Flagrant Foul

In an article this week, Seattle Times sportswriter Steve Kelley points out that two members of the Seattle Supersonics ownership group, Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward, have had no problems putting huge money where their homophobia is. Like principal owner Clay Bennet (who negotiated the deal with Starbucks' big barrista Howard Schultz), McClendon and Ward hail from Oklahoma City, a place where groups like "Americans United to Preserve Marriage" have no problem attracting fans. Seattle, however, is a different kettle of smoked salmon - in the aftermath of the 2004 election, the flagship weekly The Stranger advocated Seattle joining other Blue State metropoli in seceding from the Union.

The problem for McClendon and Ward is that the Sonics are trying to attract fans to Seattle's Key Arena, and state legislators towards handing over $300 million for a new arena in suburban Renton. These same legislators tend to be Democrats, and stiffen at the sight of big money Red State intolerance. It probably doesn't help that these new Sonics owners also gave generously to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004.

The National Basketball Association itself is somewhat conflicted when it comes to issues of tolerance and diversity. The league didn't officially recognize John Amaechi's coming out, but they did tell Tim Hardaway to stay away from Las Vegas during last month's All-Star Game. A major factor in the survival of the WNBA has been the support of the Lesbian community in a number of key markets, including Seattle. If the Sonics do relocate to Oklahoma City as many have speculated, it's highly unlike that their sister team, the Seattle Storm, will be coming along.

Which brings this page to what this might be really about. Kelley's piece may really be a planned leak to help drive Olympia and King County taxpayers further from supporting a new arena, making it all the more easy for Bennett and his troglodyte associates to pack up the hardwood and go home to Oklahoma with a shiny new major league sports franchise (the area's first) in tow. Just prior to the news about McClendon and Ward's investments in intolerance, Bennett made it clear that his group would by no means be responsible for cost overruns on the new Renton arena. In order to allow relocation, the NBA needs proof that the Sonics owners have done everything they could in Seattle, and so far, they've done everything they could...to turn Seattle off of the Sonics.