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View Full Version : Good thing Shaq doesnt get a vote cus he doesnt like OKC



Collier11
3/27/2008, 11:38 AM
Shaq shares in fans' dismay

By JIM MOORE
P-I COLUMNIST
THE PHOENIX SUNS beat writer said Shaquille O'Neal didn't usually talk to reporters before games, so I walked into the visiting locker room thinking he wouldn't have much to say, if anything at all.

Grant Hill was seated next to O'Neal, and I thought, well, if I ask Hill a few questions about the Sonics and their situation here, maybe the big fella would join the conversation.

Sure enough, he did. Want to know what Shaq thinks about the Sonics' possible move to Oklahoma City? He feels like most Sonics fans.
"It's dumb, it's stupid," O'Neal said. "They should have to wait from the bottom like everyone else."

I'm not sure what that meant, but since Shaq said it, I wrote it down. I'm assuming he thinks Oklahoma City should have to wait for an expansion team instead of taking someone else's.

"Seattle has tradition, the Space Needle, and there's water here," Shaq said. "Oklahoma City's a college town. You're not going to have the TV market there."
He was just getting warmed up.

"When I think of Seattle, I think of G.P., the Reign Man, Sikma, Lenny Wilkens," Shaq said. "The Oklahoma City Sonics? When my son asks me about that, I'll say there's no such thing."

He said he'd rather play in Seattle than Oklahoma City any day of the week, month and decade.

But Wednesday night's game might have been the last in Seattle for the Big Aristotle, an NBA legend who was acquired by Phoenix from Miami on Feb. 6. He is asked if he can recall his greatest game here, and he doesn't think he had any.

"But I had a lot of good ones," Shaq said.

Like most of the Suns, he is unfamiliar with the problems that have led to the possible end of the Sonics' 41-year history in Seattle, but it sounds like he'd back Mayor Greg Nickels in his verbal battles with NBA commissioner David Stern. He thinks if the Sonics had a better team, there would be more support from the community.

"If you don't have the players, people aren't going to pay," Shaq said. "If LeBron was here, you wouldn't have these issues. The young fella (Kevin Durant) has the potential to be like that, but (it's going to take) three to five years."

When you listen to Hill and Shaq, you determine that most NBA players prefer Seattle to Oklahoma City.

"That's a bad road trip," Hill said of Oklahoma City. "It's cold. This shouldn't happen. Seattle's a great market, a great city, and I would think there's a lot of money in this city. It's a shame. They had a good product.

"When I think of Seattle, it's hard to see what's going on now. When I came into the league, it was rockin'."

Hill and Shaq remember playing at the Tacoma Dome during the 1994-95 season while KeyArena was being renovated, and now it's considered obsolete. Eddie Johnson has a hard time believing that.

"This was the best arena I ever played in at playoff time," said Johnson, who was here when the Sonics had some magical seasons in the early to mid-'90s.

"I'm sad," said Johnson, now an analyst on the Suns TV broadcasts. "You look at this city and see that the Mariners have a new facility, the Seahawks have one, and the only team that's won a championship has got to get a remodel. I don't get it. I don't understand that part. This city deserves a basketball team."

He walks into KeyArena and the memories always come back to him. The 1992-93 team that lost to Phoenix in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals was "by far the most talented team I've ever played for," Johnson said.

And now? A team that mails it in from time to time, especially of late, giving up 168 points in Denver last Sunday night. Clearly the Save Our Sonics folks are trying to save the franchise, not this team. Hill is asked if he can believe an NBA team allowed 168 points.

"Hopefully they'll do it again tonight," he said.

Suns coach Mike D'Antoni sat on the bench an hour before tipoff while Steve Nash worked on his perimeter game. Asked if he thinks it will be the Suns' last game here, D'Antoni said: "I hope not. My mother-in-law lives here, and my wife's family is all from here. Hopefully it will all sort out. It's a great place to play, a great city, and traditionally, they've been great fans."

