The NBA Cares...About Money

I've never really understood this one unique aspect of American sports: teams moving cities.

I mean, it's like Liverpool FC is moving to Sheffield, I mean the club is called Liverpool!

I was confused when I first go to Rochester after hearing about the Cleveland Browns becoming the Baltimore Ravens, when previously the Baltimore Colts had become the Indianapolis Colts.

Wait, how does Cleveland become Baltimore, I mean that's two completely different cities?! And the Browns become the Ravens? But there used to be the Baltimore Colts, which were now the Indianapolis Colts? And then, another Cleveland Browns appeared out of nowhere....

And now, the Seattle SuperSonics, an integral part of the Pacific Northwest for the last 45 years is moving to Oklahoma City.

Why?

Well, back when Hurricane Katrina was wreaking havoc, the New Orleans Hornets relocated temporarily to Oklahoma City and the fan support was through the roof (I mean these were passionate fans, College Football-like fans). The NBA realized that they needed a franchise there, stat, but realized the incredible PR hit they would take if they moved a team from New Orleans away considering how devastated the city was.

Of course, the New Orleans Hornets used to be the Charlotte Hornets. There used to be a New Orleans Jazz, which eventually became the Utah Jazz. And now there is a team called the Charlotte Bobcats.

New Orleans...Charlotte...Utah...Hornets...Bobcats...Jazz...

See, told you it was confusing.

Anyway, back to the hapless Sonics. Apparently the NBA was mad that Seattle refused to use taxpayer dollars to pay for a new stadium, and engineered a deal to surreptitiously move the franchise away.



There have been lawsuits, accusations, hand-wringing from the previous owner, Starbucks mogul Howard Schultz, but at the end of the day the denizens of Seattle refused to use the taxes they pay to line the pockets of millionaires (what a novel concept for the prevailing conservative economic policies!), and the NBA punished them for it.

Oh well, what're you gonna do. It's another example of how professional sports, despite the hoary, sepia-toned, gag-inducing puff pieces NBC and ESPN are so good at putting out, are all about one thing: money.

And the poor fans are left holding the bag.

LINKS

ESPN: Sonics Saga