Today, I’m going to cover a topic that by no means am I an expert on, but it’s peaked my interest over the several months it’s been in the news: The Seattle Supper Sonics imminent move to Oklahoma City.

NBA commissioner David Stern, who said Saturday he expects the Seattle SuperSonics to leave the city, either this year or when their lease expires in 2010.

The details, as far as I understand it is this. The Sonics ownership as well as the NBA have attempted to hold the city hostage in order to get a publicly-financed new arena. After trying to pass taxes in several Seattle area counties, and failing, as well as attempting to get a finance deal through the State Legislature, the Sonics, backed by the NBA have decided to take their ball and play elsewhere.

You know what the great thing is about all of it? Most of Seattle couldn’t care less.

“There’s not going to be a new arena. There’s not going to be a public contribution and that’s everyone’s right. I mean that sincerely,” Stern said.

In the last decade the city has fully or partially financed two new stadiums, for the Mariners of Major League Baseball and the Seahawks of the NFL. To expect citizens, who are already among the highest paying tax-payers in the country, who also happen to live in one of the most expensive per-capita cities in the nation to fork over another few hundred million dollars to a multi-billion dollar industry is absolutely preposterous. And if any city in the country knows that, it’s the people Seattle.

Maybe the Lakers who are the kings of Los Angeles, and in small markets like the Sonics northwest rival in Portland are great NBA towns. But, Seattle (much like Portland if the Trail Blazers weren’t the only game in town), has so much more to do than sit around and watch snobby athletes play shitty basketball for a couple hours, let alone pay for your new arena. Unlike Portland, Seattle is also home to the aforementioned Mariners and Seahwaks, as well as the University of Washington’s athletics teams, not to mention the great outdoors activities us northwesterners love to partake in. We get much more bang for our buck with those other sports franchises.

So, while I’m not a Seattleite, I will be among the first to wish the Sonics a fond farewell. And remember this Sonics (and NBA), you didn’t dump us… we dumped you.

This post is tagged NBA, Sonics, Sports