Remember when Clay Bennett and all those rich men from Oklahoma City bought the Seattle SuperSonics? And everyone involved said no, no, no, good people of Seattle, you don't understand, these people aren't trying to take your team! Don't be silly!

Bennett made meaningful noises about being committed to Seattle. Here I'll quote him from a freakishly prescient 2006 Ted Miller column in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

• "The No. 1 objective, our primary and sincere efforts, will be driven towards being successful here."
• "It is not our intention to move or relocate the team. ... I personally would be surprised if it were not successful. ... We fully intend to fulfill our obligation to KeyArena. ... (His pursuit of a team in Oklahoma City) is unrelated to this transaction."
  

You know how some people have no optimism? They are bitter, untrusting, and closed-minded? Stuff like this is what makes them so.

Because as I believe was first pointed out on SonicsCentral, Clay Bennett's friend and Sonic co-owner, Aubrey McClendon has been talking. Here he is from a Jerry Shottenkirk article in Oklahoma's Journal Record:

"We started to look around, and at that time the Sonics were going through some ownership challenges in Seattle," McClendon said. "So Clay, very artfully and skillfully, put himself in the middle of those discussions and to the great amazement and surprise to everyone in Seattle, some rednecks from Oklahoma, which we've been called, made off with the team. At any rate I'm pleased to be part of the ownership group and Clay has done a terrific job of managing the process."

McClendon said the team would probably make more money if it stayed in Seattle.

"But we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here," he said. "We know it's a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it's great for the community and if we could break even we'd be thrilled."

Let's repeat: "We didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle." 

Wow! (Memo, once again, to the people of Oklahoma: There is no longer any such thing as local media.)

The people from SonicsCentral are steamed at the former owners, led by Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz -- locals who made a lot of money on the deal, while selling the team out from under the fan's noses.

As much as I get that, I'm not sure what that does for Sonic fans. What can Schultz do for you now? Offer his limp and late support for a grassroots effort?

Wouldn't you rather use this apparent smoking gun (brace yourself for some spin and backtracking) to get other NBA owners and the commissioner on your side?

What I think this does is give all kinds of leverage to anyone in Seattle trying to appeal to the powers that be -- like the judge who will inevitably be deciding whether or not the Sonics and Storm can get out of their lease at Key Arena, which runs into 2010, and the NBA's commissioner and relocation committee.

To all of those people the fans of the Sonics can now say: We have not had a good faith effort to keep the team in Seattle. 

To politicians in Seattle trying to get a deal done for a new stadium, they can now, I would imagine, be a little less scared of that much bally-hooed October 2007 deadline. If the ownership hasn't really been negotiating all this time, whose fault is it if a deal isn't done?

And doesn't the NBA have an obligation to the other 29 owners, and the health of the league, to encourage the team to play where it will be most profitable? Here's one example of why: remember that through the luxury tax, the NBA has a version revenue sharing. Teams that spend a lot of money write large checks every year to teams that spend less. If you're an owner, or indeed the league, wouldn't you rather have the Sonics where they will make the most money, and perhaps send you some?

I read that whole Aubrey McClendon article. He sounds like a nice guy. As far as I'm concerned he could be a fine NBA owner. Quite frankly, I applaud his candor. I'm always a fan of people who tell the truth.

I just don't think he should get this one, at this time, in Oklahoma City. Not this way.  Because if Clay Bennett, Aubrey McClendon and company end up with the Sonics in Oklahoma City, it sends a devestating message to sports fans. It says that the team you love could be ripped away from you and the people selling the team, the people buying the team, and the league will all pretend to you that it is not even happening. They cheer alongside you, even as they usurp your ability to recognize the issue at hand and fight for your team.

These kinds of hush-hush decisions by the priveleged few ignore the reality of the sports industry: that without passionate fans, there is no industry at all. Mess with that passion at your peril.