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ESPN revising Sonics history

Somebody at ESPN - the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports - is running amok and apparently ordered all memories of the Seattle SuperSonics in the databases to be deleted and exchanged against new ones. The results are spooky.

I can't remember anymore, but apparently we narrowly beat a team called OKC in February 92-88. A rookie named Kevin Durant had the most points for -- Oklahoma. Though their top performer was Earl Watson. That's kinda rare, so maybe he can remember that game. (Only in the written game recap text - which is harder to change automatically - it still says "Seattle SuperSonics".)

In the end, that loss contributed to Oklahoma finishing last in the Western Conference in the 2007-08 regular season. Another factor might have been that they had no home games all season, since those games that should have been at the Ford Center had to be played many miles away at the Key Arena in Seattle for some reason. Bummer.

My memory really fails me, but maybe Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace and Arvydas Sabonis have vivid recollections of beating Oklahoma's top performer Mr. Gary Payton way back in 2002, the last year on ESPN record with complete game recaps. Perhaps former Oklahoma center Jerome James who was injured that night has some time now while sitting next to Mike D'Antoni on the bench in New York all season to search for some pictures from his OKC times in his old photo boxes.

But well, the guys from Oklahoma have seen much better times in their proud history. Like in 1994, when they even came out first in the regular season. Or in 1996. Who knew?

I understand that the deal between the new ownership group with the city of Seattle includes a "shared history" clause. But such a "search and replace" operation doesn't feel right. Not at all. More like historical revisionism. Luckily you can't fool all the people all the time - at least not so easily.

 

And surprisingly ESPN's endeavors beat the NBA.com website editors in anticipatory obedience, who are still listing Seattle in old scoreboards and standings. As it should be and remain.

 

6 recs | Comment 35 comments

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You can send feedback to their Ombudsman here...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?id=2826900

Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it's always something! If it's not one thing, it's another! -Roseanne Roseannadanna

by naybobjoe on Jul 31, 2008 7:30 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   1 recs

Sent!

Aldridge said. "We feel like we can beat any team. We feel like we can beat the Spurs, Suns, Lakers, Mavericks, whoever any night right now, and we'll still be here when those teams get old and their guys retire. We're going to be here for a long time."

by lee3022 on Jul 31, 2008 8:48 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Message sent!

Jerryd Bayless has two emotions: Kill and Win.

"I think it’s going to be very beautiful game next year."
-Nicolas Batum

by rockingharder on Jul 31, 2008 10:21 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Blazers are the only team in the northwest divison in the west time zone

David Stern “We are not going to realign the conferences”

wonderful

Now I actually miss the Sonics.

Roy4Ever

by Sabonis4Ever on Jul 31, 2008 7:37 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   1 recs

Pretty shocking revisionist work

Thought police have been increasingly active in this last 3 years and this smacks of David Stern’s heavy hand as he pays back Seattle and Washington for dissing him.

Question? Has ESPN made the same changes for the Charlotte Hornets?

Aldridge said. "We feel like we can beat any team. We feel like we can beat the Spurs, Suns, Lakers, Mavericks, whoever any night right now, and we'll still be here when those teams get old and their guys retire. We're going to be here for a long time."

by lee3022 on Jul 31, 2008 8:43 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   1 recs

Good question

And the answer—although the Hornets are listed as being in New Orleans, the history seems to still be there (Baron played for “CHA”):
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=194

Ditto the Grizzlies:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=61

by royroty on Jul 31, 2008 9:01 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

And Toronto isn't even on there

The conferences were numerically unbalanced when Toronto came in.

Deeply flawed.

by royroty on Jul 31, 2008 9:07 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

The better question

is at GP’s HOF ceremony, is he going to inducted in an OKC Wind Jersey?

by Royster on Jul 31, 2008 9:22 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

This is lame

beyond words,I dont know what to say.

by southern oregon on Jul 31, 2008 11:31 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Find a way!

Say it to the ombudsman – it’s her job to take responses from the public and make sure ESPN is acting ethically.

Jerryd Bayless has two emotions: Kill and Win.

"I think it’s going to be very beautiful game next year."
-Nicolas Batum

by rockingharder on Jul 31, 2008 11:49 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

At least they listen

So I sent feedback to Ombudsman a few hours ago about the 1995-1996 standings and they have already changed it. All other years, including 1994 and 1997, have not been changed…So they must be aware of the problem, and are certainly willing to correct it somewhat…

by SteveScheffler on Aug 4, 2008 8:03 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

OKay, so why didn't they do this with the Hornets?

If you look at the the link from the 1993-94 season the Hornets are listed as Charlotte and clicking on the link takes you to the NOH ESPN site. Why can’t they do the same with the Sonics?

by erastus25 on Aug 1, 2008 5:34 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

what about when the Sonics played the NOK Hornets in 05-06?

What are they going to do for that? Oklahoma City beat Oklahoma City?

by homerandflanders on Aug 1, 2008 8:19 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

It looks to me as if in changing the logo...

