Bennett and Co.’s e-mails: unintentionally hysterical

  • John Sleeper
  • Friday, April 11, 2008 9:56am
  • Life

Step back for a moment. Look at the e-mails written by Clay Bennett, Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward. Appreciate it for its humor.

It’s Chris Rock. It’s Monty Python.

How people of such immense financial stature, who presumably got there through their intelligence and wits, can allow themselves to be so easily caught in the lies and deceit ever since their group bought the Sonics simply is beyond me.

Bennett lied to David Stern. He lied to the city. To the state. From the time he bought the team from Howard Schultz, he obviously never intended to keep the team in Seattle, despite his claims to the contrary. Sometimes, all you want to own in life is a large polo mallet.

He wrote Stern that Stern was his idol and that he would never deceive him. Then on the next line, Bennett deceived him, saying his group never discussed moving the team.

Again and again, Bennett is caught in his lies. What we all suspected (all of which Bennett denied and denied) was fact. If Schultz had any backbone or even a passing inclination, he could sue for Bennett’s lack of bargaining in good faith. But then, a meteor could hit KeyArena as well.

What effect all this may have on the upcoming litigation on the lease agreement is anyone’s guess. Same for the way the NBA might react, because Stern isn’t commenting. Neither is Bennett.

Sometimes, all you can do is laugh.

I’ll be at Sunday’s season finale at KeyArena and probably will write a color piece on the atmosphere in KeyArena. Should be fun.

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