Am I the only one who doesn't hate Oklahoma City?

I will reply!

I think that what we are calling “hate” is a relative term. Do I hate OKC like I hate terrorists, cancer, or clowns? No. Of course not.

I just hate ’em in that organic way that a sports rivalry conjures, like the Eagles hate the Cowboys, like the Sox hate the Yanks, and like the Lakers are hated by…. well… everyone.

It’s not a very PC word, but I figured it goes without saying that we are talking about sports, here, and not anything truly meaningful. I respect the hell out of Presti, Durant, Westbrook, and all. I just, hate them a little, too.

I don’t hate them.

1. I no longer associate the Thunder with Seattle. It’s just been too long now.

2. Every single GM in the league would have taken Oden > Durant, so I can’t hate on them for that.

What else is there left to hate on them for? Being good?

to little kids instead of men. OKC needs a better coach.

Also, I loved seeing Westbrook’s face after the choke job from last night. I was boxscore watching and when I got back from work, watching the replay was just special. Seeing Westbrook getting cocky, right before the collapse. They have been humbled.

but I maintain my strong dislike for them. As The Penguin says above…I don’t hate hate them, it’s just that healthy rivalry type of hate. Like I feel for the Dodgers or Cowboys. For a fan like me who tends to be very passionate, that healthy rivalry hate manifests itself in a pretty strong way. I’ve said all along that I have nothing but respect for Durant and the Thunder, there are just certain things that I don’t want them to accomplish, like winning a championship. I don’t consider the Heat, Bulls, or Mavs our rival, so I would prefer any of them winning it to the Thunder winning it.

Durant is one of the best stories in the league (a no-drama superstar who likes his teammates, is nice to fans, and re-ups with the small market team that drafted him), they have a great fanbase, and the supporting cast is solid/fun too watch. Heck, while I still wish they were the Sonics, I blame Clay Bennett less for that fiasco (and let’s be honest – if Portland dind’t have a team and some rich guy from town threw his $ around to get us one he’d be lionized) than the bloody hands of Howard Schultz and David Stern.

Then it’s sour grapes. Lets face it, they’re a better run organization than Portland right now. They’ve made it to the WCF Blazers didn’t. Other than the Blazers OKC Thunder are the other team I enjoy watching and even root for. Until PDX makes smart decisions on draft day, (coulda had CP3 or DWill) signs tougher free agents, (doesn’t sign guys with no knees) those grapes will taste like butt.

At first, based on the responses so fat, it would appear that there some people who do NOT hate OKC. But none of them have probably had to live there, or stopped for lunch there and been unable to get sprouts on their pizza, or seen the Blazers lose a 7-game series to the *under while idiot commentators endlessly rehash Greg Oden’s medical history.

Teams that are being supported well and have a large history shouldn’t be moved, and screwing the fans in Seattle of the team they grew up with is odious. Seeing them fail would be a gratifying comeuppance.

Therefore I will never root for them. And they beat the Blazers 3 timers this year. Just like Denver and Utah, I will always root against them. Minnesota doesn’t count.

I guess part of it is jealousy, but that’s a small part. I mostly don’t like all the hype that they receive. Even with all of our injuries last year, we still finished with a better overall record than they did. However, when all the predictions came out this year, practically everyone ranked the Thunder above us. I guess it didn’t make very much sense at the time.

Also, I’m rooting against the Thunder because they’re a division rival and because they’re going to be good for a very long time. The window for some teams, like the Spurs, Mavericks, and Celtics will be closing soon, but the Thunder will probably be the best team in the West for the next decade. I don’t want them to get anything to brag about just yet.

I’ve liked Collison and Sefolosha for a few years now. The lineup is filled with likable guys.

That being said, I cannot root for a team owned by Clay Bennett. It has nothing to do with the players, everything to do with ownership.

To me, rooting for the Thunder would be like choosing to do business with Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities because “they have a bunch of nice brokers”.

no, you aren’t the only one.

I know it isn’t logical or reasonable, but I resent Kevin Durant. Not because we didn’t get him, not because he’s a great player, but because everyone compares him to Oden which is patently absurd and unfair. No matter how good Oden becomes he’s always going to be haunted by his injuries and he’s always going to be compared to Durant despite the fact that he’s not built like Durant, he’s doesn’t play the same position as Durant and the roles of the two players for their respective teams are completely different, not to mention the fact that we didn’t need a power forward in that draft.

I do greatly dislike Clay Bennett though. The guy did just about everything that makes my skin crawl. He’s totally dishonest and he’s been rewarded for it. There’s nothing to like about Bennett and so the less success his franchise sees and the more money he loses personally the happier I will be. What he did to Seattle was at the very least perjury and he deserved to have a much different outcome enforced upon him than he did.

That’s not to say that I agree with how the city of Seattle and the officials in Olympia handled the situation was even remotely conducive to the long-term success of the franchise in Seattle, but that’s another subject.

You are.

I reserve my hate for the lakers. I’ve never even hated the Sonics when they existed, nor have much contempt for guys like Clay Bennett, as I don’t peg him as the villain in that debacle. Their ownership took financial losses to bring that team into their hometown. Their team is built the right way and is an elite team even though they do not have the resources the big market teams or even we have.

The guy I reserve my hate for is Howard Schultz. Most Sonics fans know why he’s the one that was truly responsible for the demise of the Sonics.

then the terrorists win

They’re a lot of fun to watch. I’m still pulling for the Mavs—my respect for Dirk has skyrocketed during these playoffs—but I’d root for the Thunder against any Eastern team, and many Western teams, too. Love Durant and Harden.

I like how Durrant buttons his shirts up all the way and wears that backpack and has undercover really weird tattoos. I don’t like the OKC crowd or the teams ownership, but that’s not usually who I’d be rooting for. I don’t hate them. I’m in awe of their health, that’s for sure.