film when it comes out.
I'm not likely to reply to what? Terry being an idiot and totally missing my point? The fact that my ENTIRE message was about how Traber made OKC people look bad, but this blog proved otherwise. Yesterday while doing some research on this Collison issue, I stumbled upon Darnell Mayberry's blog and saw Terry doing the exact same thing. Looking like an idiot when conversing with Seattle fans about things he does not have a clue about. Not to mention Mayberry himself telling Terry to slow down and give it a rest. Sure, have at it. What do you want me to say?
@okcnba
This is true. Those were the dark times.
@EJ
Sounds like you're not going to reply anyway. But just so you know, this blog, before it became an ESPN affiliate, was a HAVEN for seattle trolls to come and bash OKC. It's a two way street.
@EJ
And yes, as Royce said (since it's his site) you're welcome here. Though, understand that because of the negative threads you toss out about us on SonicsCentral/SaveOurSonics, your motivation for being here may be suspect to some.
@EJ
You implying that Trabor represents all of Oklahoma City and her sports fans is silly. He is no more the voice of the average person or fan here, than you are for the Seattle fan base. He is an individual and represents only himself. Yeah, he's a 4-star bafoon, but wise up, man, and understand he is on an island, and while he's a part of the local fabric, most people know you don't judge an entire city or region by a lone gas bag.
@Royce
So...you won't be doing any game reports or locker room coverage for the Animal this upcoming season? :)
To me, the sheer fact that this has even become an issue reveals the over-sensitivity of either A) One individual who has a small but rabid group of supporters, or B) An entire state's general population to the point that it sniffs of an unfortunate and needless inferiority complex.
I think Nick is witty and spot-on, always have, and honestly, I think it would be even worse for Nick to say, "Man, nothing compares to the landscape of Oklahoma, not even the Emerald City." I mean, come on, I live here and that would just be a slap in the face to common sense. I'm pretty sure that we can all agree that the weather and landscape are not what makes Oklahoma a great place to live, right?
So basically, it's all been a little much ado about nothing for me...but I suppose this day was inevitable. It usually is when accuracy and research fly in the face of inaccurate reporting and opinions based on sensationalism instead of fact.
@EJ
RE: you're apologies to us for ranting.
On the contrary, you'll find that this site is pretty open to those kinds of things. As Royce already mentioned, most of us at least try to understand how hard that must have been, and there are a few Sonics fans that frequent this site. I'd encourage you to stick around and talk with us. I think it could really help both sides a lot.
@Chas
It is an actual list. If you go to Trabers wiki page it is listed on there. He is a starter on the team. LOL
@Patrick
I was actually locked and loaded to drop a Yardbird reference in there. It was going to be amazing.
Royce. If you call, please mention Yardbird. And tell him that you like Cardboard Jim much much better.
Traber Shmaber :P
@EJ
Thanks so much for stopping by EJ and I appreciate the kind words. I wish I could say I feel your pain, but honestly I don't. I have no idea what it would feel like to have the team you loved for so long ripped away from you. I say it every time it's brought up: I really hate the circumstances under which we got our team. I won't apologize for having them, but I'm not psyched about the way it happened. While we are thrilled here to have our team, a city many miles away is equally bummed. It's just kind of a sucky situation.
And your assumption about the reaction to Nick is exactly why I felt I had to take on this whole thing. Traber's asinine opinion is making us look bad and I wanted to be clear that the majority of us fans don't agree with what he's saying. He's way off base and as a result, he's embarrassing me. That was my whole reason for even talking about it.
Anyway, thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comments.
Oh. Btw, I forgot to mention in the beginning of my post that I'm from Seattle. :P
Wow. Well said Royce and commenters who echo his sentiments. Wasn't expecting to find what I found on this site. Especially considering 90% of the people from OKC that I've come across during our two cities' time joined at the hip in this whole unfortunate ordeal. Most of which are a whole lot more like that nimrod Traber. Score one for sane sports fans in OKC. Because he REALLY made you guys look bad. I mean, REAL bad.
