A plea for a full court press

On June 16, lawyers representing the City of Seattle and the SuperSonics Oklahoma City-based ownership group will march into federal court and proceed to beat each other senseless.

By the end of this self mutilation exercise, the Okies hope to be free from a crummy KeyArena lease so they can pack up their trucks and move the team to the Dust Bowl in OKC. The City of Seattle hopes to hold the Sonics to the remaining two years of the lease, forcing the ownership to sell before it financially hemorrhages to death.

The court case will highlight how the local and state governments refused to find a solution for an aging Seattle Center and KeyArena. It’ll show how the state’s governor said she’d try everything she could when doing nothing was the agenda all along. And it will illustrate how narrow-minded city council members struggled to find a good reason to keep the Sonics in town.

On the other side, the city’s lawyers will thunder away at Clay Bennett and the disingenuous and often times bumbling ownership group. The city will tell us that NBA Commissioner David Stern has been and will do anything to help his BFF Bennett move the team. The OKC carpetbaggers have stroked the commish’s ego so much the past 12 months, the shine can be seen from space. Plus, they’ll have to get ready for Round 2 with former owner Howard Shultz who is suing the current owners to get the Sonics back.

There’s always the potential for a settlement and there is plenty of time between now and June 16 to work one out. But I want to see this baby played out in court. How could you not? Neither side should want any more press about this, which is all the more reason to root for a public flogging.

Let’s get it on record just how long Stern and Bennett have been conspiring to move the team. Let’s open up the NBA’s books. Let’s find out just how misguided our local government has been on the issue. Let’s have a Perry Mason moment. Or at the very least a Matlock minute.

Whatever the outcome is, it probably won’t leave Sonics fans satisfied. While certainly possible, keeping the current franchise at home is a long shot. Being awarded an expansion team or luring a failing team from another market seems like the most logical solution. The fans’ acceptance of an expansion franchise or a relocated team will be tepid at best (see, Charlotte Hornets; Bobcats).

Of course none of this will be easy on the fans. They’re the group that’s going to take the worst beating of all.