SonicsGate at the OKC/Memphis game - GENIUS!

Those who tuned in to game three of the Oklahoma City Thunder/Denver Nuggets NBA Playoff series on April 23 might have noticed a smattering of green behind the OKC bench, coupled with the sweet sound of cowbell. That would have been Jason Reid, Adam Brown, Colin White and Jeff Scoma, aka the Sonicsgate crew. And it's a scene that the league is only going to see more of, according to the rabble rousers.

Sonicsgate: Requiem for a Team--as every Pacific Northwest sports fan should know--is a film that chronicles how the Seattle SuperSonics ended up in Oklahoma City thanks to the shady dealings of ex-Sonics owner Howard Schultz, OKC-owner Clay Bennett, NBA Commissioner David Stern and a handful of other villains.

The folks behind the movie, however, have never been content with just telling people to watch their film or directing them to their website.

Sonicsgate producer Adam Brown most recently showed up at Howard Schultz's book signing event in Issaquah and captured another fan heckling him about selling the Sonics (before Brown himself was thrown out for simply wearing Soncis gear).

Anyhow, back to the playoff appearance. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd_BRsXpgJw&feature=player_embedded

Seattle Weekly spoke with Sonicsgate Director Jason Reid today. He says the crew's appearance at the game was part of their "No Team Is Safe" campaign, which aims to remind teams across the league that, at any time, their team might be snatched away just like the Soncis were.

"With the Thunder in the playoffs we thought it was necessary to make an appearance and show everyone that we won't be silenced until we get an NBA team back in Seattle," says Reid. "It's really about letting national media know Seattle deserves a franchise back."

Brown also says that he and his supporters plan on shifting their efforts toward convincing local leaders to build a new stadium or to renovate Key Arena.

"Look, we can make all these appearances, but the bottom line is we need to build new arena," says Reid. "And we want to start moving toward realizing that goal. The Sonics army is more fired up and angry then ever. Seeing the Thunder in the playoffs, that should be our team playing at Key Arena."

CAN THE GRIZZ MAUL THE BLUNDER?

Fresh off an upset of the top-seeded Spurs, can Memphis ride that momentum and take down the Zombie Sonics? We'll find out soon enough as the Western Conference semi-final match-up between 8th seeded Memphis and the fourth seeded Blunder tips off on Sunday. The biggest win in franchise history was also their first playoff series win for the team that originated in Vancouver before moving east. Ironically, they are matched up in the second round against the other team from the Northwest that was hijacked and hauled away, the Seattle Supersonics.

Memphis, which has come out of nowhere to suddenly become the hottest team in the playoffs, won the regular season series against the Blunder, 3-1. The teams match up fairly evenly; both are young and athletic. The Blunder made a great acquisition by picking up Kendrick Perkins from the Celtics to provide much-needed muscle in the paint. He’ll be tasked with minimizing Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph's offense down low. Both came up huge in the San Antonio series with Randolph making several clutch shots and free throws down the stretch, a remarkable feat for a big man.

The Blunder have two-time NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant leading the offense. He averaged 32 ppg vs. Denver and will likely be just as unstoppable in this series.

This is the second consecutive playoff appearance for the Blunder since the hijacking from Seattle (where they won their only world championship) and this gives them an edge in experience, which is ironic considering they are among the youngest, albeit most talented, teams in the league. That said, Memphis has momentum and is playing with no fear. Embracing the underdog role - the Grizz have nothing to lose and that can often trump talent in the playoffs. The pressure is now on the Blunder to perform - the first time they have had to face expectations since the move. This should be a great and very hard fought series.

I am taking the (former Vancouver)n Grizzlies to knock off the Zombie Sonics in 6 games and shock the world and advance to the Western Conference Finals...probably against the Lakers.