The Oklahoma City Vote

By Sam Rubenstein

As if the playoff previews and Ebanks diary wasn’t enough… today is D-Day for the Sonics in Seattle. The owners will vote, and we will know for sure if the move to Oklahoma is happening. Speak now owners, or forever hold your peace.

One final plea I received in an email last week to give you the Sonic perspective:

I’ll start with this: I’m a Sonics fan. I realize, that on any given night, if whatever team you hold near and dear is going head to head with my Supes, we probably wouldn’t be buying each other beers. Today, however, I’m hoping that you’ll be able to see beyond the court to the bigger picture.

As an NBA fan, I would imagine you’ve been following to some extent, what’s happening up here in Seattle. We are in the midst of having our hearts ripped out by a deceitful ownership group trying to steal our team. A local ownership group has stepped up to the plate in an effort to save the team, and the community has rallied behind them. Despite the local momentum, much of how this all plays out will hinge on how the NBA Board of Governors will vote regarding the relocation bid. The vote is scheduled to take place TOMORROW (April 17). Here’s where you come in.

Get your readers to let their team’s owners know that they do not support the relocation of the Sonics to Oklahoma City. Have them send the owners emails. Write them letters. Call them at home! Perhaps you even suggest that they threaten to boycott any game next season in which the Oklahoma City Sonics play, whether it be in an arena or on tv. As the administrator of an NBA fan blog, you have a powerful voice. Please use it! You can do what we never could – we need you!

A warm-hearted Miami Heat fan who has gotten involved in the protest gave us the idea to reach out to other team’s fan bases and had this to say on our Sonicscentral.com blog: “Spread this idea around as much as you can. It’s going to take the other teams to prevent this from happening. Let’s save the Sonics!”

I implore you- if you feel like what is happening is wrong – if you aren’t buying Clay Bennett and David Stern’s lies and cover ups – if you don’t want to see a precedent set where the NBA can rip 40+ years of tradition away from any community that doesn’t bow it’s knee in submission – then take action. The Board of Governor’s meeting is this Friday…as in tomorrow. We love our team as much as you love yours. If we don’t stop this travesty from occurring, it could happen to any team or market. Please do your part and help us. It’s the 11th hour, but it’s not too late!

And now we wait for the voters to decide the fate of the Seattle Sonics and basketball fans.