OKC BLUNDER

Well, we've gone from one NBA disaster to the next. The "new ball" debacle to the "suits on benches" attempt to show the NBA's authority. What a joke. Now this.

The Seattle Supersonics shamefully pried away from their beloved home of 41 years. Now, countless victories, bitter rivalries, nail-biting finishes, conference championships, playoff runs and a long established fan base are all wiped away and ignored. Screw the fans. Right?

All because of giant egos.

Clay's Bennett's lust for the biggest toy in the state starts the sad story. His single-handed dismantling of the Sonics franchise, at the expense of Seattle fans, is a shameful sin for the ages and another black eye on a league already struggling with bad press and waning fan interest. A man so focused on his goal of the NBA in OKC, he dismissed fans and players and the stability of the team to crush any interest in Seattle. The Sonics, under his tenure, were the worst in team history as he traded valuable players away, further damaging the on-court product. All of this a thinly veiled attempt to push away local fans to build for a future in an other state.

Ego.

He even sunk so low as to move the long-standing radio broadcasts down the dial in another attempt to further alienate the fanbase. Classy. He even refused to promote the team or allow player interviews, assuring minimal media interest, because his only plan was moving the team as quickly as possible. Yet the fans still came. Bennett executed his sabateur's plan to destroy the franshise in front of everyone's eyes while the NBA stayed complicit. Bennett has shown himself to be the ultimate poor sportsman; an egotistical 'me-first' player in a league where teamwork is the key.

Ego.

The biggest ego in the game, David Stern, backed his friend's plan from the beginning. Stern was an enabler for Bennett. Why? Why would someone want to allow a great franchise to be pried away by a dispicable snake-oil salesman? It helps fulfill two of Stern's personal agendas; punishing Seattle for having the basket-sized balls to stand up to him and his endless demands for more arena funding. After all, how could any city and state consider local fiscal responsibility before the NBA's? Well, Seattle did and the 12th largest market in the country was swapped for the 45th. Does this make sense? Of course not. Until you consider Stern's other motivations.

By exploiting the 'vast' OKC market, Stern allows intrusion onto Mark Cuban's Dallas Maverick market. A move of pure spite aimed at agitating the outspoken Cuban who, along with Portland TrailBlazer owner Paul Allen, were the two votes against relocation. Business-wise, Cuban knows this move makes no sense. No one believes it does.

Except two massive egos.

The true cost of this ego trip, as always, will be paid by the fans. Some going back 41 years.