After hitting his last warm-up jumper, Nash left the court and expressed the same sentiments. Nash grew up in Victoria, B.C., and there were no teams closer than the Sonics after the Vancouver Grizzlies left for Memphis in 2001.

"I'm sorry for the fans," Nash said. "It's a great basketball city. They deserve a club here. ... Obviously, I'm not privy to all the reasons, but it doesn't make sense on the surface."

Hill summed it up better than anyone, saying, "The people who get shortchanged here, of course, are the fans."

P-I columnist Jim Moore can be reached at 206-448-8013 or [email protected]. His columns appear Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
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Ton Loc
3/27/2008, 11:52 AM
"That's a bad road trip," Hill said of Oklahoma City. "It's cold. This shouldn't happen. Seattle's a great market, a great city, and I would think there's a lot of money in this city. It's a shame. They had a good product.


It's cold in OKC but not in Seattle???? What's this guy smoking?!

bri
3/27/2008, 12:05 PM
This just in: Seattle is a bigger city than OKC. Get used to players and coaches slamming the move.

Collier11
3/27/2008, 12:18 PM
This just in: Seattle is a bigger city than OKC. Get used to players and coaches slamming the move.

Sacramento gets hyped up all the time, they could show a little restraint until they visit here more than once or twice

bri
3/27/2008, 12:24 PM
Dude, I hate to side with Shaq, but when you're used to major metropolitan centers and all the myriad things they have to offer a young millionare with decidedly urban tastes, OKC just isn't gonna do it for you. It doesn't matter if you've only made one trip, five trips, or a million. It's not like OKC is an infinite onion of exciting nightlife options, one layer more awesome than the last.

BigRedJed
3/27/2008, 12:27 PM
It is colder in OKC than Seattle during the NBA season. Go look at a climatological map.

bri
3/27/2008, 12:33 PM
Science, FTW! :D

Collier11
3/27/2008, 12:37 PM
Dude, I hate to side with Shaq, but when you're used to major metropolitan centers and all the myriad things they have to offer a young millionare with decidedly urban tastes, OKC just isn't gonna do it for you. It doesn't matter if you've only made one trip, five trips, or a million. It's not like OKC is an infinite onion of exciting nightlife options, one layer more awesome than the last.

Understandable, but hell! They have to go to Houston and all its sh*ttiness.

BigRedJed
3/27/2008, 12:38 PM
Shaq and those guys just haven't paid attention to how the city of Seattle has treated that franchise, even before these guys owned it. The facility and lease are the worst in the league from a business standpoint, and it causes the owners to lose tens of millions per year. The position they will be in here will be far better from an owner's perspective, but that's not what the players are concerned about.

Plus, they really don't know anything about OKC, so it's easy to see why the automatic reaction is to assume it will be a lousy trade. On the surface, to people who don't concern themselves with the financial end of things in Seattle and who know not a lot about OKC, it surely looks like a really bad move. But it's not, and they'll become educated at some point.

As for comparing the cities, there's no comparison. I am a professional OKC lover, and even I realize that Seattle is one of the greatest cities in America, and has a vitality that we can only aspire to. The thing we have working for us right now is a hunger and collective vision that I think few cities in America can match. One day we will be spoken of in the same breath as most of the cities now in the NBA. One place we will never be able to compete with Seattle: geography. One place we might be able to outdo Seattle and other cities in the long term: they have precious few Oklahomans.

BigRedJed
3/27/2008, 12:41 PM
Most people don't think deep enough to understand the advantages of being the only major league team in a market (the same reason the NBA works better here than say, Kansas City), or the advantages of a city having a debt-free state-of-the-art facility. No other facility in the NBA is debt-free. It's a HUGE advantage.

So, from the outside looking in, it's easy to see how even some NBA players see it as a bad choice, but after a little digging, they'll see that it's not what they think it is.

Still doesn't change the fact that, at least for the forseeable future, Seattle probably makes for a better road trip from a player's point of view.

starrca23
3/27/2008, 01:17 PM
The big fella was just in a bad mood. Besides Seattle is a cool place.

