Suns Scorch OKC, Blunder 3-29, Excellence Polo $55.

The Phoenix Suns, playing without all-star Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, easily fended off the Blunder, 110-102. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant had 18 points on a poor 5-for-17 shooting performance. On-the-trading-block forward Joe Smith sat out with a 'leg injury'. Cleveland has expressed interest in Smith to strengthen their inside presence and Smith has expressed an interest in getting out of OKC.

Shaq led the Suns with 28 points and 12 rebounds as Six Suns scored in double figures as Phoenix snapped a four-game losing streak. Seems like everyone's losing streaks end against the Blunder. The Wizards snapperd thier eight game skid vs the Blunder two days ago. Earl Watson had zero points in 17 minutes and Chris Wilcox added five fouls to lead the Blunder lowlights. The Blunder raced out to a 10 point lead as they streaked out to their fifth straight loss. The Blunder, losers of 13 of their last 14 games, have a chance to lose their 30th before ushering in the New Year. Coincidentally, 2009 is also known in OKC's vaunted Chinatown as "The year of many, many, many, many more losses." Weird!

Blunder: 3-29 (.094), 17 games out of first.
Playoff outlook: Grim.
Next loss: Wednesday vs Golden State.

Memphis lost to Minnesota in overtime 108-98
Grizz: 10-21. 10.5 games out of first.

Blunder Lose "Worst-Ever" Match Up - Embrace Oblivion

In a battle of the 'worst-ever' records, the Blunder clung valiantly to their losing streak on Saturday night, falling to the Wizards, 104-95. Sporting a combined 7-50 records before the game, Washington snapped their eight-game losing streak while extending OKC's to four. The Blunder, trying to confuse the Wizards by playing in their New York Knick tribute uniforms, have lost 12 of 13 games.

Playing without leading scorer Caron Butler mattered little to the Wizards as Andray Blatche had 19 points and a career-high 15 boards and Antawn Jamison had 29 points to lead Washington to their fifth win. OKC lost for the 28th time. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led the Blunder with 25 points and 11 rebounds in 42 minutes. Another night of 40-plus minutes logged. Robert Swift contributed nothing, literally, as he had zero points, zero rebounds and zero assists in five minutes to lead the Blunder lowlights. Recent acquisition Gonad Krustyac, the $5 million dollar man and future of the franchise, did not play.

Some memorable quotes from the post-mortem:

"Not one guy in this locker room is a loser. Unfortunately, we are not getting wins like we feel like we should." Scott Brooks. Scott, a 3-28 team has plenty of losers.

"We knew they were a good team, way better than their record shows." Jeff Green. Everyone is better than their record shows when they play the Blunder. And you're singling out a five win team for praise. Ouch.

"I was a man possessed to keep the team in Seattle". Clay Bennett. If getting rid of all the team's talent, all the local ties, all former players in the front office, moving the local broadcasts to an unknown station, hiring a PR person from OKC, leaking emails that show intent to move the team from the beginning, and then demanding a $500 million dollar arena be built outside of Seattle were all part of your strategy, I would suggest another one.

This game was so bad that ESPN showed the highlights in black and white as a joke. The Blunder are the first team ever to lose in both color AND in black and white in the same season. Congratulations on another milestone achieved for Bennett's Blunder. The Blunder "Excellence" polo is still selling for $55 on their website. More willful misrepresentation, like calling the Blunder "an NBA team."

Blunder: 3-28, 16.5 games out of first place.
Playoff outlook: Grim.
Wims: few and far between
Next loss: Phoenix on Monday.

UPDATES:
Memphis lost to San Antonio in double overtime to drop to 10-20 on the season. OJ Mayo had 29 points.
Next game: Minnesota on Monday.

New Orleans: 17-9, 1 game out of first place behind San Antonio.
Next game: Indiana on Sunday.

IT'S A BLUNDERFUL LIFE: OKC 3-27

Amid economic uncertainty and the murky future of Ford/GM/Chrysler, the Blunder remained 'ole reliable', ushering in their 27th loss, 90-88 to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. In these troubling times, it's comforting to see something constant. That something, is another Blunder loss. I wonder if Clay Bennett asked for 27 losses before the New Year as his Christmas gift.

Losses. The gift that keeps on giving.

Giving other teams a shot at the playoffs. Giving embittered and displaced Seattle Sonic fans a good chuckle at the bumbling ineptness that is Bennett's Blunder. Giving the Blunder a shot at the season-loss record. Giving Kevin Durant a reason to leave ASAP. 'Tis the season for giving.

Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led OKC, as always, with 26 points and eight boards while logging 41 minutes. Another heavy-minutes night for the talented, lanky forward. Russell Westbrook logged an impressive five turnovers in 33 minutes, Kyle Weaver had two points and Robert Swift and Joe Smith contributed three fouls apiece to lead the Blunder low-lights.

Highly-anticipated acquisition Gonad Krustyac, whom the Blunder expect to carry them to then promised land, simply did not play. According to sources he was having problems with the language barrier; mostly the terms 27 losses, corndogs-as-payment, and Bricktown were the most troubling. Losing streak was quickly defined for him; the Blunder currently enjoy a three-game skid and have lost 11 of 12.

Allan Iverson led five Detroit players in double-digit scoring with 22 points and sank the game-winner with eight seconds left.

Blunder: 3-27 (.111%).
Playoff outlook: need a Christmas miracle.
Next loss: Saturday vs. Wizards.

Potential relocation franchises update;

Memphis: came from 17 down to defeat Indiana: 108-105.
Hakim Warrick led seven Grizzlies in double-figure scoring with 21 points. OJ Mayo had 18 points, eight boards and seven assists.
Record: 10-19 - last place.
Next game: Saturday vs San Antonio.

New Orleans: Defeated Houston 88-79. They're tied for first place.
Chris Paul had 26 points, David West added 23, and Tyson Chandler had a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards in 31 minutes.
Record: 17-9.
Next game: Sunday vs Indiana.

Seven Sports Things I am Not Thankful for This Season

Time to spread some Holiday cheer - so let's cheer for stupidity because that's always fun. Here's my starter kit, feel free to add your reasons in the comments section. And vote!

1. No NBA in Seattle. As much as I am glad to be rid of Clay Bennett and his ilk, I miss the Sonics. They were easily the most dependable Seattle team and my only interest in the NBA was through them.

2. The elimination of the five-yard face mask penalty. A stupid move that basically eliminates the 'punishment should fit the crime' mentality. A rule change that was in no way needed or warranted. An accidental brush with a facemask is now a personal foul? These kinds of rule changes are simply painful in their inherent stupidity. Games hinge on these calls. An additional 10 yards can mean the difference between a field goal and a win or a loss. With games on the line and jobs at stake, the NFL has to exercise common sense and rescind this asinine rule change.

3. BCS games this year. Particularly Ohio State in a BCS game. I am sick of the Buckeyes in BCS Bowl games simply because they have a fan base that'll buy tickets. Year in and year out they prove mediocrity and chokability trumps quality. Florida/Oklahoma is a dream match up and could be one of the greatest games played in years. Texas should be playing Alabama and let Ohio State play Utah. Virginia Tech vs Cincinnati? Seriously? Is anyone gonna bother with this one? Where's Texas Tech or Oklahoma State? They get trumped for Tech vs. Cincy? That makes sense? No.

4. Female sideline reporters who bum-rush coaches at halftime with mind-numbing, nonsense questions. Never have they ever asked a poignant question. The "How do you feel" and "What's it gonna take" questions are forced, obtuse and embarrasing. Making an already stressed coach answer arcane questions to satisfy tv contractual obligations is idiotic. Georgia coach Mark Richt gave one 'reporter' a sarcastic beat-down and it was my favorite play of the year. Stopping coaches to ask softball questions while simutaneously preventing them from getting their job done is just plain moronic. What are they expecting, the coach to reveal some inside strategy to 10 million viewers and the opposing team will be none-the-wiser? No. There's never been any relevent info revealed during these staged ambushes. Let 'em get to the locker room. Enough puff reporting and pink frilly hats. Save it for the Ice Capades.

5. FOX football broadcasts. Replete with distracting gadgetry and endless commercial breaks, FOX has forgotton the actual game is what is important. Those obnoxious robots and too-much-information crawlers...not necessary. Focus on the game not the distractions or Terry's hairline. And just how many commercials can you cram into a game? FOX cuts away every chance it gets. It's obnoxious.

6. The TV timeout. So annoying. Especially that irritating "More Taste League" crap. That's really the best they could come up with? In the age of microbrews, the lightest beer on the market claims to have 'more taste'? More taste than what? Water? Give me a frothy cup of yellow snow over that beer and stupid ad campaign any day.

7. The collapse of football in the state of Washington. I have not seen the fall of anything this fast or this complete since Berlin. UW has a hole, er, crater, to dig out of, WSU needs a hug and the Seahawks are fast tracking to mediocrity for the forseeable future. The philosophical rift between Ruskell and Holmgren has reduced this team to a directionless ship. Injuries have not helped. The fact that Matt Hasselbeck has been injured for better part of two seasons, and the stunning lack of coverage about it in the Seattle press, is perplexing. Isn't anyone concerned? This is the number one story no one is covering; the franchise quarterback's status.

Others receiving votes; Alaska Airlines, OKC's three wims, anything regarding the WNBA, Kevin Costner in FOR LOVE OF THE GAME, endless fascination with Kobe...

Blunder Play Quarters - Embrace 'First-To-25 Losses' Title!

No confetti fell in the Congressional Bailout Center on Sunday, only the Blunder who 'lost by only 11', and became the first NBA team to reach the coveted quarter-century mark in losses this season. I use the term "NBA team" loosely.

LeBron James had 31 points and seven boards to lead the Cavaliers over the Blunder on Sunday, 102-91. Cleveland led by as many as 18 points en route to their best start in franchise history, at 23-4. Not to be out-done, the Blunder improved to a franchise worst-ever record of 3-25. As always, future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led OKC with 26 points in 43 hard minutes. Local legend Desmond Mason was 0-2 from the line and 1-5 from the field in 32 minutes, while Chris Wilcox had zero points in seven minutes and Joe Smith had four fouls to lead the Blunder low lights.

James also acknowledged he'd consider signing an extension with the Cavaliers. Much speculation has him bolting for MSG and New York dollars at his first chance. He had no comment on the Blunder's Knick tribute uniforms. The Seattle SuperSonics beat the Cavs the last four times they met in Seattle. Doesn't look like that'll be the case in OKC, unless the Cav's bus gets lost in the tumbleweeds on the way to the Congressional Bailout Center.

Blunder: 3-25, Last place.
Next loss: Tuesday vs Atlanta.
Willful misrepresentation update: Blunder "excellence" polos are still $55 dollars. Apparently there's no discount for 'total lack of excellence'. Interesting.

