Storm staying: Good enough for you?
I'll be the first to admit I'm a WNBA fan more than an NBA fan. Call it boring if you want, but I prefer taking my nieces and nephew to see more of an emphasis on fundamentals than the high-flying dunkonomics and poor free throw shooting that you seem to see on the NBA floor every night. So, I was thrilled to hear that Clay Bennett agreed to sell the Seattle Storm to a local ownership group instead of taking them to Oklahoma City with the Sonics (a situation that still faces court battles and approval by the league's owners).
But I know that, for some of you, this may seem like a hollow victory for Seattle. That four months of Storm basketball is a consolation prize to potentially losing the big NBA franchise.
What are your thoughts? Will you be satisfied with just the WNBA team in town or would losing the Sonics regardless turn you off to basketball in Seattle?
Comments from our readers
I am thrilled that Bennett agreed to sell the Storm and that a group of local women will be the new owners. I LOVE that the WNBA is a grass-roots type of organization that is mostly supported by women's money. I would love nothing better than to make the Storm a very successful franchise as an example to other WNBA cities that they don't need to be held hostage to the Big-Money, High-Rollin', All-Powerful NBA.
Posted by: Lisa | January 8, 2008 12:52 PM
Travis and Lisa I couldn't agree with you more! I am a huge Storm fan, but not so much for the Sonics. The reasons are as stated above. I believe in fundamental basketball, and basketball as a team sport. Since the former ABL and current WNBA have been around, I have found myself watching less and less NBA. Don't get me wrong, it is entertaining to watch the amazing things many of the NBA stars do, but that is for Sports Center or the highlight reels. However, even if I do watch the NBA, it is for Portland and not the Sonics. I just felt that in the past, the Sonics were just a "development" team for the rest of the league. Other than their championship team, it seems they develop players and then are not willing to fight and keep them. I do not know the politics or business behind making the deals, but if the other teams can do it, the Sonics should have been able to.
I do feel badly for the players though. I am not anti-player. I just don't like the owner's/management holding a venue hostage, or making a trad that short term makes them money in lieu of looking at potential long term gains. That is what I feel the Sonic portion of the organization did. The Storm on the other hand, althogh it was the same ownership/management, did not appear to be the same way. Maybe they were looked upon as a tag along little sister, so they were not tereated the same way. Look where it has them. A league championship, multiple all-stars and a group of individuals that can truly be called a TEAM!
Thank you to the organization that purchased the Storm, allowing them to stay in the Pacific NW. Thank you Storm players for continuing to play real, fundamental basketball.
Posted by: Darrell | January 8, 2008 1:29 PM
For me, yes. I am very excited. But even though I am not a Sonics fan per se, I hope they get to stay too.
Posted by: Dave | January 8, 2008 2:45 PM
I am very happy for the Storm organization and all of there fans here in the northwest. But as I sit here writing I can't stop thinking about the Sonics and their relation to the Storm. Where did the Storm get there colors? Sonics. Who needed to be the big brother organization that brought them here? The Sonics. Where did the Storm get the idea for the Space Needle in their name? The Sonics. Their entire uniform is basically a rip off of the 95-96 Sonics. I don't mean to belittle the Storm, I just want you all to realize without the Seattle Supersonics, the Seattle Storm would have never come into being. Storm fans owe it to the Sonics to support them and make every effort possible to keep the Sonics in Seattle.
And I also find it hard to swallow that Clay Bennett had been secretly negotiating a deal to keep the Storm here, all the while being stead fast in refusing to even hear any proposals to buy and keep the Sonics and/or keep them here.
It's a shame, and it really saddens me to think that when Gary Payton gets his number retired, in front of O.K. fans who have no idea what sort of a player earned the name "Glove".
Honestly, I just wish there was something we (the people) could do. I wish our legislature wasn't tired of funding stadiums. I wish the Sonics were at .500 to at least garner some support. I wish I'd never even heard of the name Clay Bennett. And I wish that those who support the Storm can also find it in their hearts to love all of professional basketball in Seattle. Now more than ever.
And finally, the thought that haunts me. Seeing the team named after the Northwest's own, Boeing Supersonic jets, be ripped from this city.
The Oklahoma Supersonics?
I don't think so.
I want them to stay so bad it hurts. They will never be able to change their names, or the color of their uniforms in my heart.
Good luck Storm. But no. Just keeping them is not enough in my eyes. Not nearly enough
Posted by: Doug | January 8, 2008 6:46 PM
yup good enough for me. but If the sonics could stay too that would be good.
Posted by: megan | January 8, 2008 8:48 PM
Congrats to the Storm, good bye Sonics! Honestly, if a bunch of overpaid NBA players can't pack the house, they aren't worth their salary. If a city, or state for that matter, can't do the same for their team, then they don't deserve them. At least the Storm can make the playoffs. Congrats to Oklahoma! They need a pro team. To Washington, you got your Storm now go drink a latte and cork the whine!
Posted by: Tom | January 9, 2008 5:02 AM