I know that it's not fair that a bafoon as dumb as Traber is allowed to represent an entire city with his stupidity. But that's the world we live in. And all he did was made OKC look exactly what everybody has always said. A small town with a HUGE inferiority complex. I mean, we all know that it's how Clay sold the city in bringing the NBA to town. In that an NBA team would legitimize OKC and bring it to "major league" status. So yeah, freaking out over one of your athletes liking the city where he lives and twittering about it comes off extremely bush league. And Nick talking about how he had other OKC fans sending him twitter hate mail was just as bad. That interview made you guys look just lame as could be.
I gotta admit, I came here upon hearing the Collison interview (Yes, it has reached all the way out to us in Seattle.) and wanted to find a bunch of raving OKC hilljacks (I kid) going off about what a traitor Collison is for saying, "The weather is nice in Seattle" on his personal twitter account. But I am more than impressed at the class and intelligence shown. Again, well said. Reading your posts makes me hate OKC fans a tad bit less. (Sorry. But we got history guys. lol.)
Also, the lifelong Supes fan in me, when I heard that Traber moron go off on Seattle, was infuriated. Over and over claiming that we had 4,000 fans at games.
I won't bother going into the details about how we actually averaged 13,000 during the WORST season record-wise in the team's 40+ year history, all while everyone knew that your buddy Clay Bennett was beyond exit strategy mode, and after he had already sabotaged the team to assure said worst season EVER. (Yeah, clearly trading Ray Allen and dumping Rashard Lewis was for the best.)
I won't bother because all you guys in OKC know that, right? ;) I also won't bring up how Clay had the Sonics games taken off the popular local sports radio station that they had been on for years, and placed them on an obscure conservative talk radio station (In one of the most liberal cities in the US, mind you) that most here didn't know existed.
And us not building Clay a HALF BILLION $ arena in the suburbs, 30 min outside of town (with zero traffic), while we had an area in the city that was renovated 12 years prior and not even paid off. Yeah Traber and those who cling to that excuse out of guilt and denial. Yeah! How dare we not meet those demands from some out-of-towner!
Sorry, but after what we've had taken away from us, and the flat out dastardly way Clay Bennett and OKC (not the people of OKC, mind you) and his cronies did it. Not that idiot Traber, nor any OKC fan has the right to say the things he said.
Sorry for the rehashing of history. But after that interview, I needed an outlet. It was obvious Nick wanted to rebut Traber's lies on multiple occasions. But he knew his situation and who is paying him. And I don't blame him. Also, writing all this served as a bit of therapy for me. It's been a while since I've commented on the issue. I was a big part of the fight to save the team, and put forth a ton of energy in the process. And since Clay succeeded in paying off our dirty, good for nothing gasbag of a mayor, I have been in radio silence. I have not even watched a single NBA game. So sorry if this all was a bit pent out and came flying out.
You can rest assured this is all I will say on the matter. It's all in the past (as much as it will ever be), and most of us are trying to deal with it and leave it in the past. But fools like Traber make you town look REALLY bad. And is not helping us get over things, nor you guys simply enjoy the current team you have (regardless how you got it. ;)
Anyway, I'm sure I'll just get a bunch of hate for my comments. (And have at it, folks. I really don't care for the whole okc-seattle war.) But I just wanted to say way to go in breaking the stereotype of how we in Seattle view you guys. (I won't go into our history of having our sites constantly trolled by OKC people during our fight to save our team, because I'd be here all night.) Thanks to your comments, I now am not attributing that bafoon Traber's idiotic ramblings to all of OKC any more. I've always figured it had to be true that there were decent fans in OKC. But now I have proof. Good on that.
Enjoy the upcoming basketball season. I Look forward to kicking your asses when we get a team back (in 2030 or whenever that may be).
@LordGerald
This is brilliance. Well done.