Memphis update: record: 9-17.
Next game: L.A. Lakers Monday night.
Team leaders: O.J. Mayo leads the Grizzlies in scoring at 20.3 ppg and Rudy Gay is averaging 20.2 ppg. Marc Gasol leads the team with 6.8 rpg.
Mystery: What ever happened to the much-hyped Darko Milicic?

New Orleans Hornets: 16-7 - first place.
Next Game: LA Lakers on Tuesday.
Chris Paul leads the Hornets with 20.3 ppg and 11.8 apg. Tyson Chandler averages 8.1 rpg.

Blunder Continue Title Run; Add Krstic

The title for worst record in the NBA, of course.

"It felt like we won a championship," forward Desmond Mason said after Friday nights victory.

Which, of course, they didn't. The Blunder held off Toronto 91-83 to snap an eight game skid on Friday night in OKC.

With orange and blue streamers falling from the rafters and the crowd standing to cheer, it could've easily been mistaken for a much more significant victory.

It wasn't. 27 games into the season and the Blunder won for only the third time and have that championship feeling. Way to lower the bar, Clay. Future ex Blunder Kevin Durant had 24 points and eight rebounds in 43 minutes, another heavy night minutes-wise for KD. Earl Watson had zero points in 17 minutes, Chris Wilcox missed four free-throws in an 18-second span and Nick Collison added five fouls to lead the Blunder low lights. Grievance counselors consoled the shell-shocked Raptors as they watched the Blunder celebrate at their expense.

Bennett's Low-Budget Blunder continued their title run by signing NBA cast-off Gonad, er, Nenad Krstic to a three-year $15 million dollar deal. In late July, Krstic left the NBA for Triumph Moscow and now he is on the verge of returning to the NBA. Let's hope he hasn't gotten used to the word "triumph". At 7 feet and 240 pounds, he is exactly what the Blunder need in the post...if he can stay healthy. He's coming off torn ACL injury that cost him his job on the Nets. His biggest asset is that he comes cheap for Bennett's Budget Blunder and after playing in Moscow, perhaps he wn't be horrified at playing in OKC.

Blunder: 3-24
Standings: Last
Next Loss: Cleveland.
Win streak: Yeah, right.

Memphis update: Lost to Charlotte on Friday 112-83. Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 17 points. Memphis fell to 9-17 on the season - last place. Next game: Clippers on Tuesday

New Orleans update: Defeated San Antonio on Wednesday, 90-83. They're 15-7 and tied with Houston for first place. They host Sacrmento (7-20) Saturday night.

The Number 24...

Divided by two equals 12, and 12 is a much easier list to make. C'mon, did you really think I'd play that number card twice? Speaking of twice, the Blunder have only won twice this season. The Clippers enjoyed some Blunder, er, Southern hospitality, leaving OKC with a 98-88 win on Tuesday night. Los Angeles improved to 7-17 while watching, in awe no doubt, as the Blunder raced out to 2-24.

Editor's note: '2-24' is not a typo.

Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led OKC, as always, with 25 points on 9-18 shooting while logging 41 minutes. I don't like Durant, a smaller framed player, logging heavy minutes night after night. I'm concerned they are going to run him into the ground or into an injury. Take it down a little, to around 35-38 minutes. Here's a random list of twelve. If you see a pattern in it, that's because you're insane. There is no pattern.

LIST OF 12

1. Cities without an NBA team from last season. One. Seattle.
2. Blunder wins, Duh.
3. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: 3. Great Movie. It is also the Blunder motto.
4. Fouls by Jeff Green along with 13 points on 6-15 shooting in 29 minutes.
5. Rebounds by Durant, along with 25 points in 41 minutes.
6. Dr J. The man never had to face the horror of seeing a "Thunder" jersey lined up across from him. He is a lucky man.
7. Seven letters in Corn Dog. You know you want one.
8. Eight game losing streak.
9. January 9th. A Blunder loss to Houston to look forward to.
10. I think my point was made on #3, frankly.
11.
12.


Blunder 2-24. Last place. 15.5 games out.
Next Loss: Friday vs. Toronto


Memphis Update: Lost to New Orleans 91-84 to fall to 9-16. Rudy Gay had 30. They have won four of their last five and are in last place, 7 games out.

THE NUMBER 23

1. A wonderful Jim Carrey Movie
2. My father's birthday in July
3. The Atomic number for Valadium
4. The number of shots Jeff Green took against the Spurs.
5. The 23 Enigma - belief that all events are connected to the number 23.
6. 1923 - The USSR was officially established.
7. Michael Jordan's jersey number.
8. Points the Seattle Seahawks posted against St Louis on Sunday.
9. Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the USA.
10. The number of Blunder losses!

The Blunder lost to the Spurs 109-104 on Sunday to push their losing streak to seven. San Antonio won their sixth straight. Future ex-blunder Kevin Durant had 28 points and 13 rebounds. Russell Westbrook had 2 points in 19 minutes to lead the Blunder lowlights.

Despite the Blunder being anything but 'excellent', their website is still shilling the Blunder 'excellence' polo shirt for a mere $55. 2-23 is not excellent, kids. This is another prime example of Bennett's Blundering and willfull misrepresentation.

Blunder: 2-23
Standings: Last
Steak: seven losses
Next loss: Tuesday vs. LA Clippers

Dirk Drops 46, Blunder Drop a Deuce

Dirk Nowitzki dropped a season-high 46 points as Dallas held off the Blunder on Saturday night, 103-99. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant had 22 points on 8-18 shooting. Center project Johan Petro had zero points on 0-3 shooting in 17 minutes while Jeff Green and Desmond Mason each had five fouls to lead the Blunder lowlights. The former Supersonics lost for the first time in Dallas since the move to OKC, a move Maverick owner Mark Cuban vehemently opposed. Dallas improved to 13-9.

Bennett's Blunder, on their 2008 U.S. Tour of Defeats, lost in their 12th different NBA arena of the season and are now all deuces, falling to 2-22.

According to the OKC Thunder website, you can now scratch-and-lose in the Oklahoma lottery in two different ways! You can scratch and win no money or scratch and risk winning Blunder tickets. Is that even legal? Is this how they intend to urge folks to the game? Where are all the promotions and giveaways? How about Clay's Colossal Corndog deal; three corndogs for the price of three!

And don't forget to piss off that special relative or co-worker this holiday season by gifting them an official OKC Thunder "Excellence" polo shirt. Give the gift that keeps on losing. At a mere $55 and with a 2-22 record, that's $27.50 per win! The first place Lakers sell their polo for $45, just FYI.

Blunder: 2-22.
Standings: Last
Losing streak: 6
Next loss: Sunday vs San Antonio.

Blunder Play Blackjack - Hit 21 (losses) !

Like a royal flush, the misery continued for Bennett's Blunder as they came from 21 points ahead to lose to the Memphis Grizzlies, 108-102. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant has 28 points on 9-18 shooting in 41 minutes but it wasn't enough as OKC lost it's fifth in a row. The Grizzlies were led by Rudy Gay's 22 points. OJ Mayo extended his streak of scoring in double-digits to start an NBA career to 22, trailing only Dan Issel (27) and Bobby Jones (24). Earl Watson had 4 points in 35 minutes and Jeff Green and Nick Collison each had five fouls to lead the Blunder lowlights.

Memphis, a team rumored to be on the market, improved to 7-15.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the Blunder are turning to hugs for answers.

http://newsok.com/hugs-now-a-pregame-ri ... tory_photo

Two things are troubling about the article. The first is that someone actually wrote an article in the sports page about hugging. Ok, fine...slow news day, I get it. But on the right side under "Thunder Madness", they actually misspelled their home team name - it says "Thuder". THUDER. Go look! How can the team be expected to flourish when their own fans cannot even get that right?

On the front page of ESPN is a podcast link to an article "David Stern and The Seattle Debacle". You can download the podcast and start listening between the lines; they are paving the way for a team to move. Stern admits The Seattle Center Coliseum is a "viable arena in the short term'. I strongly suspect behind the scenes they are actively trying to right the wrong in Seattle and position a team (I think Memphis) to relocate in the very near future. I would not be surprised if a team was in Seattle as early as next season. Think about it; a team like Memphis, last in attendance and openly on the market, a viable arena option in Seattle, and if the Ballmer group re-emerges, well, you can draw your own conclusions.

Say it with me; Sonics basketball will be back in Seattle within two seasons.

http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?context=podcast&id=3760531

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=2864045

Blunder: 2-21
Next loss: Saturday at Dallas.

Warriors End Skid, Blunder Lose 20th!

Milestones! Folks love 'em and we got 'em. The Warriors snapped their nine-game losing streak as they hammered Bennett's Blunder on Monday night, 112-102. Golden State obviously had revenge on their mind from the loss of their beloved "Thunder" mascot enabled by the Bennett's bumbling naming conflict. Another shining example of his endless negative effect on the NBA. Thanks, Stern! Any more friends of yours need teams?

There's also some good news for the Blunder; they achieved another milestone; the first team in 2009 to reach the 20-loss plateau! Congratulations to Clay Bennett and the disaster he's created. Here's wishing success for Bennett on his quest to be the worst! May many more losses darken the doorstep of Ford Arena, or Congressional bailout Arena, whatever it may be. How long until Bennett himself is asking for handouts from the league or the city to bail him out of this mess? Stay tuned, kids.

Ok, on with the show; Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant had 41 points on 15-27 shooting. The Warriors had seven players score in double figures, led by Andris Biedrins 17 points and 21 rebounds. Center project Johan Petro led had two points and Nick Collison pitched in 4 fouls to lead the Blunder lowlights. The Blunder lost their 4th in a row, for the second time this season, and are firmly in last place at 2-20.

More corndogs! More losses! More Blunder!

Next loss: Wednesday vs Memphis

Blunder Can't Take the Heat while Seattle Preps For Possible NBA Return?

Dwyane Wade had 38 points and Udonis Haslem (15 points/14 rebounds) and Shawn Marion (15/12) enjoyed double-doubles as the Heat burned the Blunder Saturday Night, 105-99. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant had 18 points on a rough night shooting going only 6-17 from the field. Inconsistant Chris Wilcox had 2 points, going 0-4 from the field in 23 minutes and added 4 fouls to lead the Blunder lowlights. Miami won their third in a row while OKC lost their third straight and kept their tight grip on last place.

Here's a fun-filled factoid; the Blunder are one of only nine NBA teams that has yet to have a three-game win streak this season. Of course, when your owner purges all the talent on the team in Seattle to enable a move to the 45th market, and you only two wins all season, three-game win-streak may be tough to come by.

Blunder: 2-19 (league worst)
Next loss: Monday vs Golden State

Is the groundwork for an NBA return to Seattle underway? The following is an excerpt from the Seattle PI blog:

Seattle deputy mayor Tim Ceis was back at it on Monday, as the City of Seattle again pursues $75 million in state authorized, King County taxes to help pay for a remodel of KeyArena.

Ceis presented his proposal to a seven-member task force assigned by state lawmakers to figure out how to deal with the pool of King County taxes available, with several other groups, including the University of Washington and the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, interesting in using funds for major projects.