BigRedJed
3/27/2008, 01:22 PM
I don't think he was just in a bad mood. He's said it more than just this once. He obviously thinks it's a bad idea. At some point I believe he'll be convinced otherwise, and even if not, oh well.

soonermix
3/27/2008, 02:00 PM
did shaq ever play in okc while the hornets were visiting?
maybe he shouldn't be quite so negative until he does imo

badger
3/27/2008, 02:10 PM
Charles Barkley was once negative about OKC also. Unlike some groups's and area's responses to criticism, Oklahoma leaders and Oklahoma City chose to respond differently - by inviting Barkley to visit and change his perception.

Either Shaq wants a similar invite... :D

...or more likely, he was like Charles Barkley, relying on general perceptions of Oklahoma and OKC, which can lead to jokes about whether or not we have electricity and running water :rolleyes:

Collier11
3/27/2008, 02:21 PM
Charles Barkley was once negative about OKC also. Unlike some groups's and area's responses to criticism, Oklahoma leaders and Oklahoma City chose to respond differently - by inviting Barkley to visit and change his perception.

Either Shaq wants a similar invite... :D

...or more likely, he was like Charles Barkley, relying on general perceptions of Oklahoma and OKC, which can lead to jokes about whether or not we have electricity and running water :rolleyes:

we live in T-pees also

kevpks
3/27/2008, 02:30 PM
Oklahoma is one of those places you have to spend some time in to really appreciate. For me, it is the people that really set it apart. Some of the Hornets players really seemed to like it, and I don't think they were just being diplomatic. Besides, I don't think Sacramento or Memphis have much on OKC.

Collier11
3/27/2008, 02:34 PM
cowbells and gang violence ;)

stoopified
3/27/2008, 03:36 PM
Consider the the source:a grown man with a girls name.I of course can say this from a position of saftey and anonymity .I ain't stupid enough to say it to his face. :D

soonermix
3/27/2008, 03:43 PM
Consider the the source:a grown man with a girls name.I of course can say this from a position of saftey and anonymity .I ain't stupid enough to say it to his face. :D

what do you call Shaq with no arms and no legs???

anything you want lol

Cam
3/27/2008, 07:18 PM
If Grant Hill can handle 6 years in Detroit, he can handle 5-6 visits to OKC a year. :rolleyes:

BigRedJed
3/27/2008, 07:21 PM
Excellent point.

SleestakSooner
3/27/2008, 07:57 PM
Charles Barkley was once negative about OKC also. Unlike some groups's and area's responses to criticism, Oklahoma leaders and Oklahoma City chose to respond differently - by inviting Barkley to visit and change his perception.

Either Shaq wants a similar invite... :D

...or more likely, he was like Charles Barkley, relying on general perceptions of Oklahoma and OKC, which can lead to jokes about whether or not we have electricity and running water :rolleyes:

Didn't Connie Chung make that same assumption? Where did her career go after that? Hmmm...

Seems to me Shaq is about to retire :D

birddog
3/27/2008, 08:12 PM
i'm not going to lose any sleep over what shaq thinks about our fair city. there isn't alot to offer right now in okc but the same could be said for dallas, and a pant load of other major league cities. we have a blank canvas in front of us and the tools to create something pretty friggin cool.

Rhino
3/27/2008, 08:37 PM
I'm sure quite a few people said the same thing about St. Louis when the Rams moved from Los Angeles. LA definitely has a better wow factor than STL.

Still doesn't change the fact that Los Angeles was complete fail when it came to supporting football.

BigRedJed
3/27/2008, 09:16 PM
Excellent point.

Eielson
3/27/2008, 09:54 PM
I don't care if it's a good move or not. I want this team in OKC! Can you imagine if they could get Rose or Beasley to go along with Durant and Jeff Green?

