Dear Jim,
Jealousy does not become you.
Usually you expect this type of column from a news analyst in a city that is a fierce rival, or the city that ends up on the losing end of a playoff series. But you don't really have a dog in this hunt do you? And you haven't for the past eight years. Which, by the way, is the current longest active streak for a team without a playoff berth in the NBA.
But oh what a playoff series to go out on. Who can forget Kevin Garnett's leap to the scorer's table after eliminating the powerhouse fourth seeded Sacramento Kings? Apparently someone forgot to tell Garnett that there was still a series to go before the finals. A lesson he had to go to Boston to learn.
And why all the concern over the color coordination for the Thunder fans? Is this just another example of your jealousy? I had heard rumors of a similar attempt in Minnesota during their 2004 run, but it was shelved at the last moment. The use of that much flannel would have demanded a huge sacrifice from the state's sheep population, which would have severely depleted the dating prospects in the Twin Cities, and surrounding rural areas.
But I'm guessing your stance of the Thunder fans isn't from the viewpoint of superiority of reporting for a team that has an all time winning percentage of .389. You have to speak with the superiority of a state with such rich sports tradition as Minnesota.
For example the Minnesota Vikings. I have to believe that Vikings fans get down on their knees every day and thank God for the Buffalo Bills of the 90's so that their exercises in Superbowl misery would have company.
Then there are the Twins. The most successful of your state's sports franchises. Two World Series titles. But none in the past twenty years. Which makes them as relevant as other 90's has beens such as Joey Lawrence, or the Divinyls.
I could speak of the Wild, but hockey doesn't interest me. It does speak volumes for the women in your state however, as apparently the men in your state would rather chase a puck during the cold months in an attempt to keep warm, rather than chasing the women in your state.
And I have to say a state which has lost not just one, but two professional franchises, has so much room to talk on how fans conduct themselves. Oh, and good luck trying to keep the Vikings from sailing for the riches of a new world.
I guess I expected too much from the writer from a state that elected a professional wrestler as governor. I have to ask, which impacted the budget more, the cost of lining the governor's mansion with tinfoil, or the cost to remove it once he left?
I want to end this on a positive note though, and wish you the
best of luck reporting on the constant revolving door of head coaches, player personnel, and even franchises that will be listing Minnesota as a former residence for years to come.