Ceis presented the city's proposal as an improvement to the overall plan to revamp the Seattle Center, a 20-year face lift that includes a remodel of Memorial Stadium and other facility upgrades.

Ceis also said the city has negotiated a new contract for the naming rights of KeyArena that will last through 2010. At that time, if funding is approved for a new facility, the city will negotiate a new contract for naming rights once the new building opens.

Ceis said the private investment group led by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer remains interested in bringing back the NBA to Seattle. Ballmer's group has committed $150 million to the project, along with purchasing an available team and bringing it back to Seattle. The city would contribute $75 million of its own funds, leaving a $75 million void the city hopes to fill with money from the city-only, hotel/motel tax source.

Ceis also says he does not regret how the city handled the court situation with the team. And based on how the team is performing in Oklahoma City, Ceis said he would do it all the same way if he had to do it again.

"Given the current economic situation and how the team is playing, I don't think I would do anything different," Ceis said. "The city financially is much better off right now, rather than sustaining two more years of financial losses with the team here and then holding onto $25 million in debt.

"I don't have those two years of losses. In fact I more than made up for them and I got rid of the debt. We did lose a team, which you can never compensate for. We understand that. But it was pretty clear that this ownership was moving this team out of Seattle, whether we let them go then or two years from now. So I think we're going to be better off with a new ownership group and a franchise that we'll be able to call the Sonics because we held onto the name, we held onto the history and the Sonics will return."

I take great satisfaction in Ceis' prideful "in-your-face" attitude against Bennett's Blunder. Perhaps cooler and smarter heads prevailed. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had shown interest in buying a team. He even offered up $75 to remodel the Coliseum. Financially he can actually do it. This all certainly bodes well for Seattle's plausable chances in a Sonics team being in Seattle in the near future.

Speculation has centered on the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Hornets as potential relocation franchises. Memphis is alledgedly on the market while Hornet's owner George Shinn continues to be noncommittal on the teams for-sale status or his committment to New Orleans. he has been a good owner and N.O. has really supported the Hornets to the best of their ability. It would be truly tragic if they left New Orleans. But such is the landscape of David Stern's NBA.

Orlando Forecast: 0% Chance of Getting Thunderstuck

Bennett's Blunder gained admission to the 20/20/20 club on Friday night in Orlando as the Magic made OKC disappear, 98-89. Orlando's Josh Howard dropped 21 points and 23 rebounds on the Blunder who lost in their 20th game. Howard was limited to a mere double-double after his November 12th triple-double; 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks in a very special Blunder loss.

Former Seattle Sonic all-star forward Rashard Lewis had 11 points against his former team whom he did not recognize in their Knick tribute uniforms. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant had 16 points on a woeful 5 for 18 shooting night. Johan Petro and Nick Collison combined for zero points in 20 minutes on 0-5 shooting to lead the Blunder lowlights Orlando surged to 15-5 on the season. Bennett and his Blunder have a firm grip on last place, a mere 11 1/2 games out of first place and one loss closer to playoff elimination.

Blunder: 2-18
Next loss: Sunday vs. Golden State. Note: The Warriors may be without their mascot, Thunder, who will be replaced due to the obvious conflict.

More corndogs! More losses! More Blunder!

Bennett's Blunder Bumble - Embrace New Losing Streak!

The Bobcats got double-doubles by Emeka Okafor (25/13) and Sean May (10/11) to stave off the lifeless Blunder in Charlotte on Wednesday night, 103-97. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led OKC as he always does with 24 points on a strong 9-12 shooting night. Gonna miss him when he's gone. Heck of a player when used correctly. Nick Collison had two points in 16 minutes while Chris Wilcox kicked in 6 fouls to lead the Blunder lowlights. The Bobcats inproved to 7-11 while Bennett's decimated Blunder fell to a league worst 2-17. I know it's weird, but it almost seems as if this team was intentionally built to be this bad. Wait a minute....

Bennett's selfish talent purge to enable his move ruined this team in Seattle. Now the good fans of OKC are bearing witness to Bennett's Debacle to go along with $55 "Blunder Excellence Polo". Congratulations Clay, you've created the ultimate oxymoron in clothing AND sports. Hey, the Blunder have a double of their own! Good times, kids.

Rumors are swirling that the Blunder are losing so much money that they, along with Memphis and New Orleans, are petitioning the league for loans to stay afloat this season. Like many experts and fans suspected, it ain't gonna work out in OKC no matter how hard the good fans cheer. Two fan bases have been victimized by Bennett's selfishness and Stern's obnoxious ego. How are the owners going to respond to a request for money from Bennett, already? If these rumors turn out to be true, this will deservedly be a giant egg on Stern's face. Let's see how he supports Bennett through all this. They must be held accountable.

Basketball ruined for fans in two cities. One-fourth of the way through it's inaugaral season and allegedly preparing to ask for hand-outs. The $55 dollar 'excellence polo'. Fan ambivilance developing towards this team. Hey, another double-double! Thanks Clay. Thanks Stern.

More corndogs! More losses! More Blunder!

Blunder: 2-17
Next Loss: Friday at Orlando

Blunder Tame Grizzlies, Confused by "Winning" Feeling

The Blunder did the unthinkable on Saturday night - they won an NBA game. The Blunder snapped their 14-game losing streak to the toothless Grizzlies, 111-103, and the world now anticipates a spike in celebratory corndog consumption as a result.

Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led the way with 30 points and 7 rebounds as OKC ended their futility streak and turned their attention to the next string of losses. Inspired by the $55 Thunder 'excellence' polo he'll likely be getting for Christmas from Clay Bennett, Nick Collion led the lowlights with zero points and one foul in seven listless minutes.

Before a stunned home crowd, OJ Mayo led the Grizzlies embarrassing loss with 30 points and 7 rebounds. Grievance counselors were spotted entering the home locker room immediately after the game to console the anguished Grizzlies. In the Blunder locker room came the sound of champagne corks popping and celebrating until the team was informed they had 64 more games to play.

The Blunder tasted victory for the first time since October 13 and gave Scott Brooks his inaugaral triumph as Blunder head coach/scapegoat. The Blunder turn their sights to the next losing streak and look to become then first team to match their team record losing streak for the third time under Clay Bennett.

No official word yet if this victory launched a spending spree on the $55 'Thunder excellence' polo shirt with the golf insignia on it. Only time will tell.

Blunder: 2-16
Next loss: at Charlotte on Wednesday.

Bennett-League Blunder Streak to 14th Straight Loss

Blow outs, second half collapses, apathetic play. The Blunder found another way to lose as the Timberwolves' Mike "The Mullet" Miller drained a 19-foot buzzer-beater to lift the hapless T-Wolves over the even more-hapless Blunder, 105-103 on Friday.

Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant and Jeff Green combined for 44 points to lead the losing effort. Earl Watson added zero points in 14 minutes while Chris Wilcox chipped in with 6 personal fouls to lead the Blunder low lights. Scott Brooks pushed his record to 0-4 as Blunder head coach/Bennett’s scapegoat. The game was another non-sellout. Time to lower corndog prices? Someone wake up the marketing department!

The Blunder lost for the 14th straight time - tying the franchise record set last season. Both dubious streaks come under Clay Bennett's ownership and are compliments of his methodical and intentional decimation of the team to enable his move to OKC. Sadly, frenzied OKC fans must now witness the debacle Bennett created to achieve that agenda. Even worse, Bennett expects the good people of OKC to financially support this intentionally horrible product...during a recession, when disposable income is minimalized.

How many folks are rushing out to buy the "Oklahoma City Thunder Men's Excellence Polo shirt", on the Blunder website....for $55? Say it out loud; "Fifty Five dollars for a Blunder "Excellence" polo shirt??" It's interesting that the Los Angeles Lakers, with the NBA's best record, sells their polo shirts for $45.

Wow.

Maybe we just have different opinions of what excellence means, but 1-16 isn't mine. Charging $55 to the good people of OKC to support a 1-16 team during a recession just doesn't seem excellent to me. Description of shirt; Thunder logo is embroidered at the left chest and the Antigua golf crest on right sleeve. A golf logo on an NBA shirt? Excellence? Another OKC Bush-League Blunder.

The $55 "excellence" Polo.
I think “Bush-League” just became “Bennett-League”.

Blunder: 1-16
Next Loss - Saturday at Memphis

Cavs Give Thanks...Giving Bennett's Blunder A Beat Down

The Cleveland Cavaliers got an early Thanksgiving treat this year, compliments of the OKC Blunder. New coach and future scapegoat, Scott Brooks, led the Blunder into Cleveland with high hopes for a Blunder turnaround. Things looked good early - until the tip-off - and then The Blunder endured another thrashing, 117-82. For the mathematically challenged, that's a 35-point loss. Don't see a lot of those in the NBA. LeBron (Gonna look good in a Knicks Uniform) James matched his career-low in minutes with 17 and still had 14 points...more than any Blunder except Chris Wilcox.

Chris Wilcox led OKC with 14 points and was one of only three Blunder players scoring in double figures. Three. Durant, Watson and Green combined for 28 points on a brutal 12-38 shooting performance between them. Johan Petro added five fouls and WSU alum Kyle Weaver added three points to lead the Blunder lowlights.

This was another night of streaks; Cleveland remained perfect at home (8-0), Scott Brooks remained perfect as Blunder scapegoat/coach (0-3) and the Blunder extended their losing streak to 13 games. The Cavs are off to their best start in franchise history at 12-3 while the former Seattle Sonics are off to the worst start in franchise history at 1-15. The second worst start came last season, also under Clay Bennett's 'ruin-the-team-to-move-them guidance. Classy.

I wonder if the OKC fans will be giving thanks to Clay Bennett this Thanksgiving for this abomination of an "NBA" team he's saddled/gifted them with. I wonder what OKC fans will get for Christmas from Bennett...perhaps demands for a new arena? Higher ticket prices? The news of a Durant trade? Corndog night?

Here’s giving thanks to being in Seattle right now, with or without the NBA. At least we are rid of Clay Bennett, and that's a reason to be very thankful.

Blunder 1-15
Next loss - Thursday vs Minnesota.

OKC Dumps PJ, Hornet's Dump Blunder; Extend Losing Streak to 11

The Scott Brooks era began with a beat-down in the Big Easy on Saturday night; 109-97 as Chris Paul unleashed a triple-double on the bumbling Blunder. Paul exploded for 29 points, 16 assists and ten rebounds and David West added a season-high 33 points to delight Hornet's fans. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led OKC, as always, with 30 points on a strong 11-16 shooting performance. Nick Collison led the Blunder lowlights with 4 points on 1-4 shooting in 25 minutes. Chris Wilcox added five fouls to lead the Blunder. The Hornets are 7-5 and gaining momentum. The Blunder are 1-13 and gaining notoriety.