Big Red Ron
3/27/2008, 11:38 PM
It's a good move we have as many people as Oregon and are a bigger market than NO. It really doesn't matter what Shaq thinks. OKC is growing by leaps and bounds.

badger
3/28/2008, 10:33 AM
Didn't Connie Chung make that same assumption? Where did her career go after that? Hmmm...

Seems to me Shaq is about to retire :D

Umm... you're comparing apples and oranges. Barkley was poking at OKC just because we had an NBA team. Chung was poking fun at OKC because... we all know the story and we all despise her for it, yes. There's an obvious reason why Charles is still the best commentator on the NBA, despite his comments, while Chung, formerly the first and only female major nightly news anchor at the time, was relegated to random CNN specials... which, btw, she is not doing well at (she was banned from Skywalker Ranch because of her stupid questions).

But yes, Shaq will retire soon :D

MrJimBeam
3/28/2008, 10:53 AM
Would somebody like to remind me why I should care what Shaq thinks.

BigRedJed
3/28/2008, 11:25 AM
Because we all love the Big Aristotle?

badger
3/28/2008, 01:25 PM
Would somebody like to remind me why I should care what Shaq thinks.

I tried to find the answer for you... and depending on how you look at it... umm...
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/5059/shaqnm3.jpg

Taxman71
3/28/2008, 01:41 PM
From a player's perspective, visiting a city only involves the game and the clubs/strip bars. We will equal or best Seattle on #1, but don't really care about #2. NBA players aren't known for their business savvy....unless you count Spreewell's rims business.

Shaq, Barkley and Vital can be baned from TV for all I care.

bri
3/28/2008, 02:36 PM
Man, you guys are gonna have to get way more used to NBA players bemoaning having to play in OKC. Coping skills, FTW! :D

BigRedJed
3/28/2008, 03:07 PM
Excellent point.

Taxman71
3/28/2008, 03:22 PM
Bottom line is Shaq is a Texan and, naturally, hates Oklahoma.

You would anyone who put on the rap records he did would have the decency never to badmouth anyone or thing ever again. By the way, Phil's his real fatha because his biological didn't botha.

BigRedJed
3/28/2008, 03:23 PM
Excellent point?

shaun4411
3/28/2008, 04:28 PM
NBA players aren't known for their business savvy....unless you count Spreewell's rims business.

Shaq, Barkley and Vital can be baned from TV for all I care.

well, i think we're all aware of the quality of education experienced from 30 hours of remedial math, reading, and comp classes-- not exactly an mba!

soonerloyal
3/28/2008, 08:18 PM
1) Blue Chips
2) Kazaam
3) Steel
4) The Wash

Who the hell cares what the guy thinks?

Big Red Ron
3/29/2008, 12:48 PM
Shaq is a has been.

bri
3/29/2008, 03:29 PM
So, what you guys are saying is OMG WE LUV TEH NBA IN OKC but at the same time LOL NBA PLAYAZ R DUMB! DO NOT WANT!!

Awesome.

Big Red Ron
3/29/2008, 04:07 PM
So, what you guys are saying is OMG WE LUV TEH NBA IN OKC but at the same time LOL NBA PLAYAZ R DUMB! DO NOT WANT!!

Awesome.
Yeah, that's exactly what we're saying.:rolleyes:

bri
3/29/2008, 04:16 PM
From a player's perspective, visiting a city only involves the game and the clubs/strip bars. We will equal or best Seattle on #1, but don't really care about #2. NBA players aren't known for their business savvy....unless you count Spreewell's rims business.


well, i think we're all aware of the quality of education experienced from 30 hours of remedial math, reading, and comp classes-- not exactly an mba!

I must have missed the part where it was pointed out we were bashing only the NBA players who won't be playing for the OKC team. :D

Big Red Ron
3/29/2008, 04:26 PM
We bash most players that don't play at OU, no?

;)

BigRedJed
3/29/2008, 05:34 PM
Heh.

Taxman71
3/30/2008, 07:41 AM
I must have missed the part where it was pointed out we were bashing only the NBA players who won't be playing for the OKC team. :D


The players that play for OKC are in town long enough to know the town/people beyond Nite Trips and CityWalk.

