NBA in Okc - What's It Gonna Be, Boy?

Remember the great song by Meat Loaf, "Paradise By The Dashboard Light", where the girl said, "What's it gonna be, boy?" Meat Loaf, though he pleads to the girl, "Let me sleep on it, I'll give you an answer in the morning," could not help himself and did NOT wait until the morning!

So, What's It Gonna Be, Boy?
As a result, the poor guy ended up praying for the end of time, instead:

I couldn't take it any longer
Lord I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me
Like a tidal wave
I started swearing to my god and on my mother's grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore that I would love you to the end of time!

So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think that I can really survive
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now
I'm praying for the end of time
It's all that I can do
Praying for the end of time, so I can end my time with you!!!

With the 7/18/06 announcement that Clay Bennett's Oklahoma City group (Professional Basketball Club LLC: Clay Bennett, president of the investment firm Dorchester Capital, majority owner; G. Edward Evans, chairman of Syniverse Holding Inc.; Aubrey McClendon, chairman and CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corporation; G. Jeffrey Records, chairman of the board and CEO, MidFirst Bank; and Tom L. Ward, chairman and CEO, Riata Energy Inc.) had purchased the Seattle SuperSonics, war-time headlines, SONIC BOOM!, hit The Oklahoman's headlines. The thought, of course, was that Mr. Bennett would be moving the Sonics from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

However, as is more fully described in the 7/23/06 article by The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer, http://www.newsok.com/article/2775713/, the sale from Howard Shultz came only upon a promise to make a good faith attempt to keep the Sonics in Seattle:

Schultz turned down higher bids from parties who wanted to immediately move the teams from Seattle. Bennett had publicly declared weeks earlier he was on a mission to buy an NBA team to play in Oklahoma City. But he agreed to honestly pursue an arrangement with Seattle and the state of Washington to secure a new arena and keep the teams in the region.

To insist otherwise would have been a deal breaker. But the promise came with a deadline. If an agreement with the state and city couldn't be struck within 12 months of the sale's closing in October, Bennett would be free to move the teams to Oklahoma City.

Mr. Bennett's reputation as a straight-shooter and a man of his word precedes him. Mr. Shinn's reputation is different – and haven't Hornets fans in both Oklahoma City and New Orleans experienced the difference by hearing sometimes outrageously different remarks in different cities. For several instances of that, see my "Hornets Oklahoma City Reader" at http://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/HornetsMedia.htm.

If the Hornets were not already a lock to return to New Orleans after next season, Bennett's group's pre-emptive strike in Seattle almost certainly seals the deal that the Hornets will go back to Cajun Country.

And, in the end, whether the Sonics do move to Oklahoma City after the 12 month testing period which begins in October (assuming that the NBA owners then approve the ownership transfer), Mr. Bennett has also given Oklahoma City the opportunity to "sleep on it" and give the girl (whatever be her name) an answer in the morning – and perhaps avoid making a decision which we might otherwise have come to regret!

Love the Hornets and their coaches? Damn straight, I do. I went to 29 or 30 games last season in the Ford Center and loved every minute – and I will do the same next season!

But, that I can also fall in love again, I have no doubt.

For a whole bunch more, go to Hornets Central and read all about it –
http://www.hornetscentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3191.