The Blunder fired PJ Carlesimo on Saturday, a move about as shocking as a sunny day in Phoenix. Scott Brooks is the latest low-rent captain to be given the wheel of the OKCTitanic. Welcome aboard Scott - grab a bucket and start bailing water. You're the new fall guy, replacing the previous hired fall guy; P.J. Carlisimo.

Firing PJ was clearly the right thing to do. He's never proven himself to be a great coach or motivator and he's divisive, which fit Bennett's plan of not winning games in Seattle. Handing him the keys to coach a decimated team replete with youth was absurd. He was not hired to turn this team into a winner, but to ensure they would sink in Seattle. Bennett's plan was to find his real coach after the move to OKC. Let's be real here - hiring PJ made no sense to anyone at the time. The young players need a leader they could rally around, a guy they could relate to and a guy who could motivate them - PJ was never any of those, which is exactly why he was hired. It fit in with perfectly with Bennett's plan of team implosion. I am not saying he does not know the game - clearly he does, but Dwayne Casey was the obvious choice at the time. However, that would have gotten the team and fans excited - so it was PJ all the way. Of course, it is entirely possible Bennett thought PJ was the right choice and that angle can be argued, but it's a dubious coincidence that his bumbling coaching decision perfectly compliments an agenda to move a team.

I find the timing of the firing interesting...the day after ESPN's nationally televised Blunder beat-down. I hate to give Bennett credit for being tactical, but waiting until after the ESPN game was the smart move. You don't want the ESPN announcers focusing on the negative - and firing a coach right before that game would have done precisely that. The last thing OKC needed was more negative reviews of the move that some are calling the worst in sports. I get the feeling that Stern had input into the timing of the decision.

Of course, the argument could be made that being embarrassed like that on national TV was the final straw for PJ. Maybe it was. But I simply never believed anyone, including Bennett, truly thought PJ was the right coach. It was all part of 'The Plan'. Well, 'The Plan' is 1-13 in OKC and losers of 11 in a row.

Blunder: 1-13
Next loss: Phoenix

Blunder Go Primetime; Lose 10th Straight

In front of the Blunder's first nationally televised ESPN audience, The Hornets triumphantly returned to Oklahoma City on Friday and left with a resounding win, 105-80. In truth, it wasn't even that close. Merciful New Orleans coach Byron Scott pulled his starters in the third quarter as another Blunder blowout was unfolding. Chris Paul put on a dazzling display of moves and finished with 17 points, one of five Hornets scoring in double figures. The Hornets improved to 6-5 and looked like the playoff team they ascended to last season.

Soon to be ex-Blunder, Kevin Durant led OKC with 17 points on another weak shooting night, going 5-13. Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook shot a combined 10-33. That's not going to get it done in this league. Green officially led the Blunder lowlights with an 0-6 performance in 29 minutes to finish with three points.

I finally had a chance to see the Blunder play for the first time, thanks to ESPN. I was saddened at how bad this team really is and what this once-proud Sonics franchise has become. Lifeless, dinsinterested and overwhelmed are terms that came to mind. The young guns are trying, but in the end they are simply cannon fodder for the more mature teams in this league.

The commentators waxed philosophical about how great the NBA was in Seattle and how they fully expect a team to return there soon. They mentioned how many NBA players told them they missed playing there, as a member of the Sonics and others as a visiting team. They raved about the great atmosphere, knowledgable and passionate fans and the amazing city itself.

This disaster is a result of Bennett's calculated decimation of the team in Seattle to minimize local support and ease resistance to his planned move. It is absolutely unfair to Seattle, OKC and anyone paying to see Bennett's Blunder.

Interpol should demand that crime scene tape be placed around the Ford Center as a reminder of what Bennett has done. Ruining the NBA for Seattle fans and forcing this abomination on the wishful-thinking fans of OKC is practically criminal. At the very least it is cruel and unusual punishment.

The best line of the night was heard as a Blunder player made a move to the hoop and missed; "A million dollar move and a five cent finish". Thank you, Kevin Collabro.

Blunder losing streak at 10.
Next loss: tonight at New Orleans.

As they said in Spinal Tap; "These go to 11".
Tonight, so shall the Blunder losing streak.

Bennett's Blunder Crushed by Clippers

The moribund Los Angeles Clippers used runs of 14-2 and 23-4 to beat up on Oklahoma City on Wednesday, 108-88. I cannot remember the last time I read the words "Clippers crush.." in print, but there they are. It was a battle of traditon; the Clippers with a long-standing tradition of futility and the Blunder, a team just establishing theirs.

Chris Kaman went off for the Clippers for 25 points and 14 rebounds to lead the surging Clippers to a 2-9 record. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led the former Sonics with 18 points. Chris Wilcox led the Blunder lowlights with 4 points on 1-7 shooting in 14 minutes. OKC is the worst shooting team in the league. The team that Clay Bennett decimated to alienate the Seattle fanbase in a calculated move to aid his relocation to Oklahoma City, is now 1-11, the worst team in the league with a winning percentage of .083. Ouch. Be careful what you wish for, Clay.

Chris Kaman going off, the Clippers crushing anyone, and five Clipper players scoring in double figures is a rarity in this league. This emerging phenomenon seems to correspond directly with teams playing the Blunder. Coincidence? Hmmm. Ask Clay Bennett, the brain trust behind this team, it's much-maligned name, logo, and 1-11 record. Or ask the OKC fans forced to endure this team. It's eerily similar to the one Bennett thrust upon the long-standing, faithful fans in Seattle. The term that comes to mind is unfair.

It's seems inevitable that unless there is some turnaround and this ship can be righted, serious changes will be necessary to keep the the players from revolting, and the fans from disappearing. How long until rumors swirl about PJ's impending firing? It's only a matter of time. Pretty soon they will have to find a new playbook, one that will forge any kind of positive press for this Blunder; firings, trades and the 'ole fan favorite; refrigerator-magnet give-away night.

This is exactly the scenario I've been predicting since Bennett's forced move. Even the most avid OKC fan has to be scratching their head..as they head for the exits in the third quarter of another home blowout loss. Can it get any worse? Yep.

Next loss; Friday vs the New Orleans Hornets - on ESPN. A national audience gets it's first glimpse of Bennett's Blunder.

MAXIM Disses Blunder - Sales Skyrocket!

From the December issue of Maxim Magazine, in SPORTS - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - under 'More Lows' on page 47...

"The Seattle Sonics are shipped off to Oklahoma City, renamed the Thunder and given the sorriest logo in the NBA"

More Maxim!
More Corndogs!
More Blunder!

Houston, We Have a Problem.

Checklist:
Overpay for NBA team in 12th largest market. Check.
Immediately hatch relocation scheme. Check.
Alienate local fan base. Check.
Decimate team, purge all talent and local ties - call it 'rebuilding'. Check.
Create worst team in 41 year history of franchise, crushing Seattle fans. Check.
Clumsily propose new $500 million stadium be built - but not in Seattle - thus ensuring proposal will get rejected. Check.
Claim 'we tried'. Check.
Move team to 45th largest market. Celebrate with corndogs. Check.
Consider yourself a local hero. Check.
Adopt Blunder team name, Doritos logo, thug Golden State's mascot, moves that are universally panned. Check.
Lose to Houston Rockets on November 17, 100-89 as some unknown dude named Luis Scola scores 23 points. Check.
Blunder center project Johan Petro scores two points on 1-6 shooting in 20 minutes to lead the lowlights. Check.
Open inaugaral Blunder season 1-10 to a fan base not filling new arena. Check.
OKC Fans realizing what kind of team Bennett forced Seattle's 41-year fans base to endure in it's last season, and slowly realize this is their future. Check.

No Problem.

1-10
Next Loss - L.A. Clippers.

Blunder 86'd in Philly Blowout

The Blunder stormed into Philadelphia on Saturday carrying the burden of a six-game losing streak. It stands at seven after Philly crushed them 110-85. Jeff Green led the Blunder with 21 points. It's the first time this season the former Seattle Supersonics were led by someone other than future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant who had 13 points on another miserable shooting night, going 6-18 from the field and 1-4 from the stripe. Perhaps his sore ankle is hampering him. Perhaps it's his broken spirit from playing on this 1-9 debacle-of-a-team that Bennett created.

Thaddeus Young dropped in 23 points as the 76ers, one night removed from overcoming a 26-point deficit to beat Indiana, improved to 5-5. Blunder center-project Robert Swift led the Blunder low-lights with zero points and one rebound in 14 minutes. Project-center part two, Johan Petro, led the Blunder with five fouls.

The Blunder look completely overwhelmed and a potential 70-game loser this season. Going to be tough to fill the Ford Center in OKC, even with the most hardcore fans. who are forced to endure what Seattle fans were last season - Clay Bennett's utter decimation of a competitive team.

Next Loss: Monday vs Houston.

Bennett's Blunder's Broadway Debut: Brutal

Bennett's Blunder made their Broadway debut on Friday and the reviews were unanimous; this team is Blunderful!

Bennett's first New Your trip was a rounding success...if you're a Knicks fan. New York stormed out to a 30-point lead as they humbled the bumbling OKC/NBA experiment on Friday night, 116-106. The former Seattle Sonics team that was gutted and moved to the 45th largest market by idiot-du-jour Clay Bennett, pushed their current losing streak to six games. Seven, if you count the move. Eight, if you count the New York Knick tribute uniforms they wore...in New York. All interesting choices.

The Blunder are on pace to reach the mythical '70' plateau that few teams dare strive for. Chicago did it. The Lakers are on pace for it. Oh, that's right, those were for wins. OKC is on pace for 70 losses under Bennett, Stern and PJ's wrinkled, guiding hands. The 1973 Philadephia 76ers went 9-73 and Bennett's Blunder is on pace to tie or even break that record. Perhaps the torch will be passed tonight when the 76ers pin another loss on the Blunder.

As always, future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led OKC with 23 points on 8-21 shooting in 33 minutes. Surprising to see Durant logging 33 minutes while coming off of a sore ankle. Maybe sore ankles heal quicker in OKC. Maybe not.

Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph feasted on the Blunder for 29 points a piece. Joe Smith led the Blunder lowlights with 4 points in 16 minutes. Green, Collison and Westbrook led the Blunder in fouls (five) and in effort.

As this team sinks deeper into last place, morale can only be sinking lower, both for the players and the OKC fans. Bennett/Stern/PJ = Blunder.

Blunder record: 1-8.
Blunder outlook: Gloomy.
Next Loss: Saturday at Philadelphia.

Magic Touch Makes Bennett's Blunder Vanish

Titanic. Hindenberg. The Bush Administration. Add the Blunder to this list of disasters.

Dwight Howard's first career triple-double led the Orlando Magic over the Blunder on Wednesday, 109-92. Howard had 30 points, 19 boards and 10 blocks. The Blunder's disappearing act began immediately as the Magic cruised to a 32 point lead on Russell Westbrook's 0-11 first half shooting. He finished with 13 points on 3-19 from the field.

Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant sat out with a sore ankle. A sign of things to come? Durant has been carrying this team in scoring and minutes and it will catch up to him physically in this league.

Mouhamed Sene led the Blunder lowlights with one point, going 1-2 from the line. Former Washington State star Kyle Weaver scored his first career NBA field goal and finished with two points. Teams continue to feast on this disaster of a team Bennett has created, which is getting embarrassed at home, on the road and in the media. The players are giving all their effort early in the season, but as the losses pile up and morale sinks, how long until the effort wanes?

This team, created by Bennett and Stern to enable the move from Seattle, is embarrassing both for OKC and the league. Every day this ownership group and its relocation to OKC are looking like a huge mistake and a black eye on the league. Night after night this traveling circus gets blown out. You hate to see young talent beaten down and broken so early in their careers. It's simply not fair. They are forced to pay the price for Bennett's agenda and Stern's personal vendetta against Seattle.

I can see Durant having consistent ailments as he gets beaten down physically and mentally. Losing and low morale will taint this team and be difficult to reverse. Players will not want to play in OKC under this ownership group which has turned a once-proud Supersonic franchise into a public laughing-stock CBA team. No offense to the CBA intended.

Three weeks into the season and the games are not selling out in OKC. Can you blame them? They're now bearing witness to what Bennett did to Seattle fans with his decimation of the Sonics; a terrible product that he forced long-time Seattle fans endure. As much as OKC thought they were ready for an NBA team, this cannot be what they were imagining. From one fan to another - my condolences on your nightmare. It's likely only going to get worse, both for the team and the fans, as reality sets in on this ill-fated Blunder. Non of this is the players or the fans fault, yet they are being asked to pay the bar tab for weak, watered down drinks. Totally unfair.

Could this team lose 70 games? How long until OKC is asking for handouts to keep this team afloat financially? Bennett and Stern should be ashamed. Stern will more than likely leave his buddy Bennett high and dry and wring his hands of the situation. This team is a bust and a total OKCBlunder.

Next Loss: At New York - where the Blunder will get to display their Knick tribute uniforms for the fans. That should be fun.

ICEBERG - DEAD AHEAD!

Ford Drives Pacers Past Blunder

TJ Ford had 24 points and 10 assists to lead the Pacers past the Blunder in Indianapolis on Monday night, 107-99. Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant netted 37 points on 13-27 shooting in 40 minutes, another long night for the pride of Texas. The former Longhorn led offensively-challenged OKC for the 7th time this season, carrying the entire burden alone. How much longer can he carry this work load? PJ will burn out his only star if he doesn't dial down Durant's minutes and the pressure to carry the load every night on his young shoulders.

Desmond Mason led the Blunder low-lights going 0-5 for two points in 29 minutes and contributed a technical foul in the third quarter as the Blunder watched a ten point lead turn into yet another OKCBlunder. It has to be painful for these players, but don't blame them, blame Bennett. He decimated the team to help enable his coveted move. He got his wish, but this is the price. These are merely pieces left over from what once was a basketball team. It's going to be a long season in OKC for these players. It'll be an even longer one for the fans that will be expected to watch and financially support Bennett's blunder, on display night after losing night. According to attendance figures, the Blunder are not selling out the Ford Center...and we're only seven games into the season. Ouch.

No word on if the Indy crowd enjoyed the Blunder's New York Knick tribute uniforms.

Next loss: Wednesday vs. Orlando.

Hawks Hold Off Blunder - Stay Perfect

Joe Johnson scored 25 points and the Atlanta Hawks held off a late rally by the Blunder to remain a perfect 5-0 with an 89-85 victory Sunday in OKC. Four players scored in double figures for the suprising Hawks.

Future ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led OKC for the fifth straight game with 20 points, in 40 minutes. The Blunder managed a paltry 39% shooting from the floor. Perpetual center project Johan Petro led the Blunder low-lights with 2 points in 19 minutes.

Kevin Durant is already logging a lot of minutes early in the season and is carrying this team offensively. If he does not get some help soon he is going to get worn out before the all-star game or get injured before season's end. Let hope neither happens but as the minutes and contact pile up, something's gotta give because he's not a big guy.

The 1-4 Blunder missed a sellout for the second straight Sunday night.

Next Loss: Monday at Indiana.

Jazz Leave Blunder Singing the Blues

Jerry Sloane enjoyed his 1000th career win as the Jazz pummelled the Blunder Friday night, 104-97. The Blunder started off fast en route to a 29-point half-time deficit as they pushed their record under Clay Bennett's leadership to 1-4 while the Jazz improved to 5-0. Soon to be ex-Blunder Kevin Durant led the Blunder, as always, with 24 points. Chris Willcox led the Blunder lowlights with 2 points on 1-7shooting in 23 minutes as the Blunder missed their last 13 shots of the first quarter.

Carlos Boozer led four Utah players in double figures with 21 points. Andrei Kirilinko added 12 boards.

It was Utah coach Jerry Sloane's 1000th victory with the team. Sloane, a future hall of famer, took over for Frank Layden nearly 20 years ago and accomplished a feat (1,000 wins with one team) never before seen in sports, and not likely to be witnessed by a Blunder team except from the sidelines. Congratulations, Jerry. I am sure you'll have many more wins...especially against the Blunder.

OOOPS! Another OKCBlunder! From an article last week prior to 'opening night'. Oklahoma City officials did some scrambling to prepare the Ford Center's new NBA floor. The newly-purchased floor contained the wrong 3-point line and crews worked all night long making the corrections and getting it ready.

Tom Anderson, the Special Projects Manager at City Hall explained; "..It was set up at the Ford Center Monday and when we did the measurements we discovered the manufacturer had painted the 3-point line to collegiate standards rather than to NBA standards," he said. "The manufacturer had a team on standby ready to sand down the collegiate 3-point line and repaint the floors so the NBA 3-point line would be correct..."

While I do not support witchcraft, I do support comedy and this is too funny; http://cursethethunder.com/

Next Loss: Sunday vs Atlanta

Celtic Pride Crushes Bennett's Blunder

The Blunder raced out to their best first quarter output of the season Wednesday night, en route to their expected beat-down by the Celtics, 96-83. The Blunder that Bennett built jumped out to a 29-21 lead to delight the non-sellout OKC crowd, until Paul Pierce's 20 points led the Boston charge past the hapless Blunder.

Rockstar, superstar and soon-to-be ex-Blunder star Kevin Durant led OKC, as he always does, with 17 points, but had another poor shooting night in the former SuperSonics team's new gym. He went only 6-for-15 and is 18-for-50 this season at the Ford Center. Perhaps he is distracted by Thunderstruck playing every 30 seconds. Perhaps it's the copycat uniforms. Perhaps he was thinking about former Sonic all-star and current Celtic guard Ray Allen's 18 points...or maybe it was Allen's pre-game comments:

Ray Allen also faced the unique situation of playing his former team in the new city that it relocated to after last season. He was the SuperSonics' star player for more than four seasons before getting traded to the Celtics on draft day last year and was able to avoid the turmoil of the team's subsequent move from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

He talked before the game about how he hoped the NBA would return to Seattle and said again that he'd be willing to work to make that happen. "I think that's a good basketball part of the country. There's a lot of fans that are very knowledgeable to the game," Allen said. "If you throw out the disagreements that the city had with the ownership group, and it was just this past ownership group that sold to the Clay Bennett group that the city was somewhat disgruntled with, it definitely worked. I think just to have basketball not only in Portland but in Seattle, it only does better for the league."

Strong words from the usually soft-spoken Allen. A class act.

Damien Wilkins lead the Blunder low-lights with zero points in 10 minutes. Kyle Weaver matched him stride for stride with zero points but did break out with two assists. With performances like that it's understandable why the game was not sold out and the fans began their exodus in the third quarter. Being down by 17 sure didn't help.

Next Loss - Friday at Utah.

NBA's Hornets to Seattle?

Internet boards are alive with speculation George Shinn is selling the Hornets and the odds-on favorite to acquire them is none other than Steve Ballmer, CEO of Seattle's Microsoft.

According to a report from ESPN:

"George Shinn of owner of the Hornets has been listening to a lot of offers for the team. The lease is scheduled to end in 2010 if attendance trends continue the way they are. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is said to be the front runner to purchase the team and the NBA would back the move as they are already seeing revenue losses in the millions from the move to Oklahoma City."

I've been saying for months the OKC/NBA experiment would be a financial disaster and it's coming to fruition, just as common sense would dictate. The NBA had a great thing going in Seattle before the Bennett/Stern Blunder. Now their short-sighted foolishness is on display for everyone to see....especially the other owners.

Ballmer and his group should get right into the details of a new privately-funded multi-use arena. This is the kind of quality, big-picture ownership group that Seattle needs and deserves and who can get it done correctly this time.

This is, of course, merely speculation at this point. But it sure puts Seattle at the top of the list of destination cities for the NBA. Let's sit back and watch the show....and the Blunder losses pile up, both financially and on the court. Maybe Durant would want a second stint in the Jet City? The timing would be perfect.

Blunder Stumble! Perfect Season Over!

The Minnesota Timberwolves gave up the lead with under three minutes to go, allowing the OKCBlunder to pull ahead for good and wiping out the Blunder's chances for a perfect season. Al Jefferson had 24 points and 13 boards in the T-wolves losing effort. Soon to be ex-Blunder, Kevin Durant led the Blunder with 18 points. Damien Wilkins added nothing, leading the lowlights.

Next loss: Wednesday vs Boston.

BENNETT'S BLUNDER ROCKET TO FIRST LOSING STREAK!

Fresh off their opening night loss in OKC, the Blunder achieved another milestone: their first official losing streak, compliments of the Rockets Saturday night, 89-77. The team that owner Clay Bennett punished fans in Seattle with, to enable the move to the 45th largest market, are off on their quest to lose at every NBA city this season. You can scratch Houston off that list.

Chris Wilcox let the lowlights with two points on one-for six shooting and two rebounds. He also tied Blunder project-center Johan Petro with four fouls to lead the defeat. Soon to be ex-Blunder Kevin Durant had 26 points to go along with his look of shame at having to play, and lose, in the Blunder’s New York Knicks tribute uniforms for the first official time.

Tracey McGrady led Houston with 22 points as six Rockets scored in double figures against the Mighty Blunder. Newly acquired Ron Artest had 10 points. Carl Landry had 14 points and tied a career best with 11 rebounds for Houston. The Rockets made 27 of 31 free throws to the Blunders’ 9 for 12 performance.

Next loss: Sunday vs. Minnesota

College Football Roundup –

Graham Harrell threw for 474 yards and All-American Michael Crabtree grabbed a td pass with one second remaining as Texas Tech knocked off #1 Texas to remain unbeaten and firmly under the glare of the BCS spotlight. Now the speculation begins on what schools with open head coach positions will be courting Tech's innovative coach Mike Leach. You can start with Washington.