... it automatically changed the name/logo on their site going back in Sonics history. I bet they’ll fix it if they get enough emails.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Aug 1, 2008 9:04 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Thanks

As a recovering Sonics fan, I appreciate your linking to this and replying to the ombudsmen. I have been lurking around this site since B-Roy was drafted (he was my all-time favorite Husky, without a doubt) and have to say you people are awesome. Dave has put together an amazing site.

by HuskyJosh on Aug 1, 2008 9:11 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Yeah. Now if only I could find a way to photo-shop David Stern in there to replace Wes Matthews…

by HuskyJosh on Aug 1, 2008 11:15 AM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Fell Asleep

Someone majorly fell asleep at the “Find and Replace” wheel…

Do they have (poorly) trained monkeys working there (aside from the beloved Henry, that is)?

by SloppyJoe on Aug 1, 2008 9:53 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

Asked his specialty in the kitchen, Oden paused and said, "Hamburger Helper and tuna fish."

by MiledAnimal on Aug 1, 2008 10:35 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Actually....we need to get this revisionista

to go back into our history and undo the Bowie pick. Now in the this revisionist history ….we don’t grab Jordan…we get Barkley instead.

Homer: "Oh no!! A Bear is eating my father!." (On seeing Selma kissing Grampa)

by 92wastheyear on Aug 1, 2008 10:49 AM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Let's just hope....

...this is just a computer find and replace error. Someone just got lazy? I hope so. Because yes, it’s wrong to erase The Sonics history. Very, very, fundamentally wrong.

"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"

by Krang on Aug 1, 2008 10:58 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

probably a database schema design issue

it’s a LOT easier to simply modify the team name and demographic information is one table than it is to add a new team to the table, and trying to figure out in all the other tables in your database, which records need to be pointed to the new team ID and which need to remain pointed at the old team ID. Additionally, certain code that builds pages for certain displays of historical information may need to be modified to work correctly as well.

if the database schema was initially desinged to handle the various types of team moves, this would be simpler than if it were not. My guess is that it was not designed to be that easy. At that point, you have a choice: Change the team name in the master team table, so everything gets changed, OR redesign your schema, change the correct foreign keys, leaving others the same, and modify your code when/where needed. The second option could be quite time consuming.

Let us hope they went with option A as a temporary way of showing the move, with the plan in place to develop option B behind the scenes, and rolling it out when ready. This will result in the OKC stuff appearing unchanged going forward, but the historical Seattle stuff will get reverted
It especitally gets messy when you start talking about doing historical statistical lookups

Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.

by douglast on Aug 1, 2008 11:50 AM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

ignore the last line

was from a previous edit.

Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.

by douglast on Aug 1, 2008 11:52 AM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Years ago

in our library network (we were the first public libraries in the US to have a computerized catalog) the woman doing database maintenance changed the old subject heading ” Russia” to the then correct “Soviet Union.” Well, the data base was pretty basic and it was truly a global change. She had to do some by-hand maintenance when we saw things like “Ivan III, Emperor of the Soviet Union” popping up on our screens. We got some good laughs out of that old database.

"We, as Blazer fans, are perhaps the luckiest fans in the league."-Idog1976, July 19.

by jorga on Aug 1, 2008 7:39 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Another thought

Clay Bennett legally bought the history of the Sonics, and that goes along with the OKC team, the championship etc, could that possibly be what the deal is? That would be seriously messed up, but I guess that is something to think about.

Jaws were hitting the floor as Greg repeatedly attempted to tear the rim off the backboard...

by TheOdenator on Aug 1, 2008 12:44 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

nevermind

actually read the initial post finally, once again &*x%x%

Jaws were hitting the floor as Greg repeatedly attempted to tear the rim off the backboard...

by TheOdenator on Aug 1, 2008 12:57 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

This entire shared history idea is idiotic

There’s only been a precedent for it when a moving team keeps the same name. As in, Mikan being a “Laker Great”, Johnny Unitas being associated with the Indianapolis Colts, or the Zo/Grandmama days being a part of Hornets history rather than the Bobcats.

On the flip side, does anyone in their right mind associate Jim Brown with the Baltimore Ravens? Is Pedro Martinez part of the proud Washington Nationals history? The closest I could think of this making sense is hearing of the Sixers history as the Syracuse Nationals which was like 60 years ago.

If they’re going to leave the name, the history should stay, too, especially considering I’ll be shocked if they’re still in OKC in 30 years.

by Royster on Aug 1, 2008 8:24 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I hope they have

30 losing seasons in a row and then move to Kabul

by southern oregon on Aug 4, 2008 9:07 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Ridiculous

Just added my two cents with the ESPN ombudsman, too. Like I mentioned in my email to her, it’s bad enough that Sonics fans had to lose their team. There’s no need to take away their history, too.

by ElJustino on Aug 4, 2008 8:49 PM PDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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