BigRedJed
3/30/2008, 10:32 AM
Once they eat at Mickey Mantle's, it's all good.

bri
3/30/2008, 10:33 AM
Yeah, but God forbid any of them encounter Russell. It's game over, man after that.

BigRedJed
3/30/2008, 10:34 AM
Heh.

GrapevineSooner
3/30/2008, 10:55 AM
It's cold in OKC but not in Seattle???? What's this guy smoking?!

:rolleyes:

I doubt Hill was referring to the weather. Rather, I think he's referring to the callous way that Sonics fans are about to lose their team.

badger
3/30/2008, 11:03 AM
We bash most players that don't play at OU, no?

;)

Absolutely not. Fellow athletes at fellow universities are fellow scholars, especially the likes of those in fellow Big 12 institutions of higher learning. Vince Young is a fellow scholarly mind.
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/sun_sea_sand/rofl%20laughs/rofl-doggie.jpg

snp
3/30/2008, 03:44 PM
Understandable, but hell! They have to go to Houston and all its sh*ttiness.

Uh, Houston is about 20 times cooler than OKC. It's not even close.

Collier11
3/30/2008, 05:38 PM
Uh, Houston is about 20 times cooler than OKC. It's not even close.

Houston is a sh*t hole, its not even close!

BigRedJed
3/30/2008, 05:54 PM
Man, I'm willing to take off my OKC glasses for a few minutes and honestly give it up to cities that are better than OKC in various areas (scenery, nightlife, stuff to do, etc.). Reference my NBA-related posts on Seattle, or the many times on this board that I have pimped cities like Portland, Boston, or even Kansas City and Austin, each of which have elements that I like better than OKC.

But, being well acquainted with Houston, saying it's "20 times cooler" than OKC is pretty ridiculous. Houston is a nice regional changeup from Dallas, if you are forced to go to big D a little too often. It has all of the advantages of a giant city, as far as great shopping, some fantastic dining, etc. But it's pretty low as far as "cool factor" goes. And the ridiculous traffic, among other things, cancel out many of the positives in that town.

It's just not a great city, sorry.

snp
3/30/2008, 06:26 PM
Sorry, I just happen to think Houston is very underrated. I like OKC and am really happy that they're finally getting a professional team. But I'm also a diehard Astros, Rockets, and Texans fan and enjoy UH so I'll probably have a better time than most.

20 times was an exaggeration, btw.

bri
3/30/2008, 06:56 PM
:les: THERE ARE NO EXAGGERATIONS ALLOWED ON THE INTERNET!!!

Heh.

SoonerKnight
4/3/2008, 02:16 AM
I was stationed in Seattle for a breif period of time and have to say it is one cool city. The streets are easy to get around on but the hills are a killer if you are 6'4" and drive a compact standard and have to sit at a red light this sucks let me tell ya. As far as the water comment from Shaq I hope he was refering to the ocean and Pugent Sound. There are a lot of little islands that people with big money live on with great views. Downtown OKC is growing and is better than it was but hopefully the city and state will do two things. Change some of the liquor laws in the state and the other that the city will also invest in more businesses in downtown OKC.

I currently live in Denver and while I think Denver is BLAH they do have jobs that pay a decent wage. Cost of living is outrageous compared to OKC. OKC you can buy and older house for a reasonable amount of money but the cost of fuel,food, car insurance and car payments are no different than anywhere else. A city that has a professional sports team should be able to attract good businesses with good wages this will benefit everyone in the metro of OKC. As far as a college town obviosly since we have no professional team (DUH!). OKC could support a professional team and our college teams. OU has a stadium that is bigger than Invesco field!!!! So Shaq needs to remember you build it they will come. Besides Those NBA players don't realize how cheap land is in Oklahoma man you could have one heck of a spread even if it is flat lands.

Okay Rant over!