Overrated Tulsa proved they are not for real by losing to a tepid Arkansas team. Michigan’s 33 year bowl game streak ends with a 48-42 loss to Purdue. How long until the grumblings begin around Ann Arbor calling for Rich Rodriguez to be replaced by a Michigan man? Expect Stanford to be scouted closely as UM keeps an eye on alum Jim Harbaugh there.

In the battle of top quarterbacks Florida mauled Georgia 49-10 as the Bulldogs simply bumbled away the game with mistakes, missed field goals and turnovers. Matthew Stafford, possibly the #1 QB prospect in the country threw for 265 yards in the loss. Georgia outgained Florida 398 yards to 373. With the win Florida moves into sole possession of first place in the SEC East.

Washington and Washington State lost by a combined 114-0. Their annual rivalry game, The Apple Cup, will likely lull even the most die-hard fans to sleep.

Blunder Buck’d in OKC Debut

Amid pomp and circumstance OKC style, the NBA/OKCBlunder Experiment debuted with a resounding thud as the Blunder were thoroughly owned by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, 98-87. Milwaukee led by as much as 24 before the Blunder, surely motivated by the 100th playing of “Thunderstruck”, got it down to 11 to make the final score respectable.

A sellout crowd, including NBA King Crony David Stern and legend-in-his-own-mind Barry Switzer watched as Johan Petro missed the Blunder’s first official shot on his way to a 1-for-5 night, finishing strong with 2 points. Washington State alum Kyle Weaver led the lowlights with 1 assist in two minutes while soon-to-be ex Blunder Kevin Durant went scoreless in the first half en route to a 12-point performance.

Ironically, Earl Watson, the victim of an alleged racial incident at an OKC night club earlier in the week, scored the Blunder’s first basket. No word on if he was harassed after the game.

Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva each scored 20 points for Milwaukee who Buck'd up the Blunder debut in the NBA's 45th largest market. The team was previously in the 12th largest market in Seattle before the much-contested and ill-advised move to OKC. That move was propogated by the dismantling of the Sonic's talent base while in Seattle to make them the worst Sonics team ever, including their inaugaral 1967 season. A foolproof way to undermine fan support and a fundamental display of owner Clay Bennett's malevolence towards those fans who are a teams' primary revenue stream.

Surprisingly, the sold out Ford Center emptied early as the game wound down and the loss only a formality. Is this a sign of the future? Of a fan base that will grow weary of losing? That in a bad economic cycle, support of a bad team will erode? We will see.

With the team quickly solidifying its grip on last place, perhaps the team’s theme song should be changed to “Shot Down In Flames”.

OKCBlunder: 0-1

Next loss: Houston 11/1

ADDENDUM!

Someone posted the link below in my comments section - I feel obligated to share it with everyone. It's hysterical...please enjoy;

http://cursethethunder.com/

BLUNDER Season Forecast: Gloomy

Blunder ‘management’ spent two years decimating the franchise to enhance their ability to move. Now the OKC fans will be paying to watch the Kevin Durant show and little else. Durant’s contractually in OKC through 2010, so will he play all-star basketball or phone it in until he can leave? Do trade talks start this season or next?

The core of Green, Durant and Westbrook are intriguing, but oh so young. The loss of Ridnour may hurt more in the experience and chemistry department than anything else. Once again, this team has no center presence, a legacy brought to OKC. The former Sonics have not had a legitimate center since Jack Sikma. Ouch. Expect power forwards to do the rotating in the paint. Desmond Mason was likely acquired more for his “Local Player Comes Home” feel-good press release than his actual skills. He’s decent defensively but an offensive liability.

The battle between UCLA alums Earl Watson and Michael Westbrook will be fun to watch. Picking up Joe Smith for his veteran presence is an interesting choice. Don’t get it. Expect him, Watson and even others like Collison to be trade bait late in the season. How much effort will the mercurial Wilcox put forth?

PJ, a poor choice to begin with, will be on the hot seat as the losses pile up, creating a distraction to this team. This team may have a little success early on just feeding off of the fan’s enthusiasm, but over the long haul this team is not very good. The Blunder ownership group has been a public embarrassment. This will influence team decisions and free agent players desire to play there. I do not see difference-making players wanting to play for this ownership group. It’s just too toxic. They will have to overpay players to lure them and with the dire economic landscape, that may not even be possible.

Heart is what will determine this team; does the core of this team have the heart for the NBA/OKC Experiment or are they just biding their time until they can leave? The real story on this team will be speculation on who the next coach will be, what trades are looming and the impending Durant exodus. This team has stock piled draft picks, but how will they use them? The fans will love it…but how long will they embrace a loser? I do not see this team being a playoff contender for a long while.

With $30 million in losses projected for the Blunder this season, coupled with the massive financial losses their owners incurred on Wall Street, how long can they even stay in business? How can they offset these losses? Can the NBA survive under these conditions in OKC? How long until we hear rumblings about "relocation" or "new ownership group" looming?

Forecast: The Northwest Division is loaded with talent and that talent will run over OKC most of the season. This is a 25-30 win team and a last-place finisher. The OKC fans will have a blast, though.

OT - Harbaugh Auditioning for Future Michigan Gig?

With the Rich Rodriguez experiment floundering at Michigan so far, makes you look down the road at a potential successor. Rodriguez is a capable coach and did wonders at West Virginia with the spread offense, but he has one glaring thing missing – he’s not “a Michigan man” a term used by legend Bo Schembechler. Michigan has a long standing tradition of hiring coaches who came up through the UM coaching ranks and/or played there and it’s produced results. Then, curiously, they went outside after Les Miles turned them down and courted Rodriguez who brought his spread offense to the Big Ten.

I do not buy the spread as an offensive philosophy at Michigan. It’s an effective tool if you have lesser talent than your opponent; Spread ‘em out and hope for the big play. I get it. But Michigan has rarely been short on talent. It’s better suited for the Indiana’s and Minnesota’s, but not Michigan or Ohio State or Penn State who simply run over you. I am not knocking the spread at all. It’s a clever offense and can level the playing field by making it wider. But at Michigan?

2000 miles away in Palo Alto, Jim Harbaugh, the former Michigan Rose Bowl quarterback, is resurrecting the moribund Stanford program. They’re well coached, competitive and no longer the team you wish to see on your homecoming schedule. I know it’s very early to speculate, but I cannot help but see his growth as a coach corresponding with an unease growing at Michigan as they get away from fundamental UM football. The exact brand of football he could bring back to Ann Arbor.

A year ago Harbaugh stirred up trouble when he called out UM for not emphasizing academics for its athletes. He claimed athletes, including him, are steered towards majors that are less time consuming, leaving more times football. Many jumped all over him. Mike Hart claimed he was ashamed of Harbaugh and he was no “Michigan Man”. Statistics showed Harbaugh was correct. 81% of UM student/athletes had degrees ‘of lesser value’. Harbaugh is learning to coach the student/athlete at Stanford and do it well. The Cardinal's 24-23 win over top-ranked USC last year while being 41 point underdogs is proof of that. I can’t help but wonder if and when the Michigan fan base grows tired of the Rich Rodriguez experiment while watching a "Michigan Man” turn Stanford around, if just maybe ‘Ole Blue may come knocking on his door.

Did Seattle Get it Right This Time?

The Sonics are gone and it sucks. But that collective groan from the economy may shine some sunlight on Seattle and their decision to let the team walk. Had Seattle rushed into a new arena deal to appease Der Kommisar David Stern and his idiot puppet Clay Bennett, the situation could be much worse. With the stock and real estate market disasters, it’s hard to justify public funding of stadiums at this point in time. It seems the timing actually favored Seattle, who just escaped having to walk that slippery slope. We can look at Seattle's leadership and say they bumbled the whole Sonics situation, and it's true. But from another perspective they nailed it perfectly based on the current economic climate. Hindsight is always 20/20.

The economic crisis is sweeping into sports. The Cowboys, Jets and Giants new stadiums are finding difficulty securing the lucrative naming rights teams demand as quick, easy money. Maybe it is a good thing as some of these stadium names have become absurd. With the average U.S. consumer deciding between necessities and entertainment, I think we know which will win out. This is not about choosing between a movie and a game. This is about putting food on the table and gas in the car. More guns = less butter. It’s economics 101.

The move of the Sonics comes on the eve of the worst economic downturn in decades. OKC fully carries the burden of supporting this team financially while families must decide whether spending $200 to go watch a very bad team is a prudent move. Plenty can afford to, but to many in the middle, that’s a costly expenditure. Even the owners of the team are taking a beating, watching helplessly as their stocks and net worth plunge. Can OKC and its tiny market support a team through this? A much larger market, like Seattle, could likely do it with its large metropolitan area and entrenched fan base. But a new stadium at this time? Huh uh.

Even as Stern announces plans to help fund stadiums in China, the NBA is purging nearly 10% of its employees stateside. Stern's cockeyed dream of global dominance via a world-wide NBA presence fails to recognize there are already well-established leagues in the preferred world markets. Stern seems to ignore the NBA woes here where staff are losing jobs and revenue is down, while he dreams of overseas market share. Shouldn't it be fixed here first? Perhaps the NBA’s braintrust that urged uprooting a team from Seattle's 12th market to OKC's 50 market and also is pushing financial aid for stadiums in China, should be part of that staff purging. Oh, I guess that would include Stern, now wouldn't it?

Maybe Seattle got it right this time.

Last Blunder loss: LA Clippers
Next Blunder loss: Phoenix.
Preseason record: 1-4.
Team outlook: Blunderful.

ROUND UP: Blunder Bumbled, Sooners Humbled, Tigers Fumbled, Missouri Tumbled, Chesapeake Stock Crumbled

Behind seldom-used Marco Belinelli’s 22 points, Golden State avenged the loss of their mascot to the OKCBlunder, by thrashing them soundly Saturday night in Oakland, 122-102. The Blunder shot 38% from the field in the convincing defeat to keep their perfect preseason record intact at 0-3. The Warriors thoroughly dominated in avenging OKC’s selfish absconding of the Warriors beloved mascot 'Thunder'. On the road, with their best player suspended for 30 games and sans mascot, they overcame crushing adversity to bitchslap the Blunder. Still wearing their Knicks tribute uniforms, OKC were led by soon-to-be ex-Blunder Kevin Durant’s 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Next loss; Monday at Houston.

The top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners were humbled in the Red River War as Texas used a 25-7 run to knock off the Sooners in Dallas, 45-35. LSU fumbled for the first time in 612 rushes and is pummeled by Florida, 51-21 in the Swamp. Missouri tumbles from the ranks of unbeatens, falling to OK State 28-23.

