SEATTLE — How did you like the lies?
How did you like Clay Bennett’s interminable charade, his repeated pleadings to David Stern, Gov. Chris Gregoire, the City of Seattle, Howard Schultz and 40-plus years of Sonics tradition that he would do everything he could to keep the team in Seattle?
From the beginning, Bennett implored the masses to believe him, that all would be well in the Northwest if he could receive the small concession of a stadium that would cost a piddling half-billion clams.
Meanwhile, he was e-mailing his buddies that the team probably would spend a lame-duck season in Seattle for 2007-08, but that he was greasing the skids for an Oklahoma City landing.
As a liar, Bennett is one of the all-time best. Name history’s greatest frauds: Nixon, Clinton, Bush, McCarthy. Bennett belongs in the club.
What in the world is Stern thinking now? As nauseating as it may seem, the NBA commissioner is in the same boat as the rest of us, as someone Bennett thought wasn’t smart enough to see From Page C1
through his deceit. Only Stern was left even more high and dry, as an admitted supporter of Bennett, thinking Bennett would be a welcome, positive contributor to the NBA as a celebrated member of the NBA fraternity.
Now, even Stern should see Bennett as the lying, scheming carpetbagger he is. Did you see Bennett’s sappy, fawning declaration of a forbidden bromance between himself and Stern, in which Bennett told Stern that he was “an extraordinarily gifted executive … with a rare and unique charisma that brings out the best in everyone you touch … you are just one of my favorite people on earth and I so cherish our relationship Sonics business aside.”
In the next line, Bennett said he would never breach Stern’s trust, claiming he and his partners “NEVER” discussed moving the team.
This, of course, was a breach of trust, according to the e-mails. Bennett and his buddies arrogantly boasted amongst themselves that they would move the team to Oklahoma City and were genuinely let down that they couldn’t do it in time for the 2007-08 season.
This is how 41 years of Sonics tradition has ended. More than likely, Bennett has won. He’s lied and gotten away with it. He’s murdered a basketball franchise once beloved in this region.
Steve Ballmer’s offer to finance half the proposed KeyArena renovation died on the vine. Another plan fronted by ex-Sonic Fred Brown was incomplete and late in coming. The state wasn’t interested enough to put the issue on the agenda.
The e-mails, damning as they are to the idea of good-faith bargaining, may well not be enough to persuade a federal judge to keep the team in Seattle for the duration of the KeyArena lease. Bennett probably thinks of it as a speed bump.
For a number of reasons, tonight’s game against the Mavericks may well be the franchise’s finale after 41 years.
Doesn’t it make your blood boil? Don’t you feel cheated?
Tell them your feelings. Show them your rage.
Go to the game. Boo everything that moves.
Boo from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer. Boo the halftime show. Boo missed shots. Boo made shots. Boo free throws. Boo charging calls.
You’re not booing the players. They’re intelligent to know you’re booing Bennett. You’re booing his lies. You’re booing his arrogance. You’re booing his love letter to Stern. You’re booing Stern for buying it. You’re booing the state for rolling over.
These aren’t your Seattle SuperSonics. You’re not booing the tradition. This mess isn’t close to the proud tradition built by Sam Shulman, Lenny Wilkens and Fred Brown. This is far from what we used to love about the Sonics — a Gus Williams breakaway off a steal; a Spencer Haywood slam; a Jack Sikma rebound; an Xavier McDaniel glare. This isn’t what John Johnson, Lonnie Shelton or Ray Allen gave us.
It’s likely too late to keep the Sonics in Seattle. But let your rage remind you of the way Howard Schultz and Clay Bennett stole 41 years of love the area had for this franchise. Let your rage be a promise that we’ll never let this happen again. Let your rage move you to vote out the cowardly state leaders who refused to lift a finger to help.
If we’re going lose, let’s not be good losers.
Let the liars know it.
Sports columnist John Sleeper: sleeper@heraldnet.com. For Sleeper[`]s blog, “Dangling Participles,” go to www.heraldnet.com/danglingparticiples.
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