Dio
4/3/2008, 07:18 AM
So, if Brick-Fu's career lasts long enough for him to play here again, are we going to bust out the torches and pitchforks for him, or not? Cause I already have my "SHAQ SUQS" sign made...

Bourbon St Sooner
4/3/2008, 09:24 AM
Man, I'm willing to take off my OKC glasses for a few minutes and honestly give it up to cities that are better than OKC in various areas (scenery, nightlife, stuff to do, etc.). Reference my NBA-related posts on Seattle, or the many times on this board that I have pimped cities like Portland, Boston, or even Kansas City and Austin, each of which have elements that I like better than OKC.

But, being well acquainted with Houston, saying it's "20 times cooler" than OKC is pretty ridiculous. Houston is a nice regional changeup from Dallas, if you are forced to go to big D a little too often. It has all of the advantages of a giant city, as far as great shopping, some fantastic dining, etc. But it's pretty low as far as "cool factor" goes. And the ridiculous traffic, among other things, cancel out many of the positives in that town.

It's just not a great city, sorry.

I think you're overlooking the greatness of being able to go to church to get your soul cleansed and then walking next door to the strip club.

badger
4/3/2008, 10:01 AM
Ok, let's all vent a little about Shaq :D

Shaq has a failed rap career, a failed acting career and recently a failed marriage. As you can see, Shaq fails at far more than free throws and he has no team loyalty. When Orlando took him with the top pick, he only stayed until offered more money in LA. When LA gave him the chance at championship runs and more rings, he bolted on his teammates for the easier East Conference Miami Heat. When Miami started to suck, he bolted once again for a better team with a better chance of giving him another ring. Soon enough, he will likely bolt for another team for another odd reason, whether it be money, teammate issues or chances to win. Thus, he'll end up in OKC or a like-city soon enough, when no larger market team wants to put up with him anymore.

Now, onto Oklahoma City. They have done a good job of revitalizing a historic area of the city with the riverwalk, but they still have a long way to go. However, I think a lot of people don't realize that not all professional athletes want to have a big city feel every day with all the problems it presents. Traffic, crime and overcrowded areas are all problems in larger cities. This is why some players choose to stay in smaller markets - this is why colleges like Washington State can recruit. Most athletes have big houses in the burbs. Now, if that option was available within a short drive of the practice areas and the arena, that would be a bonus!

GrapevineSooner
4/3/2008, 11:49 PM
I think you're overlooking the greatness of being able to go to church to get your soul cleansed and then walking next door to the strip club.

Or the greatness of taking a sports arena where the local NBA team won two titles, moves onto a bigger arena so that a Megachurch can buy the building and turn it into a REALLY BIG Megachurch.

Show me where in OKC that's possible. :D

r5TPsooner
4/4/2008, 07:17 AM
Dude, I hate to side with Shaq, but when you're used to major metropolitan centers and all the myriad things they have to offer a young millionare with decidedly urban tastes, OKC just isn't gonna do it for you. It doesn't matter if you've only made one trip, five trips, or a million. It's not like OKC is an infinite onion of exciting nightlife options, one layer more awesome than the last.


Bri, you're exactly right! Having lived in a major city for eight years and having access to an NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB teams, I can honestly say that one of the biggest reasons for us coming back to OKC was to get away from a major city and all that comes with it. I love sports but in eight years of living in a major city, I attended 0 NFL games, 0 NBA games, 1 NHL game, and probably a dozen MLB games. Not to mention that right next door I had a major college which included a great hockey program and nightlife that was on par with any city in the country IMHO.

Unfortunately, crime had become so bad in the last two years, that I decided against attending more games when we extended our family. That's what made OKC so desirable for us. Either you're a big city person or you're not. What some folks dislike about OKC are the things that I adore about it. No traffic, lesser crime and rapes, and getting from point A to B is a snap.

Quite honestly, OKC has made a lot of progress in the time that I've been away. But I predict that if OKC does get an NBA team in the next two years, it'll be gone in less than ten years.