Blunder co-owner and Chesapeake Energy CEO, Aubrey McLendon, purportedly dumped more than 33 million shares of Chesapeake stock after shares tumbled to close at $16.52 on Friday, slightly off from its 52 week high of $74. Chesapeake stock sank so low the company is cashless and could not meet it's margin calls on Wall Street. It's currently classified as a 'don't buy' by analysts. Blunder tickets also will soon be classified as 'don't buy' when it's clear to fans that the team that Bennett decimated so he could move them to OKC, is never going to be competitive under his bumbling regime. With losses mounting and Durant counting his days, tickets to this disaster are an unwise investment. The only way the Blunder could lure superstar talent to Tornado Alley is to overpay them. Now, that's not even an option. You don't need a market analyst to understand that...especially in a recession. Another Blunder Bumble.

Blunder Bumble; Push Streak To Two

The OKCBlunder extended their losing streak and remained a perfect 0-2 in the 2008 NBA preseason with a 94-85 loss to the Sacramento Kings Friday night.

Bobby Brown delighted the Sacramento crowd with a performance to remember. Not Bobby Brown the no-talent crackhead; Bobby Brown the undrafted rookie who played in a total of 11 games last year in Germany. He torched the Blunder’s ‘defense’ for 22 points while hoisting up 12 in the fourth quarter. Blunder coach P.J. Carlisimo had no answer for the unknown rookie but did lead the charge to the locker room at game’s end.

Once again, the Blunder played in their New York Knick tribute jerseys. All except Kevin Durant who sat this one out. Durant was 'given the day off.' Maybe he’s exhausted from the Minnesota loss on Tuesday. Maybe he’s embarrassed to put on the Blunder 'uniform' which have been described as lame, totally unoriginal and bland. Most expect the Blunder to be in their Nuggets tribute jerseys for their first home loss Saturday night in OKC. A sellout is expected.

Blunder minority owner Aubrey McLendon, according to reports, has been very busy involuntarily selling "substantially all'' of his common shares of Chesapeake stock over the past three days to meet margin loan calls. Maybe he'll 'liquidate' his home-opener tickets to some lucky fan.

Kings team officials, keeping a wary eye on the Blunder after OKC's thievery of the Golden State Warriors ‘Thunder’ mascot, confirmed that beloved King's Mascot 'Slamson' was safe in Sacramento. With Golden State playing at OKC Saturday night, speculation was raging as to what the Warriors may steal as payback for the loss of their mascot 'Thunder' to the OKCBlunder. When most realized OKC had nothing worth taking, speculation ceased. Let’s hope Golden State leaves with at least a big win.

Next Blunder loss: Golden State

Blunder Bumble in Billings Debut!

Billings, Montana. Big Sky Country. The sight of the first, of what will surely be many, OKC Blunders. The Blunder rallied from a one-point half time lead to lose convincingly in their NBA debut to the God-awful Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night, 88-82.

The Blunder, wearing their New York Knicks tribute uniforms, raced out to a 71-62 third quarter lead, only to watch helplessly as the T-wolves (the T is for talentless) overcome OKC's weak coaching, tepid enthusiasm and silly uniforms, for a very rare win. The Blunder, coming off of a 20-win season thanks to the total depletion of talent, stayed close with last year's 21-win T'Wolves, who showed OKC who's the boss.

Soon to be ex-OKCBlunder, Kevin Durant, had ten points and 7 rebounds for this Presti/Bennett-made disaster of a team.

OKC's next loss? Sacramento.

BLUNDERSTRUCK!

I reviewed the unveiling video again. It keeps making me chuckle. All the small town pomp and circumstance and the lightning flashing on the opening video. Lightning? I get that thunder comes after lightning, but can’t they create a thunder visual for the audience? I suppose if you close your eyes and concentrate on the sound, its genius. Maybe the Blunder is actively courting the sight-challenged audience, and kudos to them for that. Few will want to actually witness the disaster on the floor.

The announcing crew, one a former Seattleite and the other a “Pinto”, called the uniforms ‘classic’. Apparently, the logos colors are red for OU, orange for OSU, sky blue for the flag and yellow for the sun. Yet the uniforms are orange and blue. When I think of sun and sky I think of California or Arizona. When I think of thunder I visualize dark, stormy skies. It’s no biggie, I just find the colors to be fundamentally contradictory, like, say a ‘man possessed’. That walk of shame the players were forced to do, you could see the annoyance on their faces and in their body language.

In its newest negative impact on the NBA, OKC is now stealing Golden State’s thunder...literally. According to the AP, Golden State is rethinking their 12 year-old mascot, Thunder, after OKC announced their own Thunder moniker. "We're clearly going to do something to accommodate Oklahoma City and not have our mascot named Thunder," Warrior team President Robert Rowell said. "For the sake of not making things confusing, we're going to do something. We just have to figure out a good exit strategy." Another tacky move by the OKC/NBA Experiment.

OKC thugs a team, blatantly rips off other team’s uniforms and colors, borrow their logo from Doritos, ruin AC/DC and now, as the last great act of defiance, are weaseling in on Golden State’s mascot. Wow. Not a single original idea from these clowns. The OKC/NBA Experiment; Dumming it Down! Thank you, David Stern! May we have another?

Ok, I will finally admit it; the uniforms are definitely classic.
The Knicks and Nuggets have been wearing them for years!

You’ve been BLUNDERSTRUCK!

Here's a link to the youtube video. Warning: watching may cause nausea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC-6smsy_Uk

This just added: Ray Ratto, from the San Francisco Chronicle, had some thoughts on the thugging of the Warriors mascot. Here are some excerpts:

The Warriors learned that, because of the staggering lack of originality displayed by the Oklahoma City franchise (formerly Seattle), they no longer can bring us the mute acrobatic stylings of Thunder.

The Oklahoma City people, who in selecting the nickname Thunder showed the same gift for imagination and creativity one finds in a copying machine.

And now - gone, someone else's property because Clay Bennett, the Oklahoma City owner, considers a grilled-cheese-on-white, iced-tea-with-Splenda for lunch to be out-of-the-box thinking.

But hey, one man's inability to seize opportunity is another man's lotto score.

The entire article is posted here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/03/SPM413AETD.DTL

OKCBLUNDER Uniforms Unveiled - BLUNDERFUL!

First impressions! We finally get the new uniforms and after all the build-up, this is the result of the collective brain trust in Oklahoma? A color scheme and logo that has nothing to do with Oklahoma or even Thunder?

The NBA in OKC - Where Blunder Happens!

The blue/orange thing is fine, but after all these years of pining for an NBA team in OKC, of all the styles, options and choices they could make...this is the best Bennett and his ilk could do? They look like the Knicks, the Hornets, the Nuggets and half of the NBA. They are furiously devoid of creative uniqueness which seems spot-on apropos for a group that has bumbled this at every turn. Not ugly, not awesome...just simply indifferent.

They took a potentially menacing, albeit generic logo, Thunder, and stuck a yellow smiley face on it. Where's the dark, moody colors or intimidating logo? The sky blue is allegedly an homage to Oklahoma's sky blue flag. Isn't the sky cloudy and black when Thunder is rolling through it?

Merchandising is a huge part of the NBA pyramid scheme. With the Blunder's Dorito logo and generic jerseys, it’s hard to imagine anyone outside of OKC jumping on the bandwagon. They will never maximize profit potential this way. With the economy spiraling downward, you have to fight for the consumer dollar. A killer logo and color scheme would've at least made non-fans consider consuming OKC hats and jerseys, simply out of the novelty of a new team. Consumers will consume. There is nothing unique or awesome about this team's uniform or logo to consume. A missed opportunity. Watching the video of the unveiling, you could just see Durant cringing and asking himself "how much longer do I have to be in this disaster movie?"

The failure to create a logo/uniform that satisfies the fans and the team, while maximizing it's potential in the marketplace, is indicative of an ownership group that has a small market mentality in a big market game. It's further proof that this group is unlikely to take this team to the next level. It's a dagger to the OKC fans who've yearned for an opportunity like this, only to watch it bumbled on several levels.

It's ironic that Bennett and Presti’s agenda in Seattle was to decimate the team to ease to move to OKC. They may never be able to build it back up from the same cellar they created. The team, picked dead last in the NBA power rankings, has a good chance of staying there for a long time because of one blunder after another, CBA uniforms and because NBA superstar talent, like Durant, need and deserve a bigger stage than the 45th market can possibly provide. Durant is likely long gone at his first chance. Just like OKC’s chance for a good first impression is long gone.

Blunder on Montlake, Part II

Is it time to start rewriting the Husky record books? Will this team set all-time records for yards allowed, points, fewest sacks? Sadly, the worst has yet to come; Arizona will tee off on the Dawgs; USC, I don't want to think about that. They may hang 70 and 700 yards on UW. The worst will be when Neuheisel comes in and hangs 55 on them. Will the humiliation for this team, its fans and this once-proud university ever end? What can Emmert and the gang be thinking and saying behind closed doors? Their complicity is raging.

Getting steamrolled by Stanford used to be an oxymoron. Now the only morons are holding clipboards on the Husky sidelines. This simply goes beyond embarrassment. I've said it before and it's worth repeating; the water is tainted. Saturdays have become a public humiliation offered up by the worst coaching staff in UW history. A total package of incompetence; No athletes. No coaching. No spirit in the players. Another display of fundamental-free football. Ty has to go. For the sake of the future of the program. Even for his own future, coaching at ANY program, which is dimming as the embarrassing losses pile up. At this rate he’ll never get another coaching opportunity. I’m actually starting to feel bad for HIM.

Ok, I am back to my senses.

How many passes were dropped out there today? I watched Georgia/Alabama and those receivers snagged every pass that was even close to them. Countless passes on the numbers were dropped by UW receivers. No effort at all. How many plays does UW have in the play book? Six, tops? How on earth can they not have any imagination on offense? Do they not realize how easy they make it for opposing teams to prepare for them? Stop Jake. Well, that's been done. The new strategy for beating UW: just show up.

Jake Locker could be the best athlete in the Pac 10 and the worst passer. It was like a comedy reel watching his passes repeatedly sail so far off the mark. How is it possible he is not getting better in that department in his second full season? Seems like coaching would address that. Astonishingly, it has not. Had he been properly coached, Locker could be the ultimate weapon. You cannot say enough about his effort.

Once again on display was a team with ZERO in the fundamentals department...cannot pass OR catch, or tackle, or rush the passer or...this is getting tiresome. Tough to win many games that way…simply atrocious coaching.

Fouch looks pretty good for a freshman, have to give him credit, he scored as many points as Jake did and has a far superior accuracy. If Jake comes back, why not have Fouch stay at QB and put Jake in at tailback? The backs they have now don't even look fully grown. Can this team keep it together for the November 22 trip to Pullman for their high school game of the week against WSU? It may be the only win salvageable.

Let’s hope Pinkel is looking north and looking for a new challenge.

Tebow: NFL Wonder or Next UF Blunder?

The 6'3 240 pound Heisman-winning NFL prospect will have to make a decision soon on a senior year at Florida or an early entrance to the NFL. Barring a fluke, Tebow will surely be a top 5 pick in next year's draft and will be earmarked 'franchise quarterback'. So, is Tim Tebow the next great NFL quarterback prospect or just the latest in a long line of overachieving Florida quarterbacks that never pan out in the NFL? Fans and skeptics are already lining up to debate.

