bfan makes a good point: what's the next step in your eyes?

Actually, the Key does have some major wiring problems, as evidenced by the numerous technical difficulties they've had during games over the years. So they do have a good reason to get an arena with a more modern plan.

However, I agree completely with your main point. The NW would be quite a different place without the Sonics. I don't think Oklahoma City would be a very good fit for the Sonics, either.

Not only did I lose my team, I had to watch as every couple of years MLB would promise Washington a new team only to discover it was lip service.  I tell you there is only one form of lip service that has any value and this wasn't it.  It took almost 40 years for a team to be back in Washington.  (Of course I ended up becoming an Oriole fan.  Talk about pain and suffering.)

So I know about losing your team.  And for the life of me, I can't get too upset about Clay Bennett.  

If Seattle fans want to be angry, the guy to be angry at is Howard Schultz.  After all, he's the guy who sold the team to out of town buyers.  I don't care what they say, when you have an ownership group from out of town, relocation, while not a given, is a good possibility.  Everybody knew that the moment Bennett and company were announced as the new owners.

The second group the fans should be angry with are those wealthy Seattlites who did not step up to the plate when Schultz put the team up for sale.  The folks coming forward now are a day late and probably a few dollars short.

You might possibly have reason to blame Stern.  But in the end, his stance on this was predetermined.  There is no way the league's owners are going to want to restrict their ability to relocate their teams, or more importantly, limit the potential pool of buyers, should they ever want to sell their teams.  Simple market forces dictate that the more potential bidders for a team, the better the sale price.

If the owners won't stand against it, do you really think Stern is going to?  There is also the extra bonus of freeing up a large market for possible expansion.  Guess who gets the expansion fees?  The owners.

One party I don't think you can blame is the city.  As I've said many times, with all other issues they need to spend money on, there is no way allocating millions for refurbishing Key Arena or building a new facility should be anywhere near the top of their priority list.

As for Bennett and company.  You can hate him and dream about being at a stop light and seeing him crossing the street directly in front of you, but you really can't blame him.  He's from Oklahoma.  Oklahoma had a taste of being an NBA town for two years and loved it.  Bennett, being rich enough, went out and bought himself a team.  It's the American way.

What I think Seattle fans should be doing is pressing the league to keep the Sonic name with Seattle.  That's where the argument of 40 years of history can carry some wait.  But as for it meaning anything  with regard to keeping the team from moving?  Doesn't count for much.

   Keep in mind that just 2 years back we had an owner that appeared to had lost interest, who was proclaiming a broken financial model and was at odds with Arena management and ownership. When there is no stability from ownership it's a nightmare for fans. Blazer fans did face the reality that the team could be sold or moved, or both.

  The problem is I feel sorry for Sonic fans. You are quite right with your nostalgic recollections. But I'm afraid there might not be much anyone, outside of Clay Bennett, can do. You'll be hard pressed to find other owners or officials of other teams that will say much more than it is "unfortunate".

  Owners with personal agendas, acting out of carpet bagging greed or any other motive, may not be likeable, may not be acting in the best interest of life long fans but they are not doing anything illegal.

  Looking for Stern to be a saviour doesn't work either and isn't probably fair to Stern. His interest is in the health of the league as a whole. I'm sure he doesn't want to promote mass movement and exodus of franchises. I'm sure that he is for stability. However, he's also going to be hard pressed to try and dictate to Owners when and "if" they can move a team.

   When The Blazers were having trouble Stern came as a "negotiator" between Allen and Rose Garden Ownership. It was less than affective.

  Again, I feel for true Sonic fans. But there is a danger in looking for others to solve your problems. There also just isn't much that can be done.

  The Blazers were lucky. Allen rekindled his passion for the team. Invested himself into re-obtaining The Rose Garden and then of course we got some luck (hard work as well) in obtaining some players that have got the local Basketball community excited about the team. We may never know how close to the brink Portland was to being sold, and maybe eventually moved.

  If we had been sold, and now we were being moved would I be as upset as Sonic fans? Yes. But what can you do? As long as an Owner is adhering to the law, and/or the protocal of the process you can't stop them from at least looking to do whatever they want with the teams.

  The sad fact is fans love their teams, but Owners Own the teams. When you get a difference or gap in what that means to the two parties then things can and do get ugly.

  I hope Seattle can save it's franchise. If only for the selfish reason that even though I think The Blazers are stable in Portland, as long as there is a big city with a Space Needle without a N.B.A. team, I could see never ending rumors about "The Blazers", I'd just as soon The Sonics stay. Good Luck, but I'm afraid regional fan support and random statement from a few people within Basketball won't be enough.