Jeff: Goodbye Says It All

Tis a sad, sad day. I had heard all the rattling about how the Sonics could or might move but never thought it would happen, but now it looks like a virtual certainty that 2006 will be their last year in Seattle. And that sucks. I realized after hearing the news yesterday how much I loved them. Shawn Kemp was my favorite player growing up, as was Payton until owner Howard Schultz made the stupid move of trading him. I love Nate McMillan, Detlef, Sam Perkins, Ricky Pierce, Eddie Johnson and on and on and on. That was my team. Seattle had Sonics fever, and with MJ hitting his twilight, it seemed certain the Sonics were set for a run at the Title well into the new century. My move down to Minnesota cooled it a bit as their moron GM (who's still employed there, by the way) refused to talk about an for Kemp (who at the time, in '96, was the best power forward in basketball and a top 10 guy) but then signed Big White Stiff Jim McLvaine to a contract larger than Kemps. That was really the snow flake that started the avalanche that became the Sonics leaving town.

As I was moving south to Minnesota, the fortunes of the team went south too. They wouldn't give GP an extension that could have kept him in Seattle for the rest of his career, and so he was dealt too. By the turn of the century, the team I knew and grew up loving was gone. I had also found a new love in Kevin Garnett, and being in Minnesota and around passionate Wolves fans (none more so than my buddy Jer) my love for the Sonics waned. I still followed them as much as I could (as much as I wanted the NBA League Pass the budget simply wouldn't allow it), but never with the same passion. However, after this past season, I officially decided to stop following or caring about the Timberwolves until they fire GM Kevin McHale (which I'm pretty sure will never happen). It was too much anguish and anger to follow a team who had no leadership and no clue coming from the front office, and knowing that because the owner has the world's biggest Mancruch on McHale, it's never going to change.

So I was ready to give myself back to the Sonics. Back to Seattle. Back to my roots. I was hoping they'd land Adam Morrison or Brandon Roy in the draft (instead of their 3rd Stiff center in a row), but none the less I was excited to be back where I should have been all along- with the green and gold (and for a couple of years there the green, red and gold).

Then the news broke yesterday. I immediately dialed up 950 KJR on the internet and listened to Gros' reaction and the press conference and Gros with Gas. It ended up being about 3 hours of coverage and talk about the Sonics and how upset everyone out there was. And I felt the same. All my my memories came flooding back. The good, like the '96 Finals run, or any GP-to-the-Reignman alley-oop. And also the bad, like Dikemebe F%^&ing Mutumbo laying on OUR FLOOR clutching the basketball like a baby after they're comeback (I've hated him since that day. Also for the finger-wagging. I hate the finger-wagging) or game 7 of the Conference Finals against the Suns when David Stern was still determining the outcome of games. But I realized then how much I loved the Sonics, and how much I cared. And that I probably cared too much.

Now it looks as though we'll get one last year of Seattle Supersonics basketball. Blame Howard Schultz, blame the politicians in King County, blame Wally Walker for the McIllvane signing that started all of this. THey all deserve an equal share. But I also want to thanks. Thanks to Kevin Colabro, who to me was the Voice of the Sonics growing up (and STILL the best play-by-play guy around). Thanks to Kemp, Payton, Detlef, Nate, Big Smooth, Michael Cage, Ricky Pierce, Dana Barros, Xavier McDaniel, Tom Chambers, George Karl and everyone else that I loved as a Sonics fan. And most importantly thanks to all the Sonics fans who made being one with them such an enjoyable experience. The city of Seattle (despite what Rick Reilly said a few months back) has some of the best, most loyal fans in the country, and they don't deserve this. Hopefully Seattle will get a chance to be a basketball city again soon. Until then, thanks for the memories.