Tebow certainly puts up impressive stats in a tough conference, although it seems unlikely he'll top last year's Heisman performance. This season Tebow threw for a meager 137 yards against Hawaii, a team that traveled 5,000 miles to play them, 256 yards passing against a young Miami team and s paltry 96 yards against a very average Tennessee team. He has 118 yards rushing for the 3-0 Gators. Certainly not outlandish numbers. By comparison, Jake Locker of the 0-3 Washington Huskies threw for 103 yards against Oregon, 204 against undefeated BYU and 154 against undefeated Oklahoma. Locker has 163 yards rushing. So, with superior stats against superior competition, should Locker be a Heisman candidate and top 5 pick, too?

For Tebow to have a chance he needs to develop the ability to drop back and stay in the pocket, looking to pass. He thrives in the 'broken play' type of offense where he can air it out or run at will. Against today's athletic NFL linebackers he simply will not be able to outrun them and the punishment they inflict is what gives offensive coaches nightmares.

The franchise qb cannot be a runner first in the NFL. Just ask Vince Young, an athlete superior to Tebow who's still struggling to master the NFL passing game. Running quarterbacks can thrive in college but have a short NFL lifespan in the NFL. Michael Vick may be the only exception, but we'll never know. Maybe Tebow's best option will be to switch positions in the NFL, a reciever or tight end. He'd have to bulk up for the latter but he's athletic enough to make it in intriguing option.

Why is life in the NFL so fleeting for UF quarterbacks? Grossman, Leak, Wuerffel, Matthews; it's a who's who of gaudy college stats, but little NFL success. Are they just surrounded by better, faster playmakers in college? Are Florida coaches sacrificing the development of pass-first quarterbacks for the short term success of the broken play scramble? Has parity in the NFL revealed them to be simply average players? I mean, we've all seen Grossman play

The jury is still out on Tebow's NFL prospects. He seems to be a great candidate, but we've seen that before. We know he'll go early, we know he'll be a top pick. What remains to be seen is whether he is another one-trick pony from the Swamp or a Florida QB that finally breaks out of the pack to thrive in the NFL.

Washington Husky Football - The Blunder...

After witnessing another pathetic display of football in Husky Stadium on Saturday, it's time to make the decision. Emmert hitched his wagon to Tyrone Willingham and the result has been an unqualified disaster. Washington football has sunk to unprecedented depths. I've never witnessed a Husky team so devoid of any competitiveness. This team is bordering on an all-time low...a complete embarrassment. This is Kansas from the 80's. And I don't mean the rock band.

Against Oklahoma...where do I even begin? A complete lack of basic NCAA-level fundamentals was on display for a national audience to see; no basic blocking or tackling, ball exchange misery, kicking woes, a lifeless group of players going through the motions. A 265 pound tight end out ran Washington's secondary. Pathetic.

At what point to you assess the damage and move on? We are entering a phase where irreparable damage is now being done to the program. This is not a historically moribund program; they've won 15 PAC-10 titles, 7 Rose Bowls, a National Title. How will the next administration be able to resurrect this team after Tyrone and his staff of utter incompetents have buried it so deeply? This affects recruiting and the ability to bring in a real staff of football coaches. The water here is tainted and it's spreading rapidly and for all to see.

I do wonder if Emmert is afraid to pull the trigger. Is he more afraid of the known or the unknown? I wonder if the hangover from the Don James era still lingers on campus. James had become so powerful within the U-Dub that even Barbara Hedges ego was happy to see him leave. She proved it by her complicity towards the sanctions. Old news? maybe. Is Washington afraid of becoming a football power again? Is this administration happy being simply an academic institution? Whatever the case may be, James set the standard very high...perhaps even unattainable. I feel that you have to try, for the players, fans, school pride and the city.

We all expected Oklahoma to beat Washington. Consistently watching these slow, lifeless drones that cannot compete, play fundamental football or make strides...that's coaching. Coaching is the ability to maximize the potential of a team. Either this entire football team has never played before or the coaching staff has absolutely bumbled this task. Perhaps this team has been over-coached and the players just cannot learn the system. Again, that's a coaches responsibility to analyze and adapt.

Washington is about to embark on a stretch where they can win three games. The wins will be a band-aid and allow some breathing room for Ty. Make no mistake; the wounds are deeper than that. This system, whatever it is, doesn't work. Jake Locker won't last the season in this system. Don’t let the upcoming wins blur the reality of this situation; this team has no fundamental skills, talent, motivation, or a coaching staff that can figure that out.

I think Tyrone Willingham has something to offer the football world, although I am not sure where his skill set applies. Since the days at Stanford he has always been caught on-camera in that stern 'deep thinker' pose, suggesting a superior intellect. I was fooled for a while. But now I believe that look is either his 'asleep at the wheel' look or him simply realizing he has no idea what is going on. He knows he's a dead man walking. His players look just like that, too.

OT: WSU - BLUNDER!

Not to be out-done by their hated cross-state rivals, Washington State made headlines of their own this week on the heels of the school's worst-ever gridiron loss.

After WSU’s 66-3 nail-biting loss to Cal, PAC-10 executives have decided enough is enough. In a statement never issued, officials announced they are dropping the Cougar football team from the PAC 10 after the latest on-field embarrassment. Rumors are swirling that Pullman High School will replace WSU in the PAC 10 and will play their home games at Martin Stadium, fulfilling contractual obligations and continuing the tradition of miserable road trips for PAC-10 foes. Pullman High is coming off a convincing 33-6 win over Ellensberg, known mostly for its Angus Beef cattle ranches and full-figured coeds.

WSU’s gridiron expulsion caught many by surprise. Former Cougar star quarterback Drew Bledsoe refused comment, but did manage to mumble “Shame about Brady, huh...?” He then drove away giggling, sticking pins in what appeared to be a crude, Tom Brady look-alike straw doll.

Unconfirmed reports claim much-maligned former WSU quarterback and short-lived San Diego Charger, Ryan Leaf, was even less forthcoming. When asked for comment he only managed to throw a wicked sneer our way. The sneer fell incomplete and immediately divided the locker room, hurting morale and frustrating the coaches.

Pullman players and coaches began boarding buses for the long drive to Waco where a thorough pummeling is expected to take place at the hands of the Baylor Bears. The game will be on FOX Sports. School officials are asking players and parents for gas money and lunchables for the long trip. An extra large supply of Band Aids and ice packs are also being requested.

WSU went into two-a-day practice mode in anticipation of Saturdays game against soon-to-be bitter rival Moscow High School. The game will be webcast compliments of Moscow Radio Shack employee, Marvin Huang.

OT: NCAA BLUNDER!

Jake Locker plunged into the endzone with two seconds left on the clock. A conversion kick away from tying BYU. Locker flips the ball innocently in the air to celebrate with his euphoric teammates. A referee flags him for excessive celebration, moving the ball back fifteen yards. The ensuing P.A.T was blocked and the game was lost. The national media immediately condemned the officials for the moronic call. The outcry was unanimous.

Another blundering example of the NCAA’s over-legislation of the game. Every year new rules are implemented, some good, some bad, but in the end...simply too many unneeded changes. It's overkill. You need an advanced degree to even fathom these changes and an assistant to keep you up-to-date on them.

I checked out the new rule changes for the 2008 season. Aside from the asinine anti-celebration rule, which is among the most ridiculous in all of sports, is the new face-mask penalty. The unintentional 5 yarder is gone - it's now a mandatory 15 yarder regardless of intent or severity. And according to the new rules; When in question it is a foul. (A.R. 9-1-2-XV). That same, inherently-flawed philosophy cost Washington a shot at a simple extra point and a 50% chance of winning the game in overtime.

To say the Husky kicker should have made the kick is a legitimate point of view, but consider this; after the penalty, BYU coach Bronco Mendanhall admittedly changed his defensive strategy, deciding on an all-out rush to block the attempt. From three yards out (vs. the 18 yards out as a result of the penalty) the defense rushes fewer players to safeguard against a fake kick that could result in a two-point conversion. With that threat all but eliminated from the penalty, the strategy changed, directly affecting the outcome.

Washington fought a fierce battle against 15th ranked BYU and appeared to be on the verge of something big. A threshold moment for this much maligned team, and their coach Tyrone Willingham, his job is on the line...and I do not mean metaphorically. To have poor judgment from a bystander decide the outcome is simply unacceptable. This is not the first example, nor will it be the last, of an idiotic interpretation of rules hurting the games by unfairly affecting the outcome. It hurts the players and the fans.

This celebration rule is obnoxious and inappropriate. To ask kids to play an emotional game and not react emotionally is simply stupid. That’s precisely what makes sports great – the outpouring of emotion by players and fans. What’s next? Banning fans cheering? Ludicrous, right? Don’t be so sure that’s not next. Yes, there are scattered acts of players taunting. Penalize them! Don’t penalize the majority because of the mistakes of the few.

This is equivalent to banning smiling after a good orgasm...and another example of a complete lack of common sense.

A Blunderwhelming Debut

OKC revealed their colors and logo amid tepid fanfare in Oklahoma City on Thursday. The underwhelming choice for a Dorito's inspired logo and California colors sent fans scratching their heads.

What’s surprising is the lack of support. Where was Stern? Where were the local celebrities? Where was Kevin Durant? An unconfirmed reports claims the dog walker for Oklahoma's own prodigal son, Garth Brooks, may have done a walk-by, but that's it.

I read press 'reports' from the local OKC paper, owned by Clay Bennett’s wife. I have to share some gems with you that honestly made me laugh out loud. The link is below with some gems I plucked out... http://newsok.com/thunder-wear-sets-new ... 1220590270

XP Events, the Thunder's merchandising partner, works with six pro franchises. According to XP Events president Alan Fey, non-game day sales records were established for the company at both the team store in downtown Oklahoma City and online.

A record for the company. A company that distributes merchandise for SIX teams. What teams? They could be teams from minor league baseball, CBA, CFL, WNBA, or the WHL. No sales figures or comparisons are presented. What was the previous record? Non game-day sales records? C'mon. If the record or the teams that "XP Events" repped were significant, they'd be mentioned, right? Journalism 101. A very clumsy spin attempt.

The team store "...opened up two hours early." Two hours earlier than what? Wasn't that it's first day?

"The buzz around town has created quite a demand.” Good grief. Statement of the obvious.

Sadly, the most revealing observation may have been this; "Desmond Mason, a veteran NBA forward who played at Oklahoma State, signed autographs...''

Um, excuse me but...WHERE'S KEVIN DURANT? It's a bad sign when your lone star is AWOL because you know they begged him to come so press would show up. The face of the franchise said NO THANKS.

If OKC wants to be a big league city their local media had better mature in a hurry. This kind of desperate and clumsy reporting reeks of beginning collegiate journalism.