Morning Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder … air ball

Bwaaah, ha, ha, ha! Oklahoma City Thunder? Come on, this is just cat nip for sports bloggers, right?

According to a report from The Oklahoman, KOCO-TV says the city’s new NBA team is going to call itself the Oklahoma City Thunder. I don’t want to make fun of any Oklahomans because there is no way the fine people of Oklahoma pushed for this name.

Oh cripes, they actually did.

In a contest by The Oklahoman, the name that garnered the most votes via internet balloting was … ugh … Thunder. What, Wildcats wasn’t on the ticket? They’ve been kicking around Thunderbirds, Thundercats and a few others that sounded less like a beer league men’s softball team.

The Oklahoman, the propaganda leaflet newspaper controlled by owner Clay Bennett’s family, conducted a 64-team NCAA Tournament-like bracket contest and Thunder defeated Outlaws in the final matchup. Yikes.

The once proud, world champion franchise known as the Seattle SuperSonics is now the Oklahoma City Thunder. Congratulations NBA, you are the new NHL. Maybe next year you can hold the draft in Columbus, Ohio and move an expansion team to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Granted, I would have made fun of just about anything except for the Oklahoma City Mittens. But geez, total air ball on this one.

Indians down M’s, Silva shelved
Pitcher Carlos Silva left the game against the Indians in the fourth inning with tightness in his back. No word yet on how long he’ll be out, but the wheels are coming off the starting rotation. One report has starter Erik Bedard sitting out until maybe August. Miguel Batista has been pitching despite a strained groin suffered a couple weeks ago and Jarrod Washburn